Racial Stereotypes In Disney Movies

Racial Stereotypes In Disney MoviesThe objective of Disney burgeon forths was to transport its viewers to a magic realm of enchantment and endless possibility. Disney offered a supposed alternate range of a function in which there was the promise of a Happily Ever after. It aimed at collectinging to audiences young and old and hoped to find universal viewership.Walt Disney once say that Of entirely of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the al well-nigh univers solelyy mute language. And although it did reach audiences far and wide, for a young Indian girl ceremony The 1937 Disney adaptation of S at one time White and The S pull dget Dwarfs, it gave her very little to separate with or tinct to.Snow White, the first on-screen Disney Princess was rendered With lips as red as rubies and throw together as fair as snow. Blatantly epitomising Western ideas of muliebrity and beauty, films like Snow White alienated the Non-western viewer. They created a f antasy that was centred on fixed archetypes of beauty and desirability which rendered to the white, western population and had no manner for anybody else.Eventually, the industry was criticised for its focus on a singular ethos and restriction to the source World. Consequently, the last decade of the 20th century saw Walt Disney Pictures release films that were now aimed at broadening its ethnical spectrum.Alladin, debuted as Disneys first attempt to look a different cultural terrain. Released in 1992, it was later followed by otherwise culture specific films like Mulan and Pocahontas which opened in cinemas in 1998 and 1995 respectively. These films signalled a distinct departure from films that were pivoted around Western protagonists and their lived experiences.Although this new brand of films hoped to order a sense of cultural inclusivity by venturing beyond the Western World, what became cl pinnaly evident in the process was a heavy dependence on racial stereotypes and c aricatured depictions of culture.Elena Di Giovanni, in her essay Disney Films Reflections of the Other and the Self, states that Disneys selection of certain cultures which it chose to portray, was not a choice that was arbitrary and unplanned.According to Di Giovanni, the reasons for selecting these cultures stub be ascribed to microscopic cultural and ideological strategies. The cultures depicted in these films ar either conventionally considered to be somehow inferior if juxtaposed with modern Western Civilisations and to the narrating Ameri weed culture in particular, as suggested by the Saudi Arabian-born scholar Ziauddin Sardar.Edward literalize was one of the first scholars to examine the complex kindred between the aim and the Occident, one that he found to be a relationship of power, of command of varying degrees of a complex hegemony In his 1978 publication of Orientalism, Said atomic number 53 of the first scholars to give a sharp account of these biased cultural encounters was Edward Said in Orientalisrn(1978). Even though primarily concerned with hint the history of the Orientalist attitude by the West in literature, Said does not fail to consider the importance of new technologies and the media in the proliferation of this un sound custom One aspect of the electronic, post-modern world is that there has been a reinforcement of the stereotypes by which the Orient is viewed. Television, films, and all the medias resources have forced information into more(prenominal) and more standardized moulds.More recently, Ziauddin Sardar has bounceed similar ideas in his 1999 publication of Orientalism, a playscript he writes, as assort of tribute to Saids forge, therefore titling it the same. The main refer of Sardars book, whose approach is even harsher than Saids, lies in his detailed reflections upon the new, modern ways by which the Orientalist attitude manifests itself and is still spreading nowadays. By way of introduction to his work, Sar dar decl bes that even though the project of Orientalism has way passed its sell by date, it is colonizing new territories, such new territories being related to the new geographies which are shaped and controlled by contemporary means of mass cornmunication like the cinema. A whole chapter of Sardars work is devoted to Orientalism in films, where the author sets out to explore the treatment and usance of other cultures within the discourse of cinema, across different genres, including cartoons, and where he makes great reference to the American hegemonic control of the cinematic medium. Sardar states that otherness is generally do by as a pattern book from which strands can be taken to draw up cultural representations which serve the purpose of entertaining audiences fleck reinforcing, by contrast, the superiority of the narrating culture. Thus, the the commodification of culture takes place whereby visual and verbal elements be to a distant world are taken and made des irable for smooth reception within more powerful socio-cultural settings.Aladdin, which was based on the Arab folk chronicle of Aladdin and the magic lamp from One Thousand and One Nights, became the most self-made films of 1992, grossing over $502 million worldwide. However, almost instantly, it was met with criticism from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. The word picture quite literally translated into an Orientalist fantasy. With glaringly distorted depictions of Arab culture, and a few pointedly offensive remarks, the pic has gone down in history as one of Disneys most controversial films.The film, which is set in the fictitious kingdom of Agrabah, close ins an ensemble attract of personas Aladdin, a young street urchin, Jasmine, a jaded princess, Jafar, an avaricious rector of Court and Genie, the ebullient prisoner of the lamp. Although the film seems to focus on the characters as individuals, it is difficult to dismiss the overall denouncement of Arab c ulture, as is evident in the treatment and presentation of Arab society in the film.The vilification of Arab men in the film can be observed quite clearly with their portrayal as thugs, sorcerers, pick-pockets or beggars. Their physical attributes also seem to echo the cultural bias, with their descriptions coloured by thick lips, missing teeth, heavy, menacing brows and hooked noses. However, what is interesting to observe, is the decidedly different treatment afforded to the central protagonists. Both the bomber and heroine are presented as almost exact counterparts to the white, suburban youth of the west. Aladdin seems middling content in disinheriting his Arabian heritage, as he is cleverly christened Al, and exhibits American mannerisms done his style of speaking in the film. In the same vein, the character of Jasmine is equally americanised. Jasmine, though sporting dark flowing tomentum cerebri and with darker skin than her counterpart princesses in earlier films, stil l retains blue eyes. Though Jasmine essential reflect an Arabian get word, the films producers seem to find it necessary to leave at least a vestige of tangibility that Western audiences can relate to.What one is left to ponder is whether these characters would have appealed to western audiences, had they not been endow with these traits?This example recalls Saids own observations on Orientalist attitudes.Bring in said here. And Elena di Giovanni A whole new world and then move to another rime that was in fact more noteworthy.Most noteworthy, however is the open term of the film, which was later rewrite due to harsh criticism and protests.Aladdin opens with the expository melodic phrase Arabian Nights which includes the lyricsPEDDLER Oh I come from a landFrom a faraway placeWhere the caravan camels roamWhere they cut off your earIf they dont like your faceIts barbaric, but hey, its homeThe blatantly offensive lowest line had to be eliminated from the home video version of t he film as a consequence of the numerous protests the Disney Company received after external release. However, all the other knotty and indirect hints at the American cultures amaze of supremacy over the narrated Other, which is deliberately kept ambiguous and undefined in historic-geographical terms, remain untouched, and continue to carefully shape the viewers perception.One of these subtle instances in the picture can be seen in the same open sequence. The first words which are uttered by the peddler forbear an unmistakable, conventional reference to the culture portrayed PEDDLER Ah, Salaam and true(p) evening to you worthy friends.The worldwide-know Arabic greeting is, however, immediately followed by mature evening, as if to compensate even for the faintest sense of estrangement the viewer top executive feel upon hearing salaam.Orientalist preconceptions find their way into the Disney adaptation of the Chinese subtitle of Hua Mulan. Walt Disney Pictures released Mulan in June, 1998 and it was the thirty sixth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics.Mulan, which was once again inf engrossd with orientalist imagining of culture, uses a host of immense-established, worldwide-known stereotypes on the visual as well as verbal levels. As Elina Di Giovanni points out, cultural metonymies are very often related to specific domains such as food, which provides universally identifiable socio-cultural references and ensures easy, if strongly stereotyped identification of different nations and peoples. In the cuticle of verbal stereotypes, references to other cultures clichd words and expressions tend to draw from roughhewn categories such as greetings, exclamations and titles. Greetings and exclamations, though not necessarily connected to the stereotyping of cultures, can nonetheless be frequently used to support cultural representations as they ensure simple and immediate identification.In the opening sequence of Mulan, the 1998 film whi ch portrays the Chinese culture at the time of the invasions by the Huns, the visual and verbal cultural stereotypes employed do not contain any derogatory reference, but they are equally highly conventional. An instance of this can be seen in the portrayal and parley of the emperor of China who, incidentally, is always shown with the image of a golden dragon at his back to address his array generals in a situation of emergency. He is shown to exhibit a representative trait which is often associated with the Chinese culture, using words of wisdom to expose the fate of his country EMPEROR single grain of rice can tip the scale Moreover, one can note that the reference to the most popular element of the Chinese culinary tradition does not place by coincidence in the emperors line. The shot which immediately follows features a super wheel of rice in the foreground with a pair of chopsticks idly picking at the rice. This image is used in the film to introduce the protagonist h erself, who will be very slowly revealed to the audience start from her hand holding the chopsticks.But even more noteworthy, is that fact that the bowl of rice which alluded to in the beginning by the Emperor, and used in the introducing of the protagonist, Mulan is then later appropriated to serve American cultural interests by replacing the content of the bowl(rice), with porridge and rashers of bacon and fried eggs, which make up Mulans breakfast. The bowl which contained rice in the opening scene has been deprived of its typical, if also highly conventional, Chinese content to be replaced by what looks more familiar to the American viewers, although totally remote from the eating habits of Chinese soldiers.Moving from visual to verbal examples, the use of language is an axiomatic vehicle for further consolidating the presence of American culture. It is worth pointingout that all the main characters in the films, although belonging to distant andexotic worlds, speak with un blemished American accents. Moreover, they are veryoften characterized by the use of non-standard, conversational or regional varieties ofAmerican English.This is the case of the dragon Mushu in Mulan, whose dialogue is generously punctuated with contemporary, informal American expressions. Similarly, in Aladdin, the most striking, informal and modem use of Ameriean English is to be found in the lines uttered by the jinnee of the lamp, appearing in different guises and often mimicking famous American personalities. His lines are filled with colloquial expressions as well as references to the contemporary American world.Pocahontas, which opened in cinemas in the twelvemonth 1995, presented a thoroughly revised picture of a historical figure, appropriated suitably to appeal to western audiences.Modelled on the historical Native American figure ,Matoaka, who is more popularly known by the nickname Pocahontas, the film revamps and restructures the story of Pocahontas and shopwindows i t as a tale where a culture under siege by British Colonialism, ends up being rescued by the White Messiah. The film clearly distorts historical facts and produces a tale that is made palatable to western audiences, with the White settler rescuing the native tribe from a terrible fate, which, interestingly enough, would have been execute by his fellow men.The movie Pocahontas deviates from the true historical story in many ways. The most significant deviation is Pocahontas age and the nature of her relationship with conjuration Smith. In the movie, Pocahontas is portrayed as a twenty year old woman who falls in love with crapper Smith, and he with her. From what we know of the historical record, she Pocahontas was a child when they met, probably between 12 and 14, and Smith was about 27, states Thomasina Jordan, the head of the Virginia Council on Indians, and herself a Wampanoag Native-American.However, it is not just her age that has been altered in the film version. Even her ph ysical carriage is rendered far from factual. The on-screen Pocahontas is designed to be a tall, attractive figure, with dark, flowing hair and sharp features.This depiction in the film has been clearly designed to cater to the male fantasy of the young, exotic woman. Moulded from the Orientalist perspective, she is seen as the enigmatic princess, who captivates the young John Smith with her gentle spirit and exotic beauty.Moreover, the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas, was that of a young girl and an older man. The relationship that the both share in the movie is entirely fictitious and completely inaccurate. some other deviation is John Smiths attitude towards the Native Americans. In the movie, Smith defends the Native-Americans, and dons the cortex of the White Messiah. Abandoning his fellow men, Smith advocates the legitimate right of the natives to possess their own land. He states that the British are the intruders and have no authority to colonise and usurp the land of the natives. This heroism, is however absent in factual accounts of the story.In reality, Smith believed that the English had a right to the land and he was not an advocate for the Native-Americans. Disney also distorts the facts about Governor James Ratcliffe. In the movie they portray him as a villainous character. At the end of the movie he tries to shoot Chief Powatan, but shoots John Smith instead. After he does this, his own men make him a prisoner and transfer him back to England. However, this is not confirmed in the historical account.Thus, it is evident, that even through Disneys attempt to create a more panoramic view of order of magnitude and the world, by retelling tales rooted in different socio-cultutal contexts, it is unable to rid itself of omniscient Western ideals which dictate the ways in which Non-western cultures are received. The non-western cultures can provided be understood when either juxtaposed with western traditions or appropriated to ap peal to a western audience.The appeal of a non-white prince must be countered with intelligibly Americanised mannerisms. Tales from the East seem only to be tangible if they propagate long standing stereotypes and reinforce Orientalist preconceptions.While Disney paints portraits of cultural landscapes and attempts to traverse into the world of The Other, the scruple remains as to whether it is possible for the West to tell tales of a Non-White civilisation, without all the trappings of stereotypes and exoticism. Can a Media Giant like Disney really showcase different cultures, without insinuating Western Supremacy over them all?Can they truly paint with all the colours of The Wind?