6
Credit: DisneyIf you’ve been following any form of social media recently, you’ll know that there are generally two types of Disney fans. Those who spend most of their time enjoying the magic, and those that will loudly proclaim that famous refrain of “go woke, go broke.” While Disney Movies and the company has indeed made several mistakes on both sides of that debate, it’s very familiar territory for them.
With prime examples like Zootopia and even colossal blunders like Strange World, Disney repeatedly makes itself known in today’s social and political climates. Although there are indeed many voices criticizing the company’s leanings, the message at its core is one that has been “indoctrinating” all of us for the past century.
Disney Movies Have Always Been “Woke”
@dappermanatee WOKE DISNEY! #dappermanatee #formercastmember #wokedisney #lessons #disneyworld #castmemberproblems #disneyparks #disneypoint #castmemberproblems #disneyparks #disneystorytime #disneyworld #disneytiktok #castmember #castmemberlife #castmembersecrets
@dappermanatee on TikTok is a former Disney Cast Member that frequently shares his more intimate experiences with the Walt Disney Company, in and out of the Parks. While he’s certainly not the only individual on the platform to hold these views, he makes a very interesting point when he says,
“It’s not that they’re being indoctrinated, they’re learning the difference between right and wrong. Disney just helps them get there.”
What some viewers aren’t going to realize is what comes from that one phrase. At the core of almost all Disney movies, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to even something as recent as the Star Wars series or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is the triumph of good over evil.
Although many of the TikTok’s points are open to debate, the fact that Disney has been holding up a mirror to modern culture for decades is an undisputed fact. Yes, there was indeed a battle of pink and blue and it was a pretty big deal. However, the true issue that Disney tries to conquer in almost all of their productions hits far deeper than movies about princesses and dragons.
Related: Disney World’s Art of Manipulation
Disney movies are no substitute for true training, but they do have one indestructible and indisputable message. Out of all the great Disney fairytales like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and so on, what is the number one value that Disney has pushed since the very beginning? “True love conquers all” Or perhaps the more applicable and accepted term, “love one another.”
Is Disney really woke, or is our culture the one that’s really changed? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!