From “Bibbid-Bobbidi-Boo” to Scrooge: an update and comparative analysis of the portrayal of older characters in recent Disney animated films

Zurcher, Jessica D.; Robinson, Tom

doi:10.1080/17482798.2017.1331176

Cited by 25 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…E.g. a stable trend for negative presentation of elderly people was found in TV shows and Disney films (Zurcher, 2018;Rovner-Lev, 2019). At the same time the status of a 'negative' or 'positive' type of character is not connected with esthetic or artistic features of the presentation, which from our point of view is the main way of influencing a consumer of media content.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Perception of Axiological and Semantic Code of Characters in Animated Discourse

2020

Media Education (Mediaobrazovanie)

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The study was dedicated to the research of perception of the axiological and semantic codes embedded in the behavior of characters of popular cartoons by children and young people: Well, Just You Wait! (Nu, pogodi!) (Soviet Union) and Tom and Jerry (USA). Cartoons constituted an important part of the information environment wherein formation of personality originated. The hypothesis that children of primary school age had reduced ability to distinguish categories of axiological and semantic codes of the characters of animated discourse, if the cartoon characters impersonated the functional differences associated with the juxtaposition of "big and strong"-"small and weak", was verified. The study involved 126 junior schoolchildren and 126 students. The test persons evaluated the images of the four main characters of the two cartoons: Well, Just You Wait! and Tom and Jerry on psycho-semantic scales. The results were statistically processed using factor analysis and the Mann-Whitney non-parametric U-test. It emerged that younger schoolchildren perceived anthropomorphic cartoon characters on the basis of traditional functions inherent to fairytale characters, namely: 'big, strong, bad'-'small, weak, good.' Moral and ethical peculiarities of the characters' behavior that implemented the axiological and semantic code of the character's image, were not differentiated by children. At the same time, the representatives of young people revealed fine differentiation in the assessment of characters' images, their mettle and moral and ethical focus of behavior. Thus, it was demonstrated that the genre of animation, with its form of the culture of laughter, may alleviate the difference in perception and evaluation of the behavior of characters from the standpoint of moral standard by children of primary school age. Children's viewing of cartoons should be accompanied by a discussion of characters' actions and commented on their moral and ethical essence with adult participation. Keywords: children's perception of animated discourse, cartoon characters, categories of good and evil, archetype.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Perception of Axiological and Semantic Code of Characters in Animated Discourse

2020

Media Education (Mediaobrazovanie)

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“…Additionally, some studies observed that children as young as three-years-old convey ageist attitudes towards older adults (Aday et al 1996a;Aday et al 1996b;Rich et al 1983). Such findings are intriguing in comparison to studies that revealed that 44% of older characters in Disney animated films from 2004 to 2016 (Zurcher and Robinson 2017) and 38% of older characters in children's cartoons (Robinson and Anderson 2006) are portrayed as negative.…”

Section: Media Effects Of Family Portrayals On Childrenmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Parallel to the wide dissemination of the Disney brand, storylines, and characters, examination of Disney film content depictions is also of large interest. Such investigations include gender portrayals and the modeling of gender (Coyne et al 2016;Davis 2006;Davis 2015;England et al 2011;Gillam and Wooden 2008;Hoerrner 1996), feminism (Downey 1996;Sawyer 2011), race and diversity (Cheu 2013;Faherty 2001;Lacroix 2004;Towbin et al 2004), aggressive behaviors (Coyne and Whitehead 2008), the portrayal of older characters (Robinson et al 2007;Zurcher and Robinson 2017), and pro-social behaviors (Padilla-Walker et al 2013).…”

Section: Family Portrayals In Disney Animated Filmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second census film list was constructed by Zurcher and Robinson (2017) as a follow-up examination to the research of Robinson et al (2007). This list included a total of 42 films from 2004 to 2016 and was comprised of both animated and computer animated films.…”

Section: Film Selection Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This list included a total of 42 films from 2004 to 2016 and was comprised of both animated and computer animated films. Additionally, two animated Disney films (Cars 3 and Coco) have premiered since the publication of Zurcher and Robinson (2017) and were added.…”

Section: Film Selection Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Portrayal of Families across Generations in Disney Animated Films

2018

Self Cite

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Disney animated films continue to serve as an influential form of media that shapes children's development of beliefs about the world surrounding them, including the construct of the family. However, a census analysis as to how Disney animated films represent depictions of families has yet to be conducted. To fill this gap, we assessed the qualities of family demographics, structure, and function in a census analysis of 85 Disney animated films from the years 1937-2018. Results indicated that single parent families (41.3%) was the most predominantly represented family structure, followed by nuclear (25%) and guardian (19.2%). We also observed that the first depiction of a non-Caucasian family was presented in the 1990s, with a growing number of ethnically diverse families since that time. However, minimal interactions between families of differing ethnicities are noted. Overall, over 75% of all Disney animated films depicted warm and supportive familial interactions, with 78.8% of the films illustrating a positive relationship between the protagonist and his/her family. Analysis and implications are offered for parents and educators who wish to further understand the content Disney animated films offer in depicting families.

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