Pussyfooting with Evil: Disney and the OtherMain MenuPussyfooting with EvilDisney and the OtherChapter 1Chapter 2First MoviesChapter 3Christen Kadkhodai4f1a22ca86629a98482907fea98a466b6f15a3a3
Chapter 4
12021-04-16T18:18:09+00:00Christen Kadkhodai4f1a22ca86629a98482907fea98a466b6f15a3a31022plain2021-04-16T18:18:26+00:00Christen Kadkhodai4f1a22ca86629a98482907fea98a466b6f15a3a3The central primary sources for this study are the Disney movies that highlight “Othering,” pro-American, and jingoist, themes. The representations, dialogue, and music of these films, unchanged since their release, were influenced and informed by Walt Disney himself, the studio’s major creative authority between the 1930s – 1960. This study will argue many of the cultural, ethnic, and political depictions in these films correspond directly with experiences and political ideals defined by Disney in interviews. Other important primary source material includes newspaper and magazine articles, especially film criticism, to help gauge public reaction to the films and assess how the themes resonated with general audiences at the time of release. While Disney films are often a reflection of the political zeitgeist of the moment, but they sometimes get ahead of it, this study asserts that the Disney Corporation often produced exceedingly jingoistic films. What many have come to assume embodied traditional American values during this period, were in fact, Walt’s values reflect in film. Other films released during these periods will provide crucial contextualization to understanding this nuance.