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DISNEYFICATION OF POPULAR CULTURE.
Term Paper ID:24458
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Essay Subject:
Analyzes dehumanizing effects of Disney films, focusing on sexist & racist images in animated films [Beauty & the Beast] & [Alladin].... More...
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11 Pages / 2475 Words
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Paper Abstract:
Analyzes dehumanizing effects of Disney films, focusing on sexist & racist images in animated films [Beauty & the Beast] & [Alladin].
Paper Introduction:
INTRODUCTION
In 1965, Frances Clarke Sayers wrote the following with reference to Walt Disney and the way he treated his film material:
I call him to account for his debasement of the traditional literature of childhood, in films and in the books he publishes: He shows scant respect for the integrity of the original creations of authors, manipulating and vulgarizing everything for his own ends. His treatment of folklore is without regard for its anthropological, spiritual, or psychological truths. Every story is sacrificed to the "gimmick". . . of animation. . . Not content with the films, he fixes these mutilated versions in books which are cut to a fraction of their original forms, illustrates them
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This constitutes a backlash against the kind oftwisting of images Disney engages in solely for commercial purposes. It is only as the individual grows older that the less desirableaspects of the standard may become evident, and this is the sex-rolestereotype: The realization of the undesirable components of their standard becomes evident much earlier to girls than to boys, who are less likely to perceive that society has limited their choices in what they might become. The character's name is, after all, Beauty, and this isher primary characteristic. At times, indeed, groups find evenmore sinister consequences hidden in Disney's animated films, as can beseen in a recent case in which Arab groups took offense. While the Aladdin character, Jasmine and her father speak unaccented, standard Americanized English, all the bad guys speak in foreign accents. It is natural to inquire what lessons are taught ( Seldes, 1968, 26).A variety of theories have been offered to explain how we learn certainattitudes and behaviors, and they shed some light on the effect thatdemeaning portrayals of women in the media may have on future generations,as well as on contemporary society. Critics called these lyrics racist. When told to ask herto dinner, he orders her to dinner, hiding his true feelings in a way thatis easy to see through for the viewer. The anti- Disney crowds speak in print. Not content with the films, he fixes these mutilated versions in books which are cut to a fraction of their original forms, illustrates them with garish pictures, in which every prince looks like a badly drawn portrait of Cary Grant, every princess a sex symbol (Hearne, 1997, 137).Walt Disney himself is long gone, but the company he founded continues andfollows the same path. (Hearne, 1997, 138).Hearne points out that the kind of film the Disney company makes changesfrom decade to decade from the 192 s to the present, and so there have beenchanges from 1966 to 1996 as well, based on the socio-economic context forthese films at any given time. CONCLUSION Disney recently wanted to build a historical park near aRevolutionary War battlefield and was stopped by critics who feared theDisneyfication of history, based on what disney had already done to storiesand legends on film. He does takeher to a room rather than putting her in the dungeon. Such prejudicial attitudes are subtle. These indicate wherethe action takes place in this film, though they are not real places norare intended to be taken as real places. of animation. Gilbert Seldes (1968) writes: Enough evidence exists to indicate that a part of the audience learns how to live from the movies and television. New York: Viking. A sex-role stereotype is defined as a belief about abiological category which tends to be exaggerated and which serves as amechanism through which equal opportunity to resources is denied to itsmembers. Leila Gorchev is more explicit about the accent issue, finding thatthe values of Aladdin and Jasmine are to be seen as "American," while theArab characters are "un-American," meaning that these characters areconspirators, thieves, violent guards, or the people of the street(Gorchev, 1992, C7). Does this teach children a lesson society maynot want perpetuated? These are images that are readily understoodon first viewing as conveying certain set ideas that emerge from the fairytale, though there can be variations. One group wantedthe term "barbaric" removed from the lyrics. INTRODUCTION In 1965, Frances Clarke Sayers wrote the following with reference toWalt Disney and the way he treated his film material: I call him to account for his debasement of the traditional literature of childhood, in films and in the books he publishes: He shows scant respect for the integrity of the original creations of authors, manipulating and vulgarizing everything for his own ends. New York: John Wiley. We learn ourbehavior from the family, peer behavior, and from the observation of modelsin the mass media. His treatment of folklore is without regard for its anthropological, spiritual, or psychological truths. "Disney will alter song in 'Aladdin.'"Los Angeles Times, F1, F4. The original lyrics were asfollows: Oh, I come from a land From a faraway place Where the caravan camels roam. (1997, March 13). This shows, after all, that many people are goingto see it and sharing in the communication process it embodies. Ultimately,though, the shadow is another element of image that hides the truth, forthe foreboding nature of the shadow is in stark black-and-white while theBeast has more colors, more range, and more to his underlying nature. The lesson is that anyone with a foreign accent is bad (Fox, 1993, F4). One way of seeing thatthere has been a shared vision is when a film becomes a big hit at the boxoffice, as did Aladdin. the child observes the behavior of people in life andcharacters on television and then models his or her own behavior on thatexample in order to gain certain advantage or express certain feelingsassociated with such behavior. New York: Praeger.----------------------- 13 Seldes, G. In the film version,the seemingly animated household utensils represent this clearly, for theyare not enchanted furnishings at all but people transformed into objects aspart of the punishment of the Prince, a fact that emerges in the course ofthe film and that is not readily apparent at the start. They may have beenunintended, but this only indicates how prevalent and deeply-rooted theyare in society at large, so that they would come to the fore automaticallywhen someone was writing a film, development animated characters, andexecuting them over the course of production, with no one saying that thiswas a mistake and would be perceived as a racist element. . . In thisway the film is able to present the Beast as a terrifying presence while atthe same time garnering sympathy and understanding for him and his plight.Much of that sympathy is missing in the Beast's encounter with Belle'sfather, for only the terrifying aspects are highlighted. More than most fairy tales, the story of "Beauty and theBeast" is a story where appearances are deceiving. Belle is beautiful both within and without, while the Beast is uglybecause he has had an ugly soul. The Beast is alwaysan abstraction that conveys meaning--the image of the Beast is an image ofthe inner feelings and nature of the Prince hidden within. Hearne, B. For one thing, this is ananimated film, and though it might be based on real locations, it does nomore than evoke a sense of what real locations might be like. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The story of Beauty and the Beast is well-known, and what this filmneeds to do is not convey the story in its bare essentials so much as shapethe way the viewer responds to this particular version of the story. Williams, F., R. And what could anyone add, besides micro-analytic details, to Sayers's articulate assessment of the structural, tonal, stylistic, and didactic alterations with which Disney and company have "revised" traditional and/or classical stories? Even worse, the supporting characters are all depicted as nasty, mean people. However, ultimately the Beast is good andnot ugly at all, while Gaston is outwardly beautiful and yet ugly throughand through. Is this cultural schizophrenia? The pro- Disney crowds at theaters and video stores speak in cash. (1985). The recent film Beauty and the Beast (1992) is anexample in which the true beauty of the original story is lost in a sea ofgarish imagery, childish characterizations, and the perpetuation of certainmedia stereotypes about love, beauty, and social acceptance. Pervin, L.A.(1993). The nature of the Beast-ly coveringon the human being is such that it is very flexible in the responses itgives to what may be taking place around the Prince. Clearly, the film was speakingto something in these people and fulfilling some communication need withinthem. Every story is sacrificed to the "gimmick". CRITICISMS Now, all this might seem simply harmless to most people, but thereare critics who find that Disney is pandering to the audience by presentingimages that falsify the intent of the original stories the studio presents,that may perpetuate certain stereotypes and unwanted social attitudes, andthat do little to enrich the life of the audience beyond creating asoothing but false image of the world. The linking of the castle with nature is important,for nature evokes a sense of life, love, wonder, and belonging. . With just these few words, an image may have sprung to mind of the glowing castle with myriad spires thrusting phallically toward the heavens and triangulated banners waving over all (Hearne, 1997, 138).Hearne is not as critical of disney as was Sayers, but Hearne also findsproblems with what she calls the "Disneyfication" of popular culture. Frost (1981). The popularity of the film shows that it plays on shared fantasies.The settings for this film are the desert, exotic bazaars, a minaret-toppedcastle, and a deep and magical underground cavern. Children, television,and sex-role stereotyping. In the scene with Belle, though, when she substitutes herself for herfather, the imagery shifts so as to raise once more the humanity hidinginside the Beast and to show how he uses anger, bluster, and volume to hideany feelings he might have. A number of studies have attempted to determine the effect of genderstereotypes in both children's and prime-time television shows on childrenas viewers. In Beauty and the Beast, forinstance, the primary variation is on images of beauty and the meaning ofthem. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think (Postman, 1985, vii).This might seem a lot to hang on animated films, but Disney does not existin a vacuum and is only one manifestation of this mindlessness passing asentertainment. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. . To the audiences of the 196 s, Disney was an icon. Social learning theory holds that ourbehavior patterns are learned from observation of others. Yet, the film depends greatly on certainideas about Arabia, stereotypes from earlier films more than fromany examination of the real Arabia, historical or otherwise. In addition,these locations are drawn from mythology rather than reality. Significantly, the first view we have ofBelle is when she leaves her cottage and is surrounded by the flying birdsand bright foliage of nature. . Hearne, who cited the above quote from Frances Clarke Sayers from1965, considers the development of the company since that time and whetherthe criticism of Sayers is valid today as she believes it was then: Disney is continuously under attack by critics of both academia and the popular press for messing up revered literature--witness the recently skewered Hunchback of Notre Dame. (1993, July 1 ). In the opening sequence, the image of the castle appears through thetrees of the forest. The Best is oftenforeshadowed by his actual shadow, as in the scene with the father, andthat shadow raises harrowing images of what might be coming. The underground cavern is a "fantasy" in the moretraditional sense, and the castle is also the idea of a castle as evokedfrom dozens of old movies. One of the mostsuccessful animated feature films in recentyears is the Walt Disney company's Aladdin, featuring the voiceof the popular Robin Williams as the Genie. The first"moving" image comes when the newly-created Beast, in despair, scratcheshis nails through a painting over the mantel. The sense of what he haslost is embodied in the rose that is kept in a glass case, and that brightrose in the darkened house is the image of nature, of what was once part ofthe castle and part of the Prince's world but that is now kept at adistance or enclosed in glass. All behaviors areregulated by their consequences, and these can come from three sources:direct external consequences, vicarious experiencing of consequences toothers, and self-produced consequences (Pervin, 1993, 396-399). He wa snot the first to raise suchconcerns, as he notes in his introductory remarks when he refers to socialcritics Huxley and Orwell: Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. Movies deal very much in shared fantasies. LaRose, & F. In the sex-role standard, the child is presented a highlyattractive constellation of characteristics, most of which are usuallyadopted. The filmwas less successful than the previous year's Beauty and the Beast from thesame company, but it was successful enough to show a shared world view onthe part of a large number of its viewers. Amusing ourselves to death. The clear message girls receive--that theirs is the less desirable sex--renders the sex-role standard, as well as sex- stereotyping, a much more negative experience for them than for their male peers (Williams, LaRose, & Frost, 1981, 8). At this point in the film, the viewer already knows the backgroundstory of the Prince and how he became the Beast. The film in itsshort life has existed in two versions, and the differencebetween those versions says something about the fantasy elementas promulgated in the film, however unintentionally. Gorchev, L. To the audiences of the 199 s, Disney is myth. There is adesert in Arabia, but the desert in this film is only the idea of a desertand not a real desert. "Disney revisited, or, Jiminy Cricket,it's musty down here." The Horn Book Magazine, 137-146. The story of the change is told in a series of stilldrawings, not unlike the stained-glass windows of cathedrals. As long as thePrince cannot love, the image remains that of the Beast, and the shifts inexpression the viewer sees on the face of the Beast are reflections of theinner turmoil besetting the Prince. Belle moves through the village and greets one person after another,but the activity of the village swirls around her as if she were not thereto see it--visually she is shown as different from the rest of the village,and this idea is carried through in what is said to her, what is said abouther, and what she herself wonders and how she wants something other thanthis "provincial life." The beauty of the village and the surroundingcountryside changes and emphasizes once more the power of nature and ofbeing one with nature, and as Belle's father travels down the wrong road tothe fair, nature turns dark, foreboding, and terrifying as he nears theBeast's castle, again bringing to mind what the Beast has lost and how hemust live until he learns to love and so achieves freedom. And Disney films are more wildly popular than ever. . (1992, December 27). (1968). Where they cut off your ear If they don't like your face It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.The changed version altered lines 4 and 5: Where it's flat and immense And the heat is intense, It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.Many of the protesting groups were not satisfied, however, and consideredthe movie as a whole racist in its treatment of Arabs. One protester stated: There still remains the very sleazy, burlesque character in the prologue and the scene where the merchant is going to cut off the hand of Princess Jasmine because she took an apple from his stand to give to a hungry child. The new mass media: Challenge to a free society.Washington, D.C.: Public Affairs Press. Critics findthat the Disneyfication of popular culture extends beyond Disney andreflects a pattern of treating the audience as mindless. In the absence of a permanent electrical blackout, the Disney Olympus is centrally mapped as a pinnacle in the kingdom of childhood. Manyof the images constitute what might be called aspects of the iconography ofthe fairy tale--the castle, the simple village, the creature, theenchantress who casts a spell, the beauty who can take the spell away, theenchanted mirror, and so on. Thetheatrical release of the film contained some lyrics in theopening song that Arab groups saw as prejudiced, and the companyacquiesced and changed the lyrics for the video release and allsubsequent releases. This meansthat what is seen in the media has to be reinforced by other sources, butthe repetition of the same message in a variety of media is likely to havean effect on behavior and attitudes over time. The Beast sees he has hurt Belle by notletting her say goodby to her father, but he says nothing. There may be more direct and pernicious effects as well, and therehave been complaints about Beauty and the Beast as to the treatment of thefemale character in a way that some see as regressive and as teachingchildren to view women as objects whose value is based on theirattractiveness. COMMERCIAL INTERESTS The kind of commercial pandering in which Disney engages isreminiscent of the concerns expressed by Postman (1985) about the way theidea of constant entertainment is reducing the power of public discourseand creating a more passive society. The audience has changed in how it viewsthe offerings of the company at the same time: To the audiences of the 192 s, Disney was entertainment. Postman, N. One can onlyconclude that the antipathy toward Arabs is so strong in America today thatit overcomes even the usual concerns raised about slurring minority groupmembers. Theterrifying aspects of the Beast are powerful, but they ar tempered by thisawareness of the truth and of the despair felt by the character. The viewer knows theBeast's anger as well, having seen him destroy the portrait. References Fox, D.J. Personality: Theory and research. As noted, Arab groups in the United States protested at certainlyrics in the original version of this film, the version seen in theatricalrelease. "When will it be okay to be anArab?" The Washington Post, C7. This is not simply a matter of imitation,for other influences are at work at the same time. What's happening here? For muchof the film, the castle will be in a more foreboding atmosphere, for theactions of the young Prince caused him to lose his link with naturedemonstrated by his unnatural appearance and the changed atmosphere in andaround his castle. In time, thesecritics charge, the audience does indeed become mindless after exposure tothis constant dumbing-down of culture.
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