Growing up, Disney movies were an integral part of my childhood. As a young girl, I loved being captivated by the ice skaters at Disney on Ice performances, being immersed in the magical environment of Disneyland, and escaping to an imaginary world when watching Disney movies. To me, the Disney world was my utopia.
It wasn't until I grew older that I came to understand that there was so much more to the simple perfect world I had constructed of Disney films. For instance, one area that I have always been intrigued by is how ideas of femininity, exhibited by female Disney characters, may manifest differently in varying cultures. When I visited Disneyland in Tokyo as a teenager, I began to realise that in Asia, including my country Singapore, classic Disney princesses are typically popularized as being pretty, cute and innocent, rather than the Western image of them being classy and adventurous.
Even though I’m now in college, I still love to watch Disney movies, both new and old. Some movies fill me with childhood memories, while the newer movies give me new insights about how Disney as an industry is evolving. It is undeniable that Disney films appeal to people regardless of their ages; all Disney movies have a particular message producers aim to convey and I love figuring out and learning about these messages. Also, I love Disney movie soundtracks, some songs are soothing, and some are empowering, and some are both! (is it weird that I sometimes listen to Mulan’s reflection while running?)
One thing I greatly appreciate is that Disney films are increasingly reflecting changes in societal attitudes. Disney female protagonists are increasingly shifting away from the traditional “impeccable, damsel-in-distress princess” moulds (besides Mulan of course) and are taking up roles that dare to define their own ideal of femininity (my favourite is Moana!).
Further, I love that Disney is making an effort to address issues that plague present day society, but I also have my reservations about some of their approaches. Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about Inside Out. On one hand, it was great that Disney addressed the issue of teenage mental health, and reinforcing the message that it is okay to embrace negative emotions instead of fight it. On the other hand, I am somewhat irked by the fact that it seems to suggest humans have no control over their thoughts and emotions, but rather that our emotions (represented by the characters Joy, Sadness, Disgust etc) literally are in charge of the ‘Headquarters’ of our mind.
I'm raring to uncover the multifaceted complexities of the Disney World - particularly ones that challenge me to reevaluate my longstanding perceptions of Disney characters from childhood - and am so excited to hop on my magic carpet and embark on an adventure in decoding Disney. In the process, I hope to explore various perspectives, be it from my classmates, film critics or academics, that both echo or differ from my viewpoints.
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