I have a girlfriend who refuses to take her children to see Disney movies because she is certain Disney has it in for mothers.  Since she is not a paranoid type, I asked her one day to explain her bias.  She started naming films from the 40's to the present; Bambi, Pinocchio, Cinderella, Snow White, Dumbo, the little Mermaid, Nemo.  In all of these films the mother either never exists or is brutally murdered in the first few scenes. Ok, I thought, so there does appear to be a pattern but does Disney really have a grudge against moms?  Who was left to care the for the underdog of these stories?  How did these young characters survive? 

         Aha!! The male counterpart..."Dad".   Disney dads are famous for giving it all to protect their young.  Is there anything wrong with that?  Isn't portraying fathers as loving, loyal, strong, and dependable a good thing?  Not to take away from the thousands of single moms who are admirably doing it all but for those of us raised with both moms and dads.... how often was Dad the one we called upon to kill the spider and fix our flat tire, check the house for boogie men, or simply comfort us with his strong arms?
     I know not all boys grow up to become Disney dads but is the standard  Disney portrays bad? My own father has slowly grayed and lost some of his muscle mass but he is still one of the strongest men I know.  He has always been able to calm me down, help me find my own true strength, and make sense of this world.  Whether teaching me how to play a ground ball, checking out the boys I was dating, or walking me down the aisle at my wedding, he knew exactly how to handle each ocassion. 
     Maybe Disney writers are not mother hating villains afterall. Maybe they just want to remind us that dads are unique and important in this world and ... when they do give their all, worthy of our deepest love, respect, admiration and gratitude.
        I dedicate this blog to my dad, Happy Father's Day!  I love you!

Mama Kim 

 


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