Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us

"Unlearning the Myths That Blind Us" talks about stereotypes that are seen in children’s movies, cartoons, and literature and how these stereotypes effect the views of children. There are several important quotes in the text that show this.

1.      1.  “Children’s cartoons, movies, and literature are perhaps the most influential genre “read.” Young people, unprotected by any intellectual armor, hear or watch these stories again and again, often from the warmth of their mothers or fathers lap.”

This quote explains that children get all the stereotypes that cartoons and movies show at a very young age that they get used to the idea of always seeing Princesses always being white and getting the prince just because she is pretty. Themes like these are similar in all Disney movies and children don’t have the intellectual mind to analyze these films for stereotypes like she has her students do in her article.

2.      2.     “There should be more women of color who play the leads in these white on white wedding cake tales. Of course, there should be more woman of color on the Supreme Court, in Congress, and scrubbing up for surgeries. But I want students to understand that if the race of the character is the only thing changing, injustices may still remain.”

This quote is important to the text because it addresses that changing race is not the only thing that will erase stereotypes. Like we saw in the Kristof piece that the financial gap also causes huge issues with stereotypes and inequalities. Most of the movies and cartoons kids watch especially Disney movies are families that come from wealth or power that are higher up in society because they are more affluent.

3.       3. “For some the lesson doesn’t end in the classroom. Many who watched cartoons before we start our study say they can no longer enjoy them. Now instead of seeing a bunch of ducks in clothes, they see the racism, sexism, and violence that swim under the surfaces of the stories.”

This is important to her text because after the students get through her study they are more aware to what exists in these cartoons. When young children watch these shows they are unaware they are receiving these messages unless it is brought to their knowledge.