Erin Goldberg, Post 10
We talked a bit in class about negative racial depictions in sports mascots. And we also talked about racial diversity in the cartoons we were exposed to as children. While most every child has seen at least one Disney movie, however, there certain are quite a few examples of racism in Walt Disney's films. I watched the Youtube video below a few years ago and it makes a number of very good points about the negative depictions of racial minorities as shown in Disney, including the Indians in Peter Pan, the crows in Dumbo (meant as a negative stereotype of African Americans) and the merchant in Aladdin (as a negative depiction of Arabs and the Muslim religion). While I think that some of the points that the video's creator makes are a bit reaching, I do believe that the overall point of acknowledging that there is racism in Disney gets through. And while some of the examples, like Song of the South, are a bit outdated and come from a time when racial sensitivity was practically unheard of, examples such as Aladdin are much more recent. In fact I remember reading an article somewhere once that had Aladdin listed in the top 10 most controversial movies of all time based on the backlash it received from the Arab American community and those who practice the Muslim religion. Just something to think about, as I know many of us will be parents someday. Makes you wonder what you should allow your kids to watch and what you will have to explain to them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viiOnhmxcjU
I agree with you. I never wanted to think that disney cartoons were racist because I enjoyed them. But there was always that little thought in the back of my mind saying "Where is the black princess?" I know it can be sad to think that but as a child, I wondered. Especially since the thought of being black was embedded in my mind.
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