THE VISUAL RHETORIC IN POCAHONTAS
Pocahontas can be a great tool to shape the minds of children to understand how stereotypes hurt people and why they are wrong. But it also is presented quite bias against the American Indians in our country. There is enough of a struggle for American Indians to prove they are not savage or naïve in today’s society that is much different from their traditional culture. Presenting the only Native American story children will learn before high school as the story of Pocahontas told through Disney is very belittling of their culture. It only provides unavoidable false evidence that the American Indians are childish when their culture is only displayed through a child’s film. They’re stories and culture is real, not fantasy.
A film is a significant apparatus in teaching young people about the world. Media, inevitably, shapes our world. Our culture comes from the language, appearance and behavior displayed in commercials, fashion shows, films, advertisements, television, video games, and almost anything else with visual content. “The point is, rather, that as narratives they tell stories that have ‘logical’ resolutions, and hence function as arguments. Because pictures, and especially films, both fictional and documentary, are wonderfully suited to telling believable stories, they provide an excellent medium for visual argument by means of narrative construction” (Blair 56). Blair discusses how the attention we give visuals only strengthens its ability to persuade us into believing whatever it is the vector is supporting.
Our attention is so valuable to the media industry. Companies will fight over our attention to win whatever argument it is they have. Billboards become bigger, movies become three-dimensional, posters get flashier, woman get more exposed, and technology becomes brighter. There won’t be an end to the media shaping our culture because the visual is so powerful is persuasion. Visuals have an advantage over print or spoken arguments because they have power to convey numerous images in such a short time.
Pocahontas is so captivating by the use of watercolor painted sceneries and bright, animated characters that bring the story to life. We are even more fascinated by the film with the marrying of song and emotion with the visual content. It successfully enhances the message of peace and understanding in the song “Listen with your heart”. We see Pocahontas as a wise woman who listens to her heart rather than the corrupt thoughts of the world around her. She is shown as a beautiful woman with a smart head on her shoulders and a beautiful singing voice. This displays an ideal person who is thought to be perfect and good. Disney is notorious for displaying clear evil and good in their characters.
The scenes that are good are always full of happy sounds, bright scenes and, often, cute animals. On the contrary, when the scene has a red filter or is dark, evil acts occur. The villains involved are almost always wearing dark clothing, are unattractive, usually overweight, and have a unethical motivation. This does nothing but create stereotypes for children to follow: fat, ugly people equal evil. There is no reason for that negativity in Disney films.
Pocahontas is a compelling story and most of all a strong argument. It argues that people who are full of anger and judgments will be unpleasant where as people who are like Pocahontas will be respected and heroic. The film communicates very clearly what is evil and what is right. Because of that, children will believe in the story and it’s rhetoric. “To be an argument, what is communicated by one party to another or others, whatever the medium of communication might be, must constitute some factor that can be considered a reason for accepting or believing some proposition, for taking some other attitude or for performing some action” (Blair 49). Any Disney film that successfully argues their stereotypes through visual components with dramatic spoken context is guilty for the people who practice those stereotypes against others.
Walt Disney Studios is such a powerful company that has the resources to shape our culture. It has the potential to argue any concept it wishes. This is why they need to start considering the impact it has on children and society. Disney could change they way we treat people by producing films that would convince people to behave morally and with respect towards others. Our culture is made up of so many cruel and harsh ideologies that need to be turned around. The first step is to change the minds of our children in how we view and treat each other as people. This can easily be done with Disney films that won’t use stereotypes to prove a point, yet prove a point by showing stereotypes are unnecessary.
A film is a significant apparatus in teaching young people about the world. Media, inevitably, shapes our world. Our culture comes from the language, appearance and behavior displayed in commercials, fashion shows, films, advertisements, television, video games, and almost anything else with visual content. “The point is, rather, that as narratives they tell stories that have ‘logical’ resolutions, and hence function as arguments. Because pictures, and especially films, both fictional and documentary, are wonderfully suited to telling believable stories, they provide an excellent medium for visual argument by means of narrative construction” (Blair 56). Blair discusses how the attention we give visuals only strengthens its ability to persuade us into believing whatever it is the vector is supporting.
Our attention is so valuable to the media industry. Companies will fight over our attention to win whatever argument it is they have. Billboards become bigger, movies become three-dimensional, posters get flashier, woman get more exposed, and technology becomes brighter. There won’t be an end to the media shaping our culture because the visual is so powerful is persuasion. Visuals have an advantage over print or spoken arguments because they have power to convey numerous images in such a short time.
Pocahontas is so captivating by the use of watercolor painted sceneries and bright, animated characters that bring the story to life. We are even more fascinated by the film with the marrying of song and emotion with the visual content. It successfully enhances the message of peace and understanding in the song “Listen with your heart”. We see Pocahontas as a wise woman who listens to her heart rather than the corrupt thoughts of the world around her. She is shown as a beautiful woman with a smart head on her shoulders and a beautiful singing voice. This displays an ideal person who is thought to be perfect and good. Disney is notorious for displaying clear evil and good in their characters.
The scenes that are good are always full of happy sounds, bright scenes and, often, cute animals. On the contrary, when the scene has a red filter or is dark, evil acts occur. The villains involved are almost always wearing dark clothing, are unattractive, usually overweight, and have a unethical motivation. This does nothing but create stereotypes for children to follow: fat, ugly people equal evil. There is no reason for that negativity in Disney films.
Pocahontas is a compelling story and most of all a strong argument. It argues that people who are full of anger and judgments will be unpleasant where as people who are like Pocahontas will be respected and heroic. The film communicates very clearly what is evil and what is right. Because of that, children will believe in the story and it’s rhetoric. “To be an argument, what is communicated by one party to another or others, whatever the medium of communication might be, must constitute some factor that can be considered a reason for accepting or believing some proposition, for taking some other attitude or for performing some action” (Blair 49). Any Disney film that successfully argues their stereotypes through visual components with dramatic spoken context is guilty for the people who practice those stereotypes against others.
Walt Disney Studios is such a powerful company that has the resources to shape our culture. It has the potential to argue any concept it wishes. This is why they need to start considering the impact it has on children and society. Disney could change they way we treat people by producing films that would convince people to behave morally and with respect towards others. Our culture is made up of so many cruel and harsh ideologies that need to be turned around. The first step is to change the minds of our children in how we view and treat each other as people. This can easily be done with Disney films that won’t use stereotypes to prove a point, yet prove a point by showing stereotypes are unnecessary.