How college ruined Disney for me

Don’t worry there’s still a ‘happily ever after’

I loved Disney as much as anyone- the princesses, the happy endings, the theme parks, the musicals, what’s not to love? Anyone who didn’t feel the same was dismissed as a loser or a pessimist and I had no time for that. I love glitter, razzle-dazzle, cheesiness, shiny things. I’m like a deluded magpie and I don’t even care.Me and Disney were the perfect fit. Lets reminisce on the old classics for a bit….

These films are staple in childhood, and childhood is supposed to be magical right? Adults throw fairy dust at kids usually to shelter them from the harsh realities and disappointments in life.

Cue late teens/early twenties. I’m a journalism student,a clubaholic, a daydreamer and a pessimist. My faith in humanity starts to dwindle *Waves at Coppers*. I’m approaching everything critically. I’m taking a tonne of broad and pointless communication classes. For one of my essays I must right about conglomerates. ‘ A conglomerate is a large company that consists of diverse divisions that produce and sell unrelated goods and services,’ Wikipedia’s finest. (Fasten your seatbelts, this gets more interesting, I swear).

Basically conglomerates own everything and pose a threat to the public’s rights and welfare yada yada yada. Ahem…aaand…. drumroll please…………………….. Disney is the biggest offender of them all.

“We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make a statement. To make money is our only objective.” Michael Eisner, CEO, The Walt Disney Co.

Charming Mr. Eisner, tugs your heartstrings really! Disney movies have been described as essentially mega-advertisements for merchandise.The films are devoid of cultural labels in order to create the illusion of universal appeal…and to sell. Uggh my opinions of Disney shift from this-

To this….

Problem 2- Gender bias

Feminist disney is a blog devoted to critiquing gender bias and other issues of contention in Disney films. The female leads in the classic Disney films are illustrated as being subservient to the male characters who typically display forceful behaviors.

Ahem I’m supposed to be a bra-burning feminist….s-s-should I jump off the Disney wagon? No…wait a minute.

Problem 3-Sweatshop Labour

TimesOnLine reports that some factory workers making Disney’s most popular Christmas toys are docked pay if they take too much time going to the bathroom (only five minutes is alloted for bathroom breaks) and are working 18 hour days for a measly 16p an hour.

“Disney’s best-selling Cars toys are being made in a factory in China that uses child labour and forces staff to do three times the amount of overtime allowed by law,” The Guardian reports. Prepares to jump off bandwagon.

Problem 4- Other bad things

There are countless YouTube videos about the subliminal messages and sexual themes in Disney films.

There are also accusations of racism. Hell I could write a PHD about Disney controversies ….But this isn’t an academic article…or even an intelligently written one. It’s just my unedited Disney musings.

What’s that you still want your happily ever after ?-

Okay…okay time for some childhood nostalgia. One of my best childhood memories was my first cinema trip. My Dad took me to see the Lion King. It was amazing.Fireworks amazing. A whole world of possibilities unfolded before my eyes.

I sang Hakuna Matata for days….loudly (you’re singing it as you’re reading this aren’t you?! Don’t lie you soooo are).

Lion King and Mulan excluded (don’t judge me, I’m brainwashed too), I’m not Disney’s biggest fan anymore. I do feel a sense of uneasiness watching some of the films.I think it would be great if we could create great, real, ‘warts and all’ type stories for children that represent a more realistic view of life, a different kind of fairytale.