In his article, “Breaking the Disney Spell,” Jack Zipes argues that the standards, functions, and effects of fairy tales has changed as the means for passing them on have changed. Specifically focusing on Walt Disney, Zipes claims that Disney has used his animated film fairy tales “to replace all [written] versions with his animated version and his cartoon is astonishingly autobiographical” (Tatar, 343). Walt Disney, coming from a poor family with a manipulative father, used his films to essentially brag about the success he had become and the hardships he had to endure. This reflected the shifts in society toward individualism.
I disagree with Zipes’ thesis for the most part. Although I do not know as much as Sahil about Walt Disney, but I believe that the connections Zipes made between Disney’s movies and his life could be coincidence. He has offered no proof that Disney intentionally altered fairy tales to create movies that reflect his own life. In fact, many of the ideas that reflect Disney’s life, for example the patriarchy and work-hard ethic were common experiences of the time. I would say that Disney’s films reflect the mentality of the American people in the time they were created rather than Walt Disney’s desire to promote himself to the entire population. His films are used, like oral and written fairy tales, to pass on values, morals, and ideas of that culture at that time.
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I agree with you that Disney's films simply reflect the era that he lived in, and the connections with his life are simply because that was the story he knew.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the era that Walt Disney lived was a major influence in his interpretations of the fairy tales, however, I have to contend that Disney's pride in his success and rags-to-riches story was also a significant factor.
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