Hernández Rosa 1

Adriana Hernández Rosa

Professor Thames

ENC 1102

22 November 2020

Why are Disney films inauthentic?

Introduction

The discussion surrounding the lack of representation in the animation industry is

important because it largely affects the general population. Furthermore, it is also part of a wider

issue of race in this country’s past and present history. The research surrounding this topic could

bring about substantial change within the industry, thus, affecting many generations to come. It

is for this reason that researchers should care to investigate and continue the conversation, as it

ultimately serves to spread this information and communicate these views and concerns to a

larger audience and even impact industry higher-ups to be more sensitive and understanding of

these minority-group discrepancies. As a hispanic woman studying animation, I can be

considered part of two minority groups within the industry I intend to break into. Additionally, I

have never truly felt represented through the cartoons that I consumed as a kid; it was always a

matter of settling. Thus, I feel it is my duty to inform myself and others on this issue in order to

help bring about the change we all want to see in order to better my future and that of many

others within the industry.

Methodology

For my data collection, I compared and contrasted four Disney movies and their

respective screenplays. Two of these are representative of ethnic princesses, and two others are

representative of white princesses. In the same way, the movies were selected according to their
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release state; two of which came from Disney’s Renaissance Era (1989-1999), and the other two

came from Disney’s Revival era (2009-present). This way I was able to compare and contrast the

progress that was made throughout Disney’s history as well as present day discrepancies of

ethnic portrayal and representation to those of their white counterparts. Following these

guidelines I chose to study the films: ​Pocahontas​ (1995), ​The Little Mermaid​ (1989), ​Princess

and the Frog​ (2009), and ​Tangled​ (2011) and their screenplays in search of trends and word

choice sensitivity. Further, I also evaluated the amount of diversity amongst the cast, writers, and

directors of each movie in order to properly draw a connection between the misrepresentation on

screen compared to that of the production team.

To further solidify my data I conducted a simple six question survey in which I asked a

random selection of people over the age of 18 to answer multiple-choice questions based on their

animated movie preferences, and whether or not they feel represented through them. This data is

reflective of the way the audience feels and, thus, helped me evaluate what changes need to be

implemented for the sake of a wider audience.

Results

Movie Analysis Code Charts:

First I will discuss my findings from each movie; movies that I have watched many times

over. However, this time I watched them through a different lens, as I intended to analyze each

element and its implications in society. These are the things I picked up:

The Little Mermaid ​(1989)

Directors Ron Clements: ​White American Male

John Musker: ​White American Male

Screenplay Writers Ron Clements: ​White American Male

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John Musker: ​White American Male

Cast Ariel: ​Jodi Benson (White American)

Sebastian: ​Samuel E. Wright (Black American)
Ursula: ​Pat Carroll (White American)
Scuttle: ​Buddy Hackett (White American)
Prince Eric: ​Christopher Daniel Barnes (White American)
King Triton: ​Kenneth Mars (White American)
Flounder: ​Jason Marin​ ​(White American)
Chef Louis: ​René Auberjonois (White American w/ a mixed European background)
(Lived in Paris at a young age.)
Grimsby: ​Ben Wright (White English-American)

Out-of-Place Imagery
● Ariel gave up her voice to be with Eric. Women shouldn’t speak
● Sebastian (only Black/ethnic character) is a servant to the king.
● Triton destroys all of Ariel’s most prized possessions.
● Chef Louis enjoys killing his food.
● "Up on the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away" = life is
better when you’re relaxed, a racial stereotype for Sebastian’s character who
is clearly Jamaican.
● Ursula is always honest and upfront about her plan, but is still meant to be
the evil character.
● Lack of female dialogue.

Historical (In)accuracies
● Ursula is based on the famous cross-dressing performer, Divine. (Anderson)
= meant to represent the LGBT community, but failed to do so.
● Set in Europe, but all characters have an american accent.
● Triton is the son of Poseidon. = accurate
● But, Triton is never said to be king of the sea. Ariel is also never mentioned
in Greek mythology​ (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Portrayal of Love Married at 16 to a guy she just met, and whom she gave up her voice and family for.

Beginning with an unsurprising evaluation of the writers and directors of the film, we can

observe that they are all white and male. Ariel being depicted as a white princess, a diverse

production team is not really expected. However, it is worth noting that there is a singular

diverse character among the cast, Sebastian the crab, voiced appropriately by Samuel E. Wright.

Although, it is worth noting that this character does not have any human traits and is a servant of

the king. Additionally, in his signature song, “Under the Sea,” it is implied that Sebastian defines

the best life as one where one can just relax effortlessly. This is something that may be glossed
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over by many, but, having a distinct Jamaican accent, this is a very stereotypical point of view

for this particular character to have.

Aside from racial stereotypes, I also took note of the film’s sexist baseline. Ariel, a

sixteen year old mermaid, falls for Prince Eric at first sight. She is then willing to leave

everything behind to be with him, including losing her family and her voice, which reinforces the

societal construct that women should be quiet and shouldn’t voice their opinions. Furthermore,

Ursula is the only strong female in the film, yet she’s the villain. The terms in her contract were

disclosed in their entirety, and she knew the value of a woman’s voice over her physique, which

is why she took Ariel’s away.

Pocahontas ​(1995)

Directors Eric Goldberg:​ White American Male

Mike Gabriel:​ White American Male

Screenplay Writers Susannah Grant: ​White American Female

Carl Binder: ​White Canadian Male
Philip LaZebnik: ​White American Male

Cast Pocahontas:
Voice:​ ​Irene Bedard (Alaska Native)
Singing:​ ​Judy Kuhn (White American)
[​Judy Kuhn​ was hired to provide the singing voice for the eponymous character
before ​Irene Bedard​ was cast.]
John Smith: ​Mel Gibson ​(White American)
Thomas: ​Christian Bale ​(White British)
Kocoum: ​James Apaumut Fall (Native)
Grandmother Willow: ​Linda Hunt ​(White American)
Nakoma: ​Michelle St. John (Native)
Powhattan: ​Russell Means (Native)
Kekata: ​Gordon Tootoosis (Native)

Out-of-Place Imagery ● “Savages, barely even human”

● Romanticized Colonialism
● John Smith looks down upon Pocahontas and her people which portrays
white supremacy. (Historically accurate but demeaning nonetheless.)
● Pocahontas is always barefoot and her dress is skin-tight and short.
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Historical (In)accuracies ● Set in Jamestown, Virginia, USA.

● Pocahontas’s real name is ​Matoaka. (Mansky)
● She was about 10 years old when she met 27 year old John Smith.
● The two characters didn't have a romantic relationship, and Pocahontas
actually married John Rolfe.
● John Smith was British, but had an american accent.
● Pocahontas’s fist husband was Kokoum (Mills Farris)

Portrayal of Love Pocahontas defies her father to pursue a white man.

Through my viewing of ​Pocahontas​ I was able to highlight many indiscrepancies. Right

off the bat, it is worth noting that the film was written and directed entirely by white men, with

the exception of Ms. Grant, who is the only female in this group (improvement from our

previously evaluated film, ​The Little Mermaid​). Nonetheless, there are no Native Americans

making decisions about their portrayal here. Additionally, while it is commendable that all

physically​ Native American characters were voiced by Native American actors, it is worth noting

that the singing voice of Pocahontas is portrayed by ​Judy Kuhn, a white singer. Furthermore,

Grandmother Willow, though not being strictly portrayed as part of the tribe, is meant to be the

spirit of Pocahontas’s grandmother and is voiced by white actress, Linda Hunt, instead of an

ethnic actress.

Being based off of a historical event, there is much more to pull apart here. ​What I truly

found interesting regarding the writing for this film was the simultaneous attention to detail, but

also clear disregard for historical accuracy. While Natives are continuously referred to as

“savages” by the incoming colonizers, sticking to the harsh historical tension between

civilizations, John Smith is made the love interest in the story. This kind of historical selection is

extremely curious because, just as they twisted who Pocahontas’s love interest is, they could

have twisted the story many different ways. For example, they took the time to learn the fact that

Kocoum was Pocahontas’s real life first husband, thus, giving this name to her sutor in the
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movie. However, instead of going forth with the portrayal of that relationship, they made him

into a jealous and violent side character; one who gets killed for the sole purpose of Thomas’s,

white character’s, development arc.

In the end, Pocahontas defies her father and her family’s wishes to be with a colonizer.

The racial tensions are diminished and their perceptions of each other become a simple

“misunderstanding.” Something we historically know is not factual.

Princess and the Frog (​ 2009)

Directors Ron Clements: ​White American Male

John Musker: ​White American Male

Screenplay Writers Ron Clements: ​White American Male

John Musker: ​White American Male
Rob Edwards: ​Black American Male

Cast Tiana: ​Anika Noni Rose (Black American)

Prince Naveen: ​Bruno Campos (White Brazilian-American)
Dr. Facilier: ​Keith David (Black American)
Mama Odie: ​Jenifer Lewis (Balck American)
Ray: ​Jim Cummings (White American)
Louis: ​Michael-Leon Wooley (Black American)
Eudora: ​Oprah Winfrey (Black American)
Charlotte Labeouf: ​Jennifer Cody (White American)
Eli ‘Big Daddy’ Labeouf: ​John Goodman (White American)
James: ​Terrence Howard (Black American)
Lawrence: ​Peter Bartlett (White American)

Out-of-Place Imagery ● Tiana and Naveen spend the majority of the movie as frogs.
● “...a little woman of your background.”
● Naveen is from a fantasy land named Maldonia.

Historical (In)accuracies ● Louisiana; Jazz Age.

● First disney princess to hold a job.
● Black and white characters coexist without major conflicts. Segregation was
a thing in the 1920s. (Urofsky)

Portrayal of Love Tiana teaches, racially ambiguous, Prince Naveen, that hard work pays off. They also
hate each other at the beginning of the film and grow more fond of each other as the
film progresses.
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This film is an interesting one. While ​Pocahontas​ was based on a very specific set of

people during a historic time period, ​Princess and the Frog​ decided to do the same, but in a

border sense. This film is based in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 1920’s Jazz Age.

However, it seems to be in a more child-friendly universe, as during this time, segregation

through the Jim Crow Laws was strictly enforced. Naturally, this is not something to be

portrayed in a kids movie, but it doesn’t make the setting any less unrealistic as a Black Tiana

and her white best friend from childhood Charlotte unconditionally support each other.

However, something that I noticed, which alarmed me, is the lack of surname in Tiana’s

family. It is almost as if they didn’t belong to an ancestry, which could have been purposely done

by the writers to emphasize Black history, but still seems like a way to diminish their

background. Especially when side characters like Charlotte and “Big Daddy” Lbeaouf’s

surnames are emphasized. Additionally, Tiana’s love interest, Prince Naveen has received

backlash for not being explicitly Black. This prince from the fictional country of Maldonia, is

voiced by a light-skin Brazilian actor. This fact has led many to question if Disney didn’t think a

Black man was worthy of the title of “prince.” Others have stated that representing a mixed

relationship is equally as important, and don't see the issue with this. Personally, I think his

character is able to represent many different ethnicities, such as Latinos, and mulattoes at once,

thus, his ambiguousness may be a blessing after all. With all this said, the main issue with this

film is the fact that both Tiana and Naveen spend the majority of the film as frogs; creatures that

Tiana herself demonstrates a distaste for at the beginning of the film. Thus, many are calling for

a do over and more explicit representation.

Princess and the Frog​ certainly has its kinks, but it’s worthwhile noting its grand

improvements. While, like all the others, this film is written and directed by mostly white writers
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and directors, here we see our first dose of behind the scenes representation with Rob Edwards as

part of the screenwriting team. Furthermore, Tiana is the first working princess, and one that

demonstrates the needlessness of being in a relationship. She emphasizes the importance of

family through her joint dream with her father to open a restaurant, and preaches that anything is

possible through faith and hard work. In the end, one could say that she rescued Naveen, instead

of the other way around.

Tangled (​ 2011)

Directors Byron Howard:​ Japanese-born American Male

Nathan Greno:​ White American Male

Screenplay Writer Dan Foggleman: ​White American Male

Cast Rapunzel: ​Mandy Moore (White American)

Flynn Rider: ​Zachary Levi (White American)
Mother Gothel: ​Donna Murphy (White American)
Stabbington Brother: ​Ron Perlman (White American)
Captain of the Guard: ​M.C. Gainey (White American)

Out-of-Place Imagery ● Rapunzel and Mother Gother had very different accents.
● Rapunzel may have Stockholm Syndrome.
● “...my flower...”

Historical (In)accuracies ● Set in the fictional kingdom of Corona, which is based off of Germany,
Poland, and Hungary around the 16th to 18th century.

Portrayal of Love Rapunzel is a damsel in distress. Flynn Rescues her from the tower and teaches her
about the life she’s been missing.

Tangled​ is a bit more difficult to evaluate as it is based completely off of a fairytale and

doesn’t have much of a historical base. However, this is the first time we see ethnic diversity in

the production team of a white princess movie with, Japanese-born, ​Byron Howard. Regardless,

there is no diversity in the cast or characters; it is worth noting that the original tale, written by

the brothers Grimm, is based in Germany, which has a largely white population.
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With this film, Disney backtracked a bit in relation to sexist stereotypes, and tropes from

their previous film, ​Princess and the Frog.​ While Rapunzel has her strong, girl-power moments,

she is still depicted as the damsel in distress awaiting to be rescued by Flynn Rider. When she

finally escapes her tower, she relies on Flynn as her “guide” who essentially teaches her

everything she is so clueless about. A slightly more alarming issue with the film is Rapunzel’s

relationship with mother Gothel. Gothel only cares for Rapunzed because of the magic she

possesses in her hair. Even when Rapunzel refers to her as “mother,” Gothel only calls her

variations of “my flower” throughout the movie.

Survey Results:

Question: Responses Multiple Choice: Results:

Recorded:

What is your racial background? (Select all that apply) 84 ● White 17 (20.2%)
● Black 7 (8.3%)
● Asian 6 (7.1%)
● Hispanic or 65 (77.4%)
Latino
● Hawaiian or other 0 (0%)
Pacific Islander
● Native Indian or 0 (0%)
Alaska Native

Has Disney Animation Studios (including Pixar) made a 84 Yes 27 (32.1%)

movie that was intended to represent your general racial No 57 (67.9%)
background?

If yes, did you feel personally represented? 41 Yes 8 (19.5%)

No 33 (80.5%)

If yes, in your opinion, was the film executed in an 32 Yes 16 (50%)

authentic manner? No 16 (50%)

If you have any input, further opinions, or general 45

thoughts on the issue at hand, please elaborate to
contribute to the conversation. Trends:

● More diversity in production and characters

● Feeling of no progression
● Definition of beauty was not relatable
● Not all Latinos are Mexicans, thus, Coco
doesn’t count for everyone.
● Grateful for always being represented but
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advocate for change.

● Mashing cultures together
● Representation = successful movies
● Only villains have the accent (Aladdin)
● Caribbean is excluded
● More plus size representation
● Lack of knowledge and representation
contributes to racism
● More minorities for screenwriters
● Do not include “adult content” on kid’s
shows
● Only the environment is presented, not the
culture

Through this survey I intended to receive more statistical data. However, due to my niche

social media spread, most of these statistics are representative of the Latino, more specifically

the Puerto Rican, population. Overall, it is clear that most racial groups aside from whites, are

underrepresented. In fact, one of the comments I received stated “Disney had NO BUSINESS

making Tiana a frog for a majority of the movie. Lost all of its representation.” Clearly this issue

is an emotional one as these animated films are a great part of our childhoods and likely continue

to be for generations to come. As a whole, people just wish that largely unrecognized groups can

be seen on the big screen.

Discussion

Through my research I was able to identify a particularly wide scholarly conversation in

relation to diversity in front and behind the scenes of Hollywood, more specifically Disney films.

This topic of conversation aims to evaluate the ways in which diversity within the production

team influences the authentic outcome of a production. Through my own investigative research I

was able to expand upon the conversation as I personally recalled many instances where films

felt insensitive, and unauthentic. Upon further research and gathering of evidence, it became

obvious that Hollywood as a whole lacks diversity both, on screen, and behind the scenes. This

shouldn’t be shocking information. However, it is notable that there is a greater discrepancy

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behind the scenes. This can be seen through the 2019 Hollywood Diversity Report which shows

only 17.4% of writing credit being earned by women and 13.9% earned by minority groups

(Wolf). This is extremely alarming as the U.S. Census puts the women population at

approximately 50%, and minority populations at 40%. Numbers like these within the production

team are what lead to tone deaf productions that use racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity soley for

monetary value.

Arguably, it is because of this lack of cultural consciousness that films such as ​Moana,​

The Lion King​, ​Mulan,​ ​Pocahontas,​ and ​Princess and the Frog​ are based off of many stereotypes

that ultimately perpetuate exclusivity and discrimination (Cappiccie, Neal, Yoshinaga). Some

examples of this include how in ​The Lion King,​ the hyenas and the elephant graveyard seem to

represent Hispanic and Black minorities in a decaying urban setting; how in ​Pocahontas​ she

defies her familial and cultural values for a white man; how ​Mulan’s​ story shifted purpose from

its original historical proem, favoring the Americanization and changed values of the character;

how Tiana and Naveen spend the majority of ​The Princess and the Frog​ film as literal frogs;

how Maui, a piece of cultural myth, was reduced to a basic stereotype in ​Moana.​ These are not

isolated instances, and can be seen throughout many other films throughout past and present

history.

Overall, this phenomenon is quite harmful to each culture it appropriates as it creates a

false mainstream view of what a people should look and behave like. This is especially harmful

when considering animations are marketed for a young and impressionable audience, which can

hold certain views for generations to come. With that said, it is worth noting that significant

improvements have been made throughout the years. For example, on screen and behind the

scenes diversity increases every year, little by little. This is thanks to an audience that is willing
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to demand and embrace change within the media that they consume. Further, the Oscars put forth

diversity requirements in order to be eligible for their most prestigious award, Best Picture

(Writers Branch of the Academy)​. Additionally, new studios like Lion Forge Animation, the first

and only Black-owned studio to date, are being developed and established. Thanks to their

mission of seeking out unrecognized talent and striving for a culturally diverse team, they were

able to win an Academy Award on their debut short, “Hair Love” (Tangcay). More changes and

improvements like these are what we, as an audience and as filmmakers, look forward to in the

upcoming years in the industry and is what I intend to amplify through this research piece.

Furthermore, racial and gender diversity within a production team is crucial for the

prosperity of a film; especially those that are ethnically driven and/or have female leads.

Through my personal observations, I was able to visually confirm data displayed in the

Hollywood Diversity Report. As we progressed through the films, more diversity was added onto

the films and their production teams. It is even worth mentioning that, one of the movies with

most issues, ​The Little Mermaid,​ is currently casting Halle Bailey, a Black actress, for their

live-action remake, additionally reflecting the progress being made in the present day (Long).

As I did my studies, it also became obvious that white princesses are rarely ever

portrayed in real-life or historical scenarios. Many of them live in fantasy worlds that could

never be reached adding on to their unreachable perfection. Whereas Ethnic princesses are

usually portrayed in specific countries and times which reflect their normalcy, and regularness.

In fact, Disney missed many opportunities with some of their films by adapting eurocentric or

fantastical stories to ethnic characters, rather than drawing ideas from fables and myths from the

very culture they are trying to portray. An example of this is how the story of the ​Princess and

the Frog​ did not originally have anything to do with the Jazz age in Louisiana, but rather it is
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based off of ​The Frog Prince​ tale written by the brothers Grimm, which is based in Germany

(Wand).

Lastly, the way I broke down my codes really helped me understand what were the issues

within each movie, as I was able to look at everything piece by piece and work through it like a

jigsaw puzzle. For example, it was the lack of female representation behind the scene that helped

perpetuate patriarchal ideals, such as leaving behind one's voice in pursuit of a man, in the case

of ​The Little Mermaid​.

Conclusion

It is important to notice the fact that we, as an industry and as a society, are making

progress; even if it is little by little. With that said, there is still a lot of work to do. Disney, and

other popular culture powers are the looking glass into American culture and, thus, it is

necessary to review and request the change we so desperately want to see. However, issues of

race and gender are extremely important to study and openly discuss within every discourse

community in order to collectively do better as a society. If there are discrepancies that go

unidentified, they will never be solved. And that is what I am trying to contribute to with this

written piece; a solution.

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Works Cited

Anderson, Stephanie Marie. “Fun Fact: Ursula Is Based on the Iconic Drag Queen Divine.”

Www.Sbs.com.,​ 9 Nov. 2016,

www.sbs.com.au/topics/pride/fast-lane/article/2016/11/09/fun-fact-ursula-based-iconic-dr

ag-queen-divine. Accessed 10 Dec. 2020.

​Cappiccie, Amy, et al. “Using Critical Race Theory to Analyze How Disney Constructs

Diversity: A Construct for the Baccalaureate Human Behavior in the Social Environment

Curriculum.” ​Journal of Teaching in Social Work,​ vol. 32, no. 1, Jan. 2012, pp. 46–61.

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cope=site. Accessed 18 Sept. 2020.

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writingandrhetoric.cah.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2019/10/KWS3_Couch.pdf.

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film-history.org/approaches/authenticity-feeling. Accessed 27 Sept. 2020.

Gentry, Katy. ​Changing Scenes: The Rise and Success of Diversity on Broadway.​ 2017, pp. 15–

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stylus_8_2_Gentry.pdf. Accessed 30 Sept. 2020.

Long, Kasy. “The Little Mermaid: The Live Action Cast & Their Animated Counterparts.”

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screenrant.com/little-mermaid-live-action-cast-animaed-counterparts/. Accessed 10 Dec.

2020.

Mansky, Jackie. “The True Story of Pocahontas.” ​Smithsonian.com​, Smithsonian, 23 Mar. 2017,

www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-pocahontas-180962649/. Accessed 9 Dec.

2020.

Mills Farris, Pheobe. “Pocahontas’ First Marriage: The Powhatan Side of the Story.” ​NMAI

Magazine,​ 2014,

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Perez, Camila. ​“Spanglish” and Its Effects on L1 and L2.​ 2012, pp. 28–35,

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Pocahontas.​ Directed by Eric Goldberg and Mike Gabriel, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures,

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Appendix

Survey Sample:
Question 1) What is your racial background? (Select all that apply)
☐ White
☐ Black
☐ Asian
☐ Hispanic or Latino
☐ Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
☐ Native Indian or Alaska Native
Question 2) What is your nationality?
_______________
Question 3) Has Disney Animation Studios (including Pixar) made a movie that was intended to
represent your general racial background?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Question 4) If yes, which movie?
_______________
Question 5) If yes did you feel personally represented?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Question 6) If yes, do you feel like they did so in an authentic manner?
☐ Yes
☐ No
Question 6) If you have any input, further opinions, or general thoughts on the issue at hand,
please elaborate and contribute to the conversation. _______________ …
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CITI Certification:
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