The Lion King

Growing up, I was a Disney kid but never a big fan of Disney princesses. The sparkly pink dresses, tiaras and helpless damsels in distress were just not for me and needless to say Snow White and Beauty and the Beast were not high on my favorite movies list. That said,The Lion King is perhaps one of my favorite Disney movies from my childhood. In my opinion, Simba truly encapsulates everything that most young kids are, myself included; curious, daring, lively, all driven by an overwhelming desire for adventure.

While I watched Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp and The AristoCats so often that those dreaded black and white fuzzy lines or snow used to appear across the TV screen whenever I played the videos, (thank god for DVDs nowadays!!), I have now forgotten most of the quotes and minor details that I used to know inside out, back to front. However, as I watched The Lion King in preparation for class, I was shocked by how many quotes and song lyrics that I actually remembered, and I began mouthing certain chunks of quotes almost subconsciously. Perhaps the fact that our teachers in elementary school used to let us watch The Lion King during recess if it was raining outside on cold wintery afternoons played a role in my ability to recall much of the film or maybe I just could relate more to the character of Simba more than helpless Sleeping Beauty.

Although the vast landscape of the Pridelands and all the majestic animals re-ignited my desire to visit South Africa and go on safari one day, I was struck by how many of the most important and particularly sinister aspects of the film that simply sailed over my head as a young child.  I remember being petrified of Scar and having a strong dislike for the hyenas, but I never remember the significant differences in their accents let alone even considering that they potentially represented some of the minority groups in society and that Scar’s darker fur could be seen as racist. Personally, I think that this begs the question as to whether Disney movies are as child orientated, as they seem. Should my elementary school teachers have sat down and explained the historical inaccuracy and the elements of social class and racism present in the movie? Honestly, I think that the answer is no. As a child, animals are animals and kids don’t dissect films in order to derive some hidden meaning, let alone consider that their favorite fluffy characters perhaps represent something much much deeper than being funny, cute or brave.