My little princess loves the Disney Movies, as most children her age do. But here is something that really bugs me about the Disney movies – where are the moms? Was Walt a single dad and I don’t know it? Hell, was Walt a dad at all?
Let’s review:
- Pinocchio – While I admit to this having good moral messages for kids, there is no mother. Only Gepetto, his creator whose only wish was for him to be a real boy.
- Dumbo – Dumbo in fact had a mother, but look what they did to her when she tried to protect her big-eared, cute as can be baby!
- Bambi - Oh little Bambi, growing up in the wild after his mother is shot by hunters. I hated for Emilee to see this part, it’s so hard for the little ones to understand.
- Cinderella – Of course her real mother has passed away, and she has the very mean, very wicked STEPmother. However, I will give this one points because she does have the Fairy Godmother who kicks ass.
- Alice in Wonderland – Alice stumbles into the world of Wonderland. Will she get home? Not if the evil Queen of Hearts has her way!
- Sleeping Beauty – An evil woman wishes death upon a child (she puts a spell on a baby for a future deadly encounter). Is there a mother in this one? I can’t remember.
- The Little Mermaid – No mom, just the Merman dad.
- Beauty and the Beast – No mother, just Belle, and her father, Maurice.
- The Lion King – WOO HOO! Finally a MOTHER!
- Finding Nemo – And the mother is eaten in the very beginning, leaving the dad to raise Nemo by himself.
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Snow White is pursued by a jealous queen, and hides with the Dwarfs. No mother or father (if memory serves) mentioned in this one.
Now please understand, I love single dads! I support single dads! But these movies seem to always show the woman as either some evil creature, or just not at all. And yes, Emilee has noticed that lots of these characters don’t have mommies at all. And it really bugs me to try and explain that the moms are dead, got eaten, wicked or just … not in the picture.
So I must ask, WTF Disney??
You’re so right. And what about all of the movies starting with the death of a parent. That really, really irks me … or both of the parents. Weird.
I am SO with you ladies on this. I’m irritated beyond belief. Son’s fav movie right now is Finding Nemo… and he loves to watch it with his dad. Wonder why?
I just can’t believe how much death in general are present in Disney movies. Movies for kids! Try explaining death to a two-year old. I wish I would not have exposed him. I think I’m going to try to break the Nemo habit and then introduce Dora DVDs and shiz. At least people are dying left and right–or trying to kill Dora!
I meant, AREN’T dying…
I wrote a few paragraphs on how I see Disney movies differently. Two distinct points: Perception of women and full-time solo dads. Yet when I went to post my comments I saw the turn towards death…so a different comment came.
First hand I have seen these as opportunities to guide our kids. Death is an aspect of our lives that is not only inevitable, but painful, especially for our kids. Our kids do not have the knowledge or experience that we do. Thus they are confused when dealing with the death of a loved one or even a cartoon character. From all that I have read and been counseled…”healthy emotionally stable kids do not achieve real understanding that death is irreversible, permanent, and inevitable until age 10″. Death is a hard one for many adults to deal with, much less teach children. I guess I could write a book on grief and death from what I have learned via my kids and our walk through this. I know that if I would have looked at these movies as a teaching moment when we first saw them…then just maybe they would have understood mommy’s death better. But I didn’t…because I didn’t have a reason or desire to at the time.
I am sure we could find other stories in the films; yet It is my belief that our personal stories speak the loudest. So use them to help teach your kids to see the truth about life as it relates to your belief structures.
Great post QT…really got me thinking…may take the idea of your blog and expound upon it.
Your personal story is something most parents don’t have to deal with JustAMan, and I know I speak for MANY of us when I say that it sounds as if you’ve dealt with it in the best way possible, for you and your kids.
Disney loves extremes. The bigger the emotional roller coaster, the bigger the “wee!!” factor. I wouldn’t be surprised if killing a parent off in the beginning taps into a subconscious fear of growing up without a parent, or in their typical case, without a mother.
ie. don’t take it personally, single moms! Disney is simply out to make a buck! lol
I must say I had a little giggle when I read your blog. I had never really thought about it the way you made me think. Great job at even getting me to think lol.
As a mom of 3 I have had to explain many a time to mine as to why this or that happens in the movies. My 12 year old breaks down every movie he sees to the very basic plots and reasons why someone would say, do , or think that way. So when it comes to Disney yes I have had to answer questions as to why did the mom turn mean, died, was never even there, left them, didn’t love them etc.]
Wonder what ever happened to being able to just enjoy a film??? lol
FYI….
Yes there is a mother is Sleeping beauty, shes sends her away to be protected from the evil queen.
101 dalmatians has a mom too and she’s great. Never gives up on finding the pups.
Peter Pan has a mom as well. She looks for, stays up watches for and prays for hers to come home.
And although there are more…
The fox and the hound does not have a mother but a very kind lady that takes in Todd and raises him.
So although for the most part I agree with you about the way Disney portrays Moms and women, there are a few that they do very nicely.
Thanks and have a great day!
Thanks for the comment, Mad House! Glad to have made you giggle.
and soo many hunters. someone is always being chased by hunters!!
I just came back from Disney about 4 days ago and it was so much fun! I came upon this post via a friend an thought to read it in curiosity.
Me and my friends last year were all together on a bus and discussed this while watching Finding Nemo. “Why is it the parents either die or just don’t take place at all?” To be honest it has never bothered me to the point where I would worry. You would have to know though, I am not a parent, and only one who takes care of her sister mainly and took care of 8 other cousins growing up all my life. Watching these movies with them, it never really struck the chord of depression or shock or tattered their developing psyche. These stories are all classics, meant to take the worst of circumstances and bring them to the Disney’s code of movies: Where Dreams Come True. Yes there is the sadness, and as is in any movie we have to start somewhere. But I don’t blame Disney as much also because of these key points:
The Little Mermaid: In the true story of the Little Mermaid, she commits suicide because the prince finds another love and thus jumps into the sea and destroys herself…but she goes to heaven. So I guess that’s the up side? But as you can see Disney at least gave her a father who looked for her all night long, and tried to make sure that she had acceptance from him at the end which strengthened the bond between them.
Alice in Wonderland: This book it is based off of is a complete turn around from the movie. To be honest most kids would not understand. Alice is very young in the book, and even odder things happen that children would not get. Disney childized it and made it seem like a more “fairy-tale” appeal that wasn’t too gory or appalling. And she had to have parents because she has a sister at the beginning. And in the book she does have parents
But the book doesn’t say much about them so it would be pointless in the movie.
There are a few more but I’m getting ore of typing, lol And this isn’t a bash, or trying to be a stubborn know-it-all. I completely understand why some would be offended, especially parents. But compared to what they know of today: Rape, Abuse, Scandals, Pornography, and so much more that can’t be stopped at times…I’d rather my kid know that there are happy endings even in the worst circumstances and all seems lost. And at least they aren’t reading the more saddening versions of the fairy tales. lol It would be hard to explain suicide over real love. : /
Great post, and sorry for the long reply…Who knew I had this much to say so early?
In Love,
joyfulpraisegirl
Hi Joyful! Oh I’m not offended, my girl still loves the movies, no matter what. I hadn’t noticed the lack of mothers until she pointed it out, actually.
Thanks for visiting!
One of the things I’ve noticed recently is in regards to the Little Mermaid. All little girls who watch it want to be mermaids but Ariel spends the entire movie hating the fact that she is a mermaid!!! Talk about weird…
[...] lost both of her parents previously, but is being raised by BOTH an aunt and an uncle. Read this post for a great discussion of how mothers are underrepresented in Disney movies. [...]
I’m on the other side of the spectrum. I’m helping my brother raise his darling daughter (Her Mom abandoned her and later passed away due to her addictions) She is 6. There are so few books and television shows that center on Fathers and Daughters. I’m not happy about all the parental deaths in the Disney Films but I do have to say it is so nice to have a few films like the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast that show loving involved Dad’s.