Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us. (Hyperlinks)

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us by Linda Christensen

I found this piece to be a very interesting look into the media, movies, gender roles, and gender stereotypes. Christensen argues that specifically cartoons, and Disney tend to have racist content that focuses on the role of women, the roles of people of color, and gender stereotypes that we still have in our society today. She also adds that this mass media causes people to shape their lives around these standards and causes people to form their own idea of what their lives should portray(Christensen 128) . A line that stuck with me was, "We are taught, more than anything else, how to not rebel." (Dorfman) In the video below, they portray how Disney shapes the minds of young children and adolescence to believe, for example, "beauty is good and ugly is bad." It causes them to believe that beauty is valued over those who are not as attractive. Including the fact being more attractive increases the likelihood of succeeding. They also give a false sense of what beauty is,

• Big Eyes
• Pale skin
• Thin waist 
• Delicate limbs 
• Flowing hair

(All from video) 

This false sense of "who they should be" causes young girls to strive to look like Disney Princesses. Intelligence isn't something of high value because beauty is more important, which is pointed out in both videos below with examples like the Little Mermaid and The Beauty and the Beast. It surpresses reading for young girls and "who needs a voice when you have your beauty?' It teaches girls to become dependent on their looks and makes them believe that they will live "Happily ever after" if

• 1. they find a man to marry 
  2. " Transformation can be achieved through consumption" 

  
  
  This notion that transformation can be achieved through consumption also touches upon how the media uses commercialism and consumerism to their advantage. The media uses the same strategies that Disney does, however it is used in advertisements to get people convinced that they need the next new product because it will make them happy. 
  
  
  
  
  "We are taught, more than anything else, how to not rebel." (Christensen 128)

  
  

  Christensen mentions that the "industrially produced stories" teach people how to do almost everything in their lives, down to "how to succeed, how to love, how to buy, how to conquer, how to forget the past, and suppress the future". These images and ideas shape our emotions and how we view ourselves which also lead to our constant need for consumption. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  In the Documentary, Miss Representation they bring this strategy to light. This is a documentary I had watched in my digital media class and I found it to really dissect the media and the role it plays in our everyday lives. I placed the whole documentary into the post if anyone is interested in watching. It's a little lengthy but definitely worth the watch.