DISCUSSION: IS DISNEY STILL UNDER A SLEEPING CURSE WHEN IT COMES TO REPRESENTATION ONSCREEN?

You're about to sit down in your living room with the television on. Endlessly searching, channel surfing, unsure of what to watch and then it hits you. A sense of nostalgia. When it comes to Disney, everyone has their era. Whether it be the classics, renaissance or revival eras. However, when it comes to a conglomerate so vast as Disney has become with a minefield of ever growing IP's under their umbrella, that it has to be crystal clear that with great power and influence must come with a great deal of responsibility. That applies to all the media platforms that Disney teaches by being a way to a diverse world, whether this is through the intricate hundred of Walt Disney Studios animation to the computer-generated images of Pixar studios not also forgetting the like the live action blockbusters of Marvel Studios and Lucas, Lucas, film and the recently acquired 20th century Studios despite wanting to strive for change, their eyes are firmly on the box office success, which to an extent is understandable  

With such a vast library that even Belle could get lost in, it can be hard to look past through the looking glass. The Disney isn't as pure as snow when it comes to the representation within its product projects and sadly that's not just in front of the camera, either Disney needs to dust, the cobwebs, if they want to keep up with an ever evolving world that sees women Empowered individuals in their own right that those from diverse backgrounds have a place in society to be heroes in their own right who + line to support in place the damsel in distress, or dread it the antagonist Within this insightful analysis, it's time to take a walk down the street past the captain L theatre dive into the complicated history of Disney beginning from the with the mouse. You started it all to the current death. Taking stops at Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Frontierland as we ventured down the rabbit hole.  

THE DAWN OF DISNEY  

Walt Disney had a dream of creating stories, so he made a pilot, Alice's Wonderland to pitch and sell to the distributors. He went on to be successful as New York, M.J. Winkle contracted to distribute and were released in October 16 in 1923, however, it would be his next project where he would learn an incredible lesson after four years, working wild, crafted, a new character, Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. It turned out that the distributor had gone behind his back with with the intent off making the cartoons for less money with them owning the rights not what it wouldn't be till 2006 that Disney would reclaim Oswald the Lucky Rabbit by trading with him for ESPN announcer Al Michaels. However, it would be the loss of Oswald that a mouse would be born Mickey Mouse. Two shorts were created though these would prove tricky to sell as a sound was becoming revolutionary within film and the aim was to sell products. This would lead to the creation of the iconic Steamboat Willie short that would release in 1928 and open to rave reviews, and this is was followed by a series called Silly Symphonies which would be go onto be Oscar winning the success of the shots lead towards developing the first feature film, Snow White and the seven dwarfs th a dream, a dream of the evermore popular Mickey would be joined by Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, and a whole host of characters.  

THE CLASSIC ERA  

As with every good story, it's best to start at the beginning of Disney's voyage on the Liberty Bell, in 1937 is Snow White, and the seven dwarfs, making the Brothers Grimm tale. Well, a little less Graham, perfect for Disney's primary target audience children, the title of protagonist, Snow White voiced by the late Adriana Caselotti runaway, because of her evil stepmother who detest the fact that she is the fairest in the land, sending a huntsman to kill her, but it's bad she learns to move upon a cottage home to the title of seven. Dwarfs, the fact that they let her stay can be looked at in two ways. It must speak to the good nature of the dwarfs to help , her of that or that they have some want to cook and clean while they're Whistle while they work. She is then manipulated by the evil queen into eating an even eat in a poison apple symbol of sin, putting her into a deep sleep before being woken up by name is Prince only names name, Florian in later merchandise , who she only meets once adventures off into the sunset to live, happily ever after well find a prince, charming it's harder than it looks trust me. I know when it comes to tropes of women, the characters the cracks are well and truly for me and I don't just mean in the mirror store is presented throughout the film to be dazed, naive, unintelligent, unseen  doing housework another common Trapavelli Disney films. Ironically, Snow White is the oldest and youngest of the princesses with her been 14 years of age, which is why it's seen as questionable of the presuming presumedly order prince are awake. What is made the crystal clear is that the men go to work and save the day were the women cook clean and I rescued a beauty obsessed with beauty.  

However, what must be taking into account and reminded ourselves is that the film was released in the 1930s two years later would be the second world war with the men heading off to go and fight where women will eat in the factories for a very long time women were viewed as inferior to men, and that they should marry save them. The only factor a man would look for in a woman would be how beautiful they were in bed in the incredibly damaging beliefs that women should only care about appearances Into the fabric of society, both the goal of the evil queen who is given no intricate backstory as to why she is known as said evil queen is to be the most beautiful in the fairest in the land I'm going to extreme lengths to get what she desires, therefore, in force in the belief that women are purely obsessed with the appearance and beauty  What it's also doing is reinforcing the idea that women should be seen and not heard meaning that young audiences would take away that this is how a woman should be perceived, and that a man will solve all their problems by sweeping them off their feet. Just isn't reality. This is why when it comes to Snow White what must be taking into account is that this film was crafted in the late 30s early 40s therefore as a product of its type women with you to value beauty and appearance is something that is still rooted to an extent into this society was the beliefs and ideologies of a pre- War world can be found rooted within when it comes to Snow White as a film one has to remember that it is a product of its time and you enjoy it as a piece. You have to keep that in mind as children watch the film features. many questionable things in the 21st-century  Snow let herself into another one's house by the prince of kisses, with no concerns that is enough to Norton why the contact is important to teach children.  

Throughout the rest of the 40s the Second World War would dominate the first half of the decade with lasting effects for years to come. Disney's next feature would be Pinocchio, followed by Fantasia which both were successful, especially the score for the latter Disney produce multiple films for different divisions of the US government from 1942 to 1943 terms of this calibre would include prejudiced war in America. Go to war these films contribute to helping convince people to go to war was helping children understand what was going on and the conflict at hand. This sums were swiftly followed by Dumbo (1941) and Bambi (1942), both which will go onto traumatise young children for decades to come with the heart breaking takes on loss and grief. It would be till the next decade, they would release a consecutive feature films.  

THE SILVER AGE  

The 1950s and 60s would see the release of many beloved Disney films figures to come and I'm only films with is the release of two princess films, Cinderella (1950) and see people sleeping beauty bookmark in a decade of the stories told by Disney each film been vastly different from the next Cinderella is the original rags to riches story that sees the title here. I want to go to a grand ball and escape the life, she lives in as the mid to his stepmother, The Wicked, Lady Tremaine, and his stepsister is Anastasia injuries. Ella she's little visited by her fairy godmother, and with a wave of her wand and a Bibbidi Bobbidi boo her iconic dress and slippers are created and she shall go to the ball it's here the chimney to Prince Charming dancing the night to the clock strikes, midnight. It's only after the Prince begins a nationwide search that he and Cinderella reunite as he has her shoe fits the shoe on the two with the two riding off into the sunset .  

Cinderella is very much a step in the right direction for Disney to an extent was the film very much is immense, the goal of Ella to not be searching for love, but to want to go to the ball. However, the film does very little with this concept and is very much remembered for her romance with the Prince, and therefore him rescuing her from the life she leaves and that is very not the message. The audiences should be taken away from the film as it takes Ellis agency away, and he desires a lift to the website, and that is incredibly damaging to go audiences who will watch and believe that this is how they should be here and perpetrates stereotypes that woman was to do the house work before a man comes to the rescue and save them from all that trouble is when, in fact, she was looking for love, she was just after a dream, a dream to go to the ball, and the prince is only a major part of that Dream.  

Furthermore, Lady Tremaine, and the two stepsisters further exemplify, the beliefs that women must seek a beauty, and they need to marry a man to gain social respect, and that to an audience is incredibly damaging to that of young children by reinforcing disbelief through the villains of the film in disbelief that a woman should be refined and regal in how they walk in to have it all, and that this is is what they should strive to achieve, which is damaging for young girls to believe that they should only think about how they look, and that their beauty is what defines them whilst being damaging to young boys in thinking that they should, and that is why the film is very much can be problematic for the ways in which young children receive the world. However, the character of Lady Tremaine is created as a foil to the kindness of Cinderella, and that is very much what is at the heart of the story in that lady, Tremaine, would you anything to get what she wants and that drives her character was Cinderella just one to one night  to be a part of that life and everything else is an added bonus, which is the message. the Odeon should be taken away from the film in the dreams can come true, and that is very much the car of Cinderella whilst most people remember it for the fact that she went to a ball a prince and he changed the life which is very much not the court of story.  

The 1950s would see the release of three films before sleeping beauty book end of the decade after Cinderella came the adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, followed by JM. Barrie is Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp before the release of the next Princess Bride film sleeping beauty in 1959 each of these films each Shift generation of young people who grew up with these films and a decade of cinema with iconic heroes and villains. However, this is not to say that they don't come with their own problems. Peter pan, for example is the story of the boy to girl never grew up in Netherland flag is the darlings of the Neverland with a fight against the fearsome, Captain Hook, however  It's not this that is taking it that is taking issue with it is the portrayal of its depiction of Tigerlily and the native Indians. This is evident in the song who made the Redman read due to the use of derogatory and racist terms towards indigenous people with the song, including the lyrics such as in June  Red man and the ethical slur for indigenous women school. The song is admitted on many little releases what the misinterpret misrepresentation could lead to damaging beliefs from audiences in that this is how they act behave and should be reinforced within society and that is very much not what should be happening , it's quite alarming to the fact that audiences learn from the media that they produce that they consume and these police will then become what children understand. However, what must be taken into consideration is the time in which the film was released and attitudes towards people of colour bar vastly different to what it is now. Furthermore, the portrayal of a female characters in comparison to the man is quite alarming in itself. Think about is arguably defined by her jealousy towards Wendy due to her unrequited feeling to Peter was Wendy's very much seen as a motherly figure, which the 50s were very much known for women to be the ones he would cook clean and look after the children what's the men were off doing work, and this further exemplifies the context in which the film  was released within, and that this context is what should be fourth of one's watching that these films of a product of their time.  

Disney endedthe decade with the release of Sleeping Beauty. The third Princess film being an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm tale, following the story of aurora who is cursed by the evil fairy maleficent spinning wheel and fall into a sleeping because she's put in the care of fairies flora fauna in Merriweather to keep her as far away as possible whilst in their care, rather meet Prince Philip in the woods who is the one to kill maleficent dragon form and we can hear from her Summber sleeping beauties "revolutionary due to the fact that there is a revenge put on maleficent path for why she goes after our, however, though it is still a bit lacklustre in that it was only because she was invited to the christening and therefore this is something that Disney will go onto the rectify in the 2014 live-action maleficent film in bringing in more depth to the reasons behind the character, and that is something that a lot of the live action films were going to do in the 21st-century as the title implies a Recents asleep for the majority of the time and it's up to others around here to save her with Philippine want to kill her. Her evil fairy and awaken her from her. However, unlike the white there is this already relationship between Aurora and Philip at the beginning of the film , therefore, despite or a steamy as a damsel in distress, sleeping beauty, is a bold step in the right direction.  

The 1960s would see a shift that would set a precedent for the Bronze Age in telling stories with anthropomorphic animals, 1961, so the release of 101 Dalmatians where fashionista Cruella De Vil will stop at nothing to be a court of dalmatian fit with it up to Pongo and Perdita set out and rescue their pups. The film is very much the making of iconic film. Cruella. However, the way in which this can be damaging towards women is the portrayal of her being crazy days and this obsessive nature been women as seen as battery reputations very much in line with the idea of queer coding given them traits that are associated with those who identified and this can be very much seen within the villain of Cruella. However, this is very much see you much later in the 1990s with a lot of the villain been very affirmative in Cuico it when it comes to males where is here it is very much seen as obsessive and instead of it being a beauty it's on  The idea of clothing which is a super genre really in that it's about the way that she looks, and she wants to create discord and she goes obsessive in doing so,  

THE BRONZE AGE  

There's not a huge slot in my opinion to comment on in the Bronze Age when it comes to the representation films released during the era include Winnie the Pooh Robin Hood in the Black cauldron and I just named and I just a few to name with the company beginning to lose steam in the late 70s early 80s in terms of creating stories however, that would all be to the little mermaid swimsuit to the shore.  

THE RENAISSANCE ERA  

In 1989, Disney’s musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen is the little mermaid is released and kickstart. A decade of hits for the corn conglomerate with songs are just as iconic been created the film follows, aerial hoop dreams visit in the world above after seven point she treats The Voice flights from the sea which hustler with her true love, Eric, kissing her to break the spell With catchy tunes, you wouldn’t think they’d be such a problem to dig deeper into the lyrics of poor. Unfortunate souls lyrics include the men of they don’t like a lot of blubber. They think a girl who got it is a ball button and it was referred for ladies, not say a word analogy and what is idle paedophile  Yeah this idea of women being moved and that the only thing they look for in a woman is that looks and beauty which is quite damaging for young people and at least archaeology play on the stereotypes that are associated the way that they interpreted the weather I interpret it. This is this the manipulate in aerial into doing what she wants and therefore plane into what she decides to hear. However it’s understandable by audiences would find this dummy in the idea that they are consuming and very much taking from these ideologies of aerial been muted is very much a play on the fact that it’s not  Her characteristics that Eric is attracted to but her beauty, however, this is very much played on the fact in that this film is very much rooted in aerial fighting for what she wants what she desires, and therefore this idea of being mute just allows her to express who she is more sore than I think other Prince films have allowed in the past, and is very much more  Urgent and begins this more movement towards more character driven lead female film. However, this is not to say that it’s still a bit murky. Murky waters in that true loves kiss break spell that this film still falls into the tropes of a woman’s beauty and the stereotypes of women being need to be seen been  Need to look beautiful and I think that what is that is meant to do with the final to aerial is that she kept taking all these beliefs that she knows from the from the world above and therefore it’s very interesting film in developing a really interesting story that I think the live action does a tiny bit better with.

But overall it’s a really big bold step for Disney films in the late 90s  

Beauty and the beast forward swiftly after in 1991, with iconic songs, just like the film series Bell, sacrificing her freedom for her father to the beast and realises the curse placed upon everyone who are in an animate object, is a real stroke of genius in that, it’s her admitting that she’s fallen in love with the beast The character of bell, six adventure and the hero of her own story because of love, I don’t like previous princess films. The relationship between Belle and the Beast develops across the film and they don’t like each other. At first they only begin to form a friendship after he sees her from the wall, and it’s a very much more complex relationship that really  Stems into this dynamic dynamic story. It is a big step up in terms of creating a strong herring lead defied all the stereotypes that Gaston is very much a craft and doesn’t want anything to do with it, and he’s a really interesting villain in being this manifestation of all these brute strength, stereotypes of a man Embell going. No I don’t want that  And that really allowed to rebook these ideologies and is it really feel that I think forget about the times in this film is a real step in creating a really strong feminine. The yes, there are some parts that are grey that the live action really delves into an added to the story, but for a female lead in the 90s it is an interesting step up to showcasing our princess some good work  Because Bella isn’t a princess she is the daughter of an inventor who just seeks to live her world to go and be adventurous because she’s on like everyone else in heaven, she wants to read she wants to know and that is something that young girls could look up to and go actually no I do I resonated with Bell because I like to read I like to do this and I think that is something very much capitalise on in the letter  21st-century films when we get to them.  

 You would think that this newfound approach to eat films and unfortunately no when it comes to 1992 is Aladdin jasmine. Mary plays a part in the film and barely has any lines and practically only has half of the song in a whole New World barely appears to be honest, unless I say about Pokémon, it’s because I don’t feel that I as a white gay man can talk about that with his much different understanding, because from what I know is, it is historically inaccurate, The Lion King is very much a success for its music characters, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet  Each of the films portray the villain has been flamboyant in having feminine qualities which is quite interesting to know in a lot of the late 90s villain. Disney attributes his heart is towards and it’s quite interesting that a lot of the 90s films have male villain in contrast to a lot of the earlier films, having female villains , therefore what this suggests is the audience shouldn’t act like them as it is deemed as unnatural and those vilified queer people to an extent which is quite quite because when you’re creating a villain that has these attributes that are associated with being quuer with ac that flicks a hand, the way that somebody took the idea that there more effective than that of what a man should be, and then audiences who are of  Those qualities in a male portrayal of a villain it’s quite damaging to those young create children because then seen that they are going to be vilify that they’re going to be seen and that is something that has to balance the line because of that and queer people love and villains that I think and a way of creating queer parties that are characters and defined by being queer and very much needs to stop the first openly queer character in the film drop. That is something that is very much seen in the night as seen in the 21st-century films that great my me constantly. If we look up the food from beauty and the beast live action version he has one scene. Where is that of a man, but that was a big job by the director be this is going to be a big thing, and it’s not where as I think we need to start creating quitter characters  Who have goals of their own that yet again stop and I don’t think he’s managed to do that yet. They haven’t managed to create a character that is not defined by their sexuality whereas with the 21st-century female characters did very much found that balance very much talk about the queer character is this still element of  darkness comes here to take a box and that’s damaging in its self showing this because you are having teeth because the world is incredibly diverse.  

In contrast to that, 1997's Hercules rips up the rulebook with the take of the demigod who goes from zero to hero in no time flash creating a villain Hades that has all these qualties and yet uses them to it's advantage. We know what we’re doing here, but we’re going to play with it and that very much is incredible, especially in the late 90s where it was a bit when it came to give people and it allows people to have a villain well and God. I love him because he is in a pot apologetically and the fact that he is just a villain as a villain and is it just evil to the backdrop of the Greek mythos which I love. Furthermore, Hercules has arguably one of the best written female characters in Megara, who is unlike any of the other characters. She is witty sarky, sarcastic to a tea with your own desires and goals which is unique and dynamic and it’s really fresh for the Disney company that I think a lot of people forget Hercules and I think they forget how good of a written dynamic character Maguire is that ultimately people think just constantly forget this film exist , and it’s a real gem in the darkness because she ate the damsel in distress. She will save herself and she’s had a song where she defies love. She saying she doesn’t want to be in that she won’t say she will be in luck because she doesn’t want to be that and that’s really interesting, especially in the film that has a strong  known for defeating all these trials being strong hero and has a strong female lead the equals him in that sense in his really interesting to look at.  

Disney would end the era with the release of Mulan with Disney legend, Ming Na Wen voicing the title character in a story of fat Mulan fighting via country, and having to pretend to be a man in order to do, so. The film continues on from Hercules, and having a strong female lead the audience to look up to, and aspire to be like reflection is a classic with a deep, meaning of being true to who you are, and that is also reflective to queer people in understanding that they have to be true to who they are. They have to be who they are inside because it’s only gonna hurt them more and it’s a really interesting metaphor, especially for a company that is very if he went. Consequently characters having this real metaphor throughout through this film is really dynamic and interesting for the time  And this is a message from this film who they should be. They should be who they are no matter what anybody says, and having that bathroom line is a real interesting and compact dynamic and that these are the messages that young children not the idea of a strong man will come save you. You need to be true to who you are. yes, you might not be in Milan you might not be mega rat, but you still can do your own things. You don’t need to wait for a man to come out and that’s not to say that you shouldn’t love beauty but you shouldn’t love who you are  Does it mean that they don't define you every part should play a part in what defines you how are you know how you act it’s just me a puzzle pieces to who you are as a person and that is what Disney need to drive in creating more more stories that use these pieces  to highlight characters that reflect the times that wearing now.  

THE REVIVAL ERA  

I’m going to jump straight to the revival era I suppose minutes either doesn’t have a lot to talk about much like the Bronze Age 2008 hits of the revival era with Princess and the frog set to the backdrop of the jazz scene in New Orleans workaholic, Tatiana, dreams of opening her own restaurant Unexpectedly find a self falling for charming prince. Naveen has transformed into a frog eye view Dr Facilier and his revolution in its approach to understanding the dreams come with work and grab a message that children should take away. Dreams can come true, but with a lot of work and that is something that the film  Takes on board in understanding that you need to find a balance between working life and that is a real interesting message that I need to take away from this film that I think a lot of people don’t really understand from the film that work shouldn’t consume you and there is a life outside  Once you dig a Little deeper, you’ll find what you need to know it’s an incredibly relatable and understandable story. Even if the African-American characters are predominantly frogs for the majority of the film the film is it. What a breath of fresh air that is he needed at the time  

Tangled. Disney adaptation of Rapunzel, followed swiftly in 2010 with me with a tale about self-discovery and sees Rapunzel want to see the lanterns glow, and is thrown together with thief Flynn Rider as she learns she is the lost princess of Corona a little foreshadowing therre Disney. The film flips the script with Rapunzel being the one who saves Flynn and allows their relationship to develop and grow as they both learn new things and ultimately cuts her hair to save his life as her magic has feeling factors and hightlights howe her beauty is her strength no matter how she looks and just wanted to explore the world and that is a message audiences should take away.  

It's arguably 2013's Frozen that changed the scope of Disney in the 21st century. s story of two sisters learning that their love is stronger than they ever thought. Frozen (2013) redefined, the idea of true love in it not been Love in a romantic sense, but in a family with love of the sisters. Based loosely on Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen, Frozen is the story of Anna and Elsa, who has ice powers and accidentally sets off an eternal winter everywhere. The film broke boundaries for the fact that the love between the sisters is what thaws and that is a message that can be applied to all ages and takes a bold step in telling a unique story with strong thematic characters at the heart of the film who are now icons. This approach in story telling allowed for a unique and telling story that allows Anna who at the beginning wants true love but learns the hard way when Prince Hans shows his true colours but what she wants is to not be alone which is something that all audiences can relate too. They allow for both Anna and Elsa to be dynamic in their own right and feel real which is why audiences can resonate with them especially with queer people. Elsa's powers can be seen as a metaphor in that she should be celebrated for her powers and not shunned which is something queer audiences can resonate with and her hit song that parents fear, Let it Go, it is her empowerment of accepting who she is and that allows audiences to feel connected in all readings that can be taken from this and that is something Disney should be proud off.  

Disney has very much hit a stride in telling unique stories throughout the late 10s with hits such as Big Hero Six (2014), Zootopia (2016) and Moana (2016) and these stories are full of rich stories with characters that are fully developed and unique which highlights that Disney is working to change the narrative and develop stories with leads that audiences can see if every day life and that really allows them to highlight issues as metaphors within their films so that their target audience of children can understand these stories.  

CONCLUSION 

So, in conclusion, what can be taken away from this is that wgen it comes to Disney, the context of the times in which the films where released in needs to be takden into account and needs to be remembered as they are a product of their time and has to be remembered when audiences are watching the films and that it is up to these older audiences to help explain why these ideologies are outdated whist cxeating new and unique stories that audiences can relate too. Thus Disney knows that as seen with their live action retellings and therefore shows that they know that there are problems with their older films that they don't shy away from. Therefore, it's clear that they are awake from the slumber and are trying their best to appease everyone.