Communication & Disney
What do Disney movies say to
you??
Many critics have
centered Disney out
for its feminist &
racists undertones &
stereotypes
Feminist Issues
The female characters are one of two
things:
Damsel in Distress
Young women are
natural-born happy
homemakers who lie in a
state of suspended
animation until a man
gives them a life
They are weak &
vulnerable
They must have a man to
complete their life
Villain
Older women are
the enemy,
especially if they
seek power.
They are
conniving,
emotionless &
irrational
No husbands
Disney HAS attempted to create two
‘empowered woman’ characters (Pocahontas
& Mulan), however, both failed to get the
message across as both are fighting for
power for a man, rather then themselves.
The Character of Belle, in Beauty & the Beast
tried to break the mold, until she began
apologizing for everything she did, from
making the beast mad to the imprisonment of
her father.
The Female characters are also in their preteen to teenage years & are out to gain the
love of a man so they can became ‘whole’
A closer look at The little
Mermaid
Ariel wears a string bikini top
made from a couple of sea shells
As innocent, wide-eyed and
flipper- tailed as she is, there is
something distinctly sexy about
her too
Ariel is looking for a romantic solution to the yearning
in her heart
Ariel will do anything to have the hansom prince fall in
love with her - even disobeying her father & making a
bargain with the devil.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Ariel is given a set of shapely legs,
but has her voice taken away - she is
is literally silenced by her desperate
need for a male approval
“shut up & be beautiful” is what the
movie seems to be telling young girls
Ariel eventually gets her voice back
& gets the guy - however, she is
forced to leave her family & friends &
ends up as a woman without a social
support system, investing her entire
life in a romance!
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Racists Issues
Every female main character had been
white (with the exception of Jasmine,
who is a British accent)
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The Princess & the Frog
Disney is about to release their newest
movie, who’s main character is Disney’s
FIRST black princess
However, when Disney first announced the
creation of the movie, a number of issues of
racism were raised.
To begin with, the name of the princess came
under fire after many Black activists
suggested that the Princess’ name ‘Maddy’,
was to close to Mammy
Maddy or Tiana??
To begin with, the name of the princess came
under fire after many Black activists
suggested that the Princess’ name ‘Maddy’,
was to close to Mammy (a term used up until
the early 21st century which stereotype black
women as homely & matronly)
In response - Disney changed the name to
Tiana
The Princess & the Frog
continued….
Tiana’s job?
– a chambermaid to a white woman
Cute fairy Godmother in a pretty dress??
– Nope! She has a voodoo priestess
How about the Prince???
– Oh, he’s white
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Negative portrayal of Native
Americans/First Nations
Peter Pan named “pale face”
Red Man song
The ‘red man’ in peter pan say “how”,
“ugg” & “thirst for knowledge”.
He gets his colour for ‘being kissed by a
girl & blushing’
Aladdin
The Opening music sequence from
Aladdin gives the impression of Arabian
Night Middle East a a barren wasteland
where the justice system runs on a clear
& simple limb-removal policy
Aladdin Vs Jafar’s appearance
The Little Mermaid
A Jamaican-sounding crab teaches
Ariel that life is better "Under the Sea,"
because underwater you don't have to
get a job.
Under the Sea
Check out a “the duke of Soul” or the
“black fish”
Jungle Book
In 1967, Disney decides to portray
African-American’s as monkeys.
All animals in the jungle speak in proper
British accents. Except, of course, for
the jive-talking, gibberish-spouting
monkeys who desperately want to
become "real people?"
I wanna be like you
The Lion King
Write down examples of stereotypes
while watching the movie The Little
Mermaid
Why does Disney use these
ideas/stereotypes in their movies?
Should these messages be allowed?
Do these messages affect children? In
what way?