Disney and Philosophy: Truth, Trust, and a Little Bit of Pixie Dust (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series) Paperback – December 4, 2019

What is the philosophy and success of Disney? This book takes us on a magical ride as it explores and parallels the philosophy of many great philosophical minds AND the genius of Disney. It compliments and compares the heroes and heroines, the tricksters and evil doers, even the disabled, as it reveals through songs, characters and themes the “magic” that is Disney. I was immediately drawn into the insights of the many contributors to this book, especially the chapters by Professor Megan Lloyd, herself a mother and aunt of two “princesses”. (Right?) The chapter on the Hidden Mickeys has me revisiting the writings of C.S.Lewis in a “Grief Observed” and the “Screwtape Letters”. Believers, agnostics, atheists and fools seek answers and proofs in an effort to find their own happy ending. If not, who would buy a pair of Mickey ears?This book explores the philosophy and Magic of Disney.Read it! and hopefully find your own happy ending.

I thought it was going to a more spiritual and devotional type book!

Like other titles in the Philosophy and Pop Culture series, Disney and Philosophy is an anthology written by a collection of expert authors. A big fan of original Disney films, I enjoyed the detail included in each chapter, and as always, the philosophical lens’s applied. Using relatable contexts like Disney to shed light on socio-political perspectives is the key to success in this innovative series and Disney and Philosophy is no exception. I heartily recommend it to any Disney fan or general fan of the series itself. I actually already own a copy and bought a second today to give as a gift. This book series is something I regularly purchase as gifts because it never stops giving back to the recipient.

Pros: Glad they saw every Disney film and can describe each scene properlyCons: Not everything is about disability-love positive portrayals of us disabled people (e.g. "Life, Animated", etc.), but Dopey, Gus, Ariel and LeFou aren't poking fun at people with Down Syndrome or crippled people at all (it's like saying Gaston suffers from dyslexia); I don't think Moana is as existential as one writer put it; I requested this title on their website yet I regret it now :/

Bought it from Barnes & Noble. I had to use a dictionary and Google for some of it, as this was my first venture into the world of philosophy, but it was fun. Full review on my YouTube channel. (Author D.C. Canipe)

Une plongée merveilleuse dans l'Univers DISNEY, à travers les films de la franchise,tous expliqués à la lumière de la philosophie contemporaine.

I’m fascinated by the depths that tales we love whether on-screen, on-stage or on-page speak about the human condition, the depths undulating underneath of tales really as old as time.This series brings together an interesting opportunity, for Philosophers who love Disney to channel their fields of expertise through the films they enjoy and for Disney-lovers to explore the deeper messages hiding within characters and films that inspire them.Some are fascinating breakdowns of how philosophical issues are depicted (and whether accurately) on screen such as Inside Out and Wall-E whereas some are a little more abstract such as comparing Beauty and the Beast to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave/The Prisoner or utopia in Zootopia. Whereas others seem a vehicle for a scathing rant of wider social issues such as the essay that assumes Dopey has Down Syndrome and berates the filmmakers for not considering what will happen to Dopey now Snow White has sauntered off with a flat ‘Goodbye’ and in the future the other dwarves die before him.This is important to be aware as a non-philosophy student that it’s been taken widely some is strictly about the film/character, some is strictly about the context it was created in and some are a diving board to talk about wider issues.

Being very interested in philosophy, I’m always keen to read books that look at the philosophy behind areas of popular culture, but this look at philosophical ideas in Disney films doesn’t really do it for me. Most Disney animated films seem to me to be variations on the same theme (somebody is in peril or disadvantaged and then overcomes this to get what they want most), and I think this book really tries to read into stories things that just aren’t there. Sometimes a story is just a story, and there’s little or no philosophical message to it, other than to say that good can overcome evil.Maybe I’m wrong in this, but if so then the book has failed to convince me otherwise, or to present cogent arguments in support of its premise. Disappointing.

I love fairytales, children's stories and lore for what they are at face value but have also always held an interest in the subliminal but very active messages and presuppositions contained in the unfolding of such literature and it's representation in film/cinema and especially in regards to setting expectations/templates/stereotype characters and life scenarios a young evolving and formative mind will map across from them - and the becoming a parent, you think even more astutely on this and about what you're endorsing and teaching through exposure to these stories (as a result there are actually some Disney favourites of mine I wouldn't let my younger child watch until they're older, even though at face/top value they're harmless sweet little stories!). I think I probably expected a lot more objective and well-presented ponderings on this front than what this book gives as some is quite generic/obvious whilst other parts can't help but feel geared towards to a predetermined narrative here. I don't disagree with much of it, but I'd have liked a more expansive exploration and thesis on wider themes beyond the more obvious with perhaps a more mixed/open-minded view point. It was interesting but it flicks too much between text-book armchair psychology/the basics of visual/storyboard NLP and anchors etc and then the pockets of a different/unique viewpoint from the author/researcher (s) which I actually found interesting, even when only to counter my own different theories regarding some of the specifics in terms of the underlying messages, which at times within the context of the whole story are more complex than this books always gives credit for. I think general enthusiasts of the psychology of imprinting values and fears in young minds through exposure to subliminal media with an agenda will find this more interesting than general Disney fans will, but those better read on the subject might find it lacking at times. An interesting read though and great if nothing else as a springboard to get your mind thinking about your own take on things.

This book contains a selection of academic essays about Disney films with a particular focus on philosophy. The essays are interesting and enjoyable but are probably best enjoyed by a Disney obsessive. I think this would be a great read for someone who is interested in seeing how people analyse media from an academic perspective but are intimidated by a lot of the books out there. I do feel that the authors are sometimes overreaching with their arguments and getting carried away but that always seems to happen with these kinds of books. Their arguments do make you think and provide a great topic for discussion.