One form of media that has affected our society … Disney
Disney? You ask. How? Why? And isn’t he dead? Well … yes, but that doesn’t mean anything to us right now.
Interesting enough, I took a class a few semesters back at Arizona State University, and one course I took for the hell of it was “Love, Sex, and Romance in the Media,” taught by Dr. Mary-Lou Galician. It was one of the best courses I’ve taken thus far. (Though the course title in itself is an eyebrow raiser … people questioned me…)
The course itself was about breaking down all the typical love myths we all know and love.
Example: The love of a good and faithful true woman can change a man from a “beast” into a “prince.”
Now how does that relate to Disney? Well doesn’t that love myth sound like Beauty and the Beast?
Try to associate this couple to the term rescue fantasy. Dr. Galacian wrote a book (with the same title as the class) and found out that movies such as Beauty and the Beast illustrate just what a lot of couples go through in our society when it comes to romance. The whole damsels-in-distress being rescued by knights-in-shining-armor. I bet that you (the reader) probably know someone or a couple in this situation where the man or woman feels the need to rescue the other. Another real world example, the man is always mentally or/and emotionally abusive to others or to the woman, but she stays because she believes she can change him. Honestly … it seems odd why anyone would do such a thing, but it is one of the most common reason or at least a reasons that is subconscious. (Although, most would deny this.)
One of many love myths brought on by the media … in this case … Disney. Course Beauty and the Beast is NOT the only movie that causes concern for your future children’s love life … no no, keep in mind Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty (who just sleeps the WHOLE time … ) etc.
This is just a snippet of what I thought was interesting. There are many little girls in our society who dream everyday to be like one of the Disney “princesses.” I would at least educate them and say, “Don’t believe everything you see on TV.”
Dr. Galician also developed a “Love Quiz” on her website Realistic Romance, which I think is very interesting and entertaining. The quiz will ask you (the reader) the 12 different love myths and if you think they are true or false … it would then determine how much you really read into this media biz.
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Dr. Galician has received a lot of acclaim for her Love Quiz and other work on love, sex and romance in the media. Given Americans’ appetite for this subject, she’ll probably never run out of subject matter!
How would you educate all those little girls who want to be Disney princesses? Would you teach media literacy in junior high or high school? Would you try to change how Disney and the media portray females?
Really great site with a lot of good information!! Keep up the good work!
I like your diary.
Chasing Contentment
Going through my blogroll of favorite sites, I read a neat post by “One form of media that has affected our society … Disney « A Reflection on our Society…”, since I liked it, I thought readers of Chasing Contentment would enjoy rea…
its a really good story!!