'Beauty and the Beast' promotes domestic violence and 'Aladdin' upholds racism, says expert
Disney classics have come under sharp scrutiny with the increasing awareness among critics who are now stating that the old-time animation movies were actually pretty derogatory. Films such as 'Snow White', 'Sleeping Beauty', and 'The Little Mermaid' have already been criticized for their portrayal of non-consensual romance as in each of the movies the princes somehow seem to steal away the maiden's heart without her consent. On the other hand, films like 'Cinderella' have been criticized for the female character's dependency on a so-called Prince Charming who is supposed to fix her life, instead of the character herself taking charge. Now, 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Aladdin' have fallen under the radar for similar reasons.
Over the years it has been claimed that 'Beauty and the Beast' actually promotes domestic violence. When young Belle finds herself trapped in the castle of the Beast she has no choice but to live by his rules. A curse compels the Beast to pursue the maiden as that is the only way to break the curse and help him get back to his real life. As for Belle, who is unaware of this glaring secret, she takes a liking for the Beast not by his appearance but by what he has to offer- a magnificent library. All of this happens when she is in a way imprisoned inside the castle, and their budding romance is viewed by Dr Victoria Cann, a lecturer in Humanities at the University of East Anglia, as representative of domestic violence.