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1981
Volume 1, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 29767911
  • E-ISSN: 2976792X

Abstract

This research explores the dynamic intersection of conservatism and Disney animation during the 1990s, a pivotal decade for both political ideology and cultural influence in the United States. It examines the complex relationship between conservative film critics and Disney’s animated productions, focusing on the tension between conservative expectations of Disney as a bastion of traditional values and the company’s evolving cultural and corporate identity. The study highlights key features of Disney’s animated films that troubled conservative critics while revealing the diversity of conservative perspectives. Central to the former critiques were concerns about the erosion of traditional family and societal norms, especially regarding power structures, feminism and familial hierarchy. Additionally, it addresses a gap in the historiography of American conservatism and Disney Studies by analysing how conservative cultural critics engaged with Disney’s animated productions, offering new insights into the interplay between conservative ideology and American popular culture. By analysing conservative film reviews from this period, the research challenges the notion that Disney’s animated features were merely conservative propaganda and identifies the 1990s as the turning point in the relationship between conservatism and Disney.

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2024-11-30
2025-03-15
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