Thursday, October 8, 2009

A Different Point of View

I'm probably the only one in class who does not feel a strong connection with Disney movies and here's why.

I grew up in the Philippines, born and raised. I moved to America when I was 10.

Growing up in what is considered to be a third-world country is completely different than growing up in America, where consumerism and advertisements are big deals.

The omnipresent images of Disney movies seems to have been embedded and taken naturally by American society. In the Philippines, however, I did not see this at all. We did not have action figures of Hercules and Aladdin. Nor did girls play with Disney dolls. To the Philippines' defense, there are upper-class parts of the country that did experience American culture. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the Philippines is very pro-American; English is considered one of our national languages. I am just simply writing from my point of view, and how I grew up from a middle-class Filipino family.

The only Disney movies I have seen are The Lion King, Aladdin, and Mulan. I mean at least that's all I can recall. And Mulan I saw here in America. In fact, there are some Disney movies that I can't even recognize by name. For example, I had no idea what The Fox and the Hound was nor did I recognize Lady and the Tramp.

Giroux's article definitely offered a good case for why Disney movies are bad for kids; in fact, he was pretty convincing. But I think that anyone can make a case for any movie, not just Disney movies, that there are certain elements within the movie that are bad for you. Giroux was obviously analyzing the elements of Disney movies that are considered controversial such as the subordinate female characters and violence and racism, etc. But there are also good things to take away from Disney movies such as morals and good character development.

But based on the little experience I've had watching Disney movies, I do not know if I can make a fair answer on Giroux's question.

2 comments:

  1. Hun... but I didn't grow up here either. I moved to the States when I was 14. But that doesn't mean I didn't have a contact with the Disney movies.

    besides.. I feel that whether anybody had a contact with Disney or not.... it is the ideas that it carries that matter

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  2. Sweetie, I feel like you contradicted yourself. The point that there are "ideas that [Disney movies] carry" is because you had to have "contact" with Disney movies.

    Perhaps you have a generalized view of immigrants and you think everyone came from another urban place that just isn't America. I mean it when I say that I was brought up in a very disconnected, rural surrounding. I drew water from a well, raised my own chickens, and was surrounded by rice fields. So, no, I cannot make a fair answer based on the little experience I have had with Disney films.

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