Disney was established in October of 1923, meant to give children the opportunity to escape the cares of the real world and embark into the fantasy worlds on screen. The careless delights of childhood, the pleasures of adventure, and the importance of imagination are all central values promoted by Disney. More often than not, however, these seemingly utopian worlds embody negative ideologies and perpetuate the misconceptions of the real world. Whether it be the blatant mockery of Indigenous people in Peter Pan, or the tragic lack of female agency in Little Mermaid, Disney is responsible for the spread of some flawed — and dangerous — principles.

Disney, itself, has had a long history of controversial films, originating from its first short films in 1923. What originally began as Walt Disney Studios, soon became an international empire of toys, cruise ships, and theme parks, fuelled by society’s ever-increasing consumerist lifestyle — evolving into much more than just a film industry, it became a lifestyle. Most troubling of all, is that this lifestyle was specifically geared towards children.

These films became more than just a source of entertainment, they began to normalize specific ideologies, socializing children by telling them how to perceive others, what ambitions to have, and who to aspire to be. Since children enter this world as a blank slate, their minds are malleable and their parents, along with the environment they are exposed to, are extremely influential. Youth is a critical period of development, wherein children develop ideologies and worldviews and are just beginning to learn about concepts like sexuality, gender, race and class. Thus, the ideologies in these films are monumental to a child’s early learning experiences, because they no nothing of these topics, other than  what Disney’s portrays. This is problematic because rather than developing their own, personal, opinions and beliefs, children will feel increasingly inclined to imitate those perpetuated in Disney films.

Although Disney has made a several attempts to create more socially progressive plot lines, they have made little progress. Over the years, Disney has attempted to respond to backlash against their lack of diversity and portrayals of negative stereotypes regarding women and ethnic groups, and yet, they continue to spread false ideologies. Disney continues to present women as submissive beings who need to be rescued, marginalized cultures as inferior to western culture, and heterosexual relationships as the romantic ideal and norm. It is shocking to see that over almost one hundred years Disney still spreads negative discourse and ideologies that continue to affect and influence children in 2017.

This trend is particularly dangerous because Disney has the power to influence and shape the next generation. Their movies are not only available through television and books, but are now more widespread than ever as they have become accessible through phones, tablets, and computers via the internet. With this power, Disney movies have corrupted the minds of young children, all over the globe.

In each of our blog posts, although we examine different films through an intersectional approach, each film perpetuates a similar segregation of power negotiated based on class, gender, sexuality, race and able-bodiedness.

Read all of our personal reflections to learn more!

XOXO,

Julia, Adelle, Sara, Helen & Abby