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Kennedy GreenEnglish 102Professor Skrobacki25 April 2017The Impact of Walt Disney’s Films on SocietyWalt Disney is a name impressed into every American’s brain as the man who made dreams come true and the guy who created Mickey Mouse. He is also known for being the pioneer to animation by bringing something new to the film industry in the 1930s. Walt Disney’s films are known to be fantastic and top notch quality. While some people have a positive outlook on Disney films others would disagree. That being said, whether or not people view what he created as a positive or negative, it does have an impact on society and culture of today and of the past. Positively, Disney advanced technology, boosted tourism business, and inspired people of all ages. Negatively, the Disney Company sends a bad message to children, supports materialism, and uses social manipulation. But before Disney could even grow his company and create films for people to spectate, he began with a rough childhood and a challenging start to his career. Walt Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago Illinois, to his father Elias Disney, and mother Flora Call Disney. His early childhood was not all fun and games as he grew up in a poor family with four other siblings, three brothers and one sister. When Walt was five years old his father, Elias, purchased a farm in Marceline, Missouri ("Walt Disney Biography"). Most of Walt’s childhood was spent there; his “adolescent years were ruled by a repressive, increasingly cruel father who was incapable of love and affection” (Crosby). Unfortunately, Walt had a tough upbringing and a relentless father. On the farm, he had endless chores to do and experienced a lack of companionship with his family. He found friendship with the animals on the farm and began to love nature and wildlife (Walt Disney, A Short Biography). Eventually, when they moved to Kansas City, the treatment by his father was no better. Once there, his father made Walt and one of his older brothers, Roy, work to contribute to the newspaper. They were subjected to running the newspaper route at 3:30 in the morning all year around, and unfortunately they did not receive any wages or allowances for their work (Crosby). What had to be one of the worst parts of Walt’s childhood was that his father thought nothing of taking a switch to his boys to administer the ‘corrective’ beatings that became a part of their daily routine. At the slightest provocation, Elias Disney would march them to the woodshed and dispense his brutal punishments. (Crosby) All of Walt’s hard work and heavy handed punishments as a kid required him to grow up with no true childhood, which left him with a creative mind seeking escape to the fantasy world. Walt Disney’s passion for art started at a young age in Marceline, Missouri, where he found himself starting to draw and paint and selling his pieces to neighbors and family friends. He also attended McKinley High School in Chicago during the day; this is where he took photography classes and was a cartoon artist for the school newspaper. At night, he would take courses at the Chicago Art Institute. Once he was sixteen, Disney dropped out of school to enlist in the Army, but he was underage. Instead, he joined the Red Cross and was sent to France to drive an ambulance for a year (Walt Disney). It is said that the ambulance he drove was “covered from stem to stern, not with stock camouflage, but with Disney cartoons” (“Walt Disney, A Short Biography”). So, it is safe to say that how he grew up contributed to his inspiration for animated films. Though Disney had a strong passion for art as a child, that did not mean that starting his career was going to be easy.Walt Disney had learned from an early age the meaning of hard work and responsibility, but being in the Red Cross had thrusted him into adulthood quickly. It had matured and established values in a way that once he returned back from France he did not want to finish out high school (Jackson 4). So, he went to Kansas City and got a job as a commercial artist apprentice, drawing sketches for advertisements. It was here that he became friends with Ub Iwerks, an important person to the start of Disney’s career. They held that job for a while until they both got laid off. Disney and Iwerks decided to combine their talent and start their own business called Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists. Their partnership did not last long and they decided to work for a different company that offered more money than what they were making with their own company (Jackson 5-6). Later, after they had acquired more skills and felt ready to try to build a company again, they did. This time it was called Laugh-O-Grams where they created short gag films, most common their Alice in Cartoonland, with a staff of animators. Sadly, he had to declare bankruptcy due to insufficient funds (Jackson 6). Once more, Disney tried again, this time with the help of his brother Roy. Roy and Disney pooled enough money together to move to Hollywood and started Disney Brother’s Studio along with Iwerks at their side. Their first deal was with a New York distributor named Margaret Winkler Mintz to produce their Alice cartoons. Here, Disney created the character, Oswald The Lucky Rabbit (Jackson 7). This character was very successful with its ten short animated films that were distributed by Margaret. Due to Oswald creating a fair amount of profit, Margaret and her husband, Charles Mintz, decided to steal the rights to him and convince many of Disney’s animators to work for them, except Iwerks (Jackson 8). Walt Disney met many challenges along the way at the start of his career but he never gave up on his dreams persevering through the most difficult of times. But the best was yet to come for him and he knew it by saying, “You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you” (“Walt Disney Quotes”). This might have been a disappointing time for Walt, as he had just lost the rights to one of his most successful characters, but if this would not have happened there would not have been the famous iconic Mickey Mouse. Disney’s animated films from here on out were began to grow and get better. This led to Disney advancing technology; he was the first to make a synchronized sound film in an animated feature called Steamboat Willie in 1928 (Jackson 16). He saw that movies like this held potential. There were other filmmakers thought nothing about it saying they were “short-lived” and were concerned that the sound would take away from the action that was going on (Jackson 17-18). Due to this never being done before, Disney made sure he had a plan. Knowing the film in Steamboat Willie moved through the camera at twenty-four frames per second, he was able to calculate the ratio of frames to each bar of music (Jackson 19). Though it may seem simple, he ran into some trouble when trying to collect enough money to get a band for the music. Right away Steamboat Willie was a hit, “The first sound cartoon and its animated star Mickey Mouse were on their way to becoming American classics” (Jackson 16). The film shook the nation so much that when Disney tried to find a distributor for a new film without Mickey as the main character no one was eager to show it. Mickey continued to be a national phenomenon even when the Great Depression hit, as it was an escape and enjoyment for people (Jackson 19). Another major advancement in animation technology Disney had was releasing the first cartoon in Technicolor called, Flowers and Trees, in 1932 (“Technicolor”). Disney was determined to be the first person to make this happen and was hoping it would be successful just like his Mickey Mouse films. This film was not made without trial and error. The paint used to create the vibrant colors was called full-color three-strip Technicolor which they used for two years. Unfortunately, the paint did chip in the process, but Disney and his technical staff developed a new grade of paint that solved their problems. The hard work of the company paid off, the film was a success and became the first cartoon ever to win an Academy Award (Jackson 20). Disney did not only create animated films but also made Disneyland, which contributed, and still does contribute, to the booming tourism in the United States. Disneyland opened July 17, 1955 in Anaheim, California (Walt Disney). It is known as a place where children and their families can explore, enjoy rides, and meet the Disney characters. In a very short time the park had increased its investment tenfold and was entertaining tourists from around the world (Walt Disney). Since 1955 more than 600 million guests have visited Disneyland, almost double the current population in the United States (Sim). Due to Disneyland being as successful as it is, people come from around the world to experience it thus boosting airline and hotel business. Disney films have inspired people of all ages; he said “I don’t make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty” (“Walt Disney Quotes”). Disney inspired people to never give up and to go after their dreams. Like the theme song says, “When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true” (“Walt Disney - When You Wish Upon A Star”). Disney wholly believed that “if you can dream it, you can do it” (“Walt Disney Quotes”), that nothing was impossible and he was the living truth of that. He came from rough beginnings, to creating a whole empire with films and theme parks for people to enjoy. Some believe Disney films are an inspiration while others think it dangerous for children to watch. When talking about the negative effects Disney has on society, there is a lot of talk of his films giving bad messages to children. One example is Disney’s famous “Sleeping Beauty.” The problem brought to light about most of his movies, including this one, is that the female character is extraordinarily beautiful and unrealistically skinny depending on a prince to save the day with a kiss. This sends a bad message to young girls, that they need to look just like that and not be their own heroes. Not only does it send a bad message to girls, but it does to boys too. Most male characters in Disney movies are overlooked and are just there to be strong but silent and to save the day (Castillo). This seems to be a reoccurring theme in many Disney princess movies, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 to Cinderella in 1950. A mother of two girls says she does not like older Disney princess stories. Though, she lets her girls watch them she does not want them believing that that is how they are supposed to act, “In the society that we live in today I don’t want my girls thinking that it is okay to always change for your man and that you have to be beautiful and skinny to be a princess” (Jones). Materialism is “a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values” (Merriam Webster). This is when someone is so focused on the physical things that it becomes the sole focus in their life. Disney’s company has been accused of being “a major culprit of fostering materialism in society” (Purdy). The Disney company has made it seem like people need all of the toys, clothes, games, and any other product they put out for consumers. Jones contributed to this belief by stating, “my children always want the next thing that comes out, whether they see it on TV or if we are in the store grocery shopping. They can’t just enjoy the movie, they need the toy or plushy that goes with it too” (Jones). This makes for a materialistic society.Walt Disney’s company is so massive that what it does and its messages will reach out to people worldwide. Negatively, this causes for social manipulation. This means that Disney can take advantage of na?ve people and send bad messages through their characters, shows, and music (Purdy). The company has a channel on TV called Disney Channel started in 1983 (“History of Disney Channel”). This channel is very popular and has many funny kid shows. Most of these shows have kids in them doing bad things and getting away with it without any consequences. Like in the show Jessie, there are four kids who are constantly cared for by a babysitter because their parents are rich and constantly out of town. The kids go against the babysitter’s wishes in every show, doing gags for a quick laugh from the audience, which is fine. What is not okay is that because their parents are never home, the children get away with it consistently. Also, because the babysitter is portrayed as a pushover, the children always get their way (Magary).A few blogs online have brought to light that these shows are causing children to act different. In a blog called Disney is Ruining My Kid a woman and her husband started noticing different behavior in their daughter. She was not acting like herself, like she was putting on a show. The mom said she would flip her hair and act sassy. After watching some of the shows on Disney Channel, she called some shows “absolute trash.” She then asked her daughter if she was acting similar to the people on TV and she would admit she was getting some of her sayings and jokes from Disney Channel (“Disney is Ruining My Kid”). Whatever the Disney company believes will be infused into the minds of peoples’ children.The above that are stated are true concerns of people but the cons do not outweigh the pros of Disney’s films on society and culture. Many people are concerned with Disney sending a bad message to children through the way the characters look and how the story plays out. What these people fail to realize is that these animated films are cartoons and are “drawings of someone in a simplified or exaggerated way” (Merriam Webster). These films are make believe and are meant to bring enjoyment away from the outside world. They are fantasies maybe taken place in other realms, different universes, and different dates in time. It allows one to escape from the outside world because it is not the outside world. Thus, the parents allowing their children to watch should bring that to attention, if they are concerned with the negative effect it will have on their children choosing to believe that these films are based on real life and should be transferred to real life. Many of the claims against the Disney Company are sole decisions of parenting. With the claim of materialism, it is true that the company puts out many toys, clothes, and games for people to buy, but they are supposed to do that. They create these items because people who love their movies want to physically have something that reminds them of it. It is also a way of people showing their support for the company, which in turn makes the company want to create more films. It is the job of the parent to say no to the child if there are any problem with that. Lastly, on the topic of social manipulation. There is no doubt that Disney has a big voice when it comes to certain things, especially television. The shows they create by Disney are put out are seen worldwide in 163 different countries and 34 different languages (“Disney Channels Worldwide”). This means that many kids are watching. Some shows are mindless and put out are of poor quality which are meant for gags, an easy laugh from the audience. While some people view it this way it does not mean that all people do. Kids may enjoy it but parents do not, as they see the shows morals are transferring over to their children. This comes back to parents being the overseer to what their children watch and if they do not like what they see that Disney is putting out they have the authority to take it away. Even better, explain to their children what they do not like about it. While these are all important concerns, they are ones that can be easily fixed with the parents and guardians of the child. This as a whole does not have a negative effect on society. Money was not an ultimate goal for Disney and neither was trying to manipulate peoples’ minds into loving and buying everything he did. Walt Disney is a legend; a folk hero of the 20th century. His worldwide popularity was based upon the ideals which his name represents: imagination, optimism, creation, and self-made success in the American tradition. He brought us closer to the future, while telling us of the past, it is certain, that there will never be such as great a man, as Walt Disney. (Walt Disney A Short Biography)Wat Disney grew up with a rough childhood and had a challenging start to his career but that did not stop him from growing a successful business making films to theme parks for all. Some people have a positive and negative look on the Disney Company with society and culture. Positively did Disney, advance technology, boosted tourism business, and inspire people of all ages? Negatively does the Disney Company, send a bad message to children, support materialism, and use social manipulation? The answer is Disney had a positive impact on society and culture. He created something special that not only the nation but the world can connect with. The movies the Disney Company created and still creates bring people together and serves as a form of entertainment to brighten everyday lives. CitationsCarter, Christine. "What Makes Some Kids So Materialistic?"?Greater Good. N.p., 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.Crosby, Kevin J. "Walt Disney's Childhood."?Walt Disney's Childhood. Skews.Me, 24 June 2006. Web. 10 Apr. 2017. "Disney Channels Worldwide."?Disney ABC Television Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2017."Disney is Ruining My Kid."?IndeedIAm. N.p., 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2017."History of Disney Channel."?Disney Channel Team. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.Jackson, Kathy Merlock.?Walt Disney, A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1993. Print.Jones, L. (2017, March 25). Personal Interview.Magary, Drew. "Why Your Children's Television Program Sucks: Jessie."?Deadspin. , 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2017."Materialism."?Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.Sim, Nick. "17 Mind-Boggling Statistics About the Disneyland Resort."?Theme Park Tourist. N.p., 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 3 Apr. 2017."Technicolor: System 4, Glorious Technicolor 1932-1955."?The American Widescreen Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2017."Walt Disney A Short Biography."?Just Disney. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017."Walt Disney."?. A&E Networks Television, 03 Dec. 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2017."Walt Disney Biography."?Encyclopedia of World Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2017."Walt Disney - When You Wish Upon A Star."?Lyrics Keeper. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2017."Walt Disney Quotes."?BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2017."Walt Disney Quotes."?Notable Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2017. ................
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