8 Hidden Messages That Show the Deep Side of Disney Movies

If you think that cartoons are only made for children, you will be surprised, because behind the stories of princesses and talking animals there are many serious and important subjects being dealt with, but which often go unnoticed. Themes aren’t always presented in an obvious way or are easy to digest, so they can grab even the most attentive fans and lead them to serious reflection.

Here in the awesome.club, we will explain several social issues shown by Disney in its films, often not noticed. Take the opportunity to review the cartoons, because, starting today, your perspective on them will certainly be completely different.

The film The Hunchback of Notre Dame probably tells the darkest story in Disney cartoons. Many social issues are mentioned in this film, including religion, genocide and sexual harassment.

The young gypsy Esmeralda represents the sexual object and this fact is especially obvious when she is with Frollo. The way he treats her (constantly touching her and even smelling her hair and scarf) clearly shows that he is sexually attracted to her and Esmeralda knows it. He doesn’t even deny her desire: it clearly suggests that she must choose between staying with him or being burned alive.

Esmeralda’s example teaches us to have courage, to defend ourselves and to let only worthy people be part of our lives.

Fun Mind is, actually a movie about depression and talks about how this disease develops. When Riley moves to San Francisco, in Northern California, USA, her depression starts to set in, but she doesn’t want to let her parents down and tries to hide her true feelings. We can also notice when sadness takes over her, affecting everything around her.

When Joy and Sadness disappear, Riley is unable to be happy or open up to show her feelings, falling into a deep depression. The entire film narrates how the disease progresses and destroys everything that used to be meaningful to her🇧🇷

The film shows that it’s okay not to feel happy all the time and that it’s important to accept all emotions experienced.🇧🇷 It also invites you to talk about feelings and mental health.

In addition to talking, among other topics, about aliens, the narrative also explores how two orphaned sisters try to overcome the loss of their parents and continue being a family. The loss was very emotional for little Lilo, in addition, she does not behave very well, making it difficult for her older sister, Nani, who now has to work and take care of her little sister to maintain her custody.

The situation is even more difficult with the attitude of social assistance, whose guardians keep an eye on the sisters, threatening to take Lilo away. The film talks about the struggle for child custody and the dissolution of a family. It also shows how how difficult it is for a child to get over the loss, what it takes for a bereaved family to overcome all difficulties, and how much children need love and support.

Lilo & Stitch teaches us to be kind and to trust others and, of course, teaches that “Ohana means family, and family means that no one should be left behind or forgotten.”

Dory is a blue fish who has short-term memory problems. From an early age, he learned to survive with the disease, explaining his condition to other people. When he lost his parents, he swam around completely aimlessly, not knowing who he was — and this is the reality faced by people who suffer from memory disorders.

Short-term memory loss isn’t the only problem shown in the film. Many characters Dory meets have a certain mental illness (for example, Hank the octopus represents depression and the whale, named Bailey, represents anxiety).

The film teaches children how to accept people with mental disabilities and encourages them to overcome their problems in order to achieve their dreams. It also shows the reality and struggles faced by those who suffer from a disorder, inspiring people to help and support them.

In Frozen a freezing adventure, Elsa has had to hide her personality and powers since she was a child. Even her parents never helped her to be herself and not be afraid, preferring to exclude her, making her fit the standards.

The gloves given by them represent the attempt to hide Elsa’s personality and make her “normal”. The young woman wore the gloves for a long time and tried to be “normal”, until she ran away and accepted who she was, throwing them away.

On the day of her coronation, when everyone discovers that Elsa is endowed with magical powers, she is called a monster. But the young woman never harmed anyone or did anything wrong. Even so, people don’t want to accept it because it’s different. Something that sounds very familiar in today’s society.

The film shows how different people are socially threatened, and it’s not just magic: any kind of social minority existing in our own society can go through this situation. Frozen a freezing adventure teaches that it’s okay to be different and that everyone has their place in the world, no matter who they are.

In the movie, adult Andy donates his toys to a daycare center, run by a teddy bear named Lotso. He presents the place as a paradise, but the reality is completely different: the place is led by a stuffed despot, Teddy the bear.

This film illustrates the many aspects of the dictatorship: a charismatic leader, the existence of social classes (the elite who live in a room, where the good kids play and take great care of their toys; and the rest of the toys left in a different room, where no one takes good care of them), brainwashing (what happened to Buzz Lightyear), forced labor and ideology.

Presented as a paradise and a place of freedom, Sunnyside lives, in fact, a dictatorship, with military discipline. What the creator wants to show and teach comes from the mouth of the Barbie doll: “Authority must derive from the consent of the governed, not from the threat and use of force!”

In Wreck It Ralph, Vanellope wasn’t like other girls. The fact that she had a defect turned her into a target of bullying: in addition to not being accepted by her colleagues, she was constantly humiliated and mocked by them. But Vanellope was always friendly, forgetting the offenses suffered.

Bullying is pervasive in our world and many children may experience the same kind of treatment given to Vanellope. By creating a strong and charismatic character, Disney intends to convey the message that it supports victims of bullying, showing that the individual’s peculiarities are responsible for making him unique and that there are people in the world who will like him the way he is. Furthermore, Vanellope is a role model for kids who feel intimidated, teaching them how important it is to stay friendly no matter what.

Rapunzel’s mother, Gothel, tries to destroy her daughter’s self-esteem, making fun of her physical appearance, questioning the possibility of anyone liking her, laughing at her dreams and making the girl feel guilty about everything.

Also, she constantly says that Rapunzel is naive and that she couldn’t stand up for herself.trying to make her emotionally dependent. Gothel also doesn’t let her leave the tower and make her own decisions. The film illustrates very well the relationship of children with overprotective and toxic parents.

Emotional abuse is not seen as physical abuse, although it can be just as traumatizing. People don’t discuss this widely and Disney exposes this problem by showing kids that people can be abusive and even if they are close they should run away as there are people in this world who will love who you are and support even your craziest ideas.

Gothel only expresses affection and love for Rapunzel’s hair, not directly to her daughter, demonstrating that she doesn’t really love her. Not only does Gothel not love Rapunzel, she constantly manipulates her, a clear illustration of an emotionally abusive relationship.

What other social issues do you think should also be exposed? Have you noticed any other hidden problems with Disney movies? Let’s discuss all your ideas in the comments.