Implicit Messages on Disney Films.

     We all love our classical Disney films, and they always seem like the right place to go to when you're attempting to entertain your children. But is it really safe? Is it really setting the right example for what out children should be? Today I will be addressing just a few of the messages that can be seen in most Disney's films by looking at them with a more critical eye. I will be starting with The Little Mermaid, where skin/eye color and appearance played a big role in how the film played out.

Ariel and Prince Eric

     Let's start with the main characters of this movie. Ariel, and Prince Eric. From top to bottom, their eyes are completely disproportional to exaggerate their shiny blue eyes, and every other character's eyes are small and not blue. This doesn't need much explanation but just the fact that the "good" characters have perfectly shiny and round blue eyes compared to all the others characters shows that Disney believes those are more valuable. On to the skin tones, those in power are perfectly fair skinned, such as Ariel, King Triton, and Prince Eric; while the evil people such as Ursula have purple skin, and the characters that aren't as important either have darker complexions or have no skins (They are fishies)

     Next in the list, Snow White; right of the bat, perfectly pale skin for "the most beautiful of all," implying a light skin is necessary to be beautiful. But that is not the main dilemma in this movie, it is in fact the way in which women are portrayed and how submissive they are. Also a lot about social classes can be said while watching this film. A good example of the defective portrayal of women in this film is that Snow White was weak and stupid enough to take an apple to fulfill her dreams, which  says that women are blinded by their desires and will do anything for them. Another example of the inequality between social classes would be the part in which Snow White gets to sleep in the dwarfs' beds while they fight for a pillow and sleep uncomfortably.

Snow White

     There are a lot more movies that have defective messages to children, such as Aladdin with the bad portrayal of Arabs, or The Princess and The  Frog in which the African American population is always the poorest one. The list could go on and on but the main point is that Disney is not the safest bet when trying to educate children, in fact, it might end up giving them negative values such as racism or a judgmental mentality.
Bottom of the line, find something more educational for children.