Disney's portrayal of single mothers

[tigermoth]

We have seen the two recent Disney films - Lilo and Stitch and Treasure Planet. I have to say that if I was a single parent taking my children to see these films, I'd have been deeply upset about the storylines.

In 'Lilo and Stitch' an orphaned older young woman is the sole guardian of her wayward younger sister. She has social services on her back and is lurching from one crisis to another. She ends up admitting that she is not giving her charge the best parenting, so it is best if the younger sister is taken into care. It is only when magical/fantasy things happen that life improves for them. The happy ending sees the older sister with a partner taking on the father's role and a happy, well adjusted little sister.

In 'Treasure Planet' a single mother is running an inn while trying to bring up her teenage son. The son, we are told, has gone off the rails ever since his father walked out when he was 8 years old. The mother says she just cannnot cope with him any more. The son is getting into trouble with the police. Again magical/fantasy things happen, the son goes on a quest for treasure, getting lots of male company and role models along the way. His experiences transform his attitudes so when he comes back home he is a fine upstanding young man, joins the forces and embarks on officer training.

In each case these films contain lots of social comment on parenting and humourous asides etc aimed at the adults in the audience. This is why I find the storylines particularly annoying.

I was a single mother I would find the assumption that single mothers can't cope on their own extremely unfunny.

I don't know whether I am having a sense of humour breakdown or not - did anyone else see these films and feel the same way as me?

I have noticed that in the majority of Disney films something awful happens to the mother - Bambi (mother shot), Fox & Hound (mother shot), Dumbo (mother locked up). Maybe Disney had a bad experience with his mother and from there on in films made at his studios have to have bad storylines for mothers.

after all this are only kiddies films they are not real life come on!! the idea of these films is be be entertainment for children hence magic/ fantasy. its is not alway the case that someyhing bad happens to the mum i.e lion king the father died. lilo & stich i felt that they were trying to portay that being a single parent wasn't easy but got easier with support!

Well Tarzan is an orphan, bought up in a cross species adoption set up and he is the hero. Belle is in a single parent family and she is the star of the show, and a very well read, strong character she is as well. The Princess in A bugs life is an ant brought up by a single parent mother, who is also the Queen....a very positive role model.

Sleeping beauty is in a nuclear family set up, but her parents are so careless that they let her maim herself on a magic spindle, cause for concern there. nd they let that garden grow out of control, tut tut, Lady and the Tramp is about a nuclear family that lets rats in their house.....wow send in the social workers. Peter Pan is about a pair of parents who let their children fly out of a window with a boy who plays with swords. And I think the mother in Mary Poppins is hardly a good role model, even if she does show some pleasing signs of a growing awarness of womens rights.

All of this is typed with maximum

All childrens stories have negative comments on parents, single ot otherwise, it 'frees' up the kids enough to go out and have an adventure.

interesting point hmb about 'neglectful' parents being a plot device to free up children so they can have adventures. I always find it funny that so many stories start with a child whose parents allow them to wander off alone outside.

Just to repeat, astonmartin, I am only objecting to these two Disney films portrayel of single mothers because the script, imo, is also aimed at the adults who are taking the children to the film - I felt uncomfortable with the asides and comments on parental style. The classic Disney films tend to talk to the children only, imo.

Tigermoth, almost all of the 'classic' fairy stories involve orphaned, step parented, or neglected children. The average story with two attentive parents in tow, whould be as dull as ditchwater. 'No, you can't go to the Ball, you are grounded for staying out too late last time', 'no , you may not swap your tail for legs, whatever will you want next, your belly button pearced?'.

The modern stories follow the same trend. JK Rowling said she killed off Harry's parents so he was free to off and have adventures. I always felt that the famous five's parents/ Uncle Quentin were very lax in their supervision!

And I think that there has been an increase in the jokes for adults in all the more modern cartoons. I love the 'Lazer Envy' line in Toy Story.

Iagree hmb, lots of classic tales have neglectful parents and lots of modern cartoons have adult asides. I just think scriptwriters are on dangerous territory if they use a classic plot device and combine it with contempory comments to adults.