disney in the classroom?

FanofDinsey1981

FanofDinsey1981

Active Member
Original Poster
Believe it or not, In my english 300 writing class for english majors, I got to read 2 bases for Disney classics.

One was the two Alice adventures by Carroll. and the other is the play version of Peter Pan by Barrie.

and we even got to watch the Disney version of Peter Pan for an assignment!


but anyway. Here was my prediciment. Myself and another girl in the class are very much into Disney. (you can't tell right?) and I am pretty sure that all my classmates watch disney, and have no problem with it at all. My professor loves Disney as well.

ok, having said that. My professor also has informed us that some of her fellow professors and instructors refuse to let their children watch Disney movies because of the sterotyping that goes on. If you want me to explain more, I will later in the thread.

Has anyone else expericenced this? Do you also know people who do not let their children watch disney movies? and do you know why?
:confused: :confused:
 
DisneyGal

DisneyGal

New Member
Sounds like you are taking a pretty cool class!

I am proud to say that I do not know of anyone who will not let their children watch Disney movies. In fact, everyone I know who has children owns a huge collection of Disney movies. What type of stereotyping is she talking about?
 
FanofDinsey1981

FanofDinsey1981

Active Member
Original Poster
well, focusing on mostly Peter Pan, I can give some examples.

Such as the Indians. Yikes, if that was produced now, lawsuits would be a-flyin. the song, how they look and talk, eek. (especially on my campus, where the Chief Illiniwek is a huge contreversy)

um, feminists have a hard time with the role of wendy as the mother figure, and not as a young girl able to adventure out.

there is a lot of 1050's ideals in the movie, and some of the late 19th century, Edwardian stuff too. (when it was written.)

it is a pretty cool class, we have some really neat debates about books. we are reading all books about the 19th cent. fantasic, and they are pretty facinating once you learn more about the culture and how they though in the time.

But yeah, these professors I don't understand. They teach books that are racist, sexist, etc. They love the classics that are too. yet, their children cannot watch disney movies. They watch the discovery channel and stuff like that. poor kids. :(
 
DisneyGal

DisneyGal

New Member
See, that is what I don't get. I have my bachelor's degree in English, and we read some books that were very stereotypical. Granted most of them were written several years ago, but in today's society seems like everyone wants to debate them, which is fine by me. They are only books, most of which are fictional.

As for the Disney movies, they were such a huge part of my life while growing up (and now), I can't even imagine not watching them all these years. They are harmless, they are just movies. Sure, everyone has their own opinion, but come on now, why keep your child away from them??
 
WDWFREAK53

WDWFREAK53

Well-Known Member
NOT WATCH DISNEY?!?!?!

If they can't watch Disney...WHAT CAN THEY WATCH?!?!?!

Ok...have you ever tried to DRAW characters??? How you draw an indian if you can't show them in their garb or the color of their skin?!?!?!

It's not just indians...that's like saying that you can draw Meeko without the rings around his eyes and having people know that he's a raccoon!!! Or Mickey Mouse without his ears...THEY JUST NEED TO BE DRAWN A CERTAIN WAY!

I could see them saying this if it was a live action movie...but come on people....IT'S A CHILDRENS CARTOON!!!!
When kids play cowboys and indians...they act like the indians acted in their time of battle (to scare their opponents and rally). The kids don't act like PC little "real-life" indians. IT ALL GOES BACK ON HOW KIDS RELATE TO THINGS!
 
CmdrTostada

CmdrTostada

Member
I dont know about you guys but sometimes I think being Politically Correct can go way to far sometimes. For example, Disney not releasing Song of the South because some people think it portrays slavery as a good thing, even thought the movie took place after slavery.
 
WDWManic

WDWManic

New Member
Originally posted by Turbogames
My family has bought my niece atleast 25 Disney DVD's. The only problem I have is that she watches the movies over and over.
Click to expand...
Lol thats what my brother does too....
 
WDWFREAK53

WDWFREAK53

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Turbogames
I dont know about you guys but sometimes I think being Politically Correct can go way to far sometimes. For example, Disney not releasing Song of the South because some people think it portrays slavery as a good thing, even thought the movie took place after slavery.
Click to expand...

PERFECT EXAMPLE!!! I wish they'd release that!
 
all_good_chic

all_good_chic

New Member
This hits a personal level for me because as i child i was never aloud to watch snow white...yes i know what could be wrong? Well my mom believed Snow white was a weak pathetic women who needed everyone to make descions for her. She was the typical sterotype of a women. Cooking and Cleaning for men, telling others what to do for her, and just being plain annoying therefor no snow white in the house. My mom wasn't fond of few other movies as well but i can't remember them. Now as a teen i can finally watch snow white (infact i own it) but i do think it was smart to put it off until later when i understood that women shouldn't be like that, and letting others push you around was not good. does that answer anyones questions????:)
 
AliciaLuvzDizne

AliciaLuvzDizne

Well-Known Member
were you allowed to watch cinderella??

i do actually have a problem with pocahontas, just because thats not how it really happened and if kids are gonna base history tests on the outcome of that movie... well umm they'll get it wrong. but i grew up with disney movies. And yes, i watched them over and over AND OVER. and i still watch them, and i still go see them in the theater and when i have kids they will inherrit my video collection (Mommy, videos are so...1990's LoL)
but they will be watching disney movies just like i did (i turned out okay...how about all of you??)

And yes, PC-ness can go too far. My father got some comment about using the word eskimo... i dunno about that one but sigh
some people are a bit too sensitive (i thought they called themselves eskimos??)
 
AliciaLuvzDizne

AliciaLuvzDizne

Well-Known Member
we actually did a bit of research and found out that inuits are from a certain region (i forgot) and eskimos are from somewhere else... I should have mentioned that in my post oopsie!!
 
E

Erika

Moderator
Well, personally I can see the problem people may have with Peter Pan. It's easy for us to say "it's not a big deal" but most of us are people on the outskirts, myself included. It's like the whole Chief Illiniwek thing. We can say it's just for fun, but if someone was mocking our religion/culture, no matter how good their intention, we may feel differently. Having said that...

Of COURSE my children will be allowed to watch Disney movies! Peter Pan included.
 
E

Erika

Moderator
Originally posted by AliciaLuvzDizne
we actually did a bit of research and found out that inuits are from a certain region (i forgot) and eskimos are from somewhere else... I should have mentioned that in my post oopsie!!
Click to expand...

OH! I used to study indiginous cultures (my prof even lived up there with them for 6 months-completely immersed in their culture- VERY cool guy) and we learned differently.

How about snow-people? Does that work?:p
 
FanofDinsey1981

FanofDinsey1981

Active Member
Original Poster
Originally posted by DisneyGal
See, that is what I don't get. I have my bachelor's degree in English, and we read some books that were very stereotypical. Granted most of them were written several years ago, but in today's society seems like everyone wants to debate them, which is fine by me. They are only books, most of which are fictional.

As for the Disney movies, they were such a huge part of my life while growing up (and now), I can't even imagine not watching them all these years. They are harmless, they are just movies. Sure, everyone has their own opinion, but come on now, why keep your child away from them??
Click to expand...

exactly.

I just wrote a very convincing paper about how these films should be shown (and really, any movie) and then should be discusses amongst family and school alike. everyone here has made excellent points, most of which were discussed in class.

and most of these represent our past! If we dont teach about the past, how can they stop themselves from making the same mistakes in the future!?

anyway, these professors tend to believe they are better than popular culutre. I have had a few of them, and they act all "ooo, disney is bad, and I am better than disney. and so is popular movies, and tv shows, and the american public is stupid, etc." They get up ontheir high horses way too much.

but then again, most of my professors are pretty cool. just some of them are crazies. ;)
 
kaos

kaos

Active Member
It's not just at Uof I... I went to SIU, and one of the major discussions we had in one of my English classes was how Peter Pan, at least the Disney version, portrays Indians. Other hot topics were how Disney fairy tales were, well, Disneyfied. Parts of Cinderella, like the chopping off of toes, and the pecking out of the Queens eyes in Snow White are left out of the Disney versions. In fact, most of Grimm's Fairy Tales are quite vulgar and have overt sexual and demonic overtones. I can see the point of English professors, as the Disney versions do little justice to the actual written versions by the brothers.

Oh well... I think it's hilarious to watch the Disney version and then read the Grimm's version.

:drevil: :drevil: :drevil:
 
FanofDinsey1981

FanofDinsey1981

Active Member
Original Poster
Originally posted by kaos
It's not just at Uof I... I went to SIU, and one of the major discussions we had in one of my English classes was how Peter Pan, at least the Disney version, portrays Indians. Other hot topics were how Disney fairy tales were, well, Disneyfied. Parts of Cinderella, like the chopping off of toes, and the pecking out of the Queens eyes in Snow White are left out of the Disney versions. In fact, most of Grimm's Fairy Tales are quite vulgar and have overt sexual and demonic overtones. I can see the point of English professors, as the Disney versions do little justice to the actual written versions by the brothers.

Oh well... I think it's hilarious to watch the Disney version and then read the Grimm's version.

:drevil: :drevil: :drevil:
Click to expand...

Yeah, we were discussin that as well. Victorian culture used kids stories to scare the living he!! out ofkids, not entertain them.

and ps-> you bball team last year rocked! It was awsome to see SIU go that far in the tourney!
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom