(This picture shows how sexist some children's cartoons are.)
The reading assignment this week was “Unlearning the
Myths That Bind Us” by Linda Christensen. This entry is based on my classmate
Lauren Gilbert’s blog post. I chose to comment on her thoughts due to her
strong identifications of Christensen’s argument. Lauren makes it clear that, “Their
main argument is that cartoons and Disney movies are distorting children's
images of what the world looks like”. I agree with this statement whole-heartedly.
This is an unfortunate truth that both children and parents face in society
today. When I was a child, I was no stranger to Disney movies and I must admit I
idolized the princesses. Reflecting on my childhood after reading both Christensen’s
and Lauren’s pieces, I realize that my innocent views was not so innocent. A
child’s mind is constantly being molded and something as “child-friendly” as
Disney can negatively affect a child’s views towards others. From her piece, I can tell that Lauren is passionate about Disney as well and is unfortunately crushed by some realizations as an adult.
Lauren continues her blog by saying, "Letting them watch these episodes that exhibit sexism, racism and
overall stereotypes are forming our children into the exact opposite of
what we, as parents and educators are trying to mold them into". This is a very strong point which ties in with a quote from one of Christensen's students. Justine says, "My dreams keep me from dealing with an unpleasant reality" (129). Both quotes are extremely powerful and display how delicate of an issue this can be. No parent or educator wants their child to be negatively influenced by a program and it is important to look into the deeper meaning of stories. I believe Lauren feels this way as well. Her blog has served as a very useful tool in this post. I truly agree with the points she made.
COMMENTS: I feel as though everyone has been affected by something Christensen speaks of in her article. Whether it be watching a Disney movie, reading a book, or playing with toys, society has impacted the way we are today. The children who are affected by these things may not realize there is an issue in how a character is being portrayed. However, that thought is embedded in a child's mind forever and will most likely affect the way they view people who are not in power in these images. If production companies such as Disney do not change their politically incorrect ways, how will America be able to do so?
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