How My Perception of Disney Changed

Growing up, Disney was a focal point of my childhood. From watching almost all of the films, to going to the parks with my family, I only have fond memories of Disney. Decoding Disney opened my eyes to the subtler, more undesirable aspects of Disney. Although the course focused on the villainy and overall negativity of the Disney corporation, it was not overbearing, nor did it convince me to turn against my Disney ‘roots’. Rather, it just made me more aware of what I am viewing when I watch the Disney films.

My view of Disney has changed since August. Now I see Disney as more of a corporation rather than a company focused on learning. I do not blame Disney for its lack of progressive content as it is a money making company and their goal is to appeal to whomever will consume their products. They avoid straying from the norm to protect their company. From what I have learned and researched over the course, the racism and sexism used to characterize villains has been decreasing since the earlier films. Disney is moving towards films like Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph which stray far from the original Snow White and Sleeping Beauty stereotypical princess storylines. In these new films, Villainy is changed by perspective, and gender roles have been diminished.

My understanding of evil has been altered since taking this course. I have come to the realization that my views of evil are subconsciously skewed in the way Disney (and many other children’s programs) portray their villains. They characterize them as darker, as ugly, as non-Americans (often with accents); Seeing the way in which Disney subtly markets these characteristics to children is unsettling; However, with all of these studies and articles written about the stereotyping Disney uses, adults still allow their children to watch these films. The main thing I have come to believe since taking this course is: yes, Disney does use racism and sexism and genderism in some of their films, but ultimately, it is the parent’s responsibility to understand what they are showing their children. If they allow their kids to consume this type of content, they are the ones responsible for teaching them that the stereotypes portrayed are inaccurate and unjust.
Disney (as a company) has honestly astonished me. Learning about some of Disney’s more scandalous endeavors like suing a preschool and the death of a teenager on Reedy Creek property, they never reap the repercussions like other companies would. Their ability to recover from situations that seem like they would damage them is remarkable. I completely respect this company for their power over consumers (although it is scary since I am one of the consumers). My idea of Disney, as a company, has changed from this course, but my love for Disney and its films is still strong, if not stronger since I was exposed to more films that I now call some of my favorites (Wreck-It Ralph!!!)!