The media in the United States as an institution plays a critical role in shaping the cultural values held in high regard by society. From influencing public opinion on important cultural issues such as gender roles to shaping the direction of politics in the country, media companies play a significant role in opinion-making (Campbell et al., 2014). Accordingly, it is imperative that society engages in an objective critique of the influence these institutions have on morals and culture. This paper will draw from authoritative scholarly sources to examine selected content from major media institutions in the country. To achieve this objective, the paper will select a recent Disney movie and provide a commentary on its views towards race and gender. The question of whether the media merely reinforces our biases or helps us understand the complex issues of our times is a fundamental question which will be assessed in this paper. The mass media plays a critical role in shaping the opinion of its global audience and as such, the content Disney provides to children should be modified to reflect equality of races and gender in the modern world.

Background of Walt Disney as a Public Influencer

Walt Disney is a diversified American family entertainment media company. The film making company has over the years emerged as a market leader in offering children entertainment movies(Campbell et al., 2014). The company’s success is attributed to its mastery of childhood culture, beginning in the 1920s and cemented in 1937 with the release of works such as “Snow White” and the “Seven Dwarves”(Campbell et al., 2014). Since then, the firm has become the modern storyteller and purveyor of fairy tales for generations(Campbell et al., 2014). The success of the company and influence on children regarding their perceptions on sensitive issues important to humanity such as race and gender has not been lost on critics of the content of mass media. Various films released by the California-based giant media enterprise contain sensitive topics which different stakeholders in modern society are quick to criticize. For example, feminists believe that Disney films such as “Cinderella” wrongly reinforce the notion that girls should submit to the views of the patriarchic society. As such, ferocious criticisms on the script are anchored upon fears that the media houses could propagate derogatory values on young children. While the legitimacy of such views is debatable, it is clear that everyone in the society needs to be media literate given the central role media houses play in shaping opinions and stereotypes in among their audience.

Gender and Race Issues in the Disney Film “Cinderella”

Salient themes in the film “Cinderella” such as gender roles and race inspire emotive responses among various stakeholders in modern society. The plot of the film is a romantic fairytale about a girl who overcomes the cruel treatment of her step-mother and step-sisters to marry the prince eventually (Houwers, 2017). Overall, the film teaches its young target audience the importance of good values such as patience, kindness, and friendships. However, certain scenes in the movie inspire fierce criticism from various groups of people. Feminists aside, “Cinderella” also attracts the wrath of liberals who believe that the film subtly glorifies the white skin color. The market standing of Walt Disney in the global children culture means that the firm is always in the spotlight about the content it airs to the public(Campbell et al., 2014). The stature of mass media and its potency as an agent of influence among children in various parts of the world fuels the urgency to address issues of gender and race in films, especially as the clamor for equal representation gathers momentum.

The reservations on the portrayal of the female gender as submissive to the patriarchal order are founded and have a strong moral standing. The patriarchal order in the scene seems arrogant and used to getting the things they desire without any iota of patience(Houwers, 2017). The scene begins with a demand from the King that his son has finally come of age to marry. The messenger agrees but also implores his master to be patient. The hostile action in the scene from the perspective of the feminists is throwing a glass on the wall and subsequently breaking it into several pieces in a fit of fury (Walt Disney Productions&Geronimi C. et al., 1950). The male gender is depicted to the audience as entitled and impatient. Critics argue that young boys watching the film may be falsely influenced to believe that society expects them to have a sense of entitlement(Houwers, 2017). The King is getting emotional, especially with the thought that his own son is not willing to marry and give him grandchildren. The act of entitlement and impatience could be characteristic of men in the movie, influence feminists believe is unhealthy for clamor for equality of both genders.

Females in the film tend to get excited at the possibility of attending the party organized by the king for his son. The possibility of possibly winning the prince’s hand in marriage is striking in the movie. The scene begins with the flurry of activities which Ella and her step-sisters engage in as she bids to be ready for the party. It is obvious that all the potential brides want to attend the party and get the chance of marrying the prince. The scene portrays females as being submissive to the will of males (Walt Disney Productions&Geronimi C. et al., 1950).Ella and her step-sisters compete to attend the party, an indication that the society in the movie has normalized the submission of females(Houwers, 2017). The profound influence of mass media on child culture exposes young girls to the misguided notion that the patriarchal order should prevail.

The film has white characters all through, which is a perfect portrayal of white supremacy. From the beginning of the story up to the end, there is a glaring absence of diversity in all contexts. For example, the whole film is about white characters, including the king and the main character, with all the good tidings befalling people of the same race(Walt Disney Productions&Geronimi C. et al., 1950). Curiously, the film highlights the beauty of Cinderella as a white character. For the young children watching and getting influenced by the movie from Disney, being white is misconstrued as a symbol of beauty (Malfroid, 2009). As such, it is imperative that the society rightly admonishes the portrayal of one race as being superior to the others; especially in an age where communication has progressed to extent content from mass media originating from the United States is consumed globally.

Conclusion

The critical role mass media plays in the development of opinions in the society warrant an objective critique and subsequent modification of the content which they expose children. While some of the issues regarding gender and race could be unintentional given the commitment to tell the fairy tale as it has been over the years, the effect on small children should not be understated. As such, the potential of such influences to shape the opinion of children even when they are adults should always be considered and necessary adjustments made. Overall, the film “Cinderella” is a classic example of the stereotypes on gender and race propagated by the mass media across various global audiences. The white race is portrayed to the small children as being superior, with the definition of female beauty based on the appearance of the white character Ella. While it is unreasonable to expect beauty to be defined on the perspective of all races in the world to reflect equality, a little diversity in various contexts is important to serve Disney’s global audience. Similarly, the film exalts male superiority over the female gender throughout its plot development. The movie seems to reinforce certain stereotypes in society, particularly concerning race and gender.

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