After examining audience such as those of the general pubic and the consumer audience driven by the mass media, I now feel I should like to delve further into the captive film audience. Concentrating on a certain type of genre I have chosen to examine and critic the animation films of Walt Disney. The films of which seem to of become a powerful force in creating childhood culture all over the world. Presenting a worldview based on innocence, magic, and fun, its products are endorsed by parents and enthusiastically cherished by the innocence of youth. (Pettit, Mickey Mouse monopoly) Dedicating my blog to the king of Capitalism I wish to concentrate mainly on Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ as I believe this is the film which best embodies underlying capitalist ideology. Hoping to prove that Disney does propagate subvert capitalist regime within his films I hope to explore how Disney introduces this theme within his films via the old, villain vs. hero stereotype.
The most troubling fact about Disney animation is the issue that this power is directed primarily at those least able to resist it or critically evaluate it, e.g children. (Pettit, Mickey Mouse Monopoly) A fan base who will have been lead to understand the films to be little more then light entertainment with that all so important happy moral ending. Aiming his films at mostly the younger generation I am interested to outline in what ways I believe Disney advocates capitalism throughout his animations. With the films being undeniably aimed at that all so important young and naïve audience, Disney immediately holds the upper hand. For instance as youths I believe the majority of us wish for immediate gratification, young children always seem to have less patience and want everything there and then. This audience I believe is perfect for sitting and unquestioningly absorbing the hidden agenda behind the soft and cuddly caricatures which hide Disney’s campaign . With the children who watch these types of animation quickly becoming fans and finding there own favoured character they will quickly take on board and digest the films deceptive narrative. However what really seems to become evident when watching the films, admittedly from my own perspective, is the darker issues that seem to emerge from a strictly capitalist basis, a theme which sadly shadows the mass majority of Disney’s animations.
Though in the past Disney has been successfully renowned for promoting and enhancing old morality fairy tales, what the consumer fails to notice is that initially Disney changes a lot of the emphasis of the original tales. Not only do the films advocate morality they seem to constantly and purposely select themes that promote ideologies which will ultimately prove useful to Disney’s mass Corporation and in due course that all important capitalist society. Seemingly against independent, artistic communities, Disney’s animated features simultaneously soften and dispense underlying messages to their selected audience of class hierarchy, and sexuality.
In the Lion King, Disney relies on our systematic cultural fondness for royalty and the domineering class, a point which is portrayed by the use of visual metaphors within the animation. ‘The Lion King’ reflects a typical capitalist regime portraying well how the ruling class of a capitalist system constructs its subordinates. This seems all to evident within the opening scene of ‘The Lion King’ whereby a more mature audience could not possibly mistake the social order. Within this scene named ironically the ‘circle of life’ all animal species bow before ‘Pride rock’ towards the rightful king shortly the heavens open and a divine light shines on the new lion cub, future heir to the throne. The future king is held before a whole host of worshipful and bowing beasts whose contentment and very existence depends on the preservation of the established and rightful hierarchy. What appears unmistakably evident here is that the pride of lions represent the bourgeoisie consumer class in society and the bowing creatures stand for the subservient producing, proletariat class, who are drugged into believing in the capitalist work ethic of ‘work hard and you will be successful. A myth seemingly brought about by capitalist ideology which ensures the bourgeoisie have a constant hard working labour force to exploit and reap financial reward from. (Artz, Global Media Journal)
Within social order hierarchy seems to indicate status according to certain qualities those of worth, ability and authority. Within Disney however these values are combined with kindness and beauty, each hero or heroine is highly promoted within Disney being habitually good, conventionally attractive, worthy, and ultimately powerful while in service to the narrative’s social order.
Within Disney’s animations the visual metaphors of good and evil seem extremely transparent: while the hero and heroine as stated previously are always noble and attractive by their birth status, villains are privileged and titled due only to the misplaced magnanimity or whim of their legitimate superior. Villains are always portrayed as unattractive, semi-elite social nonconformists; Scar for instance from ‘The lion king’ is King Mufasa’s disgruntled brother, ineligible for legitimate succession; In each of these narratives and others (e. g. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Fox and Hound), the dominant class within Disney only seem to produce good souls, never abusing their authority. This is understood visually by the soft and cuddly caricatures that Disney creates. The King, and his son, Simba, are brightly drawn, muscular and smoothly curved; the villainous uncle, “Scar,” is drawn with very dark features, his face is angular and he is abnormally thin as is the rest of his rather dejected, disfigured body. Likewise the hyenas who are unmistakably working class, are also angular in figure a distinct sign of the impoverished state they live in. The use of sharp lines and dark colours to highlight the bad guys is a very clever technique used by Disney to furtively project the message to their young audiences that abuse is always found within those elevated beyond their goodness, villains who try to desperately reach beyond their own status to disrupt the social order e.g. the underclass.
But, alas, according to true Disney legacy such villainy is always undone, because as Disney promotes, only elites can triumph, with there being “no upward mobility” in Disney lands, In Disney’s world of the dominant, class rules always apply. Rulers may change amongst the elite from Mufasa to his son and next inline to the throne Simba, but the rules and ruled will always remain. Within Disney’s essential law, the only just rule is class hierarchy. Nothing is resolved until the preferred social order is back in place. No one ever lives happily ever after until the chosen one rules again. All is chaotic and disorderly in the pride lands of ‘The lion king’ until ‘Simba’ returns as rightful monarch. Even nature tends to withhold its bounty, pending the suitable social hierarchy. (Artz, Global Media Journal)
Villains can sometimes attain power, but as non-elite, false leaders, they are always ill-equipped to rule. Their reign is always disastrous and short lived following the return of the hero who is always destined to save the day and maintain the rightful order of the hierarchy. Evil is quickly expelled in Disney lands where the films always end happily and well ordered. The masses of which then rejoice and happily resume their subservience upon the triumphant defence of the hierarchy. This pleasant and repetitive narrative verifies the virtue of hierarchy from a capitalist perspective. For instance such films instil within their young and naïvely based audiences the idea that illegitimate rulers will always be defeated, whilst at the same time emphasising the fact that the overthrow of the ruling class will always result in disaster. This common capitalist myth ensures that the subordinate labour forces will never try to breach their working class boundary or aim higher due to the threat capitalism places on failure. (Artz, Global Media Journal)
Not only does Disney implore Capitlaist ideology within his films but so too seems to place high emphasis on stereotypical gender representations for his male and female animated caricatures. Admittedly coming from a feminist persepctive however there can be know doubt that the films are highly sexist in favour of the animated male characters. For instance all female characters in Disney movies present a distorted version of femininity they have always highly sexualized bodies, coy seductiveness, and are always awaiting their male hero to rescue them from distress. Snow White immediately feels the need to clean the dwarfs cottage and look after there every need in order to ingratiate herself with her male counterparts. Ariel in ‘The little mermaid’ gives up her voice in order to win the heart of the prince with her body, again it is the female who changes her initial ways to fit in with the male gaze. Even the supposed strong female fighter type characters like ‘Mulan’ who almost single-handedly wins the war returns home to be, Yet again romanced by another hansom steed. It is almost as if Disney is advocating the point that all females should live their lives in conjunction to male wishes. They can evidently play the heroine type role for a certain period within the animation but to stereotypically fit the gender representation cut out for them by society they must always be able to fit neatly back into their allocated slot to nicely ensure the happy ending with prevail. (Pettit, Mickey mouse Monopoly)
Sun, Chyng and Picker Miguel, ‘Mickey Mouse Monopoly, – Disney, Childhood and corporate power’
Pettit, Robert, B, ‘Study Guide’
Artz, Lee ‘Global Media Journal, Animating Hierarchy: Disney and the Globalization of Capitalism,’ Purdue University Calumet Hammond, Indiana
