Myths That Bind and Divide.

Children’s cartoons have always been rife with social and gender-based stereotypes. From the 1930s Betty Boop to the 1980s Jessica rabbit, women have been objectified. They are seen as innocent, ignorant, helpless and in need of saving. Minorities, mostly absent are portrayed as inferior and childlike or as villains and savages to be captured or tamed. Standard cartoon mythology begins with a fem fatal in search of a person, place or thing in order to achieve a “happily ever after.” Beauty is equated with goodness and any deviation from beauty becomes associated with malevolence. Disney, a leader in feature-length cartoons has also been a leader in perpetuating these myths.  In seeming awareness of past wrongs or in an effort to jump on the political correctness bandwagon, Disney has made an attempt to show minorities in a positive light. However, the addition of feature-length cartoons Mulan, Aladin and Pocahontas miss the mark.  These shallow attempts to rectify errors of the past ring hollow.  Mulan must think and fight like a man in order to succeed.  Aladin was denounced by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for its infamous song, "Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face/It's barbaric, but, hey, it's home.,"  Disney's Pocahontas was strongly criticized for cultural inaccuracies of Native Americans and flippant Portrayal regarding English treatment of Pocahontas and her tribe. Rather than make responsible films it would seem that Disney would prefer to purchase its respectability. Disney’s latest acquisition, Pixar demonstrates a conscience which its parent company seems to lack. In the Incredible’s mom is more capable of saving her super-hero husband. In WALL-E although the protagonist is male, Eve is clearly the movie's heroine. Pixar has proved that it is possible to create characters and stories that are fun while being socially aware. The argument for replacing the old myths and stereotypes with healthy, respectful and realistic characterizations is twofold.

Many believe cartoons are harmless fairy tales. My sister and wife were both raised on Disney mythology.  Both also defend the Princess and Prince charming mythology citing it as simple storytelling.  While they recognize the messages of helplessness and dependence on men they believe that these messages are beyond the understanding of young girls and they themselves were not negatively impacted. First, the messages perpetuate propaganda that is insidious and pervasive. Without careful analysis it may be difficult to determine how these mythologies might affect one’s beliefs or actions. Our views regarding self-image, with beauty and gender roles are based on an artificial social construct subject to cultural norms. A continuous bombardment of propaganda across a variety of media helps to develop our cultural norm.  Even if women like my sister and my wife were left unaffected by the by the countless messages of female limitation and a need to be dominated, there are many more who buy into the myth. However, equally destructive is the backlash by those who do recognize the messages of social injustice and inequality; women that find themselves in an adversarial position fighting for equal treatment. Therefore, I would urge those who think cartoons as harmless children’s stories to think carefully about what kind of message you want your children to learn and the implications of tolerating the status quo.