Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us (Quotes)

1. “Children’s cartoons, movies and literature are perhaps the most influential genre “read.” Young people, unprotected by any intellectual armor, hear or watch these stories again and again, often from the warmth of their mother’ or father’s lap. The messages, or “secret education,” linked with the security of their homes, underscore the power these text.”

I think a lot of parents let their children watch these movies, cartoons, or read them literature is because parents feel it’s ok because their children are too young to understand, why Disney movies, cartoons haven’t shown a lot of ethnicity past.  Parents are letting their children be subjected to these different movies, cartoons, and books. Another reason parents think it is okay for their children to be entertained by this material is because parental figures feel that they can shelter their children from the messages and secret education that are being presented in the movies, cartoons, and literature by feeling they don’t have to explain the material that is being presented.

2 . "Many students don’t want to believe that they have been manipulated by children’s media or advertising. No one wants to admit that they’ve been “handled” by the media has no power over them-as they sit with Fubu, Nike, Timberlands or whatever the latest fashion rage might be.”

I think that this quote is saying that by watching television and reading magazines we all are influenced by media, whether  we realize it or not. While we are watching television commercials or reading advertisements, we see things that we really like. Then we go to Target or the mall and purchase the products, movies, or clothing and therefore media has secretly influenced us into buying these items.

3.  “Early in the unit, I show a Popeye cartoon, “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves,” that all Arabs with the same face, same turban, same body—and they are all thieves swinging enormous swords. At one point in the cartoon, Popeye clips a dog collar on helpless Olive Oyl and drags her through the desert. Later, the 40 thieves come riding through town stealing everything-food, an old man’s teeth, numbers off a clock-even the stripe off a barber pole.”

This Popeye cartoon “Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves” that the teacher shows her students demonstrates that Arabs are all the same and they show no individualism or sense of identity because they are all wearing the same clothing and have the same body type. By the cartoon having the Arabs play thieves and swinging large swords, it gives children the wrong impression of Arabs. The cartoon’s demonstration makes the children think that all Arabs are all bad people and that is how discrimination is started.  Another thing in the cartoon that is disturbing is when Popeye clips a dog collar on Olive Oyl’s neck and drags her through the desert. By letting children watch this cartoon it teaches boys that it is okay to treat woman with disrespect and violence because of what they see Popeye doing to Olive Oyl. Lastly, by children seeing the 40 thieves stealing food and other things, it gives children the impression that people from the Arabic culture are thieves.

                    Websites
http://sundial.csun.edu/2006/12/thenegativeeffectsofdisneyonchildren/