Influence of Media on Children

This clip that I found on youtube.com was very shocking to me. It depicts the different subliminal messages and themes that are widespread in almost every Disney movie. What I thought was especially interesting was the take on feminism portrayed in these kids’ movies. I had never really analyzed these specific films before because to me they are just commonplace movies. Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast; these are movies that I grew up watching and would usually not give it a second thought to watch a Disney movie when babysitting or around my little sister. The plot is not unique in any of these movies. The basic underlying theme is a beautiful helpless princess needs a prince to fall in love with. At some point she will get into danger, and then it is the male’s duty to rescue her. Seduction is another rampant theme illustrated in nearly every Disney film. Another point that one of the psychologists mentioned is how in many of these movies, specifically Beauty and the Beast, there can be some connection to child abuse and a dysfunctional home life. Little girls are seeing this monstrous beast who abuses Bell’s dad, locks her up in her room, and has severe anger issues. Then, it is portrayed that it is Bell’s job to “kiss the beast and let that inner-prince out”. This can be a potentially dangerous message. I was also very surprised by the subliminal messages shown. I had always heard that in many of the movies there were inappropriate gestures, lines, or images, but I had never really noticed them before. I was shocked to see these extremely inappropriate messages mixed in with a “so-called” kids film. In conclusion, I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with these movies. In essence, these movies are filled with romance, action, and always a good ending. These are the kinds of feel-good movies that many people enjoy watching. However there are important and sometimes not age appropriate messages being sent to our children. The most important thing as teachers and parents is to have open lines of communication where kids can feel comfortable expressing their feelings and opinions of these movies. These messages are everywhere in the world, and even though I don’t think they are appropriate, kids are going to be exposed to them whether teachers and parents like it or not. The best thing we can do as adults is be aware of what our kids are watching and provide opportunities for discussion.