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Images of madness in the films of Walt Disney

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Allan Beveridge
Allan Beveridge*
Affiliation:
Queen Margaret Hospital, Whitefield Road, Dunfermline, Fife KY12 0SU Beveridge
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It has been demonstrated that images of madness in the media powerfully influence the general public and serve to perpetuate popular stereotypes of mental illness (Philo et al, 1993). While the cinema's treatment of psychiatric issues has received critical attention (Gabard & Gabard, 1987), there is one area of film-making that has, so far, been neglected: the work of Walt Disney. Perhaps, because it has been primarily regarded as entertainment for children, Disney's work has not been subjected to serious examination. This neglect, however, is surprising in view of the current debate about the influence of the media on children. When one also considers that Disney films are now available on video and are being seen by millions, it seems worthwhile to look at the images of madness they present.

Type
Psychiatry and the Media
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 20 , Issue 10 , October 1996 , pp. 618 - 620
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Eliot, M. (1994) Walt Disney. London: Andre Deutsch.Google Scholar
Gabard, K. & Gabard, G. (1987) Psychiatry and the Cinema. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Philo, G., Henderson, L. & McLaughlin, G. (1993) Mass Media Representations of Mental Health/Illness. Glasgow Media Group. Glasgow: Glasgow University Publications.Google Scholar
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