Don't get me wrong I have been and always will be a huge fan of the classic cartoon such as Popeye or the Looney Toons, and many of the Disney Classics will remain my favorites, however after reading this article I have come to a conclusion that it is through these cartoons that stereotypical beliefs are passed on. In fact only recently did Disney begin incorporating various "princesses" such as Mulan and Princess Tianna from the Princess and the Frog who don't conform to the typical white Disney princess. And even though Disney has expanded their range of nationality and race they still conform to their own ways. For instance in many of their films the role of the female characters usually play the ones of Damsels in Distress. Granted even though they are getting better at truly being one with the beliefs of the 21st century, Disney still has a long way to go before it can say it is a contributing factor in the fight against sexist and racist stereotypes.
In "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us" by Linda Christensen she explains the way her own students question the act of impression through the movies and cartoons we watched while growing up. And in reading this I have to completely agree with her beliefs, For even I have stereotypical beliefs that I have acquired throughout my life of TV watching. For instance one of my favorite shows to watch even still today is "Spongebob". And though it seems like just a stupid show pertaining to the life of a sponge it has tons of stereotypical connotations that go along with it. For instance it has ccharacterslike the cheap business owner, or the fat idiot. Also in addition to this in one infamous episode of Spongebob, the two main ccharacters(Spongebob and Patrick) go on a rant about everything they believe about Texas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ_PwD0gOSo
It si through these various shows and movies that we watch while growing up that the beliefs of certain types of people are put into our heads. And as explained by Christensen works like a "secret education" and makes us view things a certain way. But perhaps if various children shows worked to promote equality for all sexes and races then this stereotyping nature would be one of the past.
Though some of these movies and TV shows do have their negative points, there is also a lot of positive points as well. More shows and movies have come out where they teach children to believe in themselves and grow stronger in who they are. These stories and characters have become powerful figures in children's lives and have more positive than negative influence.
ReplyDeleteI agree that "secret education" is at work in many young minds of children through these stories. Great link, I didn't realize how mean Spongebob and Patrick were being to Sandy!
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate to find out that when were young we enjoyed the entertainment and company received from these cartoons and their subliminal messages we now understand and don't support.
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