The importance of Disney

I’m not going to lie; I’ve always been a massive Disney fan.  We have Disney karaoke on Fridays in our house and the acceptance of these was actually included in our marriage vows! So, hands up, major fan.   I feel so lucky that I’m getting to relive my Disney youth with my minis and as I started rewatching my favourites and sharing this rediscovery with, particularly, my elder bub, I started to reflect on the life lessons that were entwined in the stories.

Now I was always a Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid kind of girl —that probably says a lot about me?  As an adult, coming back to these faves, I see themes which are still so applicable today.  Racism, nationalism, the fear of the unknown or those who are different to us, mob mentality, the power of education and the fallout from a lack of it, the longing for more from your world, your life and of course, love.  And not just, “your one true love”, but fatherly love, sisterly love, the love of your mentors, your family, your environment and the importance of it. Pretty amazing life messages to get through animated ‘entertainment’. 

These pearls of wisdom are sprinkled throughout these films if you pay attention.  To be honest, I can barely get through half of them without being traumatized in some way!  Or crying (ugly crying!) — The Lion King, Finding Nemo — I just can’t.  The loss of a father or the kidnapping of a child — those heavy themes are so beautifully tackled and some with song -  Disney definitely doesn’t shy away from the hard topics. 

Girl power

The even more wonderful movement that I’ve noticed is the pull towards strong female leads. Heroines. In Moana, Frozen, Brave and Pocahontas, to name a few.  Of course, my all-time favs were ahead of their time in this category, but Disney is also contributing to the dialogue of a woman not needing a man to rescue her.  Instead these Disney women get things DONE.  They believe in themselves, follow their dreams and fight the mould they may have been born into.  How could we not learn from them?  

Let’s take Belle, in Beauty and the Beast, for instance.  She’s smart, curious, kind and creative.  She teaches us about standing up for the ones we love and protecting what we hold true.  She speaks for the importance of education, for not judging a book by its cover.  She is fearless and strong - a powerhouse of a woman that still speaks to so many today. 

But what about mental health?

As I watched Frozen with my tiny tots I started to really listen to the lyrics and notice the portrayal of Elsa, the sister with magical powers.  The image of her sitting slumped against her bedroom door, strangled with fear and despair, whilst her sister, Ana, sings to her from the other side of the door, begging for her to respond is a great example.  In this particular scene, Elsa sits alone, with her demons, who are more present than ever, after spending most of her life trying to control and hide her powers and difference.  The fear and  hiding, has not only torn her apart, but also her family.  She has put walls around herself - which become literal as the film plays out; as she feels that isolation is the only way forward.

For me, this sang true for so many of the patients that I have seen over the years.  They have created these cages around themselves, trying desperately to hide their struggles and pain - hoping that if they could just maintain that mask, keep that distance, everything would be okay.  To me, this speaks so much to the shame that people still feel around their mental health struggles.  The shame that Elsa carried so heavily. 

What’s more, the award winning song, “Let It Go”, is so powerful in its understanding of the stigma that is felt around mental health.  The lyrics, “a kingdom of isolation and it looks like I’m the Queen … The wind is howling, like this swirling storm inside, couldn’t keep it in, Heaven knows I tried” … “Don’t let them see, be the good girl you always have to be! Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know”. 

These lyrics  tap into the shame around being ‘different’ that is still so evident.  Then, finally we arrive at the liberation of this shame, “Let it go! Let it go!  And I’ll rise like the break of dawn! Let it go! Let it go! That perfect girl is gone!”  Which is a triumphant reflection of her acceptance of her difference, her growth, her humanity.  And what an amazing message to so many!  Despite her years of heartache, despair, and fear, finally she reaches a place where she is starting to accept herself for who she is.   

What I learned from Frozen

For me, I’ll use this opportunity from Disney to teach my young ones that life is rarely as simple as the “happily-ever-after”.  That we all fall;  struggle;  want to hide.  But that turning away from others, from yourself, only makes things worse.  That being okay with you is SO important.  Whatever that looks like.  And I’ll use it as a reminder to myself.  That I’m human, real and I make mistakes.  I’m not perfect — and quite frankly I wouldn’t want to be.  So, a big high five to Disney — because in so many of their films, not just Frozen, we could stand to learn from them.