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PODCAST

Deconstructing Disney

Rachel Casey, Erin Casey

Two life-long Disney fans take on the Disney film catalog, beginning with the animated features, and discuss with a critical lens. New episodes the first Tuesday of every month. @DeconDisney on social media.

tv & film film history

All Episodes

01:11:39

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Deconstructing Disney ·

2021/03/02

Episode SummaryVenture into the Hundred Acre Wood with Erin and Rachel as they discuss the The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the 1977 feature-length film that compiled three previously-released featurettes about a willy nilly silly old bear. The conversation touches on issues of gender and racism, but Rachel’s biggest qualm with this movie is the fat shaming directed at our favorite tubby cubby. Episode BibliographyDudley, S. (2016, August 1). The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh: The Story

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01:32:51

Robin Hood

Deconstructing Disney ·

2021/02/16

Episode SummaryErin and Rachel travel to Sherwood Forest and discuss Robin Hood (1973), the first Disney film to feature a cast entirely composed of anthropomorphized animals! Although their qualms with the film include the limited agency of female characters and the derision of fat characters, they also enjoyed the exciting plot and folksy music. Episode BibliographyAsher-Perrin, E. (2018, April 18). The Robin Hood You Love is A Lie. Tor.com. Retrieved January 14, 2021, from

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01:21:28

The AristoCats

Deconstructing Disney ·

2021/02/02

Episode SummaryReleased three years after Walt Disney’s death, the 1970 animated film The AristoCats (yes, the “C” is capitalized!) marked the beginning of a new era for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Join Erin and Rachel as they discuss the tough questions such as, does everybody want to be a cat? Episode BibliographyThe Aristocats. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved December 22, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_AristocatsThe Aristocats. (2008, January 11). Disney Archives. Retrieved December

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01:21:00

The Jungle Book

Deconstructing Disney ·

2021/01/19

Episode SummaryJoin Erin and Rachel as they journey to the jungles of India to discuss the 1967 classic, The Jungle Book. Based on the book by Rudyard Kipling, a champion of British Imperialism, the film demonstrates more implicit racism and sexism than colonialist themes. Episode BibliographyBiography.com Editors. (2019, October 21). Rudyard Kipling biography. Biography. https://www.biography.com/writer/rudyard-kiplingCash, D. (2013, October 7). How to adapt The Jungle Book (and not make it

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01:46:07

Mary Poppins

Deconstructing Disney ·

2021/01/05

Episode SummaryErin and Rachel discuss the classic hybrid film, Mary Poppins. Although Julie Andrews’ famous nanny may be “practically perfect in every way,” the co-hosts find plenty of flaws in the 1964 film’s messaging on family values, gender roles, and classism. Episode BibliographyCoate, M. (2014, August 27). Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: Remembering “Mary Poppins” on its 50th anniversary. The Digital Bits.

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01:16:41

The Sword in the Stone

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/11/03

Episode SummaryJourney back to the Middle Ages for a discussion of The Sword in the Stone (1963), a film beset with sexism and classism befitting its medieval setting. The last fully animated film before Walt Disney’s death in 1966, this story of Arthurian legend leaves a lot to be desired in terms of plot and songwriting as well. Erin and Rachel try to make up for the latter with some singing of their own, and for that, they sincerely apologize. Episode BibliographyGriffin, M., Harding, N., &

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01:36:40

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/10/20

Episode SummaryLike a Dalmatian’s coat is sprinkled with spots, Disney’s 1961 One Hundred and One Dalmatians has bits of sexism, racism, classism, and fatphobia sprinkled throughout. However, those questionable moments weren’t enough to sour Erin and Rachel on what is overall a heartwarming and visually interesting film. Oh, and did we mention how cute the puppies are? Episode Bibliography[Ciné-DOCS]. (2019, April 12). Sincerely Yours, Walt Disney (One Hundred and One Dalmatians Behind the Scenes)

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01:19:59

Sleeping Beauty

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/10/06

Episode SummaryCan a film with a female protagonist who sleeps more than anything else be considered “feminist”? Erin and Rachel wrestle with this question and more as they discuss Sleeping Beauty (1959), Disney’s third and final princess film until the Disney Renaissance thirty years later. Episode BibliographyButler, L. (2014, November 6). How Sleeping Beauty is Accidentally the Most Feminist Animated Movie Disney Ever Made. Tor.com.

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01:34:14

Lady and the Tramp

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/09/22

Episode SummaryJoin Erin and Rachel as they examine the surprising amount of ethnocentrism and classism imbued in the 1955 classic Lady and the Tramp. Walt Disney Studios did its part to promote the myth of the American melting pot while also cautioning audiences about the "yellow peril," memorably embodied by the infamous Siamese cats who disrupt Lady's idyllic Victorian home life. Episode BibliographyAkita, K., & Kenney, R. (2013). A “vexing implication”: Siamese cats and Orientalist

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01:57:05

Peter Pan

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/09/08

Episode SummaryErin and Rachel have A LOT of thoughts (just under two hours worth) about Peter Pan (1953), a film so full of racism and sexism, they’re left scratching their heads about why this Disney classic is so beloved. Join the hosts as they unpack all the different ways this movie is offensive toward indigenous people, women, and even people with disabilities! Episode BibliographyBoyd, J. (2015). An examination of Native Americans in film and rise of Native filmmakers. The Elon Journal of

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01:22:34

Alice in Wonderland

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/08/25

Episode SummaryErin and Rachel don’t have time for nonsense, and neither did 1951 audiences when Alice in Wonderland flopped at the box office. Thankfully, marijuana-fueled college students in the 1960s had all the time in the world for a trip down the rabbit hole, thus solidifying a permanent place in popular culture for Alice in Wonderland, a film surprisingly devoid of racist or sexist content compared to its predecessors. Episode BibliographyAikens, K. (2010). How wanderer Alice became warrior

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01:43:43

Cinderella

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/08/11

Episode SummaryDisney’s Cinderella thrilled Erin and Rachel almost as much as it thrilled 1950 audiences, with “almost” being the operative word. The co-hosts revisit their favorite topics of gender roles and colonization, while also debating what, exactly, dreams are made of for the second Disney princess. Episode BibliographyBeauchamp, F. (2010). Asian origins of Cinderella: The Zhuang storyteller of Guangxi. Oral Tradition, 25(2), 447-496.Cinderella. (2020, June 20). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from

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01:22:49

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (BONUS EPISODE)

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/08/04

Episode Summary: In this bonus episode, Erin and Rachel unpack The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), and debate which is the most frightening: the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, Mr. Toad’s untreated mental illness, or the complete lack of female and BIPOC representation in this film.Episode Bibliography:Burton, N. (2012). A short history of bipolar disorder. Psychology Today. Retrieved from

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01:22:27

Saludos Amigos & The Three Caballeros

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/07/28

Episode Summary:As unofficial ambassador of Franklin Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor approach to foreign policy, Walt Disney traveled to South America on a so-called “goodwill tour,” the results of which were Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944). Join Erin and Rachel for this special double episode as they unpack the political and cultural influence of these lesser known “package” films. Episode Bibliography:Adams, D. (2007). Saludos Amigos: Hollywood and FDR’s Good Neighbor Policy

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01:17:27

Bambi

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/07/14

Episode Summary:Hear how “twitterpated” Erin and Rachel both are with Bambi (1942), the delightful classic that chronicles the lives of forest creatures with a heavy-handed conservationist agenda. Widely panned by critics following its initial release, this is the first time the grade Erin assigned on behalf of 1942 viewers is lower than the grade Rachel assigned based on a current day perspective! Episode Bibliography:Bálint, E. (2013). The representation of women in Walt Disney’s productions in

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01:19:37

Dumbo

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/06/30

Episode SummaryErin and Rachel unpack Disney’s pachyderm-focused 1941 film, Dumbo. This beloved classic helped Walt Disney Studios recover financially from previous box office busts and an animator strike. Despite being the shortest Disney animated film at only 64 minutes, there’s no shortage of racism, sexism, or horrifying elephant-based hallucinations. Episode BibliographyAndrews, T. (2019, March 29). The original ‘Dumbo’ was decried as racist. Here’s how Tim Burton’s version addresses that. The

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01:38:38

Fantasia

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/06/16

Episode SummaryErin and Rachel review Disney’s Fantasia (1940) segment by segment and discuss the film’s repeated racist, female objectifying, and fatphobic imagery. But the music and unicorns are pretty! Maybe there’s a reason Disney likes to focus on Sorcerer Mickey when they talk about this film...Episode BibliographyArmstrong, S., Algar, J., Roberts, B., Satterfield, P., Sharpsteen, B., Hand, D.D., Luske, H., Handley, J., Beebe, F., Hee, T., Ferguson, N., & Jackson, W. (Directors). (1940)

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01:26:19

Pinocchio

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/06/02

Episode SummaryErin and Rachel offer a less favorable take on Disney’s Pinocchio (1940) than the 100% Rotten Tomato rating of this film might suggest. They discuss the historical context of WWII in which the film was released and consider how this relates to the film’s themes about morality and family relationships. Episode BibliographyAllan, R. (1999). Walt Disney and Europe: European Influences on the Animated Feature Films of Walt Disney. Indiana University Press.Barrier, M. (1999). Hollywood

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01:37:40

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/05/19

Episode SummaryErin and Rachel discuss Disney's first full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, snidely referred to by critics as "Disney's Folly" before its release and subsequent box office success in 1937. The hosts unpack the impact of this groundbreaking film on popular culture, including its sexist and ableist themes. Episode BibliographyAloff, M. (2013). Disney’s Snow White at 75. Virginia Quarterly Review, 89(1), 238-244. England, D. E., Descartes, L., Collier-Meek, M

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00:50:06

Welcome to Deconstructing Disney

Deconstructing Disney ·

2020/05/03

Meet Erin and Rachel, two life-long Disney fans who've decided to take on the Disney film catalog with a critical lens. In this introductory episode, they share some Disney memories, quiz each other on Disney trivia, and explain what "deconstructing" actually means. To all who come to this happy podcast, welcome!

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60 results

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