All of us have probably heard of or have partaken in watching some kind of Disney film. Whether it be Cinderella or even a personal favourite of mine, Mulan. We all have our own perception of Disney and that unique lens I believe has contributed in dictating how we essentially perceive the world too.

One could argue how Disney has done more harm than good while others argue of the wonders it has done in shaping their childhoods for the better. I prefer to not align myself with either side but rather see Disney not at face value for the many movies but more so for how the ideas depicted in the movies that I would not say have bettered me but perhaps led me to question a lot of the knowledge I have and if that knowledge is truly correct.

An instance of me questioning the knowledge handed to me through watching Disney movies lies with the fact that a lot of Disney movies display an exclusively monotonous relationship between typically the “masculine” male and “Damsel in distress” female leads. Movies like Cinderella, Snow White, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid follow this familiar archetypal romantic interaction. We could go on and on about how this is such a toxic and one-sided ideal to instil in children at such a young age but has anyone ever thought on the flip side “Hey, this seems kind of repetitive. I wonder if there are other kinds of relationships?” I sure did! Picture an eight-year-old me profusely trying to research the spectrum of relationships getting into gender identity, discrimination, and so many other complex issues. I can say as a kid who puts Curious George to shame, I did learn quite a bit about not only the LGBTQ+ community but also get this, polyamory; the practice of engaging in multiple relationships with the consent of all the people involved. It was fascinating to learn that there was indeed a flip side to monogamy and this whole heterosexual craze! It was an idea that had never crossed my mind (fairly so, I was at the young age of eight) but when I learned that the ideal of relationships Disney displayed was less than 1/4 of the intricate puzzle of relationships, I felt so enlightened and exhilarated about me finishing that puzzle!

Contrary to popular belief, Disney movies are not only used as an apparatus to brainwash children into being close-minded people when they grow up but more as a way to add curiosity and kind of open discussion up about the knowledge children gain from their movies. As most realize, anything out of the ordinary attracts the eyes and ears of the many children in this world just like myself so I say “Thank you” to Disney rather than “You ruined me and my perception of the world”.

The moral of the story, (fairy tale would be more suitable) is the fact that Disney has changed people. Sometimes positively, other times negatively. We need to acknowledge that Disney hasn’t only done harm but also has created this curiosity because of the scarily unreasonable and overused ideal. Now I know we could go on all day about the philosophy of Disney but I believe I have made my perspective known.

I hope everyone gets to a point in their life where they question why the knowledge they have is as it as and if there is anymore knowledge that they can find. In the least satirically sounding way possible, be thirsty.