I spent a great deal of time thinking about what I wanted to write about for my first post on our class blog. For the longest time I could not for the life of me think of anything. However, it all came to me the other night while I sat in Lion King 3D having my mind blown by the awesomeness that is The Lion King. As I walked in the movie theater all I could hear in my head was the multitude of communication lectures that I have had trying to destroy my happy childhood memories with the movie. However, I did not care; my love for the Lion King is eternal. Then again I did find my education in communication completely effecting how I was watching the movie. Yes, I was freaking out at the amazing nature of Simba being in 3D but I noticed I was also picking up on Media messages such as race, gender, power and religion.
Ever since I started my Education at DePaul University the main message I have receive in all of my classes is that Disney is evil and this does include the Lion King. However, I found myself questioning that theory while watching the movie again and looking at it through the eyes of a scholar. I have been told that the Lion King is racist and contains a multitude of subliminal messaging and I cannot deny that there may be some truth in those. However, I noticed that there is a great deal of counter culture in the film. I noticed that a lot of things in the movie could be considered counter hegemonic. The first thing that I noticed was that although critics tend to say that the hyenas are given voices of minorities to create controversy of minorities being bad, young Nala clearly had the voice of an African American girl and specifically had an accent that would be considered AAVE. Therefore, can the Lion King’s representation of race really be controversial? The second message that is hinted at is the relationship between Timon and Pumba. These two outcasts find Simba and raise him on their own. Two males who happen to be best friends raising a child together, this seems to be hinting at what looks like a same sex couple. Of course this is never said; however, the adult audience can clearly feel the message loud and clear. The last point that I picked up on that I felt clearly goes against hegemony deals with religion. It is an agreement that the dominant religious culture in the United States is that of Christianity. Of course, that is not how everyone wants it but that is the point of hegemony, it is dominant and we tend to just accept that. Now there are quotes and moments in the Lion King that are clearly pulled from religious theory. For example, the theory of the circle of life and all the ancestors of the past looking down on Simba from the stars. What makes this interesting is when Simba tries to explain this theory of the Kings of the past looking down on him, Timon and Pumba clearly reject this theory and even call him stupid. This is clearly against the normative religious culture.
In conclusion I present an argument that critics of the Lion King are possibly not looking hard enough at the counter hegemonic culture that it presents. I feel that the Lion King actually has a lot to offer to teach Children such as strong women and same sex adoption. Maybe critics just need to see it in 3D.
Hah... nice retort! I definitely need to see the 3D version. I think you raise some important points. Rarely are text purely hegemonic. Remember though the notion that cultural accommodation and co-opting lived experiences are practices found in dominant discourse to give a false consciousness to the masses. I wonder if what we see is counter-hegemonic or an instance of cultural accommodation. Perhaps its all it the 3D glasses.
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