The Disney Effect

Who can forget the first few opening bars of the basis of our childhood? We will remember the brave characters that taught us so much. Disney influenced us from a young age and many aspects of Disney could be seen with us today. I would like to call it, the Disney effect.

Disney gave the false impression that all girls should be meek and quiet. They also showed that we need to be gorgeous all the time and we need to be saved by a man. I fail to see why Cinderella couldn’t go and get a college degree and a restraining order from her step-relatives. Instead of waiting for Prince Charming, she should have gone and done something productive with her life, like cross dress as a man and get into the army. If Cinderella was in our position, and stuck with Normanhurst Boy, as her only option, she would hardly be waiting for the man. Instead she would go off and win Masterchef.

One of the many effects of Disney is giving many, many girls out there, unrealistic expectations of their hair. It’s time to face the facts. We are not going to wake up with the perfect flowing hair. We will not wake up looking like Cinderella, Aurora or Ariel. Our hair will not be perfect and will not flow behind us, untangled. Instead, we will look like the love-child of Mufasa and Captain Jack Sparrow.

Another Disney effect is our bad behaviour. Parents can hardly blame their children for misbehaving at times. Disney is full of evil messages that moulded the way some of us are now. Let me point out some of the bad behaviours that influence our choices.

Snow White lived alone in a hut with 7 men, Jasmine dated a thief, Cinderella snuck out at night, Mulan cross-dressed, Winnie the Pooh and Donald Duck both walked around without pants, Tarzan strutted around shirtless whilst only wearing a loincloth, Robin Hood robbed people and Pinocchio lied. We grew up with Disney, and everything is bound to have some form of bad influence. Parents can hardly blame us for all the damaged we caused. It’s all the Disney effect.

Another unrealistic expectation that they give us, is love. They let us believe that our Prince Charming will come and whisk us away and carry us up to their castle in the clouds. Firstly, if all the Disney princesses found out that they married Prince Charming, I don’t think that they’ll be very happy.

Disney made us, girls, think that our Prince Charming will be romantic, talented and will protect us from evil. As far as I’m concerned, none, and I mean none of the men that I have ever met were romantic, talented or protected women from evil. Especially since our choice of men is somewhat limited down to Normanhurst boys, Barker boys and Epping boys. I think the concept of romance, talent and the sense of security was long gone.

Even though the Disney does bring some misconception, it also has some truth in what it shows. They normally come in the form of inspirational quotes: “Everybody has a weakness. Pandora's was the box, and the Trojans, hey, they bet on the wrong horse” along with, "Are you sure this water's sanitary? It looks questionable to me!"  To top it off, there are two quotes that I like using on a daily basis. One, “I am surrounded by idiots”, and two, “I’m so romantic; I think I might marry myself”.

Disney taught us quite a valuable lesson. Apart from teaching us about love, and hair, they also taught us how to be a man, by being as swift as a coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the moon.

Cinderella walked on broken glass. Aurora let a whole lifetime pass. Belle fell in love with a hideous beast. Jasmine married a common thief. Ariel walked on land for love. Snow White barely escaped the knife. However they all survived with one thing in common, and that was with love. Disney allowed us to believe that love conquers all, the final and everlasting Disney effect. So, until the day when my Normanhurst Prince Charming comes galloping o a white stallion at Hornsby Station, on a fateful Friday afternoon and then sweep me off to the castle in clouds, I think I’ll put all my heart to faith, trust and pixie dust.