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| Photo courtesy of Kwantlen.net |
“As a single father of three young boys, I
found myself somewhat reluctantly being introduced to the world of Hollywood
animated films and in particular , to those produced by Disney” starts the
chapter in Henry A. Giroux’s book “The Mouse That Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence”. Giroux has spent much of his career writing about the Walt Disney
Corporation and its effects on Society. It was upon reading this book, and
spending time with children at the Little Mountain Neighbourhood house, an
after school program for low income children where I volunteer that the idea
for my term paper began to develop.
I have loved Disney since I can remember. My
childhood was encompassed by Disney movies, and all the toys that came along
with it. I especially loved any movie that involved animals and would spend
days with my friends re-enacting scenes from our favourite films. As an adult
my passion for Disney continued and I have spent weekends scouring flea markets
for old Disney films and memorabilia and at 19 even took a trip to California
to Disneyland. I wouldn't call myself obsessed, but I will admit that I
continue to have a keen interest for the children’s fantasy of my youth.
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| Myself in Disneyland (2007) courtesy of Suzan Aktug |
Upon deciding to create this blog I have
chosen to take a critical look at three of my favourite Disney movies, TheLady and the Tramp, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast to see if there
is something that I have missed. What message is Disney sending to its audience and what stereotypes and negative images does Disney perpetuate? When
reading Giroux and other criticism regarding Disney I decided to take off my
defensive hat and put on an objective one. I plan to write based on what I’m
feeling at the conclusion of research and at the conclusion of each film to
ensure that my mind is as fresh on the material as possible. Giroux says that
there are a number of issues regarding Disney and its influence on children and
culture that require exploration and I intend to do just that, explore these
films and discover if there is something underneath the singing, the dancing,
and the good old fashioned fun that Disney claims to portray.
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