Setting Straight the Myths of Our Society

            This week’s reading, “Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us,” made me think of the movie "Shrek".  Beautiful, weak princesses?  Not in that movie!  Not only is Fiona an ogre, but who can forget the strength and bravery of Snow White and the gang backed by Led Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song”?  Many myths were questioned in that series of movies! 

            Yes, the old cartoons contained blatant forms of bigotry.  What a great learning opportunity!  Discuss how sad it is that people used to have such a limited view of other religions, cultures, races, etc.  Women being over-sexualized?  Discuss how silly it is.  Indians portrayed as savages?  Once again, what a limited world view.  I’ve always hated seeing black-faced entertainers in the old cartoons because I think it’s apprehensible and have made that known to my kids why I feel the way I do when that scene pops up in an old Bugs Bunny episode.  But, it is part of our history that I think kids should know about – people used to think it was funny; isn’t that sad? 

              As far as Disney’s concerned, I would hate to think that people would deny their children the opportunity to be entertained by such stories that have become so imbedded in our society.  I have watched the Disney movies endlessly with my kids and can say from my own experience that they realize that it’s just a movie.  Maybe my daughter isn’t waiting for Prince Charming because she has seen examples of strong women.  Maybe my son isn’t violent as a result of playing video games because he’s also exposed to forms of generosity and caring.  Sometimes, if a particularly horrible example of behavior is portrayed, it becomes a great learning experience (for example: “Can you believe he did that?   Doesn’t he realize how others will judge him for doing that?”). 

            Where cultural aspects are concerned, I think that the media is getting better at portraying all races, cultures, and religions in a more respectable manner, but it’s far from perfect. 

            I guess my overall opinion is don’t completely write-off fairy tales and Disney.  Enjoy them for the entertainment purposes and balance them with reality.  While we should be conscientious of the reading material we collect for our classrooms to be sure to include books that reflect people of all backgrounds in a positive way, communication is the key. 

"If everyone opened their eyes they'd see that every human is holy to someone."-Graham Nash