I was in Madison, Wisconsin yesterday for an interview and afterwards decided to walk around the town before heading back to South Bend. I walked into a bookstore and as I was looking around, I saw some magnet figurines that were supposed to look like famous people and characters. I saw one with a bright yellow skirt and a purplish top and somehow Snow White immediately came to mind. I checked the tag and this magnet was an image of Snow White … it looked nothing like her (I really wish I had taken a picture, but I forgot – I’d drive back and take one but then I would probably miss class). It was quite ugly, but I was very surprised how quickly I, who have probably only seen the Disney Snow White movie once in my life (a long, long time ago), could recognize her. Those movies I watched as a young child must have had a fairly profound impact on me if I still see a small doll with a yellow skirt and a purple top and immediately see Snow White. This got me wondering just how much Disney has impacted my life and in what other ways. How differently would I see things if I hadn’t watched Disney movies growing up? What other preconceptions and reactions I have are because of those stories? Has any of my personality or my beliefs been shaped by the movies I watched as a young child? I don’t know if I’ll ever know the answer to those questions, but my experience yesterday certainly made me think about it.
I totally agree that what were learned from Disney has pervaded our lives. I think that this goes back to the chicken or the egg point that we discussed in class about whether fairytales and their characters were framed the way they are because they are products of our culture, or if our culture is a result of how they were framed. The fact that Disney has infiltrated our thoughts so efficiently without us even knowing is a good reason that this debate is so hard to solve.
ReplyDeleteNot only have the characters become icons (who doesn't know the Disney princesses?), but the songs and story lines have become so familiar to us that for many people the term Disney is synonymous with the term fairytale. Disney gave people what they wanted, and what I think most all fairytales deliver, a beautiful princess and a handsome prince being brought together, after some hardship and challenge, to live happily ever after.
Its important to remember that Disney is a company, and they are out to make a profit, and the best way to do this is to make something people want. Creating recognizable images is how they sell not only movies, but everything that they make and offer up for sale at their stores, and its is also how they get people to come to their parks. I think that all of this shows that while fairytales may have an affect on how people view the world, they, especially when talking about Disney movies, reflect basic values and expectations already present in our culture. If they did not they would not be so easily marketable.