For my wrap-up to environmental week, I’m going to explore whether or not Walt Disney was, in part, responsible for the modern environmental movement. According to a book by a Cambridge University scholar, Disney films, particularly those produced between 1937 and 1967 and 1984 and 2005, are responsible for making viewers respond to and care more for the natural world.
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“The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation” by Dr. David Whitley, an English literature professor, argues that the eras of Walt Disney and Michael Eisner produced films which made young viewers in particular aware of nature and the issues surrounding it.
“In fact, these films have taught us variously about having a fundamental respect for nature,” says Whitley. “Some of them, such as Bambi, inspired conservation awareness and laid the emotional groundwork for environmental activism…For decades Disney films have been providing children with potent fantasies, enabling them to explore how they relate to the natural world.”
Although Whitley highlights “Bambi” as the most influential film on this issue, given its early 1942 release and its profound effect on viewers (who doesn’t remember the first time they saw “Bambi” and was traumatized by that chilling scene?), he cites many other Disney films as also contributing to the cause. Even the recent “Finding Nemo” gets a mention.
I’m not entirely convinced by Whitley’s arguments. Sometimes they feel like a stretch; he basically singles out just about any Disney film featuring animals or a natural environment, and spins ways in which they contain profound environmental or conservation messages.
In some cases I feel inclined to argue against Whitley. He claims that movies like “Snow White” and “Cinderella,” with their heroines’ friendly interactions with woodland creatures, teach viewers about the purity of nature verses the frequent corruption of human society.
While that might be true (and I haven’t entirely ceded the point) I feel like conservationists might be wary about just what sort of message children are actually taking from these films. Watching Snow White and Aurora cavort happily in the wilderness with small furry animals might cause children to form dangerously unrealistic expectations about the critters in their backyard.
Without the right parental direction, kids might start to view nature as a safe and happy place where animals are their friends, and not learn the proper, healthy respect they should have towards wild animals. Playful films like the earlier mentioned “Finding Nemo,” which contain colorful anthropomorphic characters that behave more like humans than animals, could have a similar effect.
I’m not saying that misunderstanding is common, and thus a serious danger, but I see it as an interpretation of the films just as justified as Whitley’s. Until he provides some quotes by Rachel Carson saying she was inspired by “Bambi,” I can’t fully subscribe to his ideas.
I can even think of movies that promote environmental causes better than Disney’s catalog: those of Miyazaki. His films contain much more sophisticated environmental messages that often flow seamlessly through the story without feeling preachy.
All that being said, I can’t entirely dismiss Whitley’s thesis. Whether or not Disney or Eisner actively infused their films with environmental messages (I’m more inclined to believe that of the former than the latter) remains to be proven, but I’m sure films like “Snow White” and “Bambi” had a subtle effect on our thinking.
Though those early Disney films in particular certainly cannot be given direct accountability for the modern environmental/conservation movement, I’m sure they helped to reinforce the message. They portrayed the natural world in a positive light, showing it as something beautiful and to be cherished.
The power of subtle messages in the media should never be underestimated. I’m glad that for once they contain such a positive viewpoint. These films alone might not have inspired the environmental movement, but from the time of their release up through today they influence generations of young children to grow with minds more open to loving, and thus hopefully protecting, our Earth.
Related Articles:
Facts to Consider on Earth Day
Miyazaki: Master of Animation, Pt. 1
Miyazaki: Master of Animation, Pt. 2
*(This image by アラン is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
