Henry Giroux's Essay on Stereotyping in Disney Animated Films

I’m going to start off with explaining to you the thoughts of Henry Giroux about Disney films that he speaks of in his article. In his article” Are Disney Movies Good for Your Kids?”, Giroux speaks of how Disney animated films are damaging to children. Giroux explains his idea of stereotyping and how it is harmful and polluting to their self-esteem and self worth. Giroux adds that young women get the idea that they must be saved from a prince and be swept off their feet to be rescued by them. He also says how these Disney princesses are willing to sacrifice anything for their prince charming for a shot at their happily every after as you see by this quote; “…Ariel trades her voice to gain a pair of legs so that she can pursue handsome Prince Eric. Although children might be delighted by Ariel’s teenage rebelliousness, they are poisoned to believe in the end that desire, choice, and empowerment are closely linked to catching and loving handsome men”. (Giroux, 59)

Giroux also speaks of racism in Disney films and how certain characters are seen to be African American or Latino is viewed negatively. “ In the Disney rendition of colonial history, Pocahontas is converted into a brown, Barbie like supermodel with an hourglass figure whose relationship with Aryan hunk John Smith transforms an historical act of colonial barbarism into a sentimental romance.”(Giroux, 63) Giroux goes on to explain how Pocahontas is historically incorrect and written to joyful and so far from the truth. He believed Disney pot ray’s Pocahontas in a non-relatable way to her in history. He also speaks of the racism in Aladdin and that Arabs were viewed also as barbarian inhumane violent people.

I in no way agree with Giroux ideolog...

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...ow can all this that is being taught not be good for your children, All the lessons I have spoke about prior in the paragraph tells us what we should want out children to know and take out of movies. These are things children can understand because they face these things and see them everyday, Its not something you have to be raised around to understand like racism and their differences.

Bibliography

Giroux, Henry A. "Are Disney Movies Good for Your Kids?" Ed. Shirley R. Steinberg and Joe L. Kinchelor. Kinder Culture: The Corporate Construction of Childhood. New York: Westview, 1997. N. pag. Print.

Watts, Steven. The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life. Columbia: University of Missouri, 2001. Print

, Vander, Dr. "Disney Films: What Messages Are Kids Being Taught?" Writing Millennials Millennials Writing. N.p., 18 Nov. 2012. Web.