How Disneyfication Applies to History

With Disney movies being so widespread, as well as the accompanying books, stickers, toys, bedsheets, ect., children all over the world are exposed to the Disney version of life. Dr. John Murane notes in his article "Reversing the "Disneyfication" Process,"

As Benjamin Schwarz recently explained, "for better and for worse, Walt Disney (1901-1966) implanted his creations more profoundly and pervasively in the national psyche than has any other figure in the history of American popular culture."

Take, for example, Pocahontas. Although almost completely unfounded in history, this is the story that children will most likely remember when they think about the British arrival in North America. Or Aladdin, which is absolutely offensive in it's bastardization and conglomeration of Middle Eastern culture. Here are the ordinal lyrics for "Arabian Nights" taken from Murane's article:

Oh, I come from a land,
From a faraway place,
Where the caravan camels roam.
Where they cut off your ear
If they don't like your face.
It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.

Murane also points out the differences in characters in Aladdin. He says,

...an analysis of the characters in Aladdin would reveal other stereotypes and misinformation—the "good guys" in the film (Jasmin, the Princess, and Al' Aladdin, a street urchin who rescues the princess) have lighter skin and speak without accents. The "bad guys" are quite another story...

(For more on this, Google "orientalism" with Aladdin or look up Edward Said.)

Other examples include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Jungle Book, Song of the South (now almost completely impossible to find), Dumbo, The Lion King, Tarzan, and Hercules. If you were to Google "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," or "Hercules," the Disney version will appear in the top-ten results courtesy of the International Movie Database (IMDB). However, they are not the first link. So read more on how this is indicative of the end of Disneyfied history for those who know where to look.