I hope no one on this thread objecting to Disney has ever bought designer clothing in that case. Totally agree. There is so much exploitation of sweatshop workers in almost everything we wear/consume. That film out recently with Steve Coogan about Philip Green really made me feel sick to my stomach. (Worth a watch!)
Adults who enjoy Disney aren’t harming anyone directly (yes maybe indirectly by contributing to the issues above of exploitation by buying this stuff), but the implication that we are merging the lines between children and adults in a safeguarding type way is just absurd. It’s just enjoying stuff. That’s it. I’m not trying to look young, I’m not trying to corrupt children, or blur any inappropriate lines, I just love the whole world of Disney. It’s happy escapism. My kids love it too.
I do have a bit of a dilemma with the whole sexism/Princess thing as I consider myself a feminist. But modern Disney is moving away from that, and acknowledge their past and own it. I let my kids watch it but I also teach them (I hope) that they don’t need rescuing, they aren’t defined by finding a Prince. As my parents did to me.
Also, so many of these films are made with adults in mind, intending to appeal to the parents watching with their children too. Admittedly, Pixar are the leaders in this field! But they are Disney now any way. We are supposed to find them funny, to love these characters, as adults and children.
The opening of Up portraying a lifetime of married life, the heartbreak of Ellie’s miscarriage, them finding out they are unable to have children, growing old together, never fulfilling dreams, that is something adults will grasp and be moved by whilst children watching it won’t even notice. It’s just one example of how the films aren’t made solely with children in mind.