American Values and The Lion King - 1010 Words

American values are among the attributes which make a person who they are. Many fail to understand them, there are the standards used to define these ‘values.’ American values are an individual’s belief system set over time, the decisions they make in their life, their morals and what it means to be an American citizen. Few of these notable values that Americans have stayed true to are present in the Disney film, The Lion King. The film itself may dismiss to be nothing more than a childhood fairy tale; however, it reflects much of how American Values are seen in the arts today. Modern day American citizens are categorically indulged in the lifestyle obsession of ‘the American dream,’ being driven by what they see on television, hear on the radio, read in magazines/newspapers, and in other forms of media. Mary McMahon, author of â€Å"What is the ‘American Dream?’ defines the American Dream to essentially be â€Å"an idea that suggests that anyone in the US can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life (McMahon 1).† This belief has the power to infiltrate itself into a persons life, taking control of them and their actions substantially. After some time, a persons hopes and dreams can become scrambled by confusion in their beliefs, these beliefs are then replaced by influences in what they see, hear, or read. The Lion King is an example of this influence in beliefs, being intended for young children to teach them about growing up in a way thatShow MoreRelatedQuestionable Social Messages Spread by Disney864 Words   |  3 Pagesvulnerable to the powers of the media. Disney movies are also a vehicle for spreading cultural notions, such as racism. This medium opens an avenue where children can be indoctrinated and pass questionable values on to following generations. Walt Disney shows us how his strong feelings and or values shown in his films were all meant in a good way. â€Å"Our heritage and ideals, our codes and standards - the things we live by and teach our children - are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideasRead More Criteria for Evaluating Media Violence Essay1530 Words   |  7 Pagesviewers, is violence critical to the success of the industry, does violence have aesthetic value, who decides what is violent, and if something is found to be violent, should it be banned? By going beyond Doles speech to carefully examine these questions, it is found that regardless of its effects on younger viewers, violence in film should be unhindered due to its benefit to its industry, its entertainment value, and the fact that the definitions of the term cannot be agreed on by the parties involvedRead MoreThe Jazz Age, By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay1606 Words   |  7 Pagesconsumer spending and the young adult population started to leave traditional values behind in exchange for individualism. In an effort by religious groups to decrease immorality, criminality, and unpatriotic citizenship, the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect in January of 1920, prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States. The new policy, though opposite of what it was intended for, drove Americans into underground speakeasies, where popular jazz was played into the wee hoursRead MoreRastafari Essay1605 Words   |  7 Pageswho was a black, Jamaican nationalists, prophet to many Jamaicans and visionary, preached a message of black supremacy and initiated the â€Å" Back to Africa† movement calling for all blacks to return home to Africa. Garvey proclaimed that a new black king would soon rise out of Africa to deliver all Africans from their oppressions all over the world. This prophecy was fulfilled at the time of the coronation of Haile Selassie I as Emperor of Ethiopia. The coming of the first Rastas, A s hortened versionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Disneyfication Of Broadway 1416 Words   |  6 Pagesshows are cleaner. Scholars have titled this the â€Å"Disneyfication of Broadway†(Wollman 445). Disney’s presence on Broadway remains virtually impossible to deny; however critics wonder whether what exactly this â€Å"Disneyfication† means for the future of American theatre. This essay follows the conversation surrounding Disney’s â€Å" Broadway takeover† as it pertains to both the phenomenon’s commercial and artistic impact. The Walt Disney Company’s introduction to Broadway occurred in 1994 as a result of MayorRead MoreSummary : Ruler Of The Jungle 1175 Words   |  5 Pages Ruler of the Jungle What strictly makes the lion the ruler of the jungle? I have perceived it all my existence, but I am not even certain if lions are the toughest animals. Lion is recognized to be the King of Beasts throughout most cultures of the circle. This is mostly because of a lion’s form and partly because of the social structure of a pride and the lion’s role in the pride. A lion lives in the open and wheels its territory like a true king, and bearing a vanity that feeds him. Similar toRead MoreEssay on The Cheetah: Built for Speed1173 Words   |  5 Pagesmore like greyhounds than typical cats, cheetahs are adapted for brief but intense bursts of speed (Smithsonian). In Africa, everyone head to the lion’s cage expecting to see the lions because they are the king of Africa as the movie, â€Å"The Lion King† describes. However, because cheetahs are the fastest land animals, lions can not compete with it, and cheetahs have many features that any other animal does not have, when the people visits Africa, they should go straight to the cheetah’s cage. All ofRead MoreAmerican Rhetoric : Obama And Martin Luther King Jr.1481 Words   |  6 PagesAfrican American Rhetoric: Barack Obama Martin Luther King Jr. Barack Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. each deal with the issues of race and the African American struggle in their respective works. Both leaders use a combination of many rhetorical techniques in their arguments to make them more poignant and convincing. The two men make extremely strong and effective arguments that often rely on pathetic appeals to connect to their audience s values. However, Obama focuses more on an ethicalRead MoreRichard Cory s The Title1493 Words   |  6 Pagesas opposed to a single individual. As the poem repeatedly indicates with the pronoun â€Å"we,† the people of the town are the poems speakers and they narrate the events of the poem. Obviously, they are working-class citizens who have little of material value and sometimes can’t afford meat to put on their tables in the second line of the last stanza. They admire Richard Cory because of his possessions and his elegant demeanour, while also envying him because he seems to have everything he could possiblyRead MoreDisneys affect on our Children and Culture1525 Words   |  7 Pagesthese movies are good for children, that they promote stimulation of the imagination, and contain them in an aura of innocence. The relevance of these films, however, crosses the boundary of being just entertainment. They are teaching children certain values and roles at least as much as any other traditional institution of learning such as ones family, school, or religion might. And the ideological messages presented in these films have a negative effect on children. Childrens films are especially