In this newspaper article many parents and critics discuss the usage of certain stereotypical ideas in Disney movies. One example being the very well known movie Shark Tale, which portrays the antagonist as sharks that are very similar to the Italian mob. Many people were outraged and felt that such portrayals of Italian people being in mobs colors children's perspectives for future ideas at a very early age. Disney and other parents argue that kids are too young to take such connections seriously. This has caused a very questionable debate on the effects these movies can have on a child.
Children are very absorbent from the beginning. When being exposed to such ideas from a very young age it becomes engraved into their thoughts. However eliminating these exposures in movies will not make a huge difference. As mentioned in this article, much of the population still see Italians as being mobsters. An idea they call the "Godfather Effect," which occurred after people started viewing Italians as mobsters after watching The Godfather. It is most efficient to teach the child what is correct so that they don't become guible to such ideas later on.
What is your opinion on this topic? Are children really affected by such ideas? What should be done to help eliminate such enclosed ideas?
Goodale, Gloria. "Stereotypes Bite Back." Christian Science Monitor. Oct. 1 2004: n.p. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 26 Feb 2012.
Although the idea that person's thoughts and personality comes from what they are exposed to as children is not far-fetched, the idea that stereotypes hidden in movies is not really such a compelling argument that Disney is ruining the future generations. I, for example, had never before made the connection between Italian mobster and the antagonists from "Shark Tale". Also, this type of connection could be made for several other movies, the fact that this was made from this situation could simply have been a coincidence. After all, I doubt that Disney makes movies with the intention of corrupting children's minds.
ReplyDeleteI would first like to point out I believe the stereotype goes that all mobsters are Italian, but not all Italians are mobsters.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe children would make that association that the Sharks=mobsters=Italians, they're minds are much more simple and see it more like shark=mobster=bad and there is no harm in this film. There is also no need destroy these ideas as they are harmless and inevitable; the antagonist has to be some form of a race.