Racism And Sexism In Henry Giroux's 'Animating Youth'

In “Animating Youth,” Henry Giroux discusses Disney’s hidden meanings that are often portrayed in its films. Giroux explains that Disney conveys this idea of a “magical” world where everything is signified as innocent and family friendly for anyone to enjoy: “such films appeared to be vehicles of amusement, a highly regarded and sought after source of fun and joy for children. However, within a very short period of time, it became clear to me that the relevance of such films exceeded the boundaries of entertainment” (66), which for all intents and purposes is fairly significant. He argues that Disney is teaching children that it is acceptable to be racist, sexist and unfair to other types of people because it is seen in a well-disposed film. For example, racial discrimination is clear in The Lion King, which desire to maintain the Pride Lands segregated. In 1994, Disney created the film, The Lion King—where a young cub named Simba is destined to be king and save his kingdom from his evil uncle, who killed his father. This Disney animated film is to be seen as a joyful. However, many do not acknowledge the hidden meanings that are included in the movie. Both Henry Giroux and Gail Robertson discuss how The Lion King is not suitable for its young audience, but because Disney is portrayed to be good and kid friendly, many look passed the racial slurs and discrimination. In the The Lion King, it is clear segregation and racism plays a big role in the film. However, it is meant