One Last Time

Before the course, I think I simply just accepted Disney films. Just like most the population, I thought they weren’t subject to criticism because they were for children. I never thought once about how the company portrays gender or race. However, within even the first few sessions of the class, I adapted a much more analytical eye and began challenging what I watched. Especially in watching Cinderella for the first time in years, I began to see the rigid gender roles Disney assigns to its characters.

Although initially I was angry about the way Disney portrays women, especially after hearing lyrics like “leave the sewing to the women,” I came to understand that the movies are just products of their time, at least in the beginning. Men simply weren't sewing dresses in 1937. The second wave films, however, were a different story.

The second wave films were always some of my favorites. They were the ones that I grew up with. While there were some more feminist sentiments in these films, the issue of race was the most problematic aspect of all. The amalgamation of cultures in Aladdin and the sexualization of Pocahontas rubbed me the wrong way. It is still hard for me to accept these films. If these were my cultures being misrepresented, I would be outraged out of my mind. Disney films can’t just be accepted without second thought. If that happens, people everywhere will be taught that all men with turbans and dark mustaches are bad, which is simply false. To paraphrase Henry Giroux, films are teaching machines. The themes and motifs they put forward can contribute to much larger issues than we can possibly imagine.

The third wave films were better in my opinion. When we began to analyze these, my eye was more trained. I think that Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Elsa and Anna are all better role models than Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Even more so, the third wave films are far more interesting. There is more character development, the girls don’t just wait around to be rescued, and they don’t just fall in love at first sight. These are much better messages for young kids.

I never realized how much written criticism there is of Disney princess films. After rewatching some of the films myself, I can see that there is a lot to say. I have a deepened understanding of the restrictive gender roles assigned in our society. I also am aware of the way that women of different races (other than white) are overly sexualized in media.

I have learned to challenge all the Disney movies I watch. Further, I’ve learned to challenge the various sources assigned to me. Not every piece that a professor assigns is scholarly, and some scholarly sources may not even be that good. Every source should be examined individually, and it’s okay if you disagree with them. Even some peer-reviewed authors don’t even know how to effectively use evidence.

I have gained a plethora of knowledge about Disney movies through this course, but also about academic writing. Going forward, I will continue to analyze every source given to me. Nothing in life should be blindly accepted.