Cultural Impact of Disney Movies on Children's Development

Analysis of Disneyfication of Children’s Culture

I would love to state that I grew up with Disney movies. I was so enclosed and felt great when other children mentioned Disney movies around me during that time. Factors that made me so attached to the movies were the characters and different attractive images that helped me reconnect with the real world. The stories in the movies also attracted me so much to them, making me develop a strong attachment to them. However, I must attest that Giroux's article helped me know the facts behind Disney movies. As a grown-up, I have had little time interacting with the movies making it challenging to know cultural facts about them. Giroux's arguments help expose Disney movies as mechanisms of influencing how kids grow up and the society, they are growing up in. The author categorically points out several subliminal messages that affect the audience that watches them. The quote I chose was; "a type of gender stereotyping …that (has) an adverse effect on children in contrast to what parents think…parents think (it's) essentially harmless- and (it's) not harmless." It is a quote from what Jack Zipes, a famous theorist, thinks Disney movies reproduce (Giroux, 1994). 

The quote resonates well with the study because it points out some cultural factors that Disney movies reproduce in children. Giroux points out that the film plays a role in constructing gender identity for girls and women, a controversial issue. He claims that Disney movies such as The Little Mermaid and the Little King build gender roles by placing women in positions that make them subordinate to men. It also defines the sense of power that males need to possess. It teaches children that men are supposed to dominate girls and women. 

The reason for selecting this quote is to help show parents that even though Disney movies may be a source of entertainment for children, other aspects need to be closely monitored, especially regarding the morals they teach them. Most parents do not question Disneyfication because they think children are too young to pick what they watch from the movies. The quote needs to inform parents that Disney movies are beyond entertainment tools but also act as teaching machines to their children. Therefore, they need to start associating Disney movies with a context of specific values and ideologies that individuals must check. In the Little Mermaid, from Ariel's experience, children may think that her act of rebellion is all centered on impressing men. It harms women because it doesn't teach that women too need to be empowered to do other things that are not linked to winning the hearts of handsome men but to their benefit. 

Even though the article presents several themes like racial aspects and the role of consumerism in American culture, I chose that quote because I wanted to bring a clear picture of how the movies erode the children's beliefs even though parents feel they only entertain them. It complies with Giroux's argument that there is a need to look at the movies critically beyond the entertainment bit. In contemporary society, most people believe that women are subordinates of men and that men are supposed to dominate the community. Some of these cultural beliefs get driven by the media content they consume. 

Additionally, it brings a clear picture of how Disney plays a more significant role in shaping the cultural beliefs of children. Disney movies portray a world where men must shape women's sexual ordering. It also stereotypes women by placing male characters at the center of dominance. It is, therefore, an indication that the movies affect self and cultural beliefs but hide in the world of innocence through themes, mood, and characters. Parents that lack critical examination skills fail to see Disney's 'teaching role' but get persuaded only by a fantasy world that these movies parade. 

Reference

Giroux, H. A. (1994). Animating youth: The Disneyfication of children's culture. Specialist Review, 24 (3), p.23.