The Lion King, Essay Example

Introduction

Animated films, especially those produced by Disney such as The Lion King, function as cultural texts that can be analyzed through an anthropological prism. Wells (1998) contended that “The idea that animation is an innocent medium, ostensibly for children, and largely dismissed in film histories, has done much to inhibit the proper discussion of issues concerning representation” (Wells, 1998, p.187). Anthropologists can discern the contested values and beliefs that pervade American culture by elucidating the cultural politics ingrained in Disney’s animated films. Such a process of uncloaking necessitates exploring beyond the surface for any and all cultural messages that evince undergirding tensions and persistent contradictions and paradoxes. Doing so enables anthropologists to ascertain counter-hegemonic tropes and themes, particularly related to the intersectionality of class, gender, sexuality, race, ability and the nation (Harris, 1994). The Lion King was released in 1994 and experienced cataclysmic success, as it was quite popular among children, ascertaining alternatives to the hegemonic understanding of the film such as how the film represents ideas about masculinity and femininity as well as the various representation of race, especially how black people are limned and how such renderings evince racists stereotypes.  As a result, rather than proffering an authentic portrayal of African culture, The Lion King reflects various stereotypes attached to race and gender in western societies in order to pander to western audiences so that it could achieve blockbuster status even as an animated film in various markets.

Synopsis

The Lion King is an animated film produced by Disney as the thirty second feature film in the classic Disney films. It takes place in Africa in the kingdom of the lions, clearly conveying various biblical and literary influences. The film narrates the story of a young lion named Simba who is supposed to succeed Mufasa, his father, as the ruler over this kingdom. Unfortunately, greed overtakes Scar, Simba’s uncle, who murders Mufasa at the beginning of the film and therefore usurps the throne. Simba, still very young, is manipulated into believing that he is responsible for the murder of his father, which is why he flees into voluntary exile as a result of his angish, humiliation, shame, and deep-seated despair. Simba thus grows up alone and comes of age residing with two wastrels free of worries, which the motto “hakuna matata” translates to. Simba gains significant insight and perspective from Nala, who is his friend since childhood, and Rafiki, his shaman, before he returns to the kingdom of lions to challenge the authoritarian rule of Scar. After a violent scuffle between Simba and Scar and his hyenas, Simba assumes the throne of the kingdom, which had deteriorated in Simba’s absence. Pride Rock thus returns to its former greatness, enable the circle of life to persist.

The representation of gender: patriarchal mores

The Lion King portrays a gender order that is steeped in patriarchal leadership and family, as the characters who ruled over Pride Rock are all males. The lionesses, conversely, are all forced to accept a more secondary and subjected role to their male counterparts, and hunting is the only way they could become somewhat stronger than the lions. Nonetheless, the lions demand that the lionesses go hunting, which thereby strips the lionesses of their autonomy. Following Mufasa’s death and Scar’s ascendance to the throne at his own behest, the lionesses had the opportunity to get rid of Scar if they decided to do so, yet their identity throughout their entire lives was demarked by dependency. as a result, the lionesses have no sense of independence or ability to resist the hegemonic patriarchal order firmly embedded in the portrayed culture. While this construction of femininity is aligned with traditional renderings of gender in western cinema, it is interesting to assess how masculinity is constructed within the portrayed culture. In The Lion King, masculinity is a socio-cultural construction in a world where manhood is something that is learned and performed rather than being biologically intrinsic. At the outset of the film, Mufasa, Simba’s father, is killed when Simba is still very young. As a result, Simba must grow up without a father or strong, male influence, away from his mother. As a cub who grows up alone, it appears that Simba is vulnerable to harm, yet he finds solace in his friendship with Timon and Pumba. When he reaches adulthood, Simba exactly resembles his father, who is viewed as a paragon of masculinity demarked by his power and muscularity. At the end of the animated film, Scar and Simba get into an explosive altercation, which conveys that masculinity in this portrayed culture is represented through animals anthropomorphically (Wells, 1998, p. 190). The lions assume the stance of bipedal humans, as they are upright on their two hind feet and attack each other in the same way that humans do when they are in a fist fight.

The representations of femininity and manhood in The Lion King is quite problematic due to the fact that it clearly privileges patriarchy, as only sons of kings were able to inherit the throne and reign over the kingdom. Feminist critics point to the fact that such a depiction eschews how lions actually behave in their natural habitat, as lionesses occupy the most important roles in how lions societies are actually structured. The film diminishes the potent role of lionesses by merely framing them as the love interests of the male characters, such as Nala and Simba. Other female characters seemingly cease to exist in the portrayed world. The title of the film itself intimates that male lions are supreme and that male authority is at the apex of the kingdom, and male lions as kings emerge as patriarchal tropes.

The representation of race: reinforcing western racial scripts

Another significant anthropological representation in The Lion King is that of race and how Disney pandered to western audiences by perpetuating various stereotypes that are intrinsically racist. Although the cultural fabric in the Western world during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries promote multiculturalism, films provide cultural texts in which criticism about the construction of race has germinated. Disney has taken concerted efforts to portray race in an authentic and healthy manner, yet The Lion King perpetuates racist stereotypes that have pervaded western discourses for many centuries. The presence of the hyenas becomes problematic as they viewed as members of indigenous or subaltern cultures who are bottom feeders and appear mangy bullies who torture Simba. These hyenas are portrayed by non-white actors, which intimates that Disney, while perhaps done intentionally, limn African Americans and other members of subaltern races not as humans but as animals. Indeed, the hyenas resemble a feckless street gang that reflects the nefarious intentions of minorities such as Hispanics and African Americans. Such notions pervade western discourses about members of subaltern races, especially those of African descent. In addition, the antagonist of the film and Simba’s sinister uncle, Scar, has dark-colored fur, unlike the other lions who have bright golden fur. This seemingly irrelevant observation nonetheless suggests that darker colored skin people–i.e. Africans and African Americans–are cast as evil and are the villains not only in fictive narratives but also in real life.

“The Circle of Life,” which is the opening song of this animated film and its lyrical content demonstrate Disney’s incapacity to depict Africa in an authentic manner and covers up the overt unwillingness to portray black people, especially Africans, as human beings (Byrne & McQuillan, 1999, p. 101). Indeed, this theme song commences with clearly African vocals, yet the instruments are not African in origin. Rather, they sound quite western and was devised by white musicians. The scenery in the opening scene does not look authentically African, as there are very few signifiers of African culture and geography, especially since English is the language used throughout the film rather than any African dialect. Despite portraying African culture, American actors and the English language are deployed in the film, which subtly accentuates the hegemony of American culture and society over Africa. Benshoff & Griffin (2009) argue that the baboon, Rafiki, shares a likeness with the African deity Eshu who is charged with the responsibility of safeguarding travelers and is blamed for the misfortunes or fortunes that creatures endure (Benshoff & Griffin, 2009). Although Rafiki is a lauded character in the animated film. he nonetheless comports himself in a half-crazed, reckless, foolish, and bizarre manner. These traits are often used to describe Africans and African Americans in western discourses. There is also overt disrespect and denigration of African cultures and tradition. When Zazu reminds Simba that his friend Nala would eventually become his wife, Simba retorts that once he assumes the kingship, that custom will be nullified. Although it is hard to discern whether such racial representations were intentional or not by Disney production members, as progenitors of cultural products, hyper vigilance must be adopted because audience members are only exposed to the final products rather than the intentions of the producers.

Conclusion

Various epochs are always stigmatized by particular discursive representations of gender and race, among other critical cultural constructions. The Lion King continues to be highly criticized for its representation of gender and race, as it reproduces western stereotypes and scripts through its portrayal of African culture and society. Patriarchy and a strenuous form of manhood is presented as ideal in his film, which eschews the actual behaviors of Africans and the prominent role of African lionesses in their social structure. More poignantly, the representation of race in the film is problematic for reproducing pejorative western stereotypes about Africans and African culture, especially in the portrayal of African characters as animalistic rather than human.

References

Benshoff, H. & Griffin, S. (2009). America on film: Representing race, class, gender, and sexuality at the movies. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Byrne, E. & McMullan, M. (1999). Deconstructing Disney. London: Pluto Press.

Harris, J. E. (1994). Stereotyping for fun and profit. Christopher Street.

Sweeney, G. (1995) ‟What Do You Want Me to Do, Dress in Drag and Do the Hula?‟: Pumbaa and Timon’s alternative lifestyle dilemma in Disney‟s The Lion King. Seventh Annual  Society of Animation Conference, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Wells, P. (1998). Understanding animation. London: Routledge.