Insensitive Portrayal of Society and Cultuer in Disney Films Essay

The Not So Wonderful World of DisneyThe Wonderful World of Disney has been a part of the States for as long as I canremember. With its movies, television shows, songs, theme parks, toys, and fictional characters,Disney is the epitome of childrens entertainment. Disney serves as one of the largest sources ofentertainment to the Statesns, which is why it reigns as a commercial success and influence in ourcountry. According to Henry Giroux, a popular critic of the Walt Disney Company, Disneysimmense success also represents the post of the culture industries to mediate and influencealmost every aspect of our lives (19). However, does Disney stand for pure and innocententertainment, or does it carry alternative motives that seem to be well-hidden from the macrocosmeye? Many critics argue that Disney productions have the ability to affect American children andfamilies through their insensitive portrayal of certain aspects of society and culture.Critics mark the idea of negative social i nfluences as one of Disneys most ubiquitousproblems. In a study done on the role of the Walt Disney Company, Vincent Faherty explainsthat Disney displays certain aspects of social exposure which need to be raised to a level ofpublic consciousness, given they do affect so many children and families (17). For example,Disney emphasizes social vulnerability through the sweep over male dominance displayed intheir animated films. Faherty argues that even though there have been recent movies such asMulan and Pocahontas, which portray strong female roles, the quantitative disproportion ofmale characters in Disney animated films needs to be addressed if we expect children to be ableto relate to appropriate role mo... ...Lives Disneys Cultivation, Co-Creation, and Control ofAmericas Cultural Objects. Popular Communication. 12 Oct. 2004 191-211.Byrne, Eleanor, and Martin McQuillan. Deconstructing Disney. London Pluto Press, 1999.Faherty, Vincent E. Is the Mouse Sensitive? A shoot of Race, Gender, and Social Vulnerabilityin Disney Animated Films. Similie Studies in Media Information Literacy Education(2001) Academic Search Premier MLA International Bibliography. EBSCOhost. U. OfGeorgia Lib. GALILEO. 29 Oct. 2006 Giroux, Henry. The Mouse That Roared Disney and the End of Innocence. Lanham Rowman &Littlefield Publishers, 1999. 17-55.Pettit, Robert. Mickey Mouse Monopoly Disney, Childhood, and Corporate Power StudyGuide. 28 Oct. 2006.tudyguide/html4