Alexandra Cooper's Graphic Design Portfolio
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Within my senior thesis I will uncover the hidden and blatant programming found in Walt Disney Pictures’ most popular animated movies. Following the evolution of Disney’s use of contextual information is crucial to understanding how they have molded the minds of the youth that grew up watching Disney films and how that has led to societal rifts between generations.
Through examination of each era of Disney films and their respective means of programming, different values and ways of life can be found which helps explain the differences in opinions between generations. By shining a light on this programming and publicizing the findings of this thesis I hope to bridge the generational divide and help every era of Disney watcher understand each other better and create a more harmonious world.
Through examination of each era of Disney films and their respective means of programming, different values and ways of life can be found which helps explain the differences in opinions between generations. By shining a light on this programming and publicizing the findings of this thesis I hope to bridge the generational divide and help every era of Disney watcher understand each other better and create a more harmonious world.
Proposal Booklet
This booklet explains in detail how Walt Disney Pictures has influenced different generations for almost 100 years. It uncovers the hidden messages that were being programmed unknowingly into the minds of those watching. I give many examples of Disney Classics that cover a wide range issues we are having today.
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is the largest multimedia company in the world, established in 1923. From a movie empire, to an amusement park chain, the Walt Disney Corporation is worth 130 BILLION dollars. It is the only company that has had a large hand in our culture world wide, and has held strong in influencing every living generation. Characters range from humans, to talking animals, to weird looking monsters. The thing about Disney, is that even if you aren't a fan of their movies, you have seen at least one and you DEFINITELY know who they are.
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Problems Being Addressed
• Racism
• Misogyny • Stereotypes • Interracial Relationships • Sexual Harassment • Modern Changes • The Future of Disney |
Traditionalists: 1925-1945
Traditionalists grew up watching movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dumbo, Pinocchio and Bambi.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has many undertones that are very unreasonable. First, It paints women as jealous monsters, especially when comparing one another to the impossible male standard of beauty. It also solidifies rape culture as being appropriate. A sleeping woman is allowed to be touched or kissed? What a horrible message to send to viewers. There are also obvious signs of misogyny against Snow White, in her duties to cook, clean, and be delicate and sweet.
Pinocchio has a very dark message within the main message itself. When most think of Pinocchio, they think of having to tell the truth. However, in the scene with the coachman, it is all about child sex trafficking and how to lore children into places. The land of children is called Pleasure Island, which is a word most often associated with sexual tendencies or desires.
Dumbo and Bambi are two of the first feature films that were told through animals’ perspective. Dumbo has blatant racism in it’s film. All the scenes with crows are voiced by exaggerated stereotypical African American voices and accents. AND the leader of the crows is named “Jim Crow” which is in direct correlation with a law that legalized segregation. Bambi’s racism is behind the scenes with Asian animator Wong Geo Yeo, who was involved in the entire film making process. He was not given credit for all of his contributions and was abruptly fired after the movie was finished production.
Baby Boomers: 1945-1965
Baby Boomers had movies like Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty to grow up watching. Each of these movies presents is own set of problems.
Cinderella paints the pictures of men’s version of their ideal wife. Someone who looks tiny and beautiful, that fits into the again impossible male standard of beauty. It also programs women to believe their role in life is to cook, clean, sew, and more. Being very domesticated and never straying from that.
Sleeping Beauty again paints the picture of aggressive jealous women when it comes to beauty, as well as allowing yet again rape culture to play a prevalent role in the film’s story line.
The films Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp both have blatant racism in their films. With Peter Pan, the Native Americans are portrayed in a stereotypical fashion with bright red skin, feathers in their hair, and are referred to a “Savages”. Lady and the Tramp is not as direct with it’s racism as Peter Pan. First, with the Siamese cats, they are voiced using very offensive Asian accents, as well as their song number being blatantly racist towards Asian culture. All the stray dogs in the film are voiced in an accent or with voices mimicking stereotypical language associated with African Americans. The Italian restaurant owners are also portrayed as very stereotypical Italian men. Lady is also meant to be a representation of what men desire in a woman. A well-behaved “Lady”, whom follows the rules, does not speak up, and is yet again a delicate beauty. She and Tramp are representative of multicultural relationships and how it was severely frowned upon to engage in a romantic relationship with someone of a different ethnic background. Tramp is actually depicted as living "on the other side of the tracks", supporting my evidence even further.
Generation X: 1965-1980
Generation X is where we begin to see a slight change Disney’s hidden messages, while still being connected to the past problems. Most feature films at this time were depicted by the animal kingdom, which is where the importance of interpretation and and fine tooth analyzation comes into play.
In The Jungle Book, the depiction of the two main characters to seen to be representative of anti-segregation practices. However, the content within the film seems to point otherwise. The song “I Want to be Like You,” is referencing white supremacy, and that everyone should want to be like the white population. It also mows down the reality of the situation, about how white English settlers invaded India and surrounding areas and forced them to conform to their preferred ways of living. Making it illegal to practice their own religions, while being forced to practice Christianity.
Aristocats shows some signs of racism, while also being very transparent with sexual content. In the movie, they talk about the nature of the stray cats being “swingers”, meaning they believe in having multiple sexual partners at one time, along with their chosen mate. As well as lead male, constantly hinting at mother, Duchess, and he having sexual relations and innuendos.
Lastly, Robin Hood, showcases the entire animal kingdom getting along, with exception to a snake and lion. Robin Hood was created after Walt Disney’s death, and because of this, it was geared more towards family friendly content. With the representation of animals getting along, despite of nature’s reality, Disney Studios were able to depict a friendly world amongst natural enemies, like the rabbits and Robin Hood as the Fox.
Millennials: 1980-1998
Millennials were fortunate enough to grow up with films like The Fox and the Hound, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Mulan.
Beauty and the Beast and The Fox and the Hound both depict interracial relationships, an American statistic that was growing every year. Mulan and Aladdin though, both slightly stereotypical, showcased underdog stories and role reversal. Both featured lead characters as being worthless in the beginning, to becoming the heroes by the end of the movie. These movies taught Millennials important life lessons. No matter what situation you seen to be in, if you work hard you can persevere and become something special. And perhaps even more important, they were taught that looking different does not mean they should be separated or mean. Differences are beautiful and diversity among groups should not be looked at as a bad thing.
Generation Z: 1998-Present
Generation Z has had a bundle of different messages being sent across the Disney Platform over the years. From Tiana, the first African American princess, coming out just under two years after Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration, to the importance of a clean environment, Disney has made it a point to steer viewers in a direction for the better.
Frozen focuses on the love of family over the love of significant others. Love and problems can be solved by working with a sister to save the world. It also was the first movie to show an accurate depiction of what women could look like when waking up.
The Princess and the Frog, showed the first African American Prince and Princess ever seen before in Disney Animation history. Their message was that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can persevere, just like the message shown in Aladdin.
Ratatouille, displayed a similar message as Aladdin and The Fox and the Hound combined. Underdogs can win, and interracial friendships can thrive and be strong foundations for the future.
Lilo and Stitch was a smaller movie that Disney had released, yet it become much more successful than anticipated. A little blue alien and Hawaiian girl become best friends. Again painted as the underdog in the story, differences can make you stronger and can help you succeed. It is my own personal belief that this movie was so successful, due to the lack of stereotypical content, the rise in interracial relationships in the US at the time, and the lessons learned along the way.
Traditionalists grew up watching movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Dumbo, Pinocchio and Bambi.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has many undertones that are very unreasonable. First, It paints women as jealous monsters, especially when comparing one another to the impossible male standard of beauty. It also solidifies rape culture as being appropriate. A sleeping woman is allowed to be touched or kissed? What a horrible message to send to viewers. There are also obvious signs of misogyny against Snow White, in her duties to cook, clean, and be delicate and sweet.
Pinocchio has a very dark message within the main message itself. When most think of Pinocchio, they think of having to tell the truth. However, in the scene with the coachman, it is all about child sex trafficking and how to lore children into places. The land of children is called Pleasure Island, which is a word most often associated with sexual tendencies or desires.
Dumbo and Bambi are two of the first feature films that were told through animals’ perspective. Dumbo has blatant racism in it’s film. All the scenes with crows are voiced by exaggerated stereotypical African American voices and accents. AND the leader of the crows is named “Jim Crow” which is in direct correlation with a law that legalized segregation. Bambi’s racism is behind the scenes with Asian animator Wong Geo Yeo, who was involved in the entire film making process. He was not given credit for all of his contributions and was abruptly fired after the movie was finished production.
Baby Boomers: 1945-1965
Baby Boomers had movies like Cinderella, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and Sleeping Beauty to grow up watching. Each of these movies presents is own set of problems.
Cinderella paints the pictures of men’s version of their ideal wife. Someone who looks tiny and beautiful, that fits into the again impossible male standard of beauty. It also programs women to believe their role in life is to cook, clean, sew, and more. Being very domesticated and never straying from that.
Sleeping Beauty again paints the picture of aggressive jealous women when it comes to beauty, as well as allowing yet again rape culture to play a prevalent role in the film’s story line.
The films Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp both have blatant racism in their films. With Peter Pan, the Native Americans are portrayed in a stereotypical fashion with bright red skin, feathers in their hair, and are referred to a “Savages”. Lady and the Tramp is not as direct with it’s racism as Peter Pan. First, with the Siamese cats, they are voiced using very offensive Asian accents, as well as their song number being blatantly racist towards Asian culture. All the stray dogs in the film are voiced in an accent or with voices mimicking stereotypical language associated with African Americans. The Italian restaurant owners are also portrayed as very stereotypical Italian men. Lady is also meant to be a representation of what men desire in a woman. A well-behaved “Lady”, whom follows the rules, does not speak up, and is yet again a delicate beauty. She and Tramp are representative of multicultural relationships and how it was severely frowned upon to engage in a romantic relationship with someone of a different ethnic background. Tramp is actually depicted as living "on the other side of the tracks", supporting my evidence even further.
Generation X: 1965-1980
Generation X is where we begin to see a slight change Disney’s hidden messages, while still being connected to the past problems. Most feature films at this time were depicted by the animal kingdom, which is where the importance of interpretation and and fine tooth analyzation comes into play.
In The Jungle Book, the depiction of the two main characters to seen to be representative of anti-segregation practices. However, the content within the film seems to point otherwise. The song “I Want to be Like You,” is referencing white supremacy, and that everyone should want to be like the white population. It also mows down the reality of the situation, about how white English settlers invaded India and surrounding areas and forced them to conform to their preferred ways of living. Making it illegal to practice their own religions, while being forced to practice Christianity.
Aristocats shows some signs of racism, while also being very transparent with sexual content. In the movie, they talk about the nature of the stray cats being “swingers”, meaning they believe in having multiple sexual partners at one time, along with their chosen mate. As well as lead male, constantly hinting at mother, Duchess, and he having sexual relations and innuendos.
Lastly, Robin Hood, showcases the entire animal kingdom getting along, with exception to a snake and lion. Robin Hood was created after Walt Disney’s death, and because of this, it was geared more towards family friendly content. With the representation of animals getting along, despite of nature’s reality, Disney Studios were able to depict a friendly world amongst natural enemies, like the rabbits and Robin Hood as the Fox.
Millennials: 1980-1998
Millennials were fortunate enough to grow up with films like The Fox and the Hound, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Mulan.
Beauty and the Beast and The Fox and the Hound both depict interracial relationships, an American statistic that was growing every year. Mulan and Aladdin though, both slightly stereotypical, showcased underdog stories and role reversal. Both featured lead characters as being worthless in the beginning, to becoming the heroes by the end of the movie. These movies taught Millennials important life lessons. No matter what situation you seen to be in, if you work hard you can persevere and become something special. And perhaps even more important, they were taught that looking different does not mean they should be separated or mean. Differences are beautiful and diversity among groups should not be looked at as a bad thing.
Generation Z: 1998-Present
Generation Z has had a bundle of different messages being sent across the Disney Platform over the years. From Tiana, the first African American princess, coming out just under two years after Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration, to the importance of a clean environment, Disney has made it a point to steer viewers in a direction for the better.
Frozen focuses on the love of family over the love of significant others. Love and problems can be solved by working with a sister to save the world. It also was the first movie to show an accurate depiction of what women could look like when waking up.
The Princess and the Frog, showed the first African American Prince and Princess ever seen before in Disney Animation history. Their message was that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can persevere, just like the message shown in Aladdin.
Ratatouille, displayed a similar message as Aladdin and The Fox and the Hound combined. Underdogs can win, and interracial friendships can thrive and be strong foundations for the future.
Lilo and Stitch was a smaller movie that Disney had released, yet it become much more successful than anticipated. A little blue alien and Hawaiian girl become best friends. Again painted as the underdog in the story, differences can make you stronger and can help you succeed. It is my own personal belief that this movie was so successful, due to the lack of stereotypical content, the rise in interracial relationships in the US at the time, and the lessons learned along the way.
Modern Movie Posters
This thesis tackles serious topics and is not for the faint hearted. What I have uncovered in my researched shocked even myself. As I have always been a fanatic about any and all Walt Disney Studios productions. It is because of my education and my innate ability to look further, that I have been able to receive clarity about my own personal programed biases. I have created the above movie posters as a way to capture the attention of those around me. Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty are two Disney staples in their plethora of feature films. In order to show what messages truly live within these films, I decided to design accurate movie posters of their programed lessons.
It is no surprise to anyone that generations have certain expectations and standards for women. From marriage, motherhood, and household chores women are expected to follow these societal standards. Why have a career when you can be a home maker?
How about serving in the army, or better yet, becoming Commander and Chief of the entire military? Women have been struggling with a life and career balance since the end of World War II. Once the men came back from the war, they expected the same women that ran the country while men were off to war, to go back home and not have anything to say about it.
Walt Disney Pictures films hammered in these beliefs to every single person who watched their films, both male and female. Cinderella (Second from left), Snow White (Forth from left), Aurora (Second from right) and even Wendy (Far Right) were all created to enforce these values and standards of living. They were seen cooking, cleaning, not defending themselves, and one actually being told her purpose was to "become a mother". These were the movies of Traditionalists and Baby Boomers. It is no wonder why grandparents constantly ask us when we are getting married or having children.
In Beauty and the Beast, Belle (Far left), is harassed for being an avid reader. The townspeople verbally attack her for it, as they call her "odd". Beauty and the Beast came out in the 1990's, prime real estate for a cultural turning point. Generations X'ers and very young Millennials were the first to see a woman exited about education. Belle, later finds a herself submerged in more books than she could have ever imagined, thus inspiring women all over the world to have high career aspirations.
Mulan (Third from left), was the first woman to ever be seen near any type of battle in a Disney Film. This 1997 film came just before a rise in female enrollment for active military duty. Coincidence? Maybe...
How about serving in the army, or better yet, becoming Commander and Chief of the entire military? Women have been struggling with a life and career balance since the end of World War II. Once the men came back from the war, they expected the same women that ran the country while men were off to war, to go back home and not have anything to say about it.
Walt Disney Pictures films hammered in these beliefs to every single person who watched their films, both male and female. Cinderella (Second from left), Snow White (Forth from left), Aurora (Second from right) and even Wendy (Far Right) were all created to enforce these values and standards of living. They were seen cooking, cleaning, not defending themselves, and one actually being told her purpose was to "become a mother". These were the movies of Traditionalists and Baby Boomers. It is no wonder why grandparents constantly ask us when we are getting married or having children.
In Beauty and the Beast, Belle (Far left), is harassed for being an avid reader. The townspeople verbally attack her for it, as they call her "odd". Beauty and the Beast came out in the 1990's, prime real estate for a cultural turning point. Generations X'ers and very young Millennials were the first to see a woman exited about education. Belle, later finds a herself submerged in more books than she could have ever imagined, thus inspiring women all over the world to have high career aspirations.
Mulan (Third from left), was the first woman to ever be seen near any type of battle in a Disney Film. This 1997 film came just before a rise in female enrollment for active military duty. Coincidence? Maybe...
Disney’s influence on rape culture has been huge over the past century.
(From left to right)
Gaston, the villain from film Beauty and the Beast, is seen constantly sexually harassing lead female Belle. Throughout the film, Belle turns Gaston down time and time again, yet he does not take “no” as an answer. Thus, giving men the green light to continually force themselves onto women.
Next, we have Snow White, from the first full length feature film from Walt Disney Studios, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. After being poisoned... a prince decides to kiss her while she is in her “death like” sleep. Only to find she immediately is awaken from the curse. This movie is practically saying that if you drug a woman, you can sexually assault her before she wakes up. Also, insinuating that even if she likes or possibly loves the man, it is still okay. Which is definitely NOT okay under any circumstances.
In the film Sleeping Beauty, Aurora must be woken up from a curse by true love’s kiss. Yet again giving men the false illusion that touching, kissing, etc. are alright when a female is unconscious. Any form of non-consensual physical acts are sexual assault. If she is unconscious and cannot give consent, that is sexual assault.
Lastly, Prince Phillip (Far right), is the male that awakens Aurora from her sleep with a kiss. I have vilified him here to hammer home the creepiness that some men prey on vulnerable women.
(From left to right)
Gaston, the villain from film Beauty and the Beast, is seen constantly sexually harassing lead female Belle. Throughout the film, Belle turns Gaston down time and time again, yet he does not take “no” as an answer. Thus, giving men the green light to continually force themselves onto women.
Next, we have Snow White, from the first full length feature film from Walt Disney Studios, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. After being poisoned... a prince decides to kiss her while she is in her “death like” sleep. Only to find she immediately is awaken from the curse. This movie is practically saying that if you drug a woman, you can sexually assault her before she wakes up. Also, insinuating that even if she likes or possibly loves the man, it is still okay. Which is definitely NOT okay under any circumstances.
In the film Sleeping Beauty, Aurora must be woken up from a curse by true love’s kiss. Yet again giving men the false illusion that touching, kissing, etc. are alright when a female is unconscious. Any form of non-consensual physical acts are sexual assault. If she is unconscious and cannot give consent, that is sexual assault.
Lastly, Prince Phillip (Far right), is the male that awakens Aurora from her sleep with a kiss. I have vilified him here to hammer home the creepiness that some men prey on vulnerable women.
Women’s March 2020
This edit is very important, as it is fighting against the rape culture Disney films have represented and allowed.
(From right to left)
Ariel from The Little Mermaid is holding a sign that reads “Women Are Not Objects”. This sign has a dual meaning. 1) Ariel collects objects in a cavern that later gets destroyed. 2) Many men treat women as sexual objects that they can throw away when they are done with them. Women are not made of paper, plastic or glass. They are flesh and bone. They are NOT used for entertainment or sexual pleasure.
Next we have Belle, from the film Beauty and the Beast. In the movie, Belle is constantly sexually harassed by villain Gaston. Even though she stands up for herself by using the words “no” and “never” to Gaston, he continues to pursue her. No means no. Men need to know that, and Disney showed men they can treat women like animals over and over again.
Lastly, we have Princess Jasmine, from the feature film Aladdin. Her famous line, “I am not a prize to be won,” during a scene when two men are fighting over her hand in marriage is one of the most forward thinking scenes from this time period. Using her voice and putting men in their places.
This edit is very important, as it is fighting against the rape culture Disney films have represented and allowed.
(From right to left)
Ariel from The Little Mermaid is holding a sign that reads “Women Are Not Objects”. This sign has a dual meaning. 1) Ariel collects objects in a cavern that later gets destroyed. 2) Many men treat women as sexual objects that they can throw away when they are done with them. Women are not made of paper, plastic or glass. They are flesh and bone. They are NOT used for entertainment or sexual pleasure.
Next we have Belle, from the film Beauty and the Beast. In the movie, Belle is constantly sexually harassed by villain Gaston. Even though she stands up for herself by using the words “no” and “never” to Gaston, he continues to pursue her. No means no. Men need to know that, and Disney showed men they can treat women like animals over and over again.
Lastly, we have Princess Jasmine, from the feature film Aladdin. Her famous line, “I am not a prize to be won,” during a scene when two men are fighting over her hand in marriage is one of the most forward thinking scenes from this time period. Using her voice and putting men in their places.
From left to right:
Gaston, the villain from Beauty and the Beast, is depicted at the police officer in this scene. In his film, he brutally attacks the Beast who did not want to fight, nor did he want to fight back. He then tried to spare Gaston’s life, until he delivered a murderous shot with a gun to the Beast’s side. If it wasn’t for the magic of love, Gaston would have killed the Beast, in the heat of a hate crime. That is the reason I chose him to play the role of the officer demonstrating police brutality. As Beast is representative of a minority, the townspeople (White Men) go to destroy him because he looks different and they fear diversity. Beauty and the Beast has severe racial undertones throughout the entirety of the film.
He in this scene, Prince Naveen is representing the population that are victims of police misconduct who will most likely suffer no consequences. He DOES NOT resist and DOES NOT fight back. He is in no wrong in this scene, and DOES NOT deserve to be beaten by the policeman. Naveen, displays the hard truth, there is racism programmed into every single generation, and Disney had a hand in it.
Tiana from Princess and the Frog, was placed in this scene to help represent the shocking statistic of three times more African Americans will be killed by police brutality than white Americans. She watches the horror as her partner, Prince Naveen is brutally attacked by police.
Belle was placed in this scene, because she and her partner known as the “Beast” in Beauty and the Beast, were attacked by her village. The Beast and the castle were stormed by townspeople as they tried to destroy it and those who lived there. Belle, scared and shocked by the actions of those she knew. She, her father, and the Beast were the victims of a hate crime. In this scene she watches the villain of her film beat the partner of her friend Tiana.
Gaston, the villain from Beauty and the Beast, is depicted at the police officer in this scene. In his film, he brutally attacks the Beast who did not want to fight, nor did he want to fight back. He then tried to spare Gaston’s life, until he delivered a murderous shot with a gun to the Beast’s side. If it wasn’t for the magic of love, Gaston would have killed the Beast, in the heat of a hate crime. That is the reason I chose him to play the role of the officer demonstrating police brutality. As Beast is representative of a minority, the townspeople (White Men) go to destroy him because he looks different and they fear diversity. Beauty and the Beast has severe racial undertones throughout the entirety of the film.
He in this scene, Prince Naveen is representing the population that are victims of police misconduct who will most likely suffer no consequences. He DOES NOT resist and DOES NOT fight back. He is in no wrong in this scene, and DOES NOT deserve to be beaten by the policeman. Naveen, displays the hard truth, there is racism programmed into every single generation, and Disney had a hand in it.
Tiana from Princess and the Frog, was placed in this scene to help represent the shocking statistic of three times more African Americans will be killed by police brutality than white Americans. She watches the horror as her partner, Prince Naveen is brutally attacked by police.
Belle was placed in this scene, because she and her partner known as the “Beast” in Beauty and the Beast, were attacked by her village. The Beast and the castle were stormed by townspeople as they tried to destroy it and those who lived there. Belle, scared and shocked by the actions of those she knew. She, her father, and the Beast were the victims of a hate crime. In this scene she watches the villain of her film beat the partner of her friend Tiana.
In this piece, I wanted to show Disney’s adaptability over the years. They have depicted different nationalities and cultures for nearly a century. I wanted to be very clear in that they are improving with their wider range of ethnicities shown in movies, but it needs to increase much more to generate true equality.
Within the group of princesses, they are true friends who have no problems with their differences. While on the outside, there is hatred looking in. This is meant to represent the future and those living in the world who do not see race as a divide. Racism can can be washed clean if we get rid of our biases that were programmed into our minds by Disney and others who had a large influence over our lives.
In this block, I have friends (From left to right) Aurora, Jasmine, Tiana and Pocahontas. Aurora is representing the people in the world who do not care about differences in race. They look at people for their kindness and personality.
Jasmine is representing the population in the Middle East and of Middle Eastern ethnicity in the United States who are being discriminated against. I took her from a scene in the market place where she is wearing a head covering, because many Americans are disrespectful towards cultures that use them as a form of modesty. People believe they should not be allowed to wear their religious coverings in public, because they are ignorant and scared.
Tiana and Pocahontas are representing two minority groups that are at the forefront of discrimination in the United States. Pocahontas is used, because of the hatred and stereotypical content Walt Disney Pictures have put out over the years about her culture. She and others in her culture have been referred to as “Savages” in multiple movies, from Peter Pan to Pocahontas. The United States as well as Disney have falsified Native American history cultural practices. Many professional sports teams are just now starting to change their logos or team names, due to the blatant racism they represent. Tiana is there to represent the many hidden characteristics and stereotypical content towards African Americans over the past century. From black men voicing crows (a racist nickname to African Americans) in the film Dumbo, to other feature films based in the animal kingdom like Lady and the Tramp and The Jungle Book.
Within the group of princesses, they are true friends who have no problems with their differences. While on the outside, there is hatred looking in. This is meant to represent the future and those living in the world who do not see race as a divide. Racism can can be washed clean if we get rid of our biases that were programmed into our minds by Disney and others who had a large influence over our lives.
In this block, I have friends (From left to right) Aurora, Jasmine, Tiana and Pocahontas. Aurora is representing the people in the world who do not care about differences in race. They look at people for their kindness and personality.
Jasmine is representing the population in the Middle East and of Middle Eastern ethnicity in the United States who are being discriminated against. I took her from a scene in the market place where she is wearing a head covering, because many Americans are disrespectful towards cultures that use them as a form of modesty. People believe they should not be allowed to wear their religious coverings in public, because they are ignorant and scared.
Tiana and Pocahontas are representing two minority groups that are at the forefront of discrimination in the United States. Pocahontas is used, because of the hatred and stereotypical content Walt Disney Pictures have put out over the years about her culture. She and others in her culture have been referred to as “Savages” in multiple movies, from Peter Pan to Pocahontas. The United States as well as Disney have falsified Native American history cultural practices. Many professional sports teams are just now starting to change their logos or team names, due to the blatant racism they represent. Tiana is there to represent the many hidden characteristics and stereotypical content towards African Americans over the past century. From black men voicing crows (a racist nickname to African Americans) in the film Dumbo, to other feature films based in the animal kingdom like Lady and the Tramp and The Jungle Book.
(From left to right)
Cinderella was fun to reinvent. I gave her a messy bun, as opposed to her pretty perfect bun she is shown in her film with. I also gave her baggy clothes to represent what women can wear when they work out. They do not have to wear tight leggings or tops, they can wear what is comfortable. Another component I added to Cinderella was her tattoos on her leg. The only Disney movie we see tattoos in is Pocahontas and the newer film Moana. Many older generations and some religions see tattoos as scarring the body. Others see tattoos as beautiful acts of art. Maybe in the future we will see a Disney film with many characters showing off artistic tattoos to be shown as art rather than condemning the body to a harsh afterlife.
Jasmine was originally seen in her film Aladdin, with a small top that displayed her bare midriff and her breasts. Jasmine is over sexualized in a film geared more towards a male audience, which therefore lead to objectifying imagery being programmed into the mind of young men all over the world, setting the standard of what is deemed "sexy". I decided to focus on that aspect of her role. I gave her a shirt that covered her upper half of her body, rebelling against Disney’s display of how women should dress and what they should show off on their bodies. Women should not have to dress to impress men, as long as they feel comfortable in what they’re wearing, that is all that matters. This however, starts the disgusting male debate of, "Women are asking for it." Clearly, this is due to the cultural programming generation after generation grew up with. Men for centuries have treated women disrespectfully and as if men are superior to women. A woman should be allowed to wear comfortable clothing (ex. leggings or yoga pants), like I have dressed Jasmine in, and not have to worry about being sexually harassed or assaulted because of it. The answer is always no, until permission is verbally given.
Ariel represents everything the beauty industry is against. Having Ariel be recreated to be overweight is very important. Walt Disney Pictures discriminated against heavyset people. In the film The Little Mermaid, there is a scene where the villain, Ursula, sings a song about what she does for “Poor unfortunate souls”. She herself is overweight, and she is the villain not the main character. During her song, she turns an overweight mermaid magically into an idealistic thin body type. This is sending a terrible message to women, to pressure them into maintaining a certain weight. I myself have struggled with anorexia since 2014. The constant pressure to want to be thin is something many other women of all ages struggle with.
Mulan was given baggy clothes and short hair in my modern remake of her character. In the Asian culture a standard of beauty for women is their long silky hair, and in the film Mulan, she cuts off her hair to pass as a male in order to join the army. I just deiced to cut it even shorter, because in the United States, we have those same standards of long hair being more desirable. I also gave her baggy clothes, because of males liking tighter clothes on women. Equally important, women find baggy clothes comforting, both physically & emotionally.
Aurora from Sleeping Beauty was painted as the ideal women of beauty for years. Tall, thin, pale face, red lips, etc. I thought it would be a great idea to do the one thing most men and women of older generations hate. I gave her leg hair. Women can be born into the tiny shell many perceive as the perfect woman, but they can also choose not to fall into industry traps. I took a trend that blossomed in the 1970s and has begun to bloom again over the last few years. Women not shaving their armpits, and put it where it was visible.
Tiana is the only African American lead female character in the entirety of Disney feature films. I thought it was important to show Tiana’s hair naturally, because in the film The Princess and the Frog, Disney pulls her hair back in EVERY. SINGLE. SCENE. Many young African American women feel pressure to smoothen their hair to resemble long straight “beautiful” Caucasian hair. Often these women get scrutinized for wearing their hair in its natural form. Today, brands like Dove are beginning to embrace and cater to the natural beauty of African American curls.
Belle represents everything the beauty industry tells us to keep a secret. Freckles and acne are to be hid under miles of make up. They are seen as imperfections that hold back what the industry defines as “beautiful”. In Disney films pale smooth skin is painted as the ultimate sign of beauty. I also show Belle wearing glasses. Disney never shows main characters in glasses. Perhaps it is because of the added work that goes into animation. Or perhaps it is because the beauty industry believes contacts are the solution to eye wear. In Disney films, the only people that wear glasses are elderly characters or characters meant to be seen as nerdy outcasts. Belle is painted as the outcast in her town for being a woman who reads, I found it fitting to show her as the nerdy stereotype, but still being able to remain beautiful despite the beauty industry (Generating nearly 50 Billion Dollars in revenue in 2019) telling us everyday that we can improve our appearance.
Cinderella was fun to reinvent. I gave her a messy bun, as opposed to her pretty perfect bun she is shown in her film with. I also gave her baggy clothes to represent what women can wear when they work out. They do not have to wear tight leggings or tops, they can wear what is comfortable. Another component I added to Cinderella was her tattoos on her leg. The only Disney movie we see tattoos in is Pocahontas and the newer film Moana. Many older generations and some religions see tattoos as scarring the body. Others see tattoos as beautiful acts of art. Maybe in the future we will see a Disney film with many characters showing off artistic tattoos to be shown as art rather than condemning the body to a harsh afterlife.
Jasmine was originally seen in her film Aladdin, with a small top that displayed her bare midriff and her breasts. Jasmine is over sexualized in a film geared more towards a male audience, which therefore lead to objectifying imagery being programmed into the mind of young men all over the world, setting the standard of what is deemed "sexy". I decided to focus on that aspect of her role. I gave her a shirt that covered her upper half of her body, rebelling against Disney’s display of how women should dress and what they should show off on their bodies. Women should not have to dress to impress men, as long as they feel comfortable in what they’re wearing, that is all that matters. This however, starts the disgusting male debate of, "Women are asking for it." Clearly, this is due to the cultural programming generation after generation grew up with. Men for centuries have treated women disrespectfully and as if men are superior to women. A woman should be allowed to wear comfortable clothing (ex. leggings or yoga pants), like I have dressed Jasmine in, and not have to worry about being sexually harassed or assaulted because of it. The answer is always no, until permission is verbally given.
Ariel represents everything the beauty industry is against. Having Ariel be recreated to be overweight is very important. Walt Disney Pictures discriminated against heavyset people. In the film The Little Mermaid, there is a scene where the villain, Ursula, sings a song about what she does for “Poor unfortunate souls”. She herself is overweight, and she is the villain not the main character. During her song, she turns an overweight mermaid magically into an idealistic thin body type. This is sending a terrible message to women, to pressure them into maintaining a certain weight. I myself have struggled with anorexia since 2014. The constant pressure to want to be thin is something many other women of all ages struggle with.
Mulan was given baggy clothes and short hair in my modern remake of her character. In the Asian culture a standard of beauty for women is their long silky hair, and in the film Mulan, she cuts off her hair to pass as a male in order to join the army. I just deiced to cut it even shorter, because in the United States, we have those same standards of long hair being more desirable. I also gave her baggy clothes, because of males liking tighter clothes on women. Equally important, women find baggy clothes comforting, both physically & emotionally.
Aurora from Sleeping Beauty was painted as the ideal women of beauty for years. Tall, thin, pale face, red lips, etc. I thought it would be a great idea to do the one thing most men and women of older generations hate. I gave her leg hair. Women can be born into the tiny shell many perceive as the perfect woman, but they can also choose not to fall into industry traps. I took a trend that blossomed in the 1970s and has begun to bloom again over the last few years. Women not shaving their armpits, and put it where it was visible.
Tiana is the only African American lead female character in the entirety of Disney feature films. I thought it was important to show Tiana’s hair naturally, because in the film The Princess and the Frog, Disney pulls her hair back in EVERY. SINGLE. SCENE. Many young African American women feel pressure to smoothen their hair to resemble long straight “beautiful” Caucasian hair. Often these women get scrutinized for wearing their hair in its natural form. Today, brands like Dove are beginning to embrace and cater to the natural beauty of African American curls.
Belle represents everything the beauty industry tells us to keep a secret. Freckles and acne are to be hid under miles of make up. They are seen as imperfections that hold back what the industry defines as “beautiful”. In Disney films pale smooth skin is painted as the ultimate sign of beauty. I also show Belle wearing glasses. Disney never shows main characters in glasses. Perhaps it is because of the added work that goes into animation. Or perhaps it is because the beauty industry believes contacts are the solution to eye wear. In Disney films, the only people that wear glasses are elderly characters or characters meant to be seen as nerdy outcasts. Belle is painted as the outcast in her town for being a woman who reads, I found it fitting to show her as the nerdy stereotype, but still being able to remain beautiful despite the beauty industry (Generating nearly 50 Billion Dollars in revenue in 2019) telling us everyday that we can improve our appearance.
In the 1990’s Walt Disney Pictures focused a lot on stories about Underdogs. Also in the 90s, Disney spread it’s cultural wings to show many different ethnicities. While the stories were meant to be inspirational, they still present stereotypical content.
Underdogs, like Mulan and Aladdin, prevailed in their heroic efforts to save the ones they loved. Never giving up can lead to a prosperous life. Sometimes you have to change the laws or break tradition to become successful. Movies like these, inspired an entire generation to become the first in their families to go to college. Proving that no matter where you come from, you can succeed if you work hard and put in the effort required.
Other films like Pocahontas or The Little Mermaid showed cultural barriers and stereotypes. Both represent multicultural relationships. While Ariel and Prince Eric are both caucasian, they are from two separate cultures. Ariel’s father, King Triton refers to humans as “Barbarians.” Hinting at the problem with people referring to Native Americans as “Savages,” in both Peter Pan and Pocahontas.
Aladdin and Pocahontas, productive in inspirational message, both present stereotypical content about their cultures. With Aladdin, a man in the market place threatens to cut off Princess Jasmine’s hand for “stealing” an apple. Pocahontas, while it is an improvement upon the film Peter Pan’s representation of Native Americans, it still presents a problem. Though Native American cultures are very in tune with Mother Nature, Disney shows that the wind was able to magically allow John Smith to communicate with Pocahontas, thus, making John Smith look like a hero that he wasn’t. As well as, showing that the natives tried attacking first, when in reality, white settlers are the ones that slaughtered millions Native Americans. So much so that scientists have found significant evidence that the genocide of Native Americans was so high, that it cause the Earths temperature to drop by .15° Celcius, creating a period known as the "Little Ice Age". Pocahontas clearly did not highlight the true problem that arose when Europeans came to the Americas.
Underdogs, like Mulan and Aladdin, prevailed in their heroic efforts to save the ones they loved. Never giving up can lead to a prosperous life. Sometimes you have to change the laws or break tradition to become successful. Movies like these, inspired an entire generation to become the first in their families to go to college. Proving that no matter where you come from, you can succeed if you work hard and put in the effort required.
Other films like Pocahontas or The Little Mermaid showed cultural barriers and stereotypes. Both represent multicultural relationships. While Ariel and Prince Eric are both caucasian, they are from two separate cultures. Ariel’s father, King Triton refers to humans as “Barbarians.” Hinting at the problem with people referring to Native Americans as “Savages,” in both Peter Pan and Pocahontas.
Aladdin and Pocahontas, productive in inspirational message, both present stereotypical content about their cultures. With Aladdin, a man in the market place threatens to cut off Princess Jasmine’s hand for “stealing” an apple. Pocahontas, while it is an improvement upon the film Peter Pan’s representation of Native Americans, it still presents a problem. Though Native American cultures are very in tune with Mother Nature, Disney shows that the wind was able to magically allow John Smith to communicate with Pocahontas, thus, making John Smith look like a hero that he wasn’t. As well as, showing that the natives tried attacking first, when in reality, white settlers are the ones that slaughtered millions Native Americans. So much so that scientists have found significant evidence that the genocide of Native Americans was so high, that it cause the Earths temperature to drop by .15° Celcius, creating a period known as the "Little Ice Age". Pocahontas clearly did not highlight the true problem that arose when Europeans came to the Americas.
My final image paints a picture of what Walt Disney Studios could look like in the future. Showing accurate and upfront representations of multicultural and multiethnic relationships as lead characters in feature films. Also, in hopes of being inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community in the near future, because Love is Love.
In feature films, specifically in the Generation X time period of the 1990s, Disney hints many times about multicultural or multiethnic relationships. They do not show this based on skin color. They use the animal kingdom and other representations to hint at the changing times of rising interracial relationships in the United States. As part of a rewrite of Disney history, I created a revamp of what a it should have looked like using lead characters.
In the Little Mermaid, Ariel and Prince Eric, both shown as caucasian, are the first human world representation of multicultural relationships. As King Triton refers to humans as “Barbarians.” Thus showing the racial biases people have towards these types of relationships.
I coupled Ariel with Prince Naveen (First and second on the left) from The Princess and the Frog, to show how the film should have been presented to the world. With the new live action remake of The Little Mermaid, Ariel will be played by Halle Bailey. An African American actress, whose role announcement sent half of America into a racist spiral of hatred. Many Americans ran to Twitter to bash the Lead Actress. What many don't realize is that this film is about a multicultural relationship. So the ignorant sit home behind their smart phones and computers, unwilling to be inclusive and forward thinking.
Prince Eric and Aladdin (Third and fourth from left) are both very popular male leads in their widely successful films. I decided they would be perfect to represent the LGBTQ+ community. It takes away from the stereotypes that males in the community must look or act a certain way.
Lastly, we have Jasmine and John Smith (First and second from right). John Smith was the only white character in Disney Classics to be seen coupled with a character of another ethnicity. Jasmine was chosen, because of Aladdin’s role in this piece. I wanted to hit home what happiness looks like in nontraditional Disney relationships.
In feature films, specifically in the Generation X time period of the 1990s, Disney hints many times about multicultural or multiethnic relationships. They do not show this based on skin color. They use the animal kingdom and other representations to hint at the changing times of rising interracial relationships in the United States. As part of a rewrite of Disney history, I created a revamp of what a it should have looked like using lead characters.
In the Little Mermaid, Ariel and Prince Eric, both shown as caucasian, are the first human world representation of multicultural relationships. As King Triton refers to humans as “Barbarians.” Thus showing the racial biases people have towards these types of relationships.
I coupled Ariel with Prince Naveen (First and second on the left) from The Princess and the Frog, to show how the film should have been presented to the world. With the new live action remake of The Little Mermaid, Ariel will be played by Halle Bailey. An African American actress, whose role announcement sent half of America into a racist spiral of hatred. Many Americans ran to Twitter to bash the Lead Actress. What many don't realize is that this film is about a multicultural relationship. So the ignorant sit home behind their smart phones and computers, unwilling to be inclusive and forward thinking.
Prince Eric and Aladdin (Third and fourth from left) are both very popular male leads in their widely successful films. I decided they would be perfect to represent the LGBTQ+ community. It takes away from the stereotypes that males in the community must look or act a certain way.
Lastly, we have Jasmine and John Smith (First and second from right). John Smith was the only white character in Disney Classics to be seen coupled with a character of another ethnicity. Jasmine was chosen, because of Aladdin’s role in this piece. I wanted to hit home what happiness looks like in nontraditional Disney relationships.
Thank You!
I hope this experimental and investigative thesis brought clarity to generational issues. Though Disney is one of the biggest corporations in the world, never forget the role they had in the hidden programming they played in the minds of developing children and young adults. I hope you learned something and have been inspired to check your own biases and grow from this experience. Bridging the divide has never been more important than right now...
Thank you for reading, please continue to do your own research. I have only scratched the surface of truths to uncover from Disney's past.
Thank you for reading, please continue to do your own research. I have only scratched the surface of truths to uncover from Disney's past.
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