Disney and Studio Ghibli - Essay Example

Because the intended audience of most animated films is children, they do not portray anything more than a narrow and overly-simplified world view. Discuss Disney and studio Ghibili both make children’s films. In spite of the success amongst both adults and children of so-called children’s literature, especially in recent years, there is still a widely held stereotype that anything made for children is, indeed has to be, simplistic. The films of Disney and studio Ghibili are no exception, with animated stories often held to be a particularly extreme example of over-simplification for simple minds. However, in both cases there is, in fact, an extremely potent under-lying messages designed to cater to a much more adult audience. For Disney, this is about convincing adults that Disney represents a reassuring consumerist model in keeping with American society and culture. By successfully convincing parents of this message, Disney ensures that parents will allow their children to become consumers of their products. By contrast, studio Ghibili’s message is designed for parents and children to understand on different levels. It is about believing in children’s ability to understand complex messages and instilling in them an understanding of issues related to globalization, such as the environment. It is clear therefore that both companies portray much more than a narrow and overly-simplified world view. This essay will explore how each production studio communicates its very different and very complex adult messages. The apparently simplistic way in which Disney construct their animated films is, in reality, very carefully planned and designed in order to promote the societal system which keeps Disney going – capitalism. Film studios such as Disney do not exist for humble artistic endeavor, but rather to manufacture products which can be sold to consumers for profit. The repetitive and familiar format of Disney films provides a reassurance of what consumers can expect and so encourages parents to trust in them and allow their children to consume them too. However, the Disney message does not stop there. Disney stores successfully sell to young consumers, encouraged by their parents to consume the Disney message. Further, Disney enters into the family holiday, encouraging parents to take their children to their theme parks. In short, Disney permeates the free-time of family life, encouraging the existing system of consumption to continue. Pinsky describes Disney theme parks as a short of shrine where adults re-live their childhoods through their children in a fantasy land. This concept of crossing generations makes Disney even more appealing to parents. Even within the films themselves, this message of capitalism and consumerism is promoted. As Keller (25) comments on Ariel and the contract she makes with the sea-witch in The Little Mermaid, ‘the contract symbolizes capitalist business rules to get something for nothing – since consumer purchase unnecessary and often unwanted goods with their money’. Ariel must make a capitalist contract to move to a better place. In this way, Disney films constantly repeat the capitalist message to their consumers. Studio Ghibili films also comment on society. However, their aim is not to promote the status quo, but rather to criticize and undermine it. Indeed, the films can be seen to take on quite serious environmental issues which they pass on to children in a far from over-simplified way. The characters within the films often act as symbolic references to issues such as pollution. The Stink God in Spirited Away is in fact revealed to be a water spirit, but he has become horribly contaminated. As Napier remarks, the spirit is liberated from the pollution of modern life in a move which condemns pollution. This is a powerful message to children about the ugly realities of consumer society. This criticism of society even becomes a concern at the loss of Japanese cultural identity itself. As Napier (287) comments on the film Spirited Away, it is ‘a reaction to globalization in which cultural products are used to reinforce notions of local culture as a form of resistance to perceived outside threats’. Chihiro, the young protagonist in the film, is regarded as a message to other Japanese children on how to resist modernity and respect nature. The two studios are, therefore, at odds. One defends modernity while the other recoils from it. However, both present a strong and serious message which is far from simplistic. In keeping with maintaining the social order, good and bad is very clear cut in Disney’s films. No where is this more evident than in the depiction of female characters. Women are given very clear social paths whereby good is represented by youth and beauty, with bad being represented by ugliness and old age. Women are also subject to the powerful will of men and so a highly conservative and traditional view of gender roles is promoted to children by Disney. Disney has been so criticized about its stereotypical women that it has recently tried to move away from the white-skinned, blond-haired, blue-eyed stereotype by focusing on characters such as Jasmine in Aladdin and Pocahontas. However as Hoff Kraemer’s article clearly states, the women continue to follow their stronger male characters and ultimately revert to type. In the end, they have to submit to marriage and passing any power they may have had to the male characters. Rather than being a simplistic message to pass on to children, this is in fact extremely serious, complex and deep psychological conditioning. It is teaching children about gender roles before they are even old enough to recognize gender differences. Indeed, it sets out to create a generation of little girls who will grow up to be just like their mothers. This way the patriarchal, capitalist society will move quietly forward. In stark contrast, Miyazaki and the Ghibili studios set out to disrupt the standard feminine stereotype. Indeed the director himself comments in Midnight Eye that he deliberately decided to have female protagonists since women are so resourceful and so strong. He was fascinated by female psychology and also believed that women may be the answer to the problems created by the very same patriarchal society which Disney continue to defend. Indeed Hoff Kraemer’s article is based round the idea that Miyazaki provides a much better role model than Disney for young women in the United States. This is because they are independent and critical thinkers who do not have to give way to men. Unlike Disney’s perfect, two-dimensional princesses, the girls of studio Ghibili ask questions, challenge assumptions and don’t give in to external pressure to change. A good example of this is the character San, who is not only leader of her people, but also questions what sort of authority she should have and how she should best serve her people as leader. These complex questions are a world away from the un-thinking women in Disney films and indeed as the film progresses, an evolution of the leadership skills of San is followed. Where Disney attempts to restrain and repress its females characters, studio Ghibili liberates them, encouraging them to take on traditionally male roles and, further, succeed at them. The use which the studios make of fantasy will finally be considered. In the Disney land of fairytales, children are led to believe in and respect the magical world on Kings, Queens and wicked witches. Disney is keen to draw on what is regarded as a fairytale heritage in order to make their films seem safe for children to consume. However, this fairytale world is just another way for Disney to promote its message of conformity. Fairytales were originally peasant tales based in nature and only began to contain aristocratic characters once they were taken up by the aristocracy to teach moral lessons to their children. The Disney characters are therefore far from innocent, but rather promote a belief in and respect for the existing ruling class. Disney plants in the minds of children that they should aspire to be rich and respect those who already are. Every little girl may want to be a princess after watching a Disney film, but this is actually a powerful message to be sending to parents and children about capitalist society and the pursuit of wealth. Studio Ghibili, on the other hand, puts fantasy to quite different use. Indeed, studio Ghibili uses fantasy to lock into ancients Japanese cultures and traditions based on historical beliefs in magic and the supernatural. This gives their films depth and therefore heighten the sense of reality and responsibility for the characters involved. It is clear, therefore, that Disney and studio Ghibili do far more than send out over-simplistic messages to children. In fact, their messages are quite in depth, complicated and often very subtle in the belief system they wish to pass on to children. However, this is where the similarities end. The messages themselves are clearly very different, with Disney encouraging their audience to respect, reflect and continue to follow the established order and studio Ghibili encouraging children to question the value systems of modern life. They are, therefore, two quite different messages promoted through very similar channels of communication. Works Cited Pinsky, Mark ‘Mickey Mouse and Faith?’ Keller, Sabine ‘The Disney characters are…”the very embodiment of consumer fetishism”. A critical reading’ Napier, Susan ‘Matter out of place: carnival, containment and cultural recovery in Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.’ Hoff Kraemer, Christine ‘Disney, Miyazaki and Feminism: Why Western girls need Japanese animation’ Read More