Are Disney Movies Bad for Children?

[Zavea]

Storytime!

A while back, I was hanging out with my cousin's adorable daughter, M, who was about 4 at the time. We were playing with her Disney princess dolls, and she was making up elaborate (and very cute) stories about them. At one point in the story, several of the princesses were sent to jail. Their crime? "Not being pretty."

(It should be noted, incidentally, that the supposedly "not pretty" princesses corresponded quite well to the "not eligible for membership in the KKK" princesses.)

I asked if, before they went to jail, they could have a trial, and M agreed. As their "lawyer," I argued that, first of all, they were all very pretty in their own ways, because prettiness comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes and colors, and second of all, it didn't matter if they were pretty because they were good, kind, brave people, and that was much more important than being pretty. M thought about this (making a super cute "pensive" face while she did so) and concluded that this was a good argument and that all of the princesses should be set free. "Hooray!" I said. "Hooray!" she said, too, and gave Mulan a victory hug.

I cannot fathom the mentality of the people who think that, instead of taking this opportunity to talk to her about body image in age-appropriate ways, I should have just let M imprison all the brown girls, because THINKING IS HARD, YO.

ah, yes. Cinderella v. United States. definitely a game-changer for women's rights.

[Nailed to the Perch]

That doesn't follow at all.

Let me explain.

If the average child is exposed to Disney films, they will not have harmful influences from such films, for they will just see it as fiction: a story. Some may see it as an ideal, a perfect world, but at the end of the day, it is fiction.

Yeah, this is staggeringly untrue.

Stories matter, and kids absolutely learn from stories. I can't even fathom how they wouldn't.

[Unicario]

Storytime!

A while back, I was hanging out with my cousin's adorable daughter, M, who was about 4 at the time. We were playing with her Disney princess dolls, and she was making up elaborate (and very cute) stories about them. At one point in the story, several of the princesses were sent to jail. Their crime? "Not being pretty."

(It should be noted, incidentally, that the supposedly "not pretty" princesses corresponded quite well to the "not eligible for membership in the KKK" princesses.)

Amusingly how we both made a KKK reference back to back.

Isn't it remarkably telling that the vast, vast, VAST majority of the time, the people complaining about how we don't let "kids be kids" these days, and how things were "better" before all these "elitist experts" got involved....

are almost always white?

Shocking, it's always the white people who pine for the simplicity of "better days"

With all their slaves working the fields, Chinese people making their lemonade, and Hispanic people making their food?

[Neo Art]

That doesn't follow at all.

Let me explain.

If the average child is exposed to Disney films, they will not have harmful influences from such films, for they will just see it as fiction: a story. Some may see it as an ideal, a perfect world, but at the end of the day, it is fiction.

The only problem with this is that it's completely wrong.

But, really, that's the only problem with it.

[Individuality-ness]

Amusingly how we both made a KKK reference back to back.

Isn't it remarkably telling that the vast, vast, VAST majority of the time, the people complaining about how we don't let "kids be kids" these days, and how things were "better" before all these "elitist experts" got involved....

are almost always white?

Shocking, it's always the white people who pine for the simplicity of "better days"

With all their slaves working the fields, Chinese people making their lemonade, and Hispanic people making their food?

Laundry, not lemonade.

[Blekksprutia]

The Lion King has strong anti-immigrant undertones. The fair skinned, well-off lions with American accents (with the exception of Scar) have to keep the dark skinned, poor hyenas with Hispanic and African accents from entering the Pridelands. Nevertheless, I still like the movie.

[Geilinor]

Let me explain.

If the average child is exposed to Disney films, they will not have harmful influences from such films, for they will just see it as fiction: a story. Some may see it as an ideal, a perfect world, but at the end of the day, it is fiction.

The only problem with this is that it's completely wrong.

What? You think it's impossible for children to distinguish between fiction and reality? I disliked Disney movies when I was younger. I still don't like them very much because of the incessant high-pitched singing.

[Neo Art]

The only problem with this is that it's completely wrong.

What? You think it's impossible for children to distinguish between fiction and reality? I disliked Disney movies when I was younger. I still don't like them very much because of the incessant high-pitched singing.

I'm not entirely sure you know how to read.

A 17 year old is a child.

a 6 month old is a child.

Is it "impossible for "a child" to distingush fiction and reality? no, I'm sure at least a few teenagers manage

But that's not exactly what the post I'm quoting said, now is it?

[Ethel mermania]

Storytime!

A while back, I was hanging out with my cousin's adorable daughter, M, who was about 4 at the time. We were playing with her Disney princess dolls, and she was making up elaborate (and very cute) stories about them. At one point in the story, several of the princesses were sent to jail. Their crime? "Not being pretty."

(It should be noted, incidentally, that the supposedly "not pretty" princesses corresponded quite well to the "not eligible for membership in the KKK" princesses.)

Amusingly how we both made a KKK reference back to back.

Isn't it remarkably telling that the vast, vast, VAST majority of the time, the people complaining about how we don't let "kids be kids" these days, and how things were "better" before all these "elitist experts" got involved....

are almost always white?

Shocking, it's always the white people who pine for the simplicity of "better days"

you have never met my friends, one of whom is crying cause his kid wants to be a gangster rapper instead of going to darrthmouth, where he was accepted.

[Ifreann]

Storytime!

A while back, I was hanging out with my cousin's adorable daughter, M, who was about 4 at the time. We were playing with her Disney princess dolls, and she was making up elaborate (and very cute) stories about them. At one point in the story, several of the princesses were sent to jail. Their crime? "Not being pretty."

(It should be noted, incidentally, that the supposedly "not pretty" princesses corresponded quite well to the "not eligible for membership in the KKK" princesses.)

I asked if, before they went to jail, they could have a trial, and M agreed. As their "lawyer," I argued that, first of all, they were all very pretty in their own ways, because prettiness comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes and colors, and second of all, it didn't matter if they were pretty because they were good, kind, brave people, and that was much more important than being pretty. M thought about this (making a super cute "pensive" face while she did so) and concluded that this was a good argument and that all of the princesses should be set free. "Hooray!" I said. "Hooray!" she said, too, and gave Mulan a victory hug.

I cannot fathom the mentality of the people who think that, instead of taking this opportunity to talk to her about body image in age-appropriate ways, I should have just let M imprison all the brown girls, because THINKING IS HARD, YO.

Stop robbing her of her freedom to be a child by teaching her a valuable lesson, you evil "expert"!

---

That doesn't follow at all.

Let me explain.

If the average child is exposed to Disney films, they will not have harmful influences from such films, for they will just see it as fiction: a story. Some may see it as an ideal, a perfect world, but at the end of the day, it is fiction.

Same with Jim'll Fix it, except it is real, but it is quite difficult to get "dreams to come true" using it.

That's not what you said. You said that based on the fact that Jimmy Savile's shows aren't harmful to the children viewing them, Disney movies aren't harmful to the children viewing them.

[Ethel mermania]

The Lion King has strong anti-immigrant undertones. The fair skinned, well-off lions with American accents (with the exception of Scar) have to keep the dark skinned, poor hyenas with Hispanic and African accents from entering the Pridelands. Nevertheless, I still like the movie.

yeah, that horrible white guy, james earl jones just keeps those darkies down.

[Genivaria]

Storytime!

A while back, I was hanging out with my cousin's adorable daughter, M, who was about 4 at the time. We were playing with her Disney princess dolls, and she was making up elaborate (and very cute) stories about them. At one point in the story, several of the princesses were sent to jail. Their crime? "Not being pretty."

(It should be noted, incidentally, that the supposedly "not pretty" princesses corresponded quite well to the "not eligible for membership in the KKK" princesses.)

Amusingly how we both made a KKK reference back to back.

Isn't it remarkably telling that the vast, vast, VAST majority of the time, the people complaining about how we don't let "kids be kids" these days, and how things were "better" before all these "elitist experts" got involved....

are almost always white?

Shocking, it's always the white people who pine for the simplicity of "better days"

I recognize no 'better days' except the future.

[Zavea]

What? You think it's impossible for children to distinguish between fiction and reality? I disliked Disney movies when I was younger. I still don't like them very much because of the incessant high-pitched singing.

I'm not entirely sure you know how to read.

A 17 year old is a child.

a 6 month old is a child.

Is it "impossible for "a child" to distingush fiction and reality? no, I'm sure at least a few teenagers manage

But that's not exactly what the post I'm quoting said, now is it?

i don't know what's real anymore

watching the lion king changed everything

[Nailed to the Perch]

Storytime!

A while back, I was hanging out with my cousin's adorable daughter, M, who was about 4 at the time. We were playing with her Disney princess dolls, and she was making up elaborate (and very cute) stories about them. At one point in the story, several of the princesses were sent to jail. Their crime? "Not being pretty."

(It should be noted, incidentally, that the supposedly "not pretty" princesses corresponded quite well to the "not eligible for membership in the KKK" princesses.)

Amusingly how we both made a KKK reference back to back.

Isn't it remarkably telling that the vast, vast, VAST majority of the time, the people complaining about how we don't let "kids be kids" these days, and how things were "better" before all these "elitist experts" got involved....

are almost always white?

Shocking, it's always the white people who pine for the simplicity of "better days"

Yup.

What especially bugs me, though, is that it's just so lazy. Yes, we can pretend that little M's belief that Cinderella is what "pretty" looks like in a way that Mulan and Pocahontas are not sprung up in a vacuum instead of being something she learned from a huge volume of media in which women who look like Cinderella are presented as the ideal. We can pretend that this belief could not possibly have any impact on how she views people, including herself, as she gets older. We can pretend that seeing "not being pretty" as a bad thing women do could not possibly be a shitty message for her to internalize. We can pretend that all of this will magically disappear if we just ignore it. Or we can take two freaking minutes to talk to her about how Mulan is very pretty just the way she is, but what's really important about her is how she's smart and brave and loving and good. And I just don't get people who, given those options, say, "Two whole minutes of critical thought? Ugh, fuck THAT."

[Neo Art]

The Lion King has strong anti-immigrant undertones. The fair skinned, well-off lions with American accents (with the exception of Scar) have to keep the dark skinned, poor hyenas with Hispanic and African accents from entering the Pridelands. Nevertheless, I still like the movie.

yeah, that horrible white guy, james earl jones just keeps those darkies down.

Does he not have an American accent? Is not the character which he voices light "skinned" (IE lightly colored)?

I'm aware James Earl Jones is a black man, the character he voiced isn't, however, black. The point is, the character WITHIN THE MOVIE that resemble "white europeans" versus the characters within the movie that resemble darker skinned africans.

The fact that Mufasa is voiced by a black man doesn't change the validity, or lack there of, of the argument.

[Geilinor]

The Lion King has strong anti-immigrant undertones. The fair skinned, well-off lions with American accents (with the exception of Scar) have to keep the dark skinned, poor hyenas with Hispanic and African accents from entering the Pridelands. Nevertheless, I still like the movie.

I suppose that criticism could be valid, but many of the other criticisms of The Lion King are terrible. Apparently hyena biologists sued Disney for defaming hyenas. And people claimed that a frame had the word "SEX" hidden in it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King#Controversies

[Blekksprutia]

The Lion King has strong anti-immigrant undertones. The fair skinned, well-off lions with American accents (with the exception of Scar) have to keep the dark skinned, poor hyenas with Hispanic and African accents from entering the Pridelands. Nevertheless, I still like the movie.

yeah, that horrible white guy, james earl jones just keeps those darkies down.

As I said, Scar was the only exception.

[Blekksprutia]

The Lion King has strong anti-immigrant undertones. The fair skinned, well-off lions with American accents (with the exception of Scar) have to keep the dark skinned, poor hyenas with Hispanic and African accents from entering the Pridelands. Nevertheless, I still like the movie.

I suppose that criticism could be valid, but many of the other criticisms of The Lion King are terrible. Apparently hyena biologists sued Disney for defaming hyenas. And people claimed that a frame had the word "SEX" hidden in it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King#Controversies

I heard about the SEX one. It actually says SFX.

[Geilinor]

What? You think it's impossible for children to distinguish between fiction and reality? I disliked Disney movies when I was younger. I still don't like them very much because of the incessant high-pitched singing.

I'm not entirely sure you know how to read.

A 17 year old is a child.

a 6 month old is a child.

Is it "impossible for "a child" to distingush fiction and reality? no, I'm sure at least a few teenagers manage

But that's not exactly what the post I'm quoting said, now is it?

If the average child is exposed to Disney films, they will not have harmful influences from such films, for they will just see it as fiction: a story. Some may see it as an ideal, a perfect world, but at the end of the day, it is fiction.

You said that argument was completely wrong. And what do you mean, at least a few teenagers manage? The vast majority do. You're really underestimating the intelligence of people under the age of 18.

[Genivaria]

I suppose that criticism could be valid, but many of the other criticisms of The Lion King are terrible. Apparently hyena biologists sued Disney for defaming hyenas. And people claimed that a frame had the word "SEX" hidden in it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King#Controversies

I heard about the SEX one. It actually says SFX.

Moral Guardians will bend the truth if it gives them something to bitch about.

[Neo Art]

yeah, that horrible white guy, james earl jones just keeps those darkies down.

As I said, Scar was the only exception.

James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa, Simba's father. Scar was voiced by this guy

[Neo Art]

I'm not entirely sure you know how to read.

A 17 year old is a child.

a 6 month old is a child.

Is it "impossible for "a child" to distingush fiction and reality? no, I'm sure at least a few teenagers manage

But that's not exactly what the post I'm quoting said, now is it?

You said that argument was completely wrong. And what do you mean, at least a few teenagers manage? The vast majority do. You're really underestimating the intelligence of people under the age of 18.

.....holy shit.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

You said that argument was completely wrong. And what do you mean, at least a few teenagers manage? The vast majority do. You're really underestimating the intelligence of people under the age of 18.

.....holy shit.

Back away slowly.

[Neo Art]

.....holy shit.

Back away slowly.

it...it's not just me, right? You all saw that too?

[Condunum]

Yes they are.
The Disney Cult is re-establishing films with stories that weren't really meant for kids in the first place. Many of the movies contain these subliminal messages about sex.

I know Walt Disney was a social conservative but his legacy has been hijacked by some fat corporate slob. and don't get me started on the garbage Disney Channel puts, those are worst than the movies.

Jesus fuck not everything is a cult.

It doesn't have to be a cult to be bad.