Deconstructing Disney

Rachel Casey, Erin Casey

Two life-long Disney fans take on the Disney film catalog, beginning with the animated features, and discuss with a critical lens. New episodes the first Tuesday of every month. @DeconDisney on social media.

  1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    PUNTATA 2

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    Episode Summary 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.    Episode Bibliography Aloff, M. (2013). Disney’s Snow White at 75. Virginia Quarterly Review, 89(1), 238-244.  England, D. E., Descartes, L., Collier-Meek, M. A. (2011). Gender role portrayal and the Disney princesses. Sex Roles, 64, 555-567.  Esmail, S., Darry, K., Walter, A., & Knupp, H. (2010). Attitudes and perceptions towards disability and sexuality. Disability Rehabilitation,  32(14), 1148-1155.  [fireurgunz]. (2008, August 12). Walt Disney’s multiplane camera (Filmed: Feb. 13, 1957) [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdHTlUGN1zw Frome, J. (2013). Snow White: Critics and criteria for the animated feature film. Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 30(5), 462-473. DOI: 10.1080/10509208.2011.585300 Higgs, S. (2016). Damsels in development: Representation, transition, and the Disney princess. Screen Education, 83, 62-69.  Hovdestad, W. E., Hubka, D., & Tonmyr, L. (2009). Unwanted personal contact and risky situations in ten Disney animated feature films. Child Abuse Review, 18, 111-126.  Kuhn, A.F. (2010). Snow White in 1930s Britain. Journal of British Cinema and Television, 7(2), 183-199.  Lenz, L. (2017, June 14). A brief history of dwarism. Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/social-justice/a-brief-history-of-dwarfism-and-the-little-people-of-america Little People of America. https://www.lpaonline.org/ Longworth, K. [Host]. (2015, March 31). 39: Star Wars Episode XIII: Walt Disney (39) [Audio Podcast Episode]. In You Must Remember This. Stitcher. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/you-must-remember-this/e/45778139 Miller, D.D. & Martin, P. (1956). My Dad, Walt Disney: Part 6 “Disney’s Folly.” Saturday Evening Post, 229(20). Retrieved February 28, 2020, from http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/Disneys-Folly1.pdf Morey, L., Hand, D., Sharpsteen, B., Jackson, W., Pearce, P., Cottrell, W. (Directors). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. (1937). The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Animation Studios. Disney+. Pfeiffer, Lee (2010, July 12). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 28, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Snow-White-and-the-Seven-Dwarfs-film-1937 Tóth, Z. A. (2017). Disney’s violent women: In quest of a ‘fully real’ violent woman in American cinema. Brno Studies in English, 43(1), 185-212. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 Film). In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 26, 2020, from https://web.archive.org/web/20200203011808/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_(1937_film) Whelan, B. (2012). Power to the princess: Disney and the creation of the 20th century princess narrative. Interdisciplinary Humanities, 29(1), 21-34.  Whitley, D. (1997). The idea of nature in Disney animation. Ashgate. Wright, T. M. (1997) Romancing the tale: Walt Disney's adaptation of the Grimms' “Snow White.” Journal of Popular Film and Television, 25(3), 98-108. Youngs, G. (1999). The ghost of Snow White. International Feminist Journal of Politics, 311-314.

    1 h 38 min
  2. Pinocchio

    PUNTATA 3

    Pinocchio

    Episode Summary 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.  Episode Bibliography Allan, R. (1999). Walt Disney and Europe: European Influences on the Animated Feature Films of Walt Disney. Indiana University Press. Barrier, M. (1999). Hollywood cartoons: American animation in its Golden Age. Oxford University Press. Collodi, C. (1926). The adventures of Pinocchio. (C. D. Chiesa, Trans.). (Original work published 1883). Retrieved from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Pinocchio/Chapter_1 Gilligan, C. (1977). In a different voice: Women's conceptions of self and of morality. Harvard Educational Review, 47(4), 481-517. Kohlberg, L. (1963). The development of children's orientations toward a moral order: I. Sequence in the development of moral thought. Vita Humana, 6(1), 11–33. Koski, G. (2014, November 11). How Pinocchio set the standard for feature animation. The  Dissolve. Retrieved from https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/815-how-pinocchio-set-the-standa rd-for-feature-animati/ Maltin, Leonard. (2000). The Disney Films. Disney Editions. Miller, D.D. & Martin, P. (1956). My Dad, Walt Disney: Part 6 “Disney’s Folly.” Saturday Evening  Post, 229(20). Retrieved from http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/Disneys-Folly1.pdf Pak, E. (2019). Walt Disney’s rocky road to success. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/news/walt-disney-failures Pinocchio (1940 Film). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from  https://web.archive.org/web/20200207091436/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinocchio _(1940_film) Robinson, T. & Rabin, N. (2014, November 11). Pinocchio’s Dark Horror-and Darker Source  Material. The Dissolve. Retrieved from  https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/816-pinocchios-dark-horrorand-darker-source-material/ Sharpsteen, B., & Luske, H. (Directors). (1940). Pinocchio [Film]. Walt Disney Productions.  Solomon, C. (1989). Enchanted drawings: The history of animation. Alfred A. Knopf. Susman, G. Disney's 'Pinocchio': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Animated Classic.   Moviefone. Retrieved from  https://www.moviefone.com/2015/02/07/disney-pinocchio-facts/ The Adventures of Pinocchio. In Wikipedia. Retrieved from  https://web.archive.org/web/20200106070844/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adve ntures_of_Pinocchio

    1 h 26 min
  3. Fantasia

    PUNTATA 4

    Fantasia

    Episode Summary 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... Episode Bibliography Armstrong, S., Algar, J., Roberts, B., Satterfield, P., Sharpsteen, B., Hand, D.D., Luske, H., Handley, J., Beebe, F., Hee, T., Ferguson, N., & Jackson, W. (Directors). (1940). Fantasia [Film]. Walt Disney Productions.   Clague, M. (2004). Playing in ‘toon: Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940) and the imagineering of classical music. American Music, 22(1), 91-109. Daly, S. (November 29, 1991). Changes in the restored version of “Fantasia.” Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved from https://ew.com/article/1991/11/29/changes-restored-version-fantasia/ Dotsey, C. (December 26, 2017). The Making of Fantasia: Disney’s Masterpiece. Houston Symphony. Retrieved from  https://houstonsymphony.org/disney-fantasia/ Fantasia (1940 film). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20200405220323/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasia_(1940_film) Gabler, J. (October 5, 2015). 'Rite of Spring': A classic 'Fantasia' segment, whether Stravinsky liked it or not. Classical Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved from https://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/10/05/rite-spring-fantasia Gabler, N. (November 2015). Disney’s “Fantasia” Was Initially a Critical and Box-Office Failure. Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/disney-fantasia-critical-box-office-failure-180956963/ [Official Business]. (February 22, 2019). Fantasia (1940) Sunflower comparison BEST QUALITY [Video]. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeE-yaev7bM Sergeant, D. C., & Himonides, E. (2019). Ochestrated sex: The representation of male and female musicians in world-class symphony orchestras. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1-18.

    1 h 39 min
  4. Dumbo

    PUNTATA 5

    Dumbo

    Episode Summary 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.  Episode Bibliography Andrews, T. (2019, March 29). The original ‘Dumbo’ was decried as racist. Here’s how Tim  Burton’s version addresses that. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/03/29/original-dumbo-was- decried-racist-heres-how-tim-burtons-version-addresses-that/ Booker, M. K. (2010). Disney, Pixar, and the hidden messages of children's films. Praeger.  Davis, J. M. (2002). The circus age: Culture and society under the American big top. University of North Carolina Press.  Dumbo. Wikipedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20200420212521/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbo Gullickson, B. (2019, April 1). ‘Dumbo’ Began Life As A Failed Novelty Concept. Film School Rejects. https://filmschoolrejects.com/dumbo-history/ Kirst, S. (March 22, 2019). The tale behind Dumbo, from Dick Case: How the little elephant took off in Syracuse. Syracuse.com. https://www.syracuse.com/kirst/2015/10/the_tale_of_dumbo_from_dick_case_the_little_elephant_took_off_in_syracuse.html LPA issues statement to abolish the “m” word. (2015, September). Little People of America.  https://www.lpaonline.org/the-m-word Longworth, K. [Host]. (2015, March 31). 39: Star Wars Episode XIII: Walt Disney (39) [Audio  Podcast Episode]. In You Must Remember This. Stitcher. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/you-must-remember-this/e/45778139 Longworth, K. [Host]. (2019, Oct. 21). 146: Disney’s Most Controversial Film (Six Degrees of Song of the South, Episode 1) (146) [Audio Podcast Episode]. In You Must Remember This. Stitcher. https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/you-must-remember-this/e/64754971 Mettler, K. (May 2, 2016). After 145 years, Ringling Bros. Circus elephants perform for the last time. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/05/02/after-145-years-ringling-bros-circus-elephants-perform-for-the-last-time/ Norman, F. (n.d.). Black crows and other PC nonsense. Mr. Fun’s Journal. https://floydnormancom.squarespace.com/blog/2019/4/27/black-crows-and-other-pc-nonsense Sharpsteen, B. (Director). (1941). Dumbo [Film]. Walt Disney Productions.

    1 h 20 min
  5. Bambi

    PUNTATA 6

    Bambi

    Episode Summary: 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!  Episode Bibliography: Bálint, E. (2013). The representation of women in Walt Disney’s productions in the studio era. Americana, 9(2), 8-8. Bambi. Wikipedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20200515132816/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambi Bambi, a Life in the Woods. Wikipedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20200515023159/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambi,_a_Life_in_the_Woods Brooks, K. (2017). Tyrus Wong, the ‘Bambi’ artists who endured America’s racism, gets his due. Chinese American Forum, 33(2), 32-33. Cartmill, M. (1993). The Bambi syndrome. Natural History, 102(6), 6-11. Dudley, S. (2018). The Making of Bambi: A Prince is Born (Full Documentary). Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmCiuNotEwU Hand, D. (Director). (1942). Bambi [Film]. Walt Disney Productions.  King, M. (1996). The audience in the wilderness. Journal of Popular Film & Television, 96(24), 60-69. Ross, M. (2012). The Biology of Bachelor Groups. Quality Deer Management Association. https://www.qdma.com/biology-bachelor-groups/ Salten, F. (1923). Bambi: A life in the woods. Ullstein Verlag. Taylor, D. E. (2000). The rise of the environmental justice paradigm: Injustice framing and the social construction of environmental discourses. American Behavioral Scientists, 43(4), 508-580. Whitley, D. (2012). The idea of nature in Disney animation: From Snow White to WALL-E (2nd ed.). Ashgate. Wills, J. (2011). Bambi. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/bambi.pdf

    1 h 17 min
  6. Saludos Amigos & The Three Caballeros

    PUNTATA 7

    Saludos Amigos & The Three Caballeros

    Episode Summary: As unofficial ambassador of Franklin Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor approach to foreign policy, Walt Disney traveled to South America on a so-called “goodwill tour,” the results of which were Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944). Join Erin and Rachel for this special double episode as they unpack the political and cultural influence of these lesser known “package” films.   Episode Bibliography: Adams, D. (2007). Saludos Amigos: Hollywood and FDR’s Good Neighbor Policy. Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 24(3), 289-295.  Ferguson, N., Geronimi, C., Kinney, J., & Roberts, B. (Directors). (1944). The Three Caballeros [Film]. Walt Disney Productions. Ferguson, N., Jackson, W., Kinney, J., Luske, H., & Roberts, B. (Directors). (1942). Saludos Amigos [Film]. Walt Disney Productions. Gluck, K. (2016). Walt and the Goodwill Tour. The Walt Disney Family Museum Blog. https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/walt-and-goodwill-tour Goldman, K. S. (2014). Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros: The representation of Latin American in Disney’s “Good Neighbor” films.  In J. Cheu (Ed.), Diversity in Disney films: Critical essays on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability (pp. 23-37). McFarland & Company. Good Neighbor Policy. Wikipedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20200430054658/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Neighbor_policy Growther, B. (1943). The Screen; ‘Saludos Amigos,’ a Musical Fantasy Based on the South American Tour Made by Walt Disney, Arrives at the Globe. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1943/02/13/archives/the-screen-saludos-amigos-a-musical-fantasy-based-on-the-south.html Minster, C. (2020). The history of Latin America in the Colonial Era." ThoughtCo. Retrieved from thoughtco.com/introduction-to-the-colonial-era-2136329. Nelson, A. K. (2017). José, Joe, Zé Carioca: Walt Disney’s Good Neighbor colonial “monument” in Brazil (Publication No. 6246) [Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University]. All Theses and Dissertations.  Ness, M. (2016). An Aggressive Escape from Reality: The Three Caballeros. Tor.com. https://www.tor.com/2016/08/11/an-aggressive-escape-from-reality-the-three-caballeros/ Ness, M. (2016). Donald Duck’s Goodwill Tour: Saludos Amigos. Tor.com. https://www.tor.com/2016/08/04/donald-ducks-goodwill-tour-saludos-amigos/ Riddle, S. (2020). Steve’s Wonderful Review of Disney: The Three Caballeros. Place to be Nation. http://placetobenation.com/steves-wonderful-reviews-of-disney-the-three-caballeros/ Saludos Amigos. Wikipedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20200519042935/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saludos_Amigos Saludos Amigos Holds its World Premiere in Rio de Janeiro. (1942). D23. https://d23.com/this-day/saludos-amigos-holds-its-world-premiere-in-rio-de-janeiro/ Telotte, J. P. (2007). Crossing borders and opening boxes: Disney and hybrid animation. Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 24(2), 107-116.  The Three Caballeros. Wikipedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20200519042905/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Caballeros Victory Through Air Power (film). Wikipedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20200410094036/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Through_Air_Power_(film)

    1 h 22 min
  7. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (BONUS EPISODE)

    PUNTATA 8

    The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (BONUS EPISODE)

    Episode Summary:  In this bonus episode, Erin and Rachel unpack The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), and debate which is the most frightening: the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, Mr. Toad’s untreated mental illness, or the complete lack of female and BIPOC representation in this film. Episode Bibliography: Burton, N. (2012). A short history of bipolar disorder. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201206/short-history-bipolar-disorder Conradt, Stacy. (2016). 11 Hair-Raising Facts About Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Mental Floss. Retrieved from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/87938/11-hair-raising-facts-about-disneys-legend-sleepy-hollow Cox, C., & Marland, H. (2018). “We are recreating Bedlam”: A history of mental illness and prison systems in England and Ireland. In A. Mills & K. Kendall (Eds.), Mental health in prisons: Critical perspectives on treatment and confinement. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539382/ Daigrepont, L. M. (1984). Ichabod Crane: Inglorious man of letters. Early American Literature, 19, 69-81. Grahame, K. (1908). The Wind in the Willows. Methuen. Grob, G. N. (1977). Rediscovering asylums: The unhistorical history of the mental hospital. The Hastings Center Report, 7(4), 33-41.  Johnson, D. (2014). Classic No. 11 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). The Disney Odyssey. Retrieved from https://thedisneyodyssey.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/classic-no-11-the-adventures-of-ichabod-and-mr-toad-1949/ Kinney, J., Geronimi, C., & Algar, J. (Directors). (1949). The adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad [Film]. Walt Disney Productions.  Irving, W. (2008). The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm.  Irving, W. (1996). The sketch-book of Geoffrey Crayon, gent. Oxford University Press.  The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20200611214531/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Ichabod_and_Mr._Toad

    1 h 23 min

Descrizione

Two life-long Disney fans take on the Disney film catalog, beginning with the animated features, and discuss with a critical lens. New episodes the first Tuesday of every month. @DeconDisney on social media.