Deconstructing a Fairytale: Overthinking Disney Movies

Embarrassingly in-depth thoughts about Disney movies from two Disney parents/fans. Hosted by us, Jared & Jill Belcher! We grew up on Disney movies and now we’re raising a family of our own and thinking a bit more critically of what our kids watch. Even as adults, we find ourselves not only singing the catchy songs from Disney movies, but talking a lot about the powerful messages, complicated characters, confusing plot points, and connection to real-life events in some of these stories, too. Truth be told, our in-depth Disney discussions annoyed our friends for too long, so now, we simply have these conversations on a podcast! After all, fairytales were traditionally how parents taught kids important life lessons. So we think a little critically about these popular movies to search for a deeper meaning. Like, what does Toy Story 4 say about forgiving your enemies? Does Bruno from Encanto also stand in as a metaphor for people who immigrate to a country where they feel unwanted? What’s the deal with Elsa being “the fifth spirit” in Frozen? What does Aerial see in the dopey Prince Eric, anyway? Why do parents also seem to die in Disney movies? Is a Muppet’s Christmas Carol the best adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel? (hint: absolutely, yes). Join us as we deconstruct Disney films to find what’s under the surface, one episode at a time!