Are Disney Movies Bad for Children?

[Czechanada]

Disney have asinine concepts of dualistic morality, which stupefies children.

[Geilinor]

Back away slowly.

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

What?

[Genivaria]

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.

I missed it, what's going on?
Or is it the 17, 6 months thing? I thought that was silly.

[Ethel mermania]

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.

his voixe is of a black american actor, he aint slim pickens. and what about the actors who played nala, rafiki, and sarabi, and the young simba are?

all the characthers in the lion king are black. whether played by a black or white actor.

[Slovenya]

hell yea they are

]

[LiamHerndon]

Everything said in the first post is true. The other issue is racial messages, even when starring animals. For example, the blackbirds in Dumbo and the hyenas in The Lion King.

And I'm not even going into subliminal messages.

[Cannot think of a name]

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.

I couldn't find a mic drop smiley, so this had to do.

[Geilinor]

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.

The Disney Cult?

[The Rich Port]

It depends on a movie-to-movie basis.

I find most of the princess movies lazy as all hell and obvious "gimme some monay" stuff. Hell, I think that's all of Disney.

I think I'll stick with Don Bluth movies like I always did.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Back away slowly.

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

Don't look at him in the eyes. Pretend it never happened, and live your life.

[Brocwika]

YES!

More often than not Disney movies make little girls aspire to be princesses. And princesses are monarchy, and monarchy is built on the exploitation of others, it is elitist and establishes a social hierarchy.

Disney is propaganda of the Bourgeoisie, ALL of it! Smash the state! Arise!

[Xsyne]

.....holy shit.

I missed it, what's going on?
Or is it the 17, 6 months thing? I thought that was silly.

Go back and read the post Neo Art was originally responding to.

[New Sapienta]

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.

his voixe is of a black american actor, he aint slim pickens. and what about the actors who played nala, rafiki, and sarabi, and the young simba are?

all the characthers in the lion king are black. whether played by a black or white actor.

You know, wasn't scar the backstabbing villain?

[Orham]

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.

That was an astonishingly clever and constructive way to handle things. I'd have probably been a lot more direct and botched the whole thing.

[Yumyumsuppertime]

his voixe is of a black american actor, he aint slim pickens. and what about the actors who played nala, rafiki, and sarabi, and the young simba are?

all the characthers in the lion king are black. whether played by a black or white actor.

You know, wasn't scar the backstabbing villain?

I can only think of a few black actors off of the top of my head. Two were heroic figures, the other was a minor villain.

[LiamHerndon]

hell yea they are

(Image)]

(Image)

Finally! Do you realize how long I've been looking for that penis in the castle. I'd heard about it, but was beginning to believe it to be pure myth.

[The Rich Port]

his voixe is of a black american actor, he aint slim pickens. and what about the actors who played nala, rafiki, and sarabi, and the young simba are?

all the characthers in the lion king are black. whether played by a black or white actor.

You know, wasn't scar the backstabbing villain?

Yup.

And metrosexual to boot.

[Torcularis Septentrionalis]

What's bad about all this is when children watch movies or TV, and then their parents use it as babysitting instead of using it as discussion material to explain what happens in the films/shows and to use them to set boundaries in a reasonable manner.
Jesus fuck, media is not inherently bad, it's how you use the media that makes it either bad or good.

[Brocwika]

his voixe is of a black american actor, he aint slim pickens. and what about the actors who played nala, rafiki, and sarabi, and the young simba are?

all the characthers in the lion king are black. whether played by a black or white actor.

You know, wasn't scar the backstabbing villain?

Scar, I believe, is an allegory to British imperialism.

[Ethel mermania]

his voixe is of a black american actor, he aint slim pickens. and what about the actors who played nala, rafiki, and sarabi, and the young simba are?

all the characthers in the lion king are black. whether played by a black or white actor.

You know, wasn't scar the backstabbing villain?

if we were to take the lion king is racist pov, he is the evil white brother, who is explloitive of the oppressed to further his own ends of kingship.

[The Rich Port]

hell yea they are

(Image)]

(Image)

Snopes.com has debunked both as not-boners.

The penis tower is just a coincidence.

That's the priest's knee.

[New Sapienta]

You know, wasn't scar the backstabbing villain?

Yup.

And metrosexual to boot.

I don't think he stands as a good example as positive black role models in the movie then.

[Charellia]

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.

Lots of children do like Disney movies though. Young children often do unknowingly adopt the characters in their favourite movies as role models. A five year old may know that the movies aren't real but they do form their ideas about what is good from them.

[New Sapienta]

You know, wasn't scar the backstabbing villain?

Scar, I believe, is an allegory to British imperialism.

That might be true.

[Geilinor]

Everything said in the first post is true. The other issue is racial messages, even when starring animals. For example, the blackbirds in Dumbo and the hyenas in The Lion King.

And I'm not even going into subliminal messages.

Disney has a consistent issue with using racial stereotypes. http://www.cracked.com/article_15677_the-9-most-racist-disney-characters.html
http://www.ranker.com/list/seven-racist-disney-cartoons-or-disney-racist-cartoons/etriplett
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1NY6LxiDFU