SEXist Fantasy Part 1

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Throughout time, women have always been sexualized whether for commercials, movies, or music videos. During the age of Disney films and still to this day, men are known or they themselves feel superior to women. Men are known to be strong, dominant, and the boss of household. So why wouldn't sexism be in Disney films? 

Romanticize racism is a new phrase I learned when researching about Disney. Disney has portrayed romanticize racism in the films. What is this type of racism you ask? Romanticize racism is when a gender is categorized as something specific. For example, if a man wanted to marry an Indian woman because she was shy, quiet, simple, and would be his house wife, that is romanticize racism. Many Disney movies have the concept of romanticize racism.

Image from Fanpop.

Romanticized racism and sexism have been interlocked together in Disney films. Princess Belle, from Beauty and the Beast, is a movie which interlocks romanticized racism and sexism. Pam Ryan states in the article, "Disney's Hidden Sexist Messages" how the Beast and Belle are in an abusive relationship. As you can see in the film, he was yelling at her, had anger issues, and was breaking things around the house. Not so health, right? Even with all of the madness, she stays and accepts him. 

Image from Fanpop.com

Belle leaves her family (Dad) and her town to stay with this "monster". Ryan states how Disney portrays the domestic abuse with the "stick with a bad situation, happy in the end." Not always the case Disney. This is intriguing because when a girl likes a man or marries a man, she leaves her household and basically everything, to be with him and be in his life. Belle is doing the same thing... am I right or am I right? Sexism occurs not just for women in Disney films. 

Image from tribute.ca.

Disney has not wronged women, but men too. Gaston, another character from Beauty and the Beast, is sexist also. First, Gaston, wants an uneducated beauty women states Ryan. He wants a housewife and mother for his ideal boys (his sons). As Belle is interested in books and reading, he doesn't like that. Gaston wants to change Belle to suit his needs. 

Image from Walt Disney Pictures.

Image from India Times.

                        

Ryan addresses how Gaston is praised for his specific criteria and superiority complex. Indeed, we can see it in the song Gaston. We also can see his over-sized muscles, showing off. Gaston is also fighting to get Belle, for example, fighting the beast, her father, and arguing with his buddy to have Belle. Gaston, she doesn't want you, leave Belle alone. However, he doesn't, he comes into her home and also tries to force marriage upon her. She still does not want you, bro. Enough with the simple, delicate girl scenario, we need a patriotic soul up in here.   

Image from Fanpop.com

Esmeralda, "the gypsy girl" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is the patriotic soul. She was hard-core and fierce, one of my favorites. However, Esmeralda is not a princess and she is a gypsy, which is looked down upon. Ryan states how she is looked down because of liberty. If you remember the film, Esmeralda fights for justice and she raises her voice no matter who it is in front of. She also fights hardcore too. I kind of wish I could do that. Esmeralda is also clever, smart, and witty; however, still looked down upon and insulted like trash. She was looked down for being what a "man" should be. 

Image from http://lauravarganarrative.blogspot.com.

This is only part one of sexism, it gets better. Not really, it gets really heartbreaking to see that kids actually watch this and interpret gender roles. I believe gender roles are extremely important because children start noticing differences in gender, for example, how a girl or boy is supposed to act and what they are supposed to be wearing. I wonder how these Disney films affected folks around my age group and how about kids now?

What are your thoughts about sexism in Disney? Has it affected you? 

Last picture I promise: 

Image from Fanpop.

Childhood Destruction Part 2

I am continuing to destruct your childhood. I'm just kidding. I will be showing more of the discrimination and racism throughout this second part. As we move forward into different films, the discrimination becomes more hidden and we begin to take it because we either don't see it or we neglect it. Which is worse?

Russo discusses how children will intake this about cultures, but I will have to disagree because I noticed as I was growing up. I didn't think they affected how I looked at different cultures; however, not everyone observe in information the same way. So lets take a look.

Image from http://www.animationsource.org

Let's start this madness one more time. Back to The Lady and the Tramp, we have this character called Pedro, who is a Chihuahua, which is portrayed as stupid and submissive with Mexican stereotypes. As I look into his character, I do see the Mexican accent and the way he is speaking very stereotypical. I do not understand if he is stupid or submissive, but then again isn't every Disney character portrayed as such?

Image from Disney Wiki

We have a character in Fantasia called Sunflower. Sunflower is represented as mythical creature; however, she was half human and half donkey, not half human and half horse. How interesting that she was half donkey? The fact that she was sloppy and a servant. She was not portrayed beautiful as the fair skinned girls who were dancing pretty in the film.

In the article, "10 Disney Characters Who Stirred Up Controversy" by Amy Cook talks about Sunflower in more depth than Russo. Cook explains how Sunflower had the behavior of African American culture from that certain time period. Cook also indicates Sunflower being portrayed as, "horrifyingly offensive African-American “pickaninny” caricature." I agree with Cook, it is offensive and unacceptable to have a character looking and acting like such. Disney did this to please the white audience. 

As I watched Sunflower's character in a small clip. I wondered why they had such a sloppy character. I observed how she wanted to be like the other creatures which were fair, beautiful, and half human and half horse. I felt as if Sunflower was mocking of the African American culture and I found it very offensive. She was taken out of the film, but she still is in the older versions. I do not remember seeing her in my copy of Fantasia, but now I will surely double check when I get home. African American discrimination continues throughout Disney films, you just have to search and pay attention.

Image from Disney Wiki.

African American discrimination in the film Dumbo, which has stood out to me the most because of the black crows. One of the black crows' name was Jim Crow, extremely shocked when I read that. Who would have known Disney would have used a name which had a segregation law between blacks and whites? Oh did I mention the crow was black too? Such an oxymoron!

Russo states how the Black culture was portrayed: smoking cigars, speaking jive, and spending time doing nothing, but observing civilized world. These crows spoke African American English also known as Ebonics. This subject was discussed in my Africana studies class were I learned how the racism in this film affected people. 

The issue in my class about these crows were elderly African American people. This made an impact because they went through the controversy, discrimination, and racism when this film came out. Disney has done a lot of cultures wrong, not just the African American culture.

Image from http://lakotakids.blogspot.com/2013/08/PeterPan.html

Peter Pan has discrimination of Native Americans, which also let to controversy. Peter Pan portrays Native Americans (Indians) all mute except the chief; therefore, they were also portrayed as thoughtless and communicating like animals. The song, “What Makes a Red Man Red” consists of grunts and mumbles; nevertheless, the display of their bright red colored skin which takes a patriarchal and oppressive stand.

As I watched the song, "What Makes a Red Man Red," I noticed a lot of stereotyping. Yes, I do agree with Russo with the grunts and mumbles, which I could barely understand what they were trying to say in the song and the random dialogues. The other Native Americans do talk, so I am disagreeing with Russo in this point also.

To add, Peter Pan, Wendy, and the others were dressed as "Native Americans," which I am not sure if they were making fun of them or not. Feather and pain on the face, not so creative trying to make them look "Native Americans."

I also want to address the Native Americans sound mad, cruel, and mean. Their face were frowning and the chief's voice was extremely evil. They also go bananas in the song; therefore is this portraying Native Americans as silly and stupid? 

Image from Tumblr.

So what do you do? These messages and issues are really tricky yet obvious to hear or see. As growing up, I began to notice some things and took into consideration. Do we take neglect these messages or do something about them? Disney was later discussed in multiple classrooms of mine and it had caught my attention how it isn't “Happily Ever After Again,” but a betrayal.


Did Disney do these actions because it was the era of racism and discrimination? Or was he being ignorant? Or was he doing it to please the white audience? What is your opinion on this?

Childhood Destruction Part 1

Image from Glaad.org

“Do not be fooled by its commonplace appearance. Like so many things, it is not what outside, but what is inside that counts.” 

I hate those moments when you like or are passionate about something, but then you find the ugly truth about it and go, “Oh no. This can’t be true... Really?!?!” I swear I have this experience since the start of my time. I come from an Indian family and I have come to understand my parents do not understand the secret messages and the intended message about films. This is why Disney and I have a hate, love relationship.

I feel as if when it comes to media especially, parental guidance and explanation is needed. Children are interpreting and getting influenced by many different things. This post will talk about three movies, which will include racial discrimination from countries around the world.

 

Image is a painting by Richard Vanderwende from One1more2time3 weblog.

The first film I will discuss is Aladdin and there are two items which are discussed in the article, "Disney's Most Racist Films and Characters" by Juniper Russo. One of the issues being the song “Arabian Nights” which explains the Middle East in a negative way. . Who would have noticed the song being a controversy because of the Arab discrimination? However the lyrics says it all, “Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face. It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.”

I personally never noticed lyrics were talking about the Middle East. Thinking about it now, it changes the whole perspective and meaning of the song. The song is catchy, one has to listen to the lyrics carefully to notice the discrimination. 

Image from http://www.animatedheroes.com/aladdin.html.

Second issues addressed is how Princess Jasmine and Aladdin become more “Caucasian” throughout the movies. Russo states the message kids would be getting is how good guys started having light skin and the bad guys started having dark skin.

I would have disagree with Russo’s statement about kids noticing the skin color difference. Kids would be focused on the Princess Jasmine, Aladdin, and the story line more than the color of their skin. To say, the skin color changes through the movies is tricky because technology wasn't so great back then to make high definition movies.

Image from Fanpop.

One of the issues from The Lady and the Tramp I will discuss in this post is the Siamese cats which are portrayed as stereotypical Asians: buck toothed, slanted eyes, and exaggerated accents. The cats are portrayed as evil, manipulated, and cunning.

I never knew it was a racial issue till I started to take it seriously. When you are a kid, you think those cats are mean and you hate them for what they do to the main character. Now when you watch the film again as a grown up, you realize there is a more depth to the cats than them being mean.

Image from DVD Active. 

Another article called, "Are these Disney Movies Racist?” by Jessica Misener also brings up the Siamese cat in The Aristocrats film. The Siamese cat plays piano with chopsticks and also sings in the song “Everyone Wants to Be a Cat,” but talks about fortune cookies and making fun of the ways Asians speak.

When I was a kid, I thought it was silly and funny how the cat was acting. I knew Asians used chopsticks, but I never thought it was a racism issue. However, now as a grown up, I see the racism and stereotype build up.

This is only part one of the destruction Disney has done. It only gets worse in my second post about the films. Stay tune for part two for more.

What do you think so far? How do you feel about it?