“Happily ever after” is a phrase that has consumed childhoods, thanks to Disney.
The characters of Cinderella, Mickey Mouse and The Lion King have all become common household names. The company is an entertainment network that is watched by millions, everyday, all over the world. It is the place where dreams become reality.
But one has to wonder if that is necessarily a good thing.
Disney does display diverse stories that many kids find themselves relating to in some ways. However, children may have a hard time understanding that a character’s life is purely fictional and not always realistic in the real world.
Although Disney pushes kids to use their imagination and dream big, that mentality may set kids up for disappointment.
For example, Disney princesses are known to be beautiful, caring and usually have a love for animals. These princesses are what many little girls aspire to be. However, the idea of a “prince charming’’ who is going to save them from their troubles is not a dream that should be idealized.
Not to say that finding true love is not a real thing, but to implement the idea that a “prince” is supposed to be one’s savior is not realistic. Little girls should grow up with the belief that they can do it all by themselves. They do not need to be saved by a prince.
Furthermore, the ideas that Disney presents about high school are not reflected in the real world. The company takes cliques to a whole new level.
Although in high school most people do have a friend group, they usually contain people with varying interests. One may be friends with someone through a sport or extracurricular activity, but it is not uncommon for them to have friends outside of those as well.
This reality is not present in Disney’s films. In High School Musical the cliques at the start of the movie were very prominent: jocks, nerds, drama kids, cheerleaders and skaters. They did not mix.
Even though by the end of the movie they came together for the musical, the idea of such strict groups is unrealistic. In high school one can be friends with an assortment of people and there doesn’t have to be a musical involved to do so.
Finally, Disney unintentionally reinforces societal beauty standards. Sleeping Beauty and other female characters have impossible waists, big doe eyes, small feet and clear skin. Meanwhile, Prince Charming and other male characters are tall, muscular and chiseled.
When kids are growing up their minds are very impressionable, so looking up to these characters may cause them to be unhappy with themselves. Disney characters are unrealistic, no one will ever look like them. However, children may not understand that and can question why they don’t look that way.
So, even though Disney provides a space where kids can let their imagination run wild, it is important to realize that it also creates unrealistic expectations that can lead children to be disappointed with reality.
“Happily ever after” does not always look as it appears through Disney.
