Deconstructing Disney Rachel Casey, Erin Casey

Meet Erin and Rachel, two life-long Disney fans who've decided to take on the Disney film catalog with a critical lens. In this introductory episode, they share some Disney memories, quiz each other on Disney trivia, and explain what "deconstructing" actually means. To all who come to this happy podcast, welcome!

Erin and Rachel discuss Disney's first full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, snidely referred to by critics as "Disney's Folly" before its release and subsequent box office success in 1937. The hosts unpack the impact of this groundbreaking film on popular culture, including its sexist and ableist themes.

Erin and Rachel offer a less favorable take on Disney’s Pinocchio (1940) than the 100% Rotten Tomato rating of this film might suggest. They discuss the historical context of WWII in which the film was released and consider how this relates to the film’s themes about morality and family relationships.

Erin and Rachel review Disney’s Fantasia (1940) segment by segment and discuss the film’s repeated racist, female objectifying, and fatphobic imagery. But the music and unicorns are pretty! Maybe there’s a reason Disney likes to focus on Sorcerer Mickey when they talk about this film...

Erin and Rachel unpack Disney’s pachyderm-focused 1941 film, Dumbo. This beloved classic helped Walt Disney Studios recover financially from previous box office busts and an animator strike. Despite being the shortest Disney animated film at only 64 minutes, there’s no shortage of racism, sexism, or horrifying elephant-based hallucinations.

Hear how “twitterpated” Erin and Rachel both are with Bambi (1942), the delightful classic that chronicles the lives of forest creatures with a heavy-handed conservationist agenda. Widely panned by critics following its initial release, this is the first time the grade Erin assigned on behalf of 1942 viewers is lower than the grade Rachel assigned based on a current day perspective!