An illustration above captures a young girl with a bionic arm pointing at a movie poster titled “Robotica”, which features a person with a similar prosthetic. Viewpoints Staffer Eleanor Robinson reflects on the movie industry’s history with representation in children’s films and emphasizes the importance of diversity being shown on screen. “In these movies, companies such as Disney bring their characters to life and leave an imprint on the children that watch them, giving them a wider perspective on a more diverse and cultural world,” Robinson wrote. Illustration by Eleanor Robinson
The evolution of representation in children’s movies has expanded on-screen diversity, but these writers still have a long way to go in order to extensively cover real-world representation.
The movies children watch growing up have an influence on the way they learn and experience the world around them, especially in terms of the identities they see.
As children grow up with increasingly diverse characters, their views on the world expand and open newer possibilities for them to discover in the future.
In older children’s films set in the ‘40s to ‘50s, viewers will find that most of them include more White, cisgender heterosexual characters. There wasn’t a lot of diversity in children’s movies during that time period, so it was characters such as Snow White and Cinderella that laid the foundation for children’s role models on-screen.
Movies made in the 1990s such as “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory,” “Home Alone” and “The Iron Giant” feature most, if not all, of their main characters representing the larger majority. These movies have become timeless classics, once again leaving out diversity from the mainstream.
In more modern media, Disney has continued to stick to the traditional American beauty standards when it comes to shape and size representation, which is evidenced by thin, White princesses like Aurora, Belle, Ariel, Elsa and more.
In order for better representation in children’s films, Disney should adapt their representation to better represent its viewership. Without creating a more diverse variety in children’s films, kids around the world will never have the chance to see themselves on the big screen.
In order for better representation in children’s films, Disney should adapt their representation to better represent its viewership. Without creating a more diverse variety in children’s films, kids around the world will never have the chance to see themselves on the big screen.
Fortunately, recent developments in the entertainment industry have meant that children get to witness these divergent narratives and understandcultures and stories other than their own, and benefit from a more expansive worldview.
Children now get to grow up with a more diverse cast of characters in movie media. Films like “Black Panther” (2018), “Moana” (2016) and “Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021) are contemporary films that bring much more diversity to the identities they portray.
Furthermore, Disney’s “Encanto” hit theaters on Nov. 24, 2021, offering a diverse portrayal of Latin American culture. Additionally, movies like “Luca” (2021) and “Turning Red” (2022) are similarly paving the way for future films that further represent ethnic groups and races multidimensionally.
In these movies, companies such as Disney bring their characters to life and leave an imprint on the children that watch them, giving them a wider perspective on a more diverse and cultural world.
Popular media has made great strides toward becoming representation first began to show repre- sentation in children’s movies.
By continuing in this direction, such media can pave the way for every child to see themselves in the world.
