pocahontas
People today tend to scrutinize every aspect of anything that crosses the silver screen. The Disney company is always questioned on the reality of their films. Some see racism, bias, or ignorance toward history. Now for a cartoon that's supposed to entertain children, Disney does it the best. They do it so well that some argue that the people who criticize Disney are the one's who have the problem. But when Disney makes a film they have to keep one thing in mind when they do it. They have to understand that what they show to children those kids are going to see that, and except that as the truth. Take for example the movie Pocahontas by Disney. This is a film with many flaws that could eventually lead kids off the truth behind the real story of Pocahontas. Pocahontas was a real story with real people. By Disney taking that film and putting their own twist on it, they could lead an entire generation of kids away from what's true. Disney was wrong when they made the movie because what they showed wasn't the truth, and by taking history and changing it around is just unethical. Jaquelyn Kilpatrick tries to make that same point on an essay about relatively the same thing. Jaquelyn Kilpatrick states, "Ins
tead of progress in depicting Native Americans, this film takes a step backwards - a very dangerous step because it is so carefully glossed as 'authentic' and 'respectful'" (74). Kilpatrick points out that Pocahontas was supposed to be the most "PC" of all the Disney movies ever. But the backbone of her thesis is that it didn't pay attention to any of the facts about Pocahontas' life because it was so politically correct. She also argues, "For one thing, she was not a voluptuos young woman when she met John Smith but a ten- to twelve-year-old girl, and John Smith was a thirty-something mercenary who more resembled a brick than a blonde Adonis" (74). Disney not only clouded the story of a young girl who was kidnapped and raped by English settlers, but they even portrayed her looks totally wrong. "Besides her beautiful 'more Asian' eyes, he gave her a body with a wasp waist, sexy hips and legs, and breasts that are truly impressive" (76). She also went on to explain the misrepresentation of the English settlers. She points out " the English in the film are extremely one-dimensional in their bumbling greed" (76). Disney not all stereotyped all English as money hungry bandits, but they also stereotyped all Native American as ready t
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Approximate Word count = 833
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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