The Aristocrat Aristocats The classic Disney movies are upheld as quality entertainment for people of all generations. But analysing these older movies closely leads to some problematic observations, particularly how older Disney movies depict class, race, and gender. The Aristocats is a perfect example of one of these older movies: in it, a wealthy older lady decides to leave her fortune to her cats in her will, causing her butler Edgar to try and dispose of the cats so the money will go to him instead. This leads to various hijinks as the cats survive with the aid of a street cat, Thomas. The Aristocats is a problematic movie in its depictions of class both in the cats’ society as well as the humans’. There are two classes in The Aristocats’ cat world: an upper class cat, and lower class street cat. The …show more content…
If this lower class cat could rise through the social structure, then it isn’t impossible. His story contrasts that of Edgar. However, during the early 20th century, many rags to riches stories were popular in fiction as a sort of hope for those who could, in reality, never achieve it: “The probability of going from rags to riches- or from riches to rags- is miniscule compared to the probability of going from riches to riches, or from rags to rags” (Rigney 8). The chance of one of these lucky stories actually coming true is minimal. Additionally, Edgar, the other lower class character, is a human. The comparison of human to cat is unqualified, as humans are naturally more kind to animals than other humans. This is shown in Madame’s case- she sees Thomas as a kind of pity case who deserves her love as well since he helped Duchess return to Madame. Edgar, the actual human in the story, ends up remaining stuck in and defined by his social class. Even cats are valued more than an actual
Film analysis with a critical eye can give the viewer how animation giant Disney uses literary element to relay key messages to the audience. Walt Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” is a perfect example how different literary theories like ‘the Marxist theory’ and ‘Archetypal theory’ can be embedded in the simplest of the fairy tales. The different literary elements in the movie, shows a person how characters like ‘the banker’ and the setting of the houses helps to portray the socio-economic differences in New Orleans at that time. Applying ‘the Marxist theory’ and ‘the Archetypal theory’ to the plot, characters and the setting, shows how movies can be a medium to confront social issues and to prove that all fairy tales are of the same base.
Mr. Leo wrote this piece not only for informative purposes, but also to convince a particular audience that, whether intentional or not, characters have taken on harmful images some may find offensive. He is not speaking only to his fairly educated, loyal readers, but also to those who may have taken part in producing the movie. Mr. Leo makes visible to his readers what he believes to be stereotypes in the film. People may not have noticed these before, so he makes clear definitions and comparisons. To the rest of the audience, those who had a hand in making the movie, he makes a plea not to redevelop these characters in future films.
We can see that throughout the making of Disney movies the gender images have not evolved to match the changes in our society now, they have stayed stereotypical and similar to when Disney movies were first made in 1937 (Towbin et al 2003). In studies of 16 different Disney movies Mia Towbin (2003) and others
Produced in 2009, The Frog Princess is a Disney animation inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ fairytale, The Frog Prince. Both The Frog Princess and The Frog Prince deal with a multiplicity of issues, all of which contribute to supporting positive messages and morals (Ceaser, 2009). However, though The Frog Princess is based on a classic fairytale, it is far from being the same. The writers at Disney have taken a classic fairytale and created a “Monster” (Prince, 2001). This essay will examine the evolution of the original Grimm Brothers’ fairytale, the messages both main characters represent, and how the adaptation to fit a modern child readership diminishes a classic fairytale. Through discussing these arguments, this paper will prove that Disney’s adaptation into The Princess and The Frog is counter-productive in representing the original story’s messages, morals, and values.
The Disney corporation is easily the greatest empire of entertainment in the world, thanks to the creator Walt Disney and his brother. Disney’s influence has been great within culture and society and I learned how much of an influence Disney has had through our course this semester. This influence is reflected and broadcast through the many works and readings that we examine in class. The articles gave me new knowledge about Disney that I was previously unaware of.
“Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?” These are the words of Tim Burton, a renowned director who plays by his own rules when creating a story for the big screen. Growing up different from most kids, Burton was influenced by many unique people and movies such as Edgar Allen Poe, Dr. Seuss, and German Expressionist films. He used their styles to create many memorable films himself, such as Edward Scissorhands and Alice in Wonderland. In these recognizable blockbusters, like most of Burton’s movies, the use of satire and visual features are present to support the thematic concept of conformity vs. individuality.
For this project, two films were viewed. The first one is Annie, a film made in the early 80s about a girl in an orphanage. She is then brought to live in a mansion for a week with one of the richest men in this world. He doesn’t like her at first, but he learns to love the little girl, and adopt her. The second film, Cinderella man, is about a boxer who loses his job after he breaks his hand during a match. He is then left to fend for his family. He begins to slowly rise up as a boxer and fight again, much to his wife’s distaste. For this project, I will discuss the similarities and differences between the films, and the time period, setting, and characters. Annie is the first film.
The cat is a household pet his life is good. He never has to do any
In society today, we are conditioned to believe certain sets of ideals. We use these ideals to interact and get along with the other people we surround ourselves with. These ideals are often the societal norms that form common ground amongst individuals. However, living life based off these basic and unchanging beliefs is not beneficial to humanity, nor does it make life any easier to live. In fact, holding on to the most accepted beliefs holds back society as a whole. Judith Halberstam, in her essay “Animating Revolt and Revolting Animation” challenges these societal norms through the analysis of animated movies and, in doing so, carves a path for a new way of thinking.
Presently, Disney known for its mass media entertainment and amusement parks technically bring warm feelings to many children and some adults. Personally, Disney elicits magical fantasies that children enjoy and further encourages imagination and creativity. For decades Disney has exist as an unavoidable entity with its famous global sensation and reach. Furthermore, Disney is a multibillion dollar empire with an unlimited grasp on individuals and territories. An empire per se, since they own many media outlets, markets, shops, etc., you name it they got it. However, the film Mickey Mouse Monopoly presents an entirely new perspective on the presumed innocence projected in Disney films. This film exposes certain traits Disney employs and exclusively portrays through its media productions, specifically cartoons for directing and nurturing influence beginning with children. Mickey Mouse Monopoly points out camouflaged messages of class, race, and gender issues in Disney films that occur behind the scenes intended to sway viewers towards adopting Disney values.
After a while, it was such that if I was home, the cats would follow me where ever I went. Just like Stickeen who “was sure to be at his heels, provided I had not gone out.”(par. 7). Every time I drove into the driveway, regardless of where they would be, they would come running out to greet me. The minute I stepped out of the car, they would circle me brushing against my feet and look at me with excitement in their eyes. Then they would stand up on their hind limbs and ask for a petting on their
The debate over the good and bad aspects of Disney movies has been going on for years. It has become a part of pop culture in a way never expected through things such as YouTube videos and meme’s. While looking at multiple Disney movies may give a wider range of example of both the good and the bad in Disney movies, to help depict the effects the movies actually have on kids it is most beneficial to study just one movie. Zia’s essay argues that Disney movies have a good influence on children by teaching them good life morals. However, one of her examples, Mulan, is not an example of achievement through hard work like Zia explains, but rather a change made through magic, and example of the horrible historical inaccuracies made in Disney movies and the lack of parental respect that they teach children.
In today’s modern age, young children are being raised by their TV screen. Reining from the original tales of Perrault and the Grim Brothers, the Disney princess line has been a staple on the screens since the 1930s (Do Rozario 1). However, these princesses have gone through dramatic changes to remain relevant to todays youth. The effects that can be influenced by the roles expressed in these types of films send mixed messages to the audience, causing them to ask themselves whether or not they should believe what the princess is expressing on the screen.
of influence in both the characters and gender roles of people in our society. The films have brought about the shaping of morals, behaviors and characters of not only children, but also adults in todays society, through engaging them in a constant series of unthinking consumption. In addition, most of the films in Disney bring out many different gender roles and people who grew up watching them have been influenced greatly by the content in the films (Blum 13). This paper will involve the various roles played by the characters in the films and how their roles have influenced the society at large.
This essay examines behavioral issues that cats exhibit in shelters and households. Firstly, I will examine how cats are handled in shelters and how it affects their behaviour. Second, I will discuss the behaviour in cats that live in a secure household environment. Lastly, I will discuss the difference in behavioural issues between cats in shelters and households.