Many childhoods are characterized by one name: Disney. According to Mickey Mouse Monopoly, Disney is a “Dominant story teller for children all over the world.” Disney is involved in many children in America lives. Many Americans disagree and feel like it is not a good thing that Disney is involved with their children. However, Disney knows it's intended target and tries to affect their audience positively. Without Disney, children would miss a huge part of their environmental development. Disney teaches young children the theme of good vs. evil, allows family time, and teaches life lessons.
In each Disney movie, there is always one major theme portrayed. This theme is the classic good vs. evil storyline. Disney movies portray this theme by usually having a princess, a band of her supporters, and a villain. Most of the princesses get rescued at some point by a prince. Some people argue that this is bad. They say it is teaching young girls to be damsels in distress and that they should wait for a man to come along and rescue them. However, Disney falls in the game of fantasy and romantics. In the movies, the princesses just don’t give up and call quits. They fight and when they’re in real big trouble, a prince comes to the rescue. Not all Disney movies follow this concept. "Mulan" is a Disney movie about a young woman, a positive role model, who takes her father’s place in battle and single handily saves China from the Huns, reiterating the good vs. evil theme. Good always wins, and Disney shows that. Disney shows that doing the right thing is always better. But for some critics, that isn't good enough. The critics say that being good is portrayed as being a beautiful person and evil is described as ‘ugly.' In the classic "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs," the Evil Queen turns into an old hag to give Snow White a poisoned apple. This was a mere disguise. The evil queen is, in reality, beautiful, if not more attractive than Snow White herself. Another example is in the "Beauty And The Beast." Critics say that the beast is presented as a villain until he becomes handsome. However, for him to transform back into his ‘handsome’ human form, Belle had to fall in love with him and give him a kiss of true love. To do that, she had to fall in love with him for who he was on the inside. The theme good vs. evil is noticeable to kids because they see good people doing the good thing and having a happy ending, thus telling them that it is always rewarding to make the right decision.
Disney has been around since the 1920’s. It is the icon in America for “family movie time.” Disney allows a family to sit down for an hour and a half to laugh, cry, and bond over emotion filled animated scenes. The movies attract all age groups making it enjoyable for parents to sit down with their kids. This is a huge part of a child’s development. A child needs to be around their parents as much as they can. When the parents are there, and the child picks up on the so-called ‘underlying meanings’ the kid will not just believe, they will ask questions. That is when it is the parent’s responsibility to give the child a correct understanding of the scene taking place. Disney movies are movies to give children a place for their imaginations to run free. They are movies full of “innocence, magic, and fun.” It is a place for children always to have a happy ending. It is that of a child’s parent/guardian’s responsibility to make sure Disney stays that way. Children are taught how to interpret things by their parents. The child will understand something the same way the parent would. If the parents see Disney movies as intended, so will the child, and the innocence and the happy ending will remain.
Not only does Disney give children the best theme of all, and give families an opportunity to grow closer, it portrays valuable life lessons. These life lessons include being one’s true self no matter what. In "Aladdin," Aladdin tries to be a prince to get Princess Jasmine to like him. He tries all the ridiculous costumes of being different rulers’ to seek to attract Princess Jasmine. However, he is only successful once he shows her his true self. The heroes in each movie emphasize kindness and intelligence as positive traits. The protagonists also portray how listening to their parents or words of elders is always the best option. "The Little Mermaid," is one of the best examples of how listening to parents is always best for kids. Despite her father’s demands to stay put, Ariel disobeyed and went into a real tailspin of consequences, losing her find and voice, and almost her life. This shows that if a child does not listen to their parents, there could be dire consequences. Probably the most valuable lesson Disney teaches young children is too always hope. Disney encourages children to believe all things will be right in the end. It inspires the child to view everyone as good, and they will do the right choice. Children see the good in people and Disney keeps that going.
Through all the right Disney puts in a child’s world, some critics believe different. These critics state that Disney is bad for children because children will pick up on underlying themes and agree with them. These fundamental issues include that Disney promotes racism because there are no people of color and that the animals have stereotypical slurs. However, in one of the classics, "Hercules," three African American ladies are the first thing the audience sees. Another concern is that all Disney Princess are beautiful and size zero. This concern leads critics that this “thinness inspires anorexia and eating disorders in young girls.” Here is where the parents must teach the kid that it is only a movie. Most females are pushed to eating disorders by their outside environment, not because their favorite princess is a twig. The princesses are beautiful because it attracts the audience. No audience would want to have to look at someone grotesque for an hour and a half. One of the most controversial opinions is that Disney changed history to create happy endings. It is true in the movie, "Pocahontas." Disney portrays Pocahontas as older and falling in love with John Smith. This event did not happen in real life, but Disney wanted to give a happy ending. Now is when children should be educated on actual history by their parents and in school.
There is no harm in happy endings. There is no harm in teaching a child to hope. Disney is not bad for children. Should it be the only thing in a child’s first few years? No. Disney movies have been around since 1920’s. Some may portray stereotypes because of the day and age it was written in, but most stereotypes and criticism are based solely on opinion and how a viewer is interpreting the scene. Disney has not come out and stated any of accusations. Until then, audience members should view the movies as they were intended, nothing more than a fun animated movie for children. However, Disney alongside proper education and parenting is all a child needs for healthy roots and a happy childhood. Despite what critics claim, Disney is a tradition. It has, it is, and will be a part of children’s live, and for the better.
