Disney Haters

While we’ve brought up plenty of reasons in class why Disney movies may perpetuate some negative images and behaviors for girls, I think many people agree these movies are pretty harmless. At the age that we begin watching them, we aren’t thinking about the sex appeal of Princess Jasmine, the patriarchy displayed in The Little Mermaid or that the dust in the sky spells “sex” in The Lion King. We like the pretty colors and fun songs. (To this day I have a Disney playlist on my iPod. Don’t judge.)

But some people just have to try and ruin it. I’m sure plenty of us have looked for the supposed sexual hidden messages and innuendos in some of our favorite “instant classics” (Prof. McCauliff….), but we probably don’t do this with an “Ahah! I knew he was evil!” attitude or because we want to tear down the empire that is Disney. Most of us tend to like the feel-good world of Disney. But then there are those people who, for whatever reason, take things too far. Like this video, for example. The creator obviously has some vendetta against Walt and his peeps. Backed by eerie music, the video claims that Disney was a Freemason and out to destroy children, using “illuminati mind control” and subliminal messages. Watch a few seconds of it, and you’ll see what I mean. Watch the whole thing, and you’ll just get sick of it.

Come on people. These are kids movies; and without them, I think all of our childhoods would have been a little duller. We can analyze them all we want, but plenty of us grew up to be capable adults despite all of the supposed dreadful examples set by our beloved princesses and talking animals. If these movies begin to drastically affect a child in the ways that have been proposed, the problem is not the movies, it’s the parenting. Kids can watch as much TV and as many movies as they want, but it is the examples set and the lessons taught by parents and other influential people in their lives that actually shape who they are. Disney has very little to do with it.