Examples Of Alcohol In Disney Movies

Disney and Alcohol
Disney, Disney, Disney, what are you possibly doing with alcohol in your movies? I decided to do this topic because I just love the idea of something so whimsically innocent and fun being connected to something perceived as so wrong but socially “acceptable”. Or is it? Is alcohol really excepted or is it something we just kind of put up with because people can’t help themselves? I came across this article/page on Buzzfeed.com (n.d.) were a reddit user actually provided how much air time alcohol actually got. In 1991, Beauty and Beast provided a minute and 26 seconds where as in 1986 The Great Mouse Detective came in with a minute and 58 seconds. Dumbo, bless his heart came in a third most time with two minutes and 8 seconds

of use, poor thing but surprisingly in 1941. In 1940, Fantasia presented us with a lovely two minute and eight second escapade of drunken fun including donkeys and Greek gods. (5 disney films that have the most drinking ) And at number one Sleeping Beauty delivered two minutes and 56 seconds, almost three whole minutes however the princess herself, was probably enjoying a cat nap. In 2001, Buzzfeed.com, says that researchers observed 81 G- rated films and 47% portrayed alcohol use with an average screen time of 42 seconds. (5 disney films that have the most drinking ) Disney should continue to limit, if not limit, alcohol use in movies because kids are able to understand and grasp adult themes due to today’s media.
How is alcohol being portrayed in Disney films and why is it used?
According to JAMA (n.d.), the Journal of American Medical Association, “more than one character per film is using each substance and, in most cases, it is just as likely that a good character is using the substance as a bad or neutral character.” More than one character out of the 50 films that reviewed where portrayed drinking alcohol.

(Tobacco and Alcohol Use in G-Rated Children's Animated Films, n.d.). In the JAMA study, wine, beer, spirits, and champagne was observed but it seemed that wine was observed more. The characters who used the “adult” beverages, it seems the beverages where used to create an identity or add to the stereotype. A stereotype is a widely held belief used to categorize the person, object or thing quickly. Looking at the movies observed from the JAMA study, the films Disney or other try to go along with “real-life” stereotypes (Tobacco and Alcohol Use in G-Rated Children's Animated Films, n.d.). Stereotyping characters and movies such as Hercules would mean that as Greeks and Greek gods wine and spirits would be a normal, historically accurate everyday thing. Similarly in Beauty and the Beast, Gaston and other bar patrons drink beer because it’s a bar where as Belle and the Beast drink wine because they are “royalty”. Sometimes alcohol is used to make a character more edgy and as a form of celebration, in Sleeping Beauty (good and neutral characters) and Peter Pan (Bad

character).
While trying to historically and culturally correct are Disney films sacrificing kids’ young minds? Through alcohol use and behaviors films might be trying to convey certain things that cannot be verbally expressed. Product placement is when a name brand product is slipped into a medium subtly promote a product, films normally have policies against advertising in their movies however wouldn’t alcohol placement be considered product placement?
Disney’s effect of youth
It’s no secret that kids learn and grow by watching role models. Role models are supposed to be positive and a good influence on the child’s formulating behavior. (Children and role models, 2011). However, are kids picking up on the alcohol use? Though I couldn’t find existing data specifically targeted Disney movies, I did find data on medium in general. Violence, negative behavior and aggression is received and/or acted out with persistent exposure. Marie-Louise Mares and Emory Woodard (2005) found that prosocial T.V. does improve youth prosocial behavior. Altruism, being the strongest effected as well as positive interaction. This proves that is easier for a character to show how you should behave and be a role model. Actions do speak louder than words. (University, P., 2013)
W. Disney never imagined that any of his theme parks would ever serve alcohol. He’d always dreamed of his parks being a “dry” campus and very family oriented. He had a very firm stance on alcohol. On September 13, 2012 it was announced that Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park would sell alcohol table side, at the “Be our guest” restaurant in fantasyland. The decision was made in order to match the theme of the French restaurant (Mancini, 2012). Though, Disney never imagined that alcohol would ever be served and this change went against his strict policy it makes the same efforts as the movies to be culturally and historically accurate which I think forces you to live in the moment/fantasy.
Conclusion
Disney should continue to limit, if not limit, alcohol use in movies because kids are able to understand and grasp adult themes due to today’s media. Due to the explosion technology violence, drugs, etc is mass distributed and received by young, growing minds although there is a lot of negative there is also a lot of good that is also being disseminated. Movies such as the Zach and Cody movies, Frozen or Beauty and the Beast, though alcohol is present, I do not think it is necessarily picked up or absorbed as much as the message. From the data and evidence I have found because it is only shown normally for less than three minutes, compared to the violent games or aggression that seems to be steadily spoon feed through out a film or show, nothing I have found suggests alcohol in Disney movies influences youth at all. Disney could possibly benefit from limiting alcohol use but the messages and lesson taught are more valuable and more likely to be absorbed.