Disney as a Socialization Agent

After examining a great number of Disney films, it has become readily apparent that Disney is a vastly powerful socialization agent, not only in how negative and persistent its messages are, but also in how it operates within society.  Out of the movies that I analyzed, only five featured characters of color, but each of them were problematic in its own way. The representations of race within these Disney films are worth discussing because they shape how children view their world.   Disney plays such a huge role in the lives of children (especially in the lives of girls), that constant exposure to some of these racist and sexist sentiments socialize them to internalize some of these ideas.

The prevalence of Disney in children’s media is outstanding. Just in the few times that I’ve visited my parents, my baby siblings have been consuming either the Disney channel, a Disney movie, playing with Disney toys, or reading a Disney book.  Educating children about these racist and sexist ideas would be a logical way to counteract these messages, but children are exposed to these messages at such a young age that this socialization is almost an inevitability if exposure goes unmediated.

However, that doesn’t mean that education isn’t an answer for children that grow old enough to comprehend concepts like racism and sexism.  Considering how much television children consume on a daily basis, viewing media through an analytical lens, as well as through social justice lenses with respect to racism and sexism, is an absolute necessity and something that parents need to consider when exposing their children to any film or television show.



Yet another Disney film that features a total of zero people of color.

The really awesome thing about Brave is that it is a movie that is dedicated to the growth of a mother-daughter relationship. At the end, I definitely felt like giving my ma a call and seeing how things were going. This intergenerational relationship is the center of the film, and it’s a nice deviation from finding a true love. The lack of romantic motivation is refreshing. 

Brave is really unique in a film in the sense that Merida is a princess that wants nothing to do with the realm of love. In an archery contest for her hand in marriage, Merida enters in disguise and then wins with triumph. But being a princess, her primary concerns were still princess-like (what to wear, feminine skill training, getting married, etc). Merida is a rebellious tomboy, which is a lot of fun, but she was shoved into the cookie-cutter role of a princess and it just isn’t a place that fits her. 

Merida is a warrior, like Mulan. She believes she is not burdened by gender roles nor should she have to adhere to them. Her mother, however, thought differently, and through a course of events, Merida’s mother, Elinor, is transformed into a bear. Instantly filled with regret, Merida discovers she must mend the tapestry of the family that she tore in a tantrum to break the spell before it comes permanent.

Now why would our brave (no pun intended) warrior have to save her people, herself, and her mother with a traditionally feminine skill? Was this just another part of being forced into the princess trope? Or did Merida overcome something that was difficult for her, as she was not that great at needlework to begin with (and the needlework completed by her is shabby anyway)?

Feminist rating: 10/10

Passes Bechdel Test

Fails Racial Bechdel Test






Chi Fu


Feminist Rating: 7/10

Fails Bechdel Test

Passes Racial Bechdel Test


Starting this off with: THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 0 POC IN THIS WHOLE FILM. 0. 0 POC. 

Cinderella is a problematic princess from the moment the movie begins. Right off the bat, when her father remarries and she is tormented by her step-mother, step-sisters, and even the cat, we see Cinderella become the embodiment of the cult of woman. She is, essentially, the perfect woman. She does chores without complaining, does the cooking without complaining, all the while being sweet, nice, kind, thoughtful, and pleasant to be around. She is thin, blonde, blue eyed, and loving. Give me a break.

The ruler of the kingdom decides his son must marry so that he can meet his grandchildren before he dies. He orchestrates a dramatic and over-compensating ball where the single women of the land must be on their best behavior, look the most attractive, and all around compete for one man’s attention. His name is literally Prince Charming. There’s nothing quite like promoting girl-on-girl competition, Disney, for girls to feel the need to replicate as they get older. And remember the ball was thrown specifically to find a wife for the prince to procreate with. In Cinderella, it seems, women are nothing more than breeding stock that must preen and parade themselves around men, vying for their attention.

The step sisters are animated quite different from Cinderella. With Cinderella as the embodiment of the cult of womanhood, it naturally spurns the audience from the sisters. They are loped in with the antagonist, Lady Tremaine, and are unladylike, unfeminine, and larger bodied.

Another issue I take with this film is that Prince Charming fell in love with Cinderella on sight. This encourages the already damaging social norm that women are only worth what they look like. Would Prince Charming have found her attractive in her maid garb? I’d like to hope so, but with the little attention he was giving the other women at the ball, would he have even given a servant-looking woman a thought? He was very kind to her at the end with the shoe search, but that was after he  was already “in love” with her.

Takeaways from Cinderella as a socialization agent: 
women are meant to clean
women are meant to cook 
women have to be thin
women have to be attractive
women have to be kind ALL THE TIME
women have to be gentle ALL THE TIME

and you will bag a man sans effort

Feminist rating: 0/10

Fails Bechdel Test

Fails Racial Bechdel Test



Biggest Gripes







Feminist rating: 5/10

Passes Bechdel Test

Passes Racial Bechdel Test