Walter Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago.
His family bought a farm and his father struggled
to raise his family. Four years of back-breaking work and the family sold out their farm, barely breaking even on his
investment. It was four years work with nothing to show. The family then found themselves in Kansas City
in 1910 when Walt was 8.
When Walt lived on the farm, he had his first exposure to movies in
a nearby theatre. Movies had just come into existence in 1895 and 1896, largely the work and research of Thomas Edison
in NJ, but by 1904-1914, movie theatres proliferated throughout the United States and other parts of the world. Millions in
the United States attended weekly by 1914. Disney became enamored with the movies and they became a part of his life.
He and his wife would date, going to the movies, Disney was married at 24.
Vaudeville and Burlesque, as it was back then,
also were influences on his life.
Disney
was fond of drawing and sketching, especially caricatures, which he made for 25-cents a piece in local barber shop. For
the better part of his childhood and into his teenage years he had an arduous newspaper route, for which he received only
a small allowance, his father taking most of the money for family expenses. Neither he nor his father were heavy drinkers;
Walt enjoyed a scotch in the evening as an adult after he had become successful.
Charley Chaplin was a Disney idol, the creation of Mickey Mouse
was influenced by Chaplin, however, Mickey Mouse was said to be a creation devoted to Horatio Alger.
Alger
was a writer that had studied under Henry W. Longfellow with the hopes of becoming a poet. He wrote scores of novels concerning
the American Dream, of a poor boy becoming rich through hard work and diligence. For a time he was
a minister, but was found guilty of molesting young boys. Nonetheless, his novels became a popular American
literary tradition during the early 1900s.
Disney and Politics
Walt's
father was a socialist, his family had English and Irish roots. Disney sketched political cartoons for his father's
socialist newspaper, however, he did not stick to his father's political persuasions and became more and more conservative,
in the American political tradition (more along the lines of Reagan's ideology), as he got older. He became staunchly
anti-communist, as Hollywood, of which Disney was a part, was effected by labor strikes and struggles with communist ideology
from within. Disney felt he would be a political cartoonist, but ended up pursuing what was gaining popularity in the early
1920s , that is cartoons.
Disney first cartoons
The first cartoons made started appearing from before 1914, and Felix the Cat (not Disney) preceded
Mickey Mouse, but failed to gain the huge success that Mickey Mouse did, although many of us can still remember the TV jingle,
"Felix the Cat, the wonderful wonderful cat.. whenever he gets in a fix he reaches into his bag of tricks," But Disney stated that Felix the Cat never evolved, had remained 2-dimensional, and didn't
grow in personality. Mickey was different, and much of Disney's own animated personality
was incorporated into the Mickey persona. When Mickey Mouse was first created he was to be known as Mortimor Mouse. His wife
objected, and the name was changed to Mickey. Disney had originally created a cartoon rabbit, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which had become somewhat well known. However, company for which Disney was working, stole, or took over, Disney's cartoon character, as Disney had not taken the necessary legal steps to protect his creation, and so Disney morphed his rabbit into a mouse, changing the ears, coloring and body. This became Mickey Mouse.
Mickey Mouse's first film, wasn't Steamboat Willy, as most of us might recall, but rather it was a flick of Mickey humorously flying a small plane, "Plane Crazy". This was a reflection of Disney's infatuation with airflight, influenced by the reading of Russian militarist Alexander P. DeSeversky's, Victory Through Air Power, as described later. His second feature was that of his dancing skeletons, a horror type spoof. Disney next featured Mickey Mouse in The Gallopin' Gaucho. Neither of these two Mickey flicks were successful, until finally Disney created Steamboat Willy, which succeeded in iconizing Mickey Mouse.
Disney provided the voice for the original Mickey Mouse, until excessive smoking rendered his voice incapable of carrying the character, at which point it was transferred to another actor.
Disney and
his family
In December of 1933 the Disney's had a little girl Diane Maria Disney. They later had a second little girl, their only
two children. The Disney's remained together until his death of cancer and circulatory failure in the 1960s, at the
time that the plans for Disney World were being approved by the city officials in Orlando, Florida. His brother Roy was his
business partner for all of the years of the Disney legacy, and continued to work with the Disney empire even after
Walt Disney's death. He was more sensible and level headed, but frequently got into blowout fights
with his impetuous brother Walter. Walt never got to see Disney World.
Walt Disney
had something a volatile temper. His family was aware of it and cautious. He had two daughters, and on one occasion, he reached
across the table and slapped his girl across the face. When he went to work he looked forlorn. An employee asked him
why, and he told her. "There must have been a good reason," the worker said. "Damn right," Disney,
she gave me "that dirty Disney look." After getting into a head to head battle with his brother, he always
seemed to be the one to go and make amends. His older daughter is said to have inherited his hot temper, and frequently got
into clashes with her father. Whereas his younger daughter is described as "his little girl," and didn't
inherit the fiery disposition.
On the other hand, with the foregoing in mind, Disney was considered by his family to be a good father, and husband. His wife spoke fondly of Walt Disney, as a good husband and father, and his family is very loyal to their father to this day. So while Disney had a temper and was explosive at times, was a work and smokaholic, he was also a good person to his family and others, and was not ill-liked, he had a sense of humor about himself and although he was very ambitious in his ideas, with a Ronald Reagen idealism of what he wanted to accomplish with his plans, he still didn't take himself personally all so seriously, as is reflected in his humorous work, which gives his most fondly remembered characters their folksy appeal, that has lasted for generations.
Child Abuse
Disney was the victim of child abuse himself from his boyhood years until the time he was 14, his father apparently thrashing
often, with whatever he could get his hands on to strike or beat the boys with.
The last event happened when Walt
was 14 years old, his father didn't like the speed of his work and sent him to the basement for a beating. His older
brother Roy shouted out encouragement, "Don't let him do it to you again. Don't let him treat you like a
boy." When his father grabbed the handle of a hammer to beat Walt, Walt grabbed it from his hands and held his father's
arms. His father broke down and cried and never beat him again. Interestingly, a scene in the animation Disney film
Pinocchio, so vividly corresponds with this experience of Walt at 14, that it is striking. It demonstrates that memories of
child abuse are long lasting even for adults many years later.
Disney's own difficult beginning in life is a reminder that often times child abuse takes place behind the scenes, and
that it is passed on from generation to generation, but at the same time, it is possible to break that chain of
abuse. Some have found their escape in fantasy, however, children and victims of abuse need to be anchored, they
need nurturers and protectors. All who are aware of this need can think about taking up work in assisting and caring
for children. In some states in the US and other countries, there is a need for teachers. Preschool and Kindergarten
teachers of high quality are also of much value. Special education teachers perform a vital role in caring for children with
special needs. This is true not only in the US, but in every country in the world today.
Sigmund Freud made the accurate comment before
WWI that we are enamored by fairy tales (Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty were folk tales for centuries in Germany
and some other countries. The Brother's Grimm were the first, in the 1700s to document these folk tales and put them
in writing), as a result of trying to regain the childhood that we may have lost through oppression in one's childhood.
On the other hand,
Disney was not what you could say, a purist when it came to artworks nor an idealist, "Give the people what they want,"
he stated; one of his driving ambitions was success, popularity and commercialism. He encouraged a young artist to abandon
pure art in favor of where money could be made and popularity achieved. This was
especially true during the making of such movies as Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland, when the company was under much financial
pressure. Action and violent scenes were deliberately added and accentuated, to hook the audience and draw crowds in Disney's Peter Pan. (Violence
in children's cartoons continues to be a problem. A 1996 survey revealed that 8 out of 10 Saturday morning children's cartoons.
George Gerbner, Media and Democracy: A book of Readings and Resources 1996 - Media Violence-Opposing Viewpoints,
NY p.154. )
Exposure to violence, even
in cartoons, can effect a child's mental, emotional and neurological development.
Maleficent, Dragon Incarnation - Disney Films
Children's mental health disorders, such as anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, some attentional problems and childhood depression, might be connected to exposure to frightening scenes in movies, and terror. Some children have nightmares as a result of seeing frightening scenes in such movies as Sleeping Beauty and Snow White.
Because many children see children's movies such as Disney films or TV cartoons, hundreds or thousands of times during their childhood years, it can make an big impact on their cognitive and emotional development, establishing thought and emotional, even behavioral patterns that are often carried with them into their adult years.
World War II
During
World War II, troops occupied Disney studios in California. Disney plunged wholeheartedly into the war effort. It was during
that time that Disney was creating both Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and Bambi, as well as some other projects. All of these
projects were postponed until after the war, with the exception of Bambi, which continued. One animator left for the war,
and returned 4 years later, resuming his animation work on (a film concurrent with Bambi) the very same sequence that he had
left behind for the war 4 years earlier. Disney was under financial pressure for hits, and Alice in Wonderland, completed
after the war, had the pace of a three-ring circus, but in Disney's words, has plenty of entertainment and should
satisfy everyone. Animators tired of the project, as did Disney, calling it punishing work and everyone,
including Walt, were relieved when it was finished. As it turned out, the movie wasn't financially successful.
Dumbo, by contrast, which was made on a limited budget, less than $1,000,000,
was, though, successful financially.
During
the war years, Disney and his organization, were responsible for scores of war training movies for the
navy, army, and especially the air force. Disney had read a book, “Victory Through Air Power, from a Russian
author, Alexander P. DeSeversky, that became the basis for the most pivotal of Disney's war films, and that gave strong
persuasion for the success inherent in airpower. When Bambi was finally completed, a long project, he immediately started
to work on the movie "Victory Through Airpower," Seversky even coming in to assist. He [Disney] applied
his skill to explaining bomb sights and factory methods with the "same zeal that he had to recounting the exploits of Mickey
Mouse and Snow White. The Dwarves themselves were actually featured on a war film produced during that time period.
Donald Duck also was used in a cartoon where he wakes up from a dream working in a Germany munitions factor, with a song and
the famous duck saluting Adolph Hitler. It delighted audiences, although it was banned in Germany.
The
Disney team often did their wartime work with little thought to making money. Disney animators designed 1400 insignia emblems
for military uniforms at the mere cost of $25 each, making no money on the project. "I had to do it," Disney is
quoted as saying, "Those kids grew up on Mickey Mouse, I owed it to them."
The ideology of heavy use of air
power, was part of Disney's
philosophy for the war, and his movies on this subject had a profound
influence on Winston Churchill, who sent back to the US for a copy to break a decision deadlock when the US and Britain were
planning assaults on Germany. He was in conference at the time with Roosevelt. The Disney movie proved to be the tie-breaker,
and a huge air offensive was planned and implemented; it proved to be a part of the Allied forces winning strategy for D-Day.
Roosevelt was amazed by the way Disney's airplanes masterfully wiped ships off the seas. The Joint
Chiefs of Staffs also viewed the film and it had a powerful influence on their war plans.
Details
of ways to eliminate hydropower dams of the enemy were visualized by Seversky and animated by Disney, before actually carried
out by the Royal Air Force, who went on to bomb the Rhineland dams, in almost the exact method proposed by Seversky and later
in Disney's films. When Walt was in Washington he was invited to a meeting with high naval offices who complained about
his neglect of naval power and emphasis on air power. Walt stuck to his guns and air power continued to be a major theme of
his war effort in animated films.
The Disney classic Bambi was the only film that continued to be produced during WWII by Disney animators during WWII. The
story behind the movie is of interest; the novel Bambi, ein Leben im Walde (Bambi, A Life in the Woods) is a book
by Felix Salten, first printed in 1923. Felix Salten was the pen-name of Siegmund Salzmann, a Jewish author, who
was born in Budapest, Hungary but grew up in Vienna, Austria. The book was translated from German into English by Whittaker
Chambers, who needed to supplement his income while working at a Communist newspaper. Felix Salten wrote a sequel, entitled
Bambi's Children. Salten's works also inspired The Shaggy Dog, a Disney film in the '60s. Salten, being Jewish,
fled to Switzerland during the Nazi occupation.
The 1906 book
Josephine Mutzenbacher - The Life Story of a Viennese Whore, as Told by Herself, was an erotic novel first published anonymously
in Vienna, Austria in 1906 that is also attributed to Salten and that is famous in the German-speaking world, having been
in print in both German and English; for over 100 years it has sold over 3- million copies, becoming an erotic bestseller
described as a "pornographic classic". It has been translated into English, French, Spanish, Hungarian and Japanese, and
been the subject of numerous films, theater productions, parodies, and university courses, as well as two sequels, still being
popular today.
The novel Bambi is a deep symbolic representation, not only of the perils of hunting, but also has a striking
or symbolic comparison, a foreboding prophecy of sorts, of what Jews and others would experience in the "man hunt" of
humans by the Nazis. The novel is shockingly violent at times, and glimpses of Salten's past work in pornography, are
apparent in certain scenes. Incest and even lust directed towards children, or sexuality involving children, is
part of the landscape in the original novel. One child's librarian stated that the novel Bambi, was not for young children,
but one would be better to wait until being older to read it.
The
studio, during these years produced "Chicken Little," reproduced in recent years, which was originally a
war propaganda film that depicted the evils of mass hysteria. Disney wanted to prove that he could produce war training
films and produced hundreds of war films, pretty much abandoning his cartoon making during that time. The studio had been
preparing for its wartime role since before Pearl Harbor. Disney succeeded in "exerting a vast influence on the thinking
of both the public and policy makers." This was at a time when other movie companies were entertaining an "entertainment
hungry"; United States with war musicals and war movies. It was a few years after the war finished that Disney started
making plans for his Disneyland dream in California.
This seems to be the case with Disney and his fantasy world for children.
Donald Duck made his debut in 1934 in Silly Symphony, The Wise Little Hen, described as "the
explosive Donald Duck." A silent version of Snow White had been produced in 1915, that Disney had seen. This formed
the basis for Disney's first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Disney acted out each part, every
dwarf, the Evil queen, with his face beaming while depicting the dwarfs. He gave a 2-hour performance, and that sold the idea
of Snow White as the future major feature movie. Snow White is described as a 14-year-old girl, Prince Charming was 18. The
end of the movie is when the Prince’s kiss awakens the sleeping Snow White. Some had tears in their eyes. The Queen
is described by Walt's directing as “A mixture of Lady Macbeth and the Big Bad Wolf. Her beauty is sinister, mature,
plenty of curves, she comes ugly and menacing when scheming and mixing her poisons. Magic fluids transform her into an old
witchlike hag.
Disney movies provide a sharp dichotomy between "snow white" purity, and pure evil and wickedness. Greg Fouts, et. al, in studying this tendency in Disney films notes that the stereotyping of totally pure and totally evil, can become deeply ingrained in a child's mind, causing her (or him) to view people in sharp boundaries of pure or evil. Andrea Lawson, associated with Fouts notes that Disney fairy tale films encourage fear of the mentally ill, as most of the classic cartoons feature characters who "go mad," or "crazy," usually violently, giving a distorted picture of mental illness.
The climactic
kiss and Princess Culture
Disney
fantasy movies often involved a "climactic kiss," as one mother and New York Times Magazine writer described,
but as far as discussions about or movies about sex, Disney preferred to leave such discussions as private matters (good advice
for parents today and for film-makers. Children's PG and even G movies today often have of sexual innuendo,
some of which goes over their heads, but some of which keeps them thinking for days and weeks afterward.)
However, the fantasy romances of such movies has evolved, according to the Time article, into a
"Princess Culture".
(See December 24, 2006 New York Times Magazine for full article) and taken on a life of its own. Some parents
are concerned with the lessons that such movies teach children. Day after day exposure to the idea of a Prince Charming, firmly
plants such seeds in the mind and hearts of little girls. This is a concern for many parents. Also, the escalating nature
of the violence of children's movies is also a concern, as is the sexual content and innuendos of many children's movies today.
The sexual innuendo in children's films has increased in recent years, as one might expect.
Fantasia, based on the earlier
feature, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," was made in 1940 featuring Mickey as the Blundering Sorcerer. A new version entitled The Sorcerer's Apprentice, is planned by Disney Studios in 2010. The Reluctant Dragon was released in 1941, based on a story from the late 1800s, portrays the Dragon as a friend rather than foe. Of all the Disney films,
by the time of WWII, only 3 or 4 actually were profitable, which put some pressure on Disney and the company.
In
1941 Disney was raw: threats of workers, dissatisfaction, political tensions and alliances, he was saying and doing
things he later realized were unwise. He had suffered a nervous breakdown of sorts at one point around 1931 and left
for an extended vacation with his wife to recuperate and regain his health, his doctor tried prescribing treatments, until
the time that he returned from his rest, and told his doctor that he was no longer in need of such help. The prolonged vacation
seemed to help. In 1935, during the production of Snow White, he again started having the same feelings of emotional
fatigue, and took another extended rest, which again gave him sufficient strength to continue his work.
Disney went on to produce the Sorcerer’s Apprentice in
1938, which was an old fairy tale, interpreted from a poem. Mickey was the apprentice whose sorcerer's powers
ran astray disastrously, choreographed from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (Sacre De Printemps), music of primitive
people of the Russian Steppes with weird dissonances. Walt complained one day that it seemed as if artists had
never grown up. "How can you grow up in this atmosphere, for God's sake?" replied one observer, it's
like living in Santa Clauses workshop. Disney tried to perpetuate the myth of Santa Clause with his girls
as long as he possibly could. (Many of his most popular movies come from childhood myths and stories written in the late
1800s.) The spiritistic nature of Disney films has often been a subject of discussion and also of psychological study. A recent
study published in Child Psychiatry, analyzed negative stereotyping and use of "demonizing" words in Disney films, finding
an average of 5.6 per film. The psychological implications for children are many, according to the study. (Much in children's
programming similarly embraces the spiritistic theme. One example is Scooby Doo, the new movie of which has a long and poignant
scene of voodoo euphoria. Some of the Scooby Doo books have prolonged conversations or discussions on witchcraft and wicca,
ghosts and the paranormal.)
After
Snow White, Disney produced Pinocchio, which was originally written by Carlo Collidi (Lorenzi) in 1880. Collidi saw himself
in the character of Pinocchio, a boy who was always in trouble, always doing something wrong. Disney "pursued the
new project almost demonically," and he was determined to make Pinocchio even greater than the preceding Snow White
feature. "Pinocchio should use every ounce of force he has in his swimming to escape the whale. This should be the equivalent
of the storm and the chase of the queen in Snow White," he directed.
While
trying to get started in finishing Peter Pan after the war, Roy and Walt got into one of many angry shouting matches. Roy
yelled back to at Walter, "Look you're letting this place drive you to the nuthouse. That's one place I'm
not going with you!" Walt later tried to reconcile saying, "Isn't it amazing what a horses ass a fellow
can be sometimes, both smiled and the argument was assuaged.
Separation Anxiety
It has been noted by psychologists that many Disney films, and other children's films in more recent years, capitalize on
the emotions involved with "separation anxiety" and in that respect, Disney and some other children's films, can lead to emotions
in children that might not be healthy in their formative years. Some have referred to Disney films as "horror movies for children,"
although today, horror movies that are truly horrifying are part of the social landscape of a large percentage of children,
with and without parents knowing what their children are watching through cable and satellite television systems; Disney movies introduced children to movies and to the idea of horror for excitement in children's movies.
Cinderella
became the first hit movie since Snow White and helped to shrink the companies debt in the 1950s to $1,700,000. Cinderella
was a French/German children's fairy tale from the 1500s, that the Grimm brothers recorded in their book on children's tales
in centuries past. Actually, it is believed that the first Cinderella story originated in China in the 9th
Century. Cinderella is a story, that is really about child abuse, a wicked step mother and sisters who abuse Cinderella
in various ways, and it is one reason why it is such an enduring tale, any woman or girl who might have experience
abuse as a child, can relate to this simple, yet compelling story.
Disney received a medal
from the League of Nations for his Mickey Mouse creation. He met with a number of presidents, receiving a medal from Lyndon
Johnson, and was even received by such politicians as Mussolini of Italian (WWII) fame. After WWII, visitors and employees
were often perplexed by his silence and manner, his disinterest, and gruffness.
Winnie the Pooh
A. A. Milne, author of the original Winnie the Pooh story, 1926 story that was eventually sold by his widow to
Disney movies (1961). Milne was also wrote novels, plays and poems.
Christopher Robin was the son of
the author of Winnie the Pooh. Christopher wanted a name to call Milne's character all to himself and
without stopping to think,
he said
"Winnie-the-Pooh," "And so he was," stated Milne. (The "Pooh" part of the name came from a swan of
that name.) Thus, the name of the famous lazy bear in the stories became Winnie-the-Pooh even though traditionally "Winnie"
is a girl's name and Winnie-the-Pooh is definitely a boy bear.
Unlike Bambi, there is nothing scandalous about Winney the Pooh.
(In a couple of illustrated scenes in Winnie the Pooh series, it does make one wonder, when Christopher Robin invites Winnie
the Pooh to watch him take a bath).
In the way of textual criticism, Winnie the Pooh (the book series), of which there were four, are simple enough and gentle
enough for any child. The theme of a single boy or girl in the midst of fantasy creatures or animals, is something that
had been developed already in literary history, most notable, in Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Carrol,
a pen name, was an epileptic, and quite possibly on medications for his epilepsy. There has been much written about the fantastical
story of Alice in Wonderland, as it relates to Carrol's severe epilepsy. Also, there has been speculation about Carrol's relationship
with Alice, a real girl, some have said, his daughter, other's have said a friend of his family, but these allegations seem
to be
unfounded.
Milne, the author of Winnie the Pooh, wrote for a politically satirical journal in the
early 1900s in London, and the illustrator of Winnie the Pooh Ernest Shepherd, was a political cartoonist in the same paper.
Winnie the Pooh, seems to be have written during WWI, when Milne was in the army in England, as a diversion from the rigors
of army life, according to what we can piece together from comments in his biography, although it was not published until
the mid-1920's. Following the primary book, Milne wrote three others, for a total of four Winnie the Pooh books. Some of these
give the impression of a lazy summer vacation and were all written prior to WWII.
There are references in Winnie the Pooh that seem to reflect Milne's preoccupation
or comic satire concerning the subject of medicine for children. In two scenes, in separate books, Piglet,
first, is given "medicine," "MMMM...medicine," says Piglet, "I don't need any mmmm.....medicine," he says with trepidation.
"Take your
medicine!!!!!!"
.......is the basic idea behind one scene. In the second book in the series, Tiger is similarly given "medicine" to help him
with "energy".
There have been books written that analyze
the characters of Winnie the Pooh and their significance. Eeyore, you might say displays the traits of a, sometimes volatile,
depressive alcoholic. Winnie the Pooh sometime resembles a (honey) alcoholic, in his activity, or a "binger," when it comes
to his passion for honey.
Milne was a passionate smoker, pipes being the order of the day in early
20th century England, and some of the scenes in Milne's stories remind one of a group of men sitting around a bar
and "chewing the fat," telling "fish stories" and the like, over drafts of beer. Also, Milne was a prolific writer, he had a
dry English humor. He wrote scores of plays, novels, articles, and an interesting, if not dry, autobiography as well. But
unlike Salten of Bambi, his books for children are not Orwellian in nature, (as Bambi's is), but are merely books for children,
that reflect Milne's own experiences and concerns in life, a fantasy.
The illustrations, by Earnest Shepherd, of Winnie the Pooh have remained
largely unchanged since they were created in the 1920s, (designed after the book was earlier written, which perhaps accounts
for the gap between the later years of WWI, when Winnie the Pooh was most likely written, and when the book was published
in the mid-1920s), and Shepherd's wife of many years died after the first Winnie the Pooh book, and before the second book
was written, with health problems associated with asthma and medication.
Winnie the Pooh, Bambi and Mickey Mouse are elaborated on here, because these
characters
emotional bonds with children from the child's earliest ages, from the first days of a child's
life, Winnie the Pooh is inculcated. These type of cartoons, Winnie the Pooh, Bugs Bunny, today, Dora the Explorer; Bambi,
from the past; Square Pants Bob, that is Sponge Bob, the Flintstones, are emotionally bonding cartoons, "soft-bonding" cartoons.
(Bart Simpson and friends, Rug Rats, are a little more advanced in satire and crudeness, but the same principle applies, Family Guy characters (and South Park cartoon characters), known for their off-color jokes and profanity, while considered to be "adult" cartoons, are probably most often viewed by children, the characters bonding at the same time repulsing. There are more advanced -in terms of crudeness- adult-children cartoons, but these are the most well-known and most talked about in school.)
The characters are well enough developed that children bond to them emotionally. This bonding process lasts well into high
school and for some adult, an emotional bond exists with these characters well into adulthood.
Winnie the Pooh has been linked with Taoism, a best selling book has been written entitled,
the Tao of Pooh, and there are striking parallels between Taoist holy writings and those of the Winnie the Pooh novels for
children. (A recent biography on Charles Schultz, the creator of the popular Snoopy and Peanuts characters, interestingly
gives insight into Shultz's Buddhist persuasion and how that is reflected and influenced his comic series.)
Disney was a passionate smoker, and despite the warnings from his doctor and family, continued to smoke until the time
he contracted lung cancer. He often smoked his cigarettes down to the butt and beyond! Smoking eventually led
to his physical decline and he died at the age of 67. He had other health problems, a polo accident led to a back problems.
Rather than having an operation, he paid visits to a chiropractor. As he result, though, of the chiropractic visits,
he continued having back pain until his death, for which he found no relief (he felt that the chiropractic treatments contributed
to the continued back problems rather than assuaging them.) In has last years, he suffered with many pains, hot compresses
were necessary to assuage the pain in his face throughout the night.
Disney believed in God
and was a non-practicing roman Catholic. Christmas and Birthdays were strong Disney traditions. Disney is said to have respected
all religions. His daughter attended Catholic school, but was married in a Protestant Church, she and her husband to be, baptized
there shortly before the wedding, but neither he or his family were religious. Disney became
something of a work-a-holic. Disney's daughters had a number of grandchildren, the 5th child
of the oldest daughter, being named, finally, to Walter's relief, after himself, Walter.
Disney had been told by
a fortune teller before his work started in earnest, that he would die before his life's work was completed at an early
age. It was something he never forgot, and Disney's later years were marked by severe physical pain and he did in fact
die before seeing the approval or ground breaking of what might be considered the greatest achievement in his name, Disney
World. His brother and son-in-law remained a part of the team after Disney died, and Disney World has become a Universal
symbol, for some 40 years.
Conclusion and
implications for parents and children
Children often draw strong religious and spiritual mental imagery and ideas from children's movies, such as The Lion King, which theme revolves around the religious beliefs and practices of African animism.
"Hercules" is a another example of a children's film that draws heavily on religious elements, as well as Aladdin, to a certain extent, blending myth, religious traces, and romance.
As entertaining as Disney films are for children,
many of us have
a tendency to overdo it. For some
children their only vacation yearly for their formative years might be Disney and the related theme parks in Florida,
and their video collection might have 100 or more films, many of them from the older and newer Disney collection. Some of
the concerns with this lifestyle for children have been developed by a number of psychologists. For some sensitive children,
separation anxiety can be a powerful emotion that Disney and similar films "capitalize on," in older Disney films, as well as many new films for children, not necessarily Disney, or cartoon-based. Similarly, some have linked childhood depression with too much time in the way of these types of films, especially
for little girls.
The cartoon violence can be as real or have as much impact as other forms of violence for children, and much of it is added
to even Disney films to make it more catchy and marketable. (e.g. Peter Pan, Bambi). Some psychologists have expressed concern
over negative stereotyping in Disney films both of the mentally ill and other negative, or "demonizing" terminology
and the effects this may have on a child's psyche and personality. Because films are constantly reinforced, since the
advent of the VCR and CDs, the lessons taught in children's films are very powerful, much more so than in previous generations
of children. So parents need to carefully consider their entertainment choices
of their children and try to direct and mold their minds in positive ways. Also, interesting to note, is that unresolved issues in childhood, can be noted in the works of many adults, such as the case in Disney, and his difficult childhood, the abuse by his father, may have been part of what drove Disney in the creation of his fantasy world for children.
Parents might consider cultivating in their children what got Disney started in the beginning, that is a love for drawing, a peaceful art, that can help children to learn to focus, films and TV for children tend to scatter the mind of a child, or cause emotional highs and lows, drawing and art is a peaceful pasttime that can relieve stress and anxiety and that can help children develop self-esteem and positive thought patterns. So rather than spoil or overindulge children in every new (and old) movie that comes out, encourage a child to develop his or her own talents in art, have art tools handy for a child, provide coloring books and crayons, easel and paints. This can help a child to be a "doer" rather than just a "viewer"!
Also, reading can be more strengthening mentally for both children and adults than viewing films and TV. When parents thoughtfully provide books for children, it can mold their personalities in positive ways, can be a part of character education, and at the same be mentally strengthening for a child. The Amazon book list below provides examples of wonderful books for both young children up until their teen years.
