Critiquing Cartoons and Society

Critiquing Cartoons and Society
This article was very intriguing to me, as I grew up watching Disney movies and reading fairytales. However, I never thought of the idea that the genre of children’s media, “manipulated” me. I always knew that the fairytales I read were fiction, and maybe that is because my mother’s tough skin is what made me realize that life is not always going to be easy, or even a dream come true at all. I was not taught that dreams do not come true, but the simple fact that some things in life happen that we have no control over.
My favorite Disney movie of all, is Beauty and the Beast. My favorite part was not about the kiss that broke the spell, or the beauty of Belle’s yellow dress swaying in a large ballroom. What I noticed most, was the love between Belle and her father. As a young girl who grew up without her father, that is what I loved and looked for in any story I read. Of course, I still loved the idea of how beautiful princesses were, but my wish to be one was because of the independence and grit that princess Belle taught me.
I do not critique cartoons in a harsh way at all. I think that it is important to teach children the difference between stories that are fiction and non-fiction. Even teenagers and adults get so drawn into the world of a book or movie, that they wonder what life would be like if they were those characters. I do not agree with this specific article, because it does target many storybooks, like Beauty and the Beast, which is a story that helped me cope during a loss. The article mainly points out the negative aspects of Disney storybooks.
In the article, it is explained, “Only the pretty one’s want a man”, and that is why Ursula is so mean, because she is “ugly” and does not want a man. “All she wants is revenge.” I believe that this is a topic thrown out of proportion. Just like any other heroic storybook with a protagonist, there is the antagonist. Although I did not agree with the article, I still enjoyed the reading because it really made me think of how I as a young child felt while watching these fairytale, happy ending movies. It did not lead me to believe things that were not bound to happen, but it gave me hope when I needed it most.

Below are two sites:
1) What’s your Grief? (article)

Death in Disney Movies: Making the Most of Teachable Movie Moments

2) Stages of Grief: (video)