Disney and Children's Culture

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Throughout my childhood, Disney has played an important role. Beyond seeing the films, I had a plethora of Disney related memorabilia scattered throughout my home. I remember excitingly collecting toys from McDonald's, VHS tapes, and clothing items. I remember dressing as my favorite characters for Halloween and to this day, my favorite Christmas ornaments are Aladdin, Simba, and Hercules.



Today, I look at Disney through the lense of a nostalgic adult viewer. I feel as if I grew up during the best time for Disney. I clearly have a bias because I feel as though Aladdin, The Lion King, and Hercules are still some of the best movies of all time. This also makes me think of my inherent biases against female protagonist pictures.

I gravitated toward the male protagonists and showed very little interest in Disney Princesses. Although I absolutely enjoyed films like The Little Mermaid, Snow White, and Pocahontas, they didn't resonate with me the same way. I wonder how many countless factors made that happen overtime? I didn't want to see a girl looking for romance, I wanted a strong male character battling monsters and conquering evil. And what would be the prize for defeating the villain? A princess.

I think back to Christensen's claims and how children consume the typical Disney diet. These movies and shows that perpetuated racism and sexism are watched on a repetitive loop all day - every day. It becomes the norm in the eyes of children and the roles of women v. men are only perpetuated for generations to come.

 With this in mind, I wonder what will happen in the future. We look back at these movies from 20 years ago or more in complete shock. What will we say about Frozen, a film that challenges some of the norms? Will it be viewed as progressive just because we have female protagonists that aren't damsels? I wonder...

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