WHY IS DISNEY SO POPULAR? The animated feature films from a childist perspective Margareta Rönnberg © Filmförlaget, Uppsala 2002 (First published in Swedish in 1999, 2nd edition in 2001) 1 WHY IS DISNEY SO POPULAR? The animated feature films from a childist perspective by Margareta Rönnberg Table of Contents: 1. Why is Disney so (un)popular? 4 2. Disney’s menagerie 18 Why animals in human roles? 3. Finding one’s way out and back home again 32 A development-psychological study of Disney’s film sagas (Margareta Rönnberg with Olle Sjögren) I. Animal fables II. Wonder tales III. Pet biographies 4. Who’s afraid of big bad Disney...? 106 On preschool terror and film censorship 5. Beauties, stepmums and godmothers 118 Portrayed in a more unfavourable light than their male counterparts? 6. Choosing one’s path in life 144 Pocahontas as a new type of androgynous heroine 7. Knowing one’s place or taking a leading position? 159 How a girl becomes a ”man”: the girl-power model Mulàn 8. Taking one’s place in the circle of life 162 The Lion King as a lesson in political science? 9. Weak young man´s path to maturity in (and for) Notre Dame 171 Concerted action taken in solidarity — instead of magic 10. Hercules redefines heroism 176 Muscles can come in useful, but do not work without a heart 11. Tarzan´s search for his identity 182 Someone whose hand you could hold 12. Tricksters who break the rules 190 Moral examples that confirm the rules of society 13. Those outside want to enter and those inside want to exit 197 The family patterns in Disney 14. Is Alice in the land of children or the land of adults? 218 In the land of wonders or in an underground hell? 15. Films of adaptation? 230 No – but a support for children’s “self-realisation”! 2 Translation: Paul McMillen Sources (= previous articles by Marge Rönnberg): 2. Disney’s menagerie: An abridged version was published in Tusen och en film 4/1990, pp. 37-41 3. Finding one’s way out and back home again: An earlier version was published in Filmhäftet 3-4/1980, pp. 7-50 4. Who’s afraid of big bad Disney…?: Partially published in Barnfilm 2/1985, pp. 8-13 5. Beauties, stepmums and godmothers: A very short excerpt was published in Film & TV 4/1992, pp. 20-22 6. Choosing one’s path in life: About a quarter was published in my book TV är bra för barn, Stockholm: Ekerlids Förlag 1997 7. Knowing one’s place or taking a leading position?: A short version was published in Zoom 4/1998 9. Weak young man´s path to maturity in Notre Dame: Partially published in Zoom 4/1996, pp. 4-6 10. Hercules redefines heroism: About a quarter was published in Zoom 4 /1997, p. 22 13. Those outside want to enter and those inside want to exit: An abridged version was published in Filmhäftet 3/1996, pp. 49-53 14. Is Alice in the land of children or the land of adults?: previously (partially) published in two parts: in Barnfilm 4/1982 (pp. 18-20) and in a completely different form in my book Skitkul. Om s. k. skräpkultur, Uppsala: Filmförlaget 1989 Margareta Rönnberg, Ph D in Film Studies, associate professor at the University of Gävle in Media and Communications Adr: Adelsgatan 19, 621 57 VISBY, Sweden Phone: 0498/24 94 48 E-mail: [email protected] 3 1. Why is Disney so (un)popular? There is probably nothing in this country that evokes such completely contrary reactions from children and responsible, well-educated parents, respectively, as “Disney” does. Well – possibly sweets – and, sure enough, several Disney films have been criticised for being sickly-sweet syrup and fluffy candy floss ... The reasons for this are the subject of this book. “Good children’s culture” is, according to adults, that which promotes – and preferably hastens – the growth of children and their future, their rising and their maturity (except in the sexual sphere). In other words it is assumed to be that which leads, as quickly as possi- ble, to children leaving their childhood and becoming adults. However, children themselves live more in the present and want to understand the world surrounding them, other people and themselves as they are at the present. Nor are they oriented towards the future with regard to their cultural preferences, as adults are concerning children’s culture. Accordingly, adults have a vertical cultural evaluation which rewards the development and rising of both the fictitious characters and the reading or viewing children towards the status of adults. Children, on the other hand, possess a more horizontal and stabilising cultural evaluation, focusing on the present and on their friends. Children are occupied with clouds of menace and causes for rejoicing here and now, and not in ten to twenty years. Disney’s film sagas deal precisely with thoughts and trials during childhood, and not with conceivable problems much later in the cycle of life. Their “monsters” and “bridal couples” are not projections of some future dangers or wishes, but symbolic penetrations of children’s immediate experience of big threats, as well as the need of the small and the vulnerable for protection, a spirit of community and close friendship in the present. Why so popular? Children appreciate Disney for many reasons (some of which are of course applicable to animated films in general), but mainly for the following reasons: - The animated feature films are for many associated with their very first experience of the cinema, with everything that it involved – the excitement of the darkness, ushers with torches, other elated children, the smell of popcorn, sweets, etc. - The animated medium’s comprehensibility and clear markers of unreality. The audio- visual medium does not demand any ability to read, and resembles “reality” more than any other medium, at the same time as the animation (more than a direct filming of everyday 4 life) can elucidate both what is like reality and the fictitious nature of the film. The latter is important when the film becomes far too horrible. - The emotional impact of the films. Not only have both the positive and the negative feelings of the children in the audience found their expression, but different key scenes have also given rise to a collective crying ritual (as well as collectively shared moments of laughter), including other children and the parental generation. - The humorous minor characters and the physically expressed comedy, for example when Sebastian the crab, who is the court composer in The Little Mermaid, is rattling with all his legs when he is compelled to inform Triton, the king of the sea, of bad news. Preschool children understand and appreciate precisely the facial expressions and patterns of movement of the characters at a much earlier age than they understand and appreciate verbal humour. In former times there were special comical tales parallel with the fairy tales, but with the advent of Disney’s animated feature films these have been skilfully incorporated into the tales of wonder and adventure, since the format, unlike that of the short films, could not just be filled up with comedy. Rather often the minor characters constitute the greatest pleasure derived by the very youngest children from the films, and even mitigate the scenes that are far too terrifying. - Children of all countries experience Disney’s characters as belonging to their own country, and indeed as being almost local. The characters speak the children’s own language, and even if they look slightly “Indian” or Chinese, the children do not conceive of them as strange or “foreign”. Moreover, in the cities of the Western World, varying ethnic origins are commonplace nowadays. - The well-chosen voices of the characters of the animated films. For their understanding of the qualities of the characters children rely to a high degree on the characteristics of the voice, which Disney has always selected with the utmost care. - The film music, which is most often exceptionally good, with at least one unforgettable melody in each film. Moreover, during the ‘90s the film music became more “rhythmical” and no longer mainly consists of “melodious” tunes resembling songs from musicals. Children have never preferred light opera music to songs with a more trendy beat, and nowadays the film makers pay greater attention to their preferences. (Unfortunately the present author does not possess enough specialist knowledge to treat the film music in greater detail.) - Disney’s obviously intuitive insight into child psychology and the entertaining way in which the experiences of children and the problems connected with their development are dealt with. For example, the search for an identity and the desire for belonging and group 5 solidarity, the desire for separation (the will to set out on a voyage of discovery, stand on one’s own two feet, make one’s own decisions) coupled with separation anxiety, as well as the traditional fears of children. The company is expert at taking the prevailing fears of children and transforming them into reassuring and hopeful messages. Just like everybody else, children have their own experiences, wishes, dreams, goals and clouds of menace, which also determine their interest in different media content. The threats include being abandoned, alone, vulnerable, under attack, and even on the point of annihilation. The wishes include having greater power over one’s own life, being big and strong, charming and popular. Being able to set out into the big, exciting world, and in spite of this being protected. Being appreciated as good, beautiful and successful. Everything circles around becoming someone unique, while still being part of the spirit of community.