Evil Mickey? Pro-Disney There’s No Harm In A Touching Story

Wed., Jan. 29, 1997

Katie Clarke North Central

Picture the average life of a 4-year-old: play time, snacks, nap time and a Disney movie to top it off. A great life.

Everywhere across the country, little girls are playing with their Jasmine dolls, or imagining they are Belle, from “Beauty and the Beast.” Little boys growl along with their stuffed Simbas from “The Lion King” and babies laugh at Winnie the Pooh.

Disney has touched the hearts of children for decades. Even teenagers and adults join in on the magic of Disney movies. Girls long to be Sleeping Beauty and have their prince come and sweep them off their feet.

You can also hear the songs of Disney soundtracks being sung by small children on their way to school or hummed by hard-working adults going to work. Who can resist tapping their toes to the upbeat songs in any Disney movie?

The characters are just as lovable as the music. Of course, there is always the evil villain, but they always lose in the end. The ending of a Disney movie always leaves you with that warm feeling in your heart. Disney has a positive effect on just about everyone.

Critics in our society are quick to disagree. They give a shout of protest to anyone who may suggest “Pocahontas” was a decent movie. Today it seems as if people look forward more to the criticism of the latest movie instead of the movie itself.

When “The Lion King” was released, people everywhere claimed the issue of death was too big to be dealt with in a Disney movie. Then, in “Pocahontas,” the outcry that the movie wasn’t politically correct came forth. Most recently, in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” people cautioned that sex should not be implied to children through a Disney movie.

Sorry, but I just don’t see it. Sure, in “The-Lion King,” Simba’s father passes away and death is predominant in the movie. But is that going to be hanging around the psyche of the child when he’s 20 years old? I don’t think so.

In “The Little Mermaid,” Ursula dies, but no one called foul then. Why should they when Mufasa dies in the “Lion King?”

I also doubt that children, after watching “Pocahontas,” are going to go home and tell their moms that the movie was a disgrace to our history. The movie was not meant to teach an A.P. History class, but to entertain a group of 7-year-olds and their parents.

Nor is sex a major theme of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” When Quasimoto kisses Esmeralda’s hand, he is not suggesting that he wants to sleep with her.

Another point critics bring up is the treatment of women in Disney movies. They claim the characters are defenseless and need the help of every man around them

Sure, that may be the case of older movies - like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White - but that was an entirely different time. In today’s Disney movies, women are strong and independent. Take a look at Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” and Belle from “Beauty and the Beast.” In fact, Jasmine in “Aladin” comes out and says she will not listen to anyone but herself when it comes to finding Mr. Right. Pocahontas and Esmeralda are two of the most independent women I have ever seen in a cartoon.

Most children don’t understand the things adults think they do. If people would take a moment to calm down and enjoy the movie for its purpose - to entertain - then maybe life would be a little simpler.

We are not teaching our children lies. We are entertaining them for two hours. So, the next time you go to see a Disney movie, just chill out and enjoy.

xxxx People disagree on the merits of Disney films Mickey Mouse - do you love him or hate him? Not so much the mouse, but what he stands for. Good or evil? Right or wrong? Some people think Walt Disney movies provide just the right balance of entertainment, morals and grouphug emotion to make them irresistible. Critics say the studio churns out predictable slop that glorifies violence and feeds people’s stereotypes about women and minorities. Two Our Generations writers take their shots at the issue. Jeff Sackmann says Disney movies are more evil than Cruella De Vil; Katie Clarke says they’re as harmless and pure as Snow White. What do you think?

For opposing view see same headline, under byline Jeff Sackmann

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