LOLZ! So true.

Here's a link to Disney Buzzfeed Article titled : "The One Thing You’ve Never Noticed About The Prince From “Snow White” Will Blow Your Mind"

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kristinchirico/the-prince-is-very-pretty#.gsLYL6z66

Into the Mind of Anti-Disney Henry A. Giroux

Henry Giroux, a man who is very passionately anti-Disney, provides an interesting look at the effects of Disney on children's culture and how we as a society need to hold the Disney corporation accountable for "eroding civil society while claiming to restructure it." While I disagree with the extent to which some of his strong claims about Disney actually impact children's perspectives and ideologies, there were several things that I enjoyed about his article, "Animating Youth: The Disneyfication of Children's Culture."

• Giroux does a good job of organizing his arguments into coherent paragraphs that are numbered and clearly indicate what he will be discussing. Breaking up his article into numbered sections makes the article a bit less dense and helps the reader to identify the themes of his article.

• I agree with Giroux's point that we should not overlook Disney's negative underlying messages, themes, and stereotypes simply because children are the target audience. To support this, he hits on the idea that Disney makes childhood "compatible with consumerism" and that  the corporation masks its true intentions with a "trademarked innocence." I found this point interesting and valid because I personally found myself thinking that the reason I still loved Disney movies despite it's sometimes offending comments/visuals is because they're supposed to be light-hearted, fun movies that inspire children to dream and never give up. While I still think this is true, I do ask myself, should this be enough to justify the racial, historical, gendered, and cultural implications of Disney movies?

• I liked how Giroux addressed Disney's very one-sided portrayal of protagonists being white and the portrayal of "a native white Protestant dream of a world without blacks or immigrants" and "a world without tenements or poverty or urban class conflict." While it seems harmless that Disney fails to represent children of color, overtime I have seen how damaging it can be for minorities and non-white children to be exposed to only white heroes and princesses, as I of agree that it molds into their heads an idea that these positions can only be filled by white girls and boys. While Disney does beer their movies towards all children, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are portraying all kinds of children, hence the enormous lack of diversity. As a little side-note, I think my mother noticed this theme in Disney as a child and while she continued to show me Disney movies, she coupled them with an HBO show called: "Happily Ever After: A Tale for Every Child" that remade Disney films and story lines using characters of all different ethnicities and backgrounds.

• Though I may be contradicting myself, one thing I don't quite understand is why Giroux and many others are so convinced by the idea that young children are truly aware of messages conveyed in Disney movies and are so impacted by Disney as to changing their ideologies. I don't actually believe that the values and life goals of young children are being changed or swayed. For instance, I didn't watch The Little Mermaid thinking, ya know what? It's totally okay for me to abandon my family, change my body, and give up the things I enjoy most to find love. While I do admit that as I grew older (end of middle school, early high school) I began to pick up on more of these negative messages, I simply just grew aware of these negative stereotypes and if anything, it made me stronger, being able to acknowledge the wrong is Disney. However for children, I think we need to reevaluate the long-term impacts on children that Giroux claims is prevalent.

• One thing I'd thought to be super cool and hadn't considered before is the notion of children making films and other forms of cultural production in order to become more aware/hold more power over knowledge production. The actual making of a film can help children to explore themes with a subconscious that uses moral judgment and to decipher what is and is not okay to include in films. I think learning in this way is unique but has potential for effectiveness and was intrigued by this point.

Giroux had some interesting points, but on a COMPLETELY random note, I was upset by how he portrayed Belle in his quick analysis of Beauty and the Beast. He describes Belle simply as a model of etiquette. While this may be true in certain instances, it in no way shape or form encapsulates what Belle stands for. She is one of the only Disney princes that chooses love for personality and looks past the superficiality of love that is presented to her (Gaston). She actually takes time to educate herself (funny that she is outcasted and talked about because of it) and actually takes the time to get to know the Beast before falling in love with him (Most Disney princesses fall in love way too fast, sometimes in minutes). I remember Belle for showing that love is more than appearance and life is more rewarding when we spend time embracing the non-artificial and taking time to enjoy what surrounds us (books, nature, etc.).

These are my thoughts on Giroux!!! Stay tuned for more!

Peace Love Disney :) 

Chandler

Janet Wasko's "Challenging Disney Myths" essentially hates on Walt Disney's entire life and the Disney corporation. She disapproves of the enormous credit given to Disney for the production of Disney films and feels that Disney is a monopoly that holds too much influence over kids and adults worldwide. While she makes valid points, her evidence provided to support her claims are complete crap; this evidence tends to be either irrelevant or way too stretched to meet the argument. 

For instance, in her paragraph falsifying Walt Disney's portrayal as a "creative genius," she denounces Disney, asserting that Walt "relied on other artists and managers to accomplish the studio's work and to create 'Disney Art'" simply because people other than Disney contributed to the companies success (Wasko 241). I think it is a silly point, as it is ridiculous to say that Disney shouldn't receive credit for the companies success just because he didn't directly contribute to the art portion of the company He contributed in a variety of ways, for instance being a great businessman and being able to attract society to the visions he dreamed up. Wasko's argument is superficial in that she hints that Walt is undeserving of success because his abilities are not as prominent/flashy as the drawings and animations seen in Disney movies. In addition, Wasko implies that Disney is not the talented artist that he was known to be because he struggled to duplicate the famous Disney signature that society knew and loved. I personally feel this evidence sucks, as anyone may have difficulty reproducing a logo, especially over the course of a five second autograph. The struggle to duplicate art is not exclusive to Disney and the information does not enhance her challenging of Walt's abilities. Essentially, while there may be valid reasons as to why Disney does not deserve the overwhelming credit he has received, Wasko fails to provide them.

On the other hand, Wasko does provide good evidence supporting the negative influence of Disney movies on children. Drawing on the fact that most Disney heroines have beautiful faces, pleasing temperaments, tiny faces, and often are "barely alive" (like literally not awake), she illustrates how Disney inundates girls with these historical ideas of women having to rely on their appearances and be subservient to men in order to be considered a heroine (lol "historical," has this really gone away? I think not). Similarly, she challenges the idea that Disney movies are "unbiased" and "wholesome" with good examples, pointing to the Disney values of conservatism, ethnocentricity, cultural insensitivity, and superficiality that are recurring themes in Disney movies. 

I liked how Wasko addressed the control of Disney behind their products, characters and images and in "developing their reputation as a brand that process positive, wholesome, family and children's entertainment." Interestingly, despite the underlying stereotypes and somewhat negative messages present in Disney movies, it is still made possible to love Disney (LIKE I DO!!!!)

Long story short, she had some crappy points but some good ones too!

Peace Love Disney

Chandler

Chandler McMillan's Blog Link

Disney has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was raised dressing up like the Disney princesses, singing renowned Disney film scores in the shower, and bonded with some of my best friends over Disney. Though I am nostalgic when it comes it Disney and have a great love for the childhood memories it brought me, as I grew older I began to pick up on some of the gender and racial stereotypes that were prevalent in Disney films. As I became aware of these somewhat negative stereotypes, I wondered to myself, what is it about Disney that makes me love despite it's somewhat negative messages? Though I am curious to learn these things, I still feel that DISNEY=LIFE and that the world would not be nearly as interesting as it is without Disney's presence!!!!! And I definitely will ensure that my kids grow up singing "Hakuna Matata" and dressing up in Disney onesies :)

Continuing on with my love for Disney, concerning my favorite character, I would have to say that's an impossible question to answer because my favorite character probably changes on a weekly basis! :) However, at the moment, my favorite character is Phil from Hercules. He's the hilarious satyr that accompanies Hercules on his journey to becoming a God again! He never ceases to put Hercules in his place when he's being stupid and whips Hercules into incredible shape! Plus, who doesn't love the last scene of Hercules where Phil, who's been looking to be known for training an accomplished, legendary hero, hears the audience saying about Hercules, "Hey, thats Phil's boy!," and he cries tears of pride! SO cute!

Anyways, besides talking about how awesome Disney is and things that I love/can do without in Disney movies, I endeavor to learn in Decoding Disney what designates a classic a "classic," why is it that everyone wants their kids to be immersed and aware of the Disney culture, and the evolution of Disney from its creation till now. While I am familiar with the numerous Disney movies, I am unfamiliar with the history of Disney, the corporations that Disney owns, and the persons of Walt Disney. I hope to learn more about this through Decoding Disney and have a great year!!!! 

Peace Love Disney :))))


Chandler McMillan