Unlearning Myths That Blind Us (reflection)
By: Linda Christensen
This article "Unlearning Myths That Blinds Us" talks about how Disney movies secretly educate children "programming" them to believe that certain standards are expected of them. Making them believe that life only happens the way fairy tales perceive them. Girls now believe they have to look like all fairy tale Princesses. Causing eating disorders, depression and bullying. If you don't look a certain way now in our society you are considered ugly, fat and looked down upon. Even if you turn off the Disney fairy tales, we are still exposed to all of the expectations of women in commercials, in magazines, on tv and through all media. Women are expected to have a specific body type, skinny, broad hips and tall. However not everyone is born with that body type! Everyone is beautiful and unique and we all need to accept it as it is. No one is the same and we shouldn't be expected to be the same.
Women as also perceived in most Disney films as weak, unintelligent and in need of a mans help. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty for instance need a kiss by a prince in order for them to be saved! Why is it that all Disney princesses have to be portrayed in this manner? Why can't women be the hero in the movie? Why can't she save herself or even save a man? Women are capable of taking care of themselves and it's sad that we are portrayed otherwise. It brainwashes the children into believing that women in fact can't be anything but helpless.
Gender Roles in Disney Movies
I think this also goes along with "The Silenced Dialogue", by Lisa Delpit and how we already have this stereotype of different cultures and how they learn in school. Many TV shows and movies also show our stereotypes of different cultures and how they act in school and at home. This cause wrong perceptions of people of those cultures and affecting their opportunities in jobs and in school due to those false perceptions.
Women as also perceived in most Disney films as weak, unintelligent and in need of a mans help. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty for instance need a kiss by a prince in order for them to be saved! Why is it that all Disney princesses have to be portrayed in this manner? Why can't women be the hero in the movie? Why can't she save herself or even save a man? Women are capable of taking care of themselves and it's sad that we are portrayed otherwise. It brainwashes the children into believing that women in fact can't be anything but helpless.
Gender Roles in Disney Movies
I think this also goes along with "The Silenced Dialogue", by Lisa Delpit and how we already have this stereotype of different cultures and how they learn in school. Many TV shows and movies also show our stereotypes of different cultures and how they act in school and at home. This cause wrong perceptions of people of those cultures and affecting their opportunities in jobs and in school due to those false perceptions.
I really agree with your views about how every woman in Disney movies tends to need saving, and this stereotypical idea that every woman is a damsel in distress is pretty ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement about women are capable of taking care of themselves. It seems like movies and shows will always depict women as weak and needed. Perhaps men are writing the scripts lol.
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