week 4 disney
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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Arts Humanities
Date
May 24, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by BaronNeutronHawk140
Thesis Statement: Media, particularly Disney films, play a significant role in shaping cultural perceptions of race through language and visual representation. These representations often rely on stereotypes and reinforce systemic racism, perpetuating the privileging of whiteness while marginalizing other races and ethnicities. The use of accents, character archetypes, and cultural appropriation in Disney films serves to maintain these discriminatory narratives, highlighting the need
for a critical examination of media's impact on socialization and the importance of inclusive, equitable storytelling.
Selected Reading Thesis: Byrne and McQuillan discuss how Disney's films systematically represent gender and race through stereotypical language and imagery, reinforcing societal biases and discrimination. This reading aligns with the overarching theme of the first three readings, demonstrating how language and storytelling in Disney films contribute to the perpetuation of racism and the privileging of whiteness.
Language Supporting Racism: Language supports racism by associating certain accents or dialects with negative traits, reinforcing stereotypes, and depicting non-
white characters in subordinate roles. In Disney films, villains often have foreign or non-standard English accents, while heroes speak standard American or British English. For example, in "The Lion King," Scar has an effeminate British accent, which reinforces negative stereotypes about homosexuality and Britishness, while Mufasa and Simba speak standard American English, aligning with the ideals of heroism and leadership .
Whiteness Privileged in Media: Whiteness is privileged in media by presenting it as the norm or ideal while marginalizing other races and cultures. In Disney films, this is
evident in the consistent portrayal of heroes and heroines as white, with non-white characters often relegated to sidekick roles or villains. "The Princess and the Frog" attempts to challenge this by featuring a Black princess, but even in this film, the idealized prince is not explicitly Black, indicating a reluctance to fully embrace non-
white protagonists.
Language to Resist and Challenge Racism: Language can resist and challenge racism by creating diverse and inclusive narratives, using accents and dialects in non-stereotypical ways, and providing nuanced characterizations of non-white characters. For example, in "The Princess and the Frog," the use of a variety of Southern accents and dialects acknowledges the cultural diversity of New Orleans,
while Cobra Bubbles in "Lilo & Stitch" uses his African American accent to portray a positive character.
Positive and Negative Elements in "The Princess and the Frog": A positive element in "The Princess and the Frog" is its attempt to feature a Black princess, challenging the traditional whiteness of Disney's protagonists. A negative element is the continued reliance on stereotypes and cultural appropriation, as seen in the depiction of voodoo and the portrayal of New Orleans culture.
Other Media Representation of Black Women or Girls: "Black Panther" is a film that includes significant representation of Black women and girls, addressing both their lack of presence in media and the ways they are depicted when they are present. The film features strong, intelligent, and independent Black women in leadership roles, challenging traditional stereotypes and providing a positive representation of Black culture and heritage.
JamBoard Activity Reflection: Terms like "systemic racism," "cultural appropriation," and "linguistic stereotypes" resonate strongly after participating in the JamBoard activity. These terms are crucial for our DPD class about Disney: Gender, Race, Empire, as they encapsulate the complex issues surrounding representation, discrimination, and privilege in media. Understanding these terms helps to critically analyze the ways Disney and other media perpetuate or challenge racism and sexism.
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