Are Disney Movies Bad for Children?

[The Sector Union]

At least Spongebob has characters doing bad things and suffer the consequences later. The only cartoon years ahead we should be proud of.

You know that spongebob was originally going to be a Gay Adult Show.

I remember the gay Spongebob and Patrick controversy.

[Marcurix]

and how does it effect them?

Children who's understanding of the world is not yet formed are seeing these movies where beauty is equated with goodness and dark skin and foreign accents are equated with evil.

Do you have any proof of this being the case? I watched quite a few Disney movies while growing up, and I never found this to be true.

I would also dispute those points, given there were villains who fit the "beauty" category and most villains didn't seem to have foreign accents.

[Individuality-ness]

Children who's understanding of the world is not yet formed are seeing these movies where beauty is equated with goodness and dark skin and foreign accents are equated with evil.

.....Aladdin

There you go, you're statement is invalid because in that movie everybody is dark skinned and the heroes are not white

So....yeah try again please?

Aladdin and Jasmine also have American accents, the villain has an exaggerated Arabic accent, and one of the original lyrics was something along the lines of "they cut our ears off, but this is home". I'm not even doing that lyric justice, it's much worse.

Try again.

[Nailed to the Perch]

Eh, it depends. Aladdin definitely has some racism going on. Atlantis? Not so much. The Lion King? Eh, the jury's out.

They kinda ruined Pinocchio though.



Pretty sure it doesn't have to be a girl.

I don't know about Racism in Aladdin....

Maybe I'm not seeing it or something

You're not seeing it. Among other things, there's literally a line (in what is, unfortunately, a really catchy song that to this day I sing in the shower all the damn time) explaining that Arabia is a place "where they'll cut off your ear if they don't like your face - it's barbaric, but hey, it's home!"

[Meryuma]

I don't know about Racism in Aladdin....

Maybe I'm not seeing it or something

The original version of Arabian Nights had the line "where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face" and IIRC even the finished version kept the line "it's barbaric, but hey, it's home" (never minding that 700s Arabia was more scientifically enlightened than Europe during the same period). Also, Jafar looks really Semitic:

whereas the good characters look a lot more European in their facial features by comparison:

[Orcoa]

.....Aladdin

There you go, you're statement is invalid because in that movie everybody is dark skinned and the heroes are not white

So....yeah try again please?

Aladdin and Jasmine also have American accents, the villain has an exaggerated Arabic accent, and one of the original lyrics was something along the lines of "they cut our ears off, but this is home". I'm not even doing that lyric justice, it's much worse.

Try again.

(Re-watches Aladdin)

......Mother fucker....

Damnit! Disney you troll!

[Orcoa]

I don't know about Racism in Aladdin....

Maybe I'm not seeing it or something

The original version of Arabian Nights had the line "where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face" and IIRC even the finished version kept the line "it's barbaric, but hey, it's home" (never minding that 700s Arabia was more scientifically enlightened than Europe during the same period). Also, Jafar looks really Semitic:

whereas the good characters look a lot more European in their facial features by comparison:

Huh....fuck

Well I still like the movie

[Yumyumsuppertime]

Not really, they are just movies that are trying to tell a story. I don't think the makers of these films set out to degrade women or any group of people.

To the first point: have you actually read any of this discussion so far, or did you just skim the OP and add your two cents?

To the second point: unintentional degradation is still degradation.

[Greed and Death]

Newer Disney movies have gotten better, for the older ones it just depends on how dated the racial stereotypes are.

My son will not watch song of the South. Dumbo is fine, if only because he has no exposure to those dated stereotypes and likely would not connect those present in the movie to a race.

[Individuality-ness]

Aladdin and Jasmine also have American accents, the villain has an exaggerated Arabic accent, and one of the original lyrics was something along the lines of "they cut our ears off, but this is home". I'm not even doing that lyric justice, it's much worse.

Try again.

(Re-watches Aladdin)

......Mother fucker....

Damnit! Disney you troll!

You'd think that dark skin means "not racist!". It doesn't.

[Blassland]

I LOVED Robin Hood, Aladdin, Lion King, and Fox & Hound
So far no adverse affects

[Individuality-ness]

The original version of Arabian Nights had the line "where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face" and IIRC even the finished version kept the line "it's barbaric, but hey, it's home" (never minding that 700s Arabia was more scientifically enlightened than Europe during the same period). Also, Jafar looks really Semitic:

whereas the good characters look a lot more European in their facial features by comparison:

Huh....fuck

Well I still like the movie

It's not bad to LIKE the movies, you just have to acknowledge that the vast majority (if not all) are rather problematic.

[Chinese Regions]

Disney movies are bad for everybody, never faithful of their fairy tale myth or legend source material

[Luveria]

You know that spongebob was originally going to be a Gay Adult Show.

I remember the gay Spongebob and Patrick controversy.

Spongebob is full of sexual innuendo and other adult references. For that reason it's one of the only cartoons I enjoy.

[The Legion of War]

Well the Lion King seems pretty solid to me.

Except for the whole "darker skin toned villain" thing, where Scar was noticeably darker. However since they're all animals, I don't think kids will translate those ideas to real world people.

[The Legion of War]

I remember the gay Spongebob and Patrick controversy.

Spongebob is full of sexual innuendo and other adult references. For that reason it's one of the only cartoons I enjoy.

"Look Gary, doubloons!"

*shows Gary two bars of soap*

"Don't drop them!"

*wink*

I found that joke to be quite funny when I went back and actually understood what he was talking about.

[Chinese Regions]

Well the Lion King seems pretty solid to me.

Except for the whole "darker skin toned villain" thing, where Scar was noticeably darker. However since they're all animals, I don't think kids will translate those ideas to real world people.

Kimba the White Lion is now confused.

[Altito Asmoro]

I am not 100% sure this belongs in General rather than Arts and Fiction but as the intent here is to focus the discussion on the influence of the films on society rather than the films themselves I'm putting it here.

I was watching a bunch of Disney movies with my sister yesterday and I do not think they are a good influence on children, especially girls. The movies are full of racist and sexist messages.
The classic Disney princesses are all dangerously underweight. Many are passive and helpless and even those who do have some control over their own lives are still ultimately reliant on the prince to save them. Most marry in their teens.
On top of this there is a pattern in the appearances of the characters. Protagonists of both genders are beautiful, supporting characters are strange looking and villains are ugly or monstrous. This clearly sends the wrong message about appearance. Villains are always darker in colour than the heroes as well. Even on the rare occasion heroes are not white they are always lighter skinned than the villains.
One exception I noted was Beauty and the Beast which had only the problem of the underweight princess. I also am overlooking the 21st century films as they do not have the same influence as the older ones in popular culture.
I would not take issue with any of this if these were movies for adults, but as Disney movies are not only aimed at young children but are usually the first movies children see it is important to be aware of the lessons they are teaching.

What does everybody else think? Are Disney movies a bad influence on children? Do the characters make good role models?

EDIT: I would like to retract my claim about Beauty and the Beast not being harmful in light of some well reasoned responses. I still think it is better than most but clearly there are problems I missed.

I prefer Young Justice and Generator Rex than Disney.

[The Legion of War]

Well the Lion King seems pretty solid to me.

Except for the whole "darker skin toned villain" thing, where Scar was noticeably darker. However since they're all animals, I don't think kids will translate those ideas to real world people.

Kimba the White Lion is now confused.

I've never seen it, only heard of it.

Not sure what you're trying to say...

[Heileopolis]

I am not 100% sure this belongs in General rather than Arts and Fiction but as the intent here is to focus the discussion on the influence of the films on society rather than the films themselves I'm putting it here.

I was watching a bunch of Disney movies with my sister yesterday and I do not think they are a good influence on children, especially girls. The movies are full of racist and sexist messages.
The classic Disney princesses are all dangerously underweight. Many are passive and helpless and even those who do have some control over their own lives are still ultimately reliant on the prince to save them. Most marry in their teens.
On top of this there is a pattern in the appearances of the characters. Protagonists of both genders are beautiful, supporting characters are strange looking and villains are ugly or monstrous. This clearly sends the wrong message about appearance. Villains are always darker in colour than the heroes as well. Even on the rare occasion heroes are not white they are always lighter skinned than the villains.
One exception I noted was Beauty and the Beast which had only the problem of the underweight princess. I also am overlooking the 21st century films as they do not have the same influence as the older ones in popular culture.
I would not take issue with any of this if these were movies for adults, but as Disney movies are not only aimed at young children but are usually the first movies children see it is important to be aware of the lessons they are teaching.

What does everybody else think? Are Disney movies a bad influence on children? Do the characters make good role models?

EDIT: I would like to retract my claim about Beauty and the Beast not being harmful in light of some well reasoned responses. I still think it is better than most but clearly there are problems I missed.

I can see where you are coming from with this issue, I mean sure they are just movies for little kids and all but media is very powerful these days and can change the way people see the world. I agree with how there are certain stereotypes within the movies and I just think to wonder if Disney do this on purpose or is it just coincidental ? It seems to me that everything these days has hidden messages to them or are trying to persuade us that things are like this, I mean it is pretty shameful targeting little kids; am I right?

Well anyways I don't really give a damn about Disney, but all I am worried about is how Star Wars is going to turn out! Hidden Micky Mouses or kids characters as fill ins in the background?

[Altito Asmoro]

Kimba the White Lion is now confused.

I've never seen it, only heard of it.

Not sure what you're trying to say...

Lion King was based on Kimba the White Lion. Even the plotline same.

[Marcurix]

Newer Disney movies have gotten better, for the older ones it just depends on how dated the racial stereotypes are.

My son will not watch song of the South. Dumbo is fine, if only because he has no exposure to those dated stereotypes and likely would not connect those present in the movie to a race.

I never did with Song of the South, but then, different country and all.

[Luveria]

Spongebob is full of sexual innuendo and other adult references. For that reason it's one of the only cartoons I enjoy.

"Look Gary, doubloons!"

*shows Gary two bars of soap*

"Don't drop them!"

*wink*

I found that joke to be quite funny when I went back and actually understood what he was talking about.

There's drug references in there too along with police brutality and other such things. It's an adult cartoon masquerading as a children's show.

[United Kingdom of Muffins]

I grew up on the cartoons of the 1950s and 1960s. Leave It To Beaver, Andy Griffith, The Jetsons, etc., I'm not dead and I haven't killed anyone, if I can take "that", why can't modern children handle tiny bits of the ewwweness of real life and develop actual social skills? Cartoons don't have to be clean because life isn't clean.

[Altito Asmoro]

I grew up on the cartoons of the 1950s and 1960s. Leave It To Beaver, Andy Griffith, The Jetsons, etc., I'm not dead and I haven't killed anyone, if I can take "that", why can't modern children handle tiny bits of the ewwweness of real life and develop actual social skills? Cartoons don't have to be clean because life isn't clean.

So you are 50 now?