As a child I had an obsession with The Lion King and performed a gymnastics routine to “I just can’t wait to be king”. I thought I loved the film for its catchy lyrics and coming of age tale, was I wrong? The study done by Rockler suggests that I enjoy the film because I identify with the “white” lions. So the question I pose is do I enjoy the tale because it supports my race or because of its whimsical nature?
Rockler posits that the animals of the lion king represent a segregated kingdom. As a child I couldn’t distinguish any racial difference in the voices I merely thought of them as suiting the character they played. Race put aside as a female I could have felt injustice because it was about the lion “king” but it is just a natural fact that in the animal kingdom the male lions rule the pride Similar to a participant in the study I feel as though I don’t see these stereotypes because I don’t look for them, or perhaps because my schema hasn’t been introduced to those ideas yet.
I’m confident that my childhood love came not from the racist impact on my schema but rather the fantasy that real lions could dance and sing.
