Disney's+Effect+on+the+American+Child,+Reflection

Disney's Effect on Children in America Walt Disney is a man who has affected almost every single child in America for the past fifty years. The very first movie my mom every played for me was The Little Mermaid, but for me, that was only the begining of Disney's affect on me. I dressed up as Disney characters everyday for school and the day I went to Walt Disney World was one of my all time favorite childhood memories. However, Disney is not just a good holloween costume, for many children it is a dream. I watched movies where these beautiful women from all different parts of the world would just sing out their windows and all their problems were answered. In the end, there was always a prince to ride up on his valient steed and save the innocent woman. Men were the heros and the women were always the damsals in distress and at the end the women would become princesses and they would live happily ever after, The End. The movies taught me that someday, if I was good, some prince would come and rescue me because in Disney movies, "dreams do come true." I have no problem teaching children to be optomistic and that dreams do come true. However, I believe there are many Disney flaws that I believe should (and will), continue changing with the times. No longer do women have to stand around and wait for their husbands to come home from work. No longer do women not have an equal say in what is right. For every man that is a hero to me, I can name a women that is just as much a hero. This is no longer the time where women wait around for Prince Charming to show up on a horse and rescue them. Women are already out the door and rescuing themselves. I am proud to be an American where I have all the equal rights and opportunities as men, and that no one is the boss of me. However, cute and catchy the songs and story lines of the movies of my childhood past, the idea of showing my daughter or son, that the way of life is a women must wait for a man to rescue her feels like I am setting back the woman's movement by 50 years at least. However, to my great enjoyment and content the Disney movies of today are changing and changing for the better. In one of the more recent Disney movies, Enchanted, it started off with the typical premise of a woman waiting for a prince to come save her, but in the end, she does live happily ever after, but by getting to know her "prince" and dating him. The message of this movie was touching and interesting.

I think it is great that Disney used main characters from all over the world and even parts of the world that are purely imaginary. However, I do admire Anne Sexton for seeing through the Disney persona and to some of the real flaws of these characters. It is true that maybe Snow White is only a "dumb bunny."

page 3, Disney