Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Disney Disney Disney

I really didn't enjoy reading this article at all. Disney movies surrounded my childhood and i loved every minute of it. It was everything I still think Disney to be: magical, fantasy, a dream, a wish come true. I think Disney movies instill certain life lessons in young children, but like with everything there is in the world, children need guidance. I would hope that parents were not only guiding them with disney movies. Everything children see in the media today needs to be explained and understood appropriately by kids. As many have pointed out already, Giroux states that "all of the women in these films are ultimate subordinate to men and define their sense of power and desire almost exclusively in terms of dominant male narratives," (58). He gives the examples of Ariel and Belle. However, in my opinion these were the first love stories i encountered as a child and they were the love stories that showed that in the end love conquered all. Today, sometimes love may not be enough, but i still like to think so. It's interesting to look at the way that disney is shifting in terms of the newer movies they are putting out: the first African American princess and the movie, Enchanted. I thought Enchanted was an incredibly creative approach to a newer film. Combining their famous animation with "real life" roles was very effective and shed a new light to the disney collection. Here's a clip from my favorite disney movie, Beauty and the Beast...where the romance first began for me ;)!

2 comments:

  1. Ah that video clip made me so happy!

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  2. The issue of guidance is a good one--the question is whether parents use Disney films to essentially raise their children, or whether they use them as a supplement, and follow up viewings with discussions.

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