Racism in Disney Animated Films

Cristina Maldonado

Lauren Clark

18 November 2010

English 101

Racism in Disney Animated Films

Since the early 1800’s, racism has changed immensely throughout the United States. It was assumed that people of color were seen as lesser in every aspect than whites. After the Civil Rights Movement, beginning in 1955, Americans were guaranteed basic civil rights, regardless of race, sex, or sexual orientation (Cozzens 1). Civil rights activists, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X, stood against whites in the fight for equality and justice. Failure did not put these motivated hearts to rest. Their persistence, courage, and bravery can be seen throughout the present-day United States. If it were not for their efforts, the hatred and violence that once was the United States back in the nineteenth century would have most likely continued on to today’s contemporary society. Today’s integrated society proves that through the valiant efforts of others, whole populations can prevail as one. Though segregation has far long passed, in modern-day screenplays, racism evidently has not completely ceased to exist.

In contemporary society’s Disney films, children observe jovial fantasies with endings that are always happy. Not much thought is given to the characters in Disney animated films. Today’s parents are preoccupied with ensuring that their kids are not viewing films that appear to be very graphic or violent so they turn to Disney animated films because they seem pleasant with no cursing and have beautiful characters with flawless attributes. The word “beautiful” is associated with nice and kind, thus proving why parents prefer their children to watch films that pertain to their specific age or maturity level. However, when Disney movies are observed by a much older audience, it becomes questionable if aspects such as racism and sexism are still prevalent in our society. In an interview with Naomi, a Disney viewer age seven, she says, “I have never seen black people in Disney’s movie.” In a separate interview with Abigail, also a Disney viewer age nine, she says “I can’t think of any Disney movies that have black people that are good.” The question arises if Disney is projecting the correct messages towards children. The fact that children at the age of seven are noticing the rarity of African Americans in Pixar animations could cause a potential threat to today’s society. Though it has been shown that minorities can become successful through a considerable amount of leaders in the United States, many still have the misconception that whites are dominant over all other races.

Many are beginning to question the purpose of Disney movies. In the novel, The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence by Henry A. Giroux and Grace Pollock, Giroux and Pollock discuss the cultural politics of the Walt Disney Company and how its ever-expanding list of products, services, and media function as teaching machines that shape children’s culture into a largely commercial endeavor (Giroux, Pollock 287). According to Walt Disney, the founder of Walt Disney Company, Disney becomes a symbol for the security and romance of the small-town America. “I think of a child’s mind as a blank book. During the first years of his life, much will be written on the pages. The quality of that writing will affect his life profoundly” (Giroux, Pollack 17). The mind of child is influenced by numerous actions at such a young age. What happens to them when they are growing up will define who they will become later in life. If a boy grows up around soccer and all of his family plays soccer, then the likelihood of him playing soccer is very high. This conjecture can be seen in today’s contemporary society. The United States essentially “grew up” with whites in control of everyone, therefore, that aspect will reflect in modern-day media. It is conclusive that African Americans are rarely seen in Disney animated films. In a blog post by Aida Eckberg, she says “…was astonished to find that Disney has just now come around to having its first black princess in an animated film.” The Princess and the Frog, released in 2009, centered on a young girl named Tiana and her fateful kiss with a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again (IMDb 1). As demonstrated by Eckberg, viewers are astonished by the first black princess to be presented in an animated film when they are frequently depicted as slaves or criminals like in the animated film, Dumbo. In one clip from the movie, there are dark-skinned labor workers chanting a song, “We work all day, we work all night, we never learned to read or write, we’re happy hearted roustabouts.” It is these kinds of lyrics that prompt children to believe that African Americans are in a sense lesser than white folk. The question is, is whether or not this is considered racism. As previously quoted by nine-year-old Abigail, when African Americans are present in animated screenplays, they are mainly the criminal or bad guy in the film. This can also commonly be seen amongst other races such as Latinos and Asians. Latinos are associated with violence and crime while Asians are typically depicted as cats with squinty eyes and speaking English with a heavy Asian accent. These stereotypes in animated films almost perfectly coincide with the stereotypes that are formed in the United States today.

Disney does not aim to create a segregated society like the United States once was. It merely serves to entertain, open imaginations and inspire. Authors of fantasy fictional novels as well as authors who compose stories based on non-realistic characters and non-realistic events have been questioned, observed, and criticized. The use of stereotyping particular races creates a specific image in the mind of a child. During an individual’s childhood, one will believe almost anything he or she sees on television because they begin to idolize certain characters, actors, and actresses for what they appear to be on their favorite television programs. When they come to find that their idols are not what they really appear to be, a sense of disappointment is felt in the heart of the child. When children come to the realization that Santa Claus is not a real human being and just a figment of their imagination, they are saddened. It was almost as if all their childhood Christmas’ were a lie. Animated films have much the same effect. Little girls that want to become Cinderella and boys that want to become Superman grow up and discover that they do not posses such attributes. It is not to be assumed that Disney should discontinue producing such films; however, the effect that animated films have on children must be observed with much caution.

Works Cited

Cozzens, Lizzie. “The Civil Rights Movement 1955-1965: Introduction.” www.watson.org. 22

June 1998. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/

Eckberg, Aida. “The Most Racist Disney Film Ever.” Associated content. 20 July 2008. Web.

17 Nov. 2010. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/893903/the_most_racist_disney_film_ever_.html

Giroux, Henry A., and Grace Pollouck. The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of

Innocence. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2010. Print.

“Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney, Childhood & Corporate Power.” Online Posting. YouTube,

4 Oct 2006. Web. 17 Nov 2010.

“Racism in Disney.” Online Posting. YouTube, 3 Dec 2007. Web. 17 Nov 2010.

Twins, Massie. “The Princess and the Frog.” IMDb. 2009. Web. 17 Nov 2010.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780521/.