MINI-EPISODE: Best Idea for a Disney Park Attraction?

Episode Summary

In their deconstruction of The Rescuers (1977), Erin and Rachel discuss orphans, alligators, and confederate symbolism. This film seemingly represents the first attempts of the Walt Disney Animation Studios to represent racial diversity and gender equality in any intentional or meaningful way, but how successful are they?

Episode Bibliography

Caroll, T.W. (2019). Revisiting second wave histories: New chronologies, geographies, and appraisals. Journal of Women’s History, 31(3), 136-146.

Cawley, J. (2003, May 2). Don Bluth The Disney Years: The Rescuers. The Animated Films of Don Bluth. Retrieved February 9, 2021, from https://web.archive.org/web/20070311015411/http://www.cataroo.com/DBrescu.html

Champlin, C. (1977, July 3). Animation: The Real Thing at Disney. The Los Angeles Times, 276.

Doty, M. (2015, February 10). Cruella de Vil's Comeback That Wasn't: See Long-Lost Sketches of Iconic Villain in 'The Rescuers' (Exclusive). Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/cruella-de-vils-comeback-that-wasnt-see-110587473877.html

Lounsbery, J., Reitherman, W., & Stevens, A. (1977). The Rescuers [Film]. Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Madame Medusa. (2011, March 2). The Disney Archives. Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://web.archive.org/web/20110302115813/http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/villains/medusa/medusa.html

Mikkelson, D. (1999, January 13). Did a Topless Woman Appear in Disney’s ‘The Rescuers’? Snopes. Retrieved February 9, 2021, from https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-rescuers-topless/

Myers, J.E.B. (2006). Child protection in America: Past, present, and future. Oxford University Press.

Ness, M. (2015, September 17). Rescuing More than Just Small Girls and Teddy Bears: Disney’s The Rescuers. Tor.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021, from https://www.tor.com/2015/09/17/rescuing-more-than-just-small-girls-and-teddy-bears-disneys-the-rescuers/

Radloff, J. (2014, September 10). Why most Disney heroines don’t have mothers and so many more secrets from the Disney archives. Glamour. https://www.glamour.com/story/disney-secrets-beauty-and-the-beast

The Rescuers. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 6, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rescuers

Thomas, B. (1984, September 19). Walt Disney Productions Returns to Animation. The Lewiston Daily Sun, 28.

United Nations. (n.d.). World Conference of the International Women’s Year. https://www.un.org/en/conferences/women/mexico-city1975

Variety Staff. (1976, December 31). The Rescuers. Variety. Retrieved February 9, 2021, from https://variety.com/1976/film/reviews/the-rescuers-2-1200423850/

Wood, J.M. (2014, October 22). 27 Motherless Disney characters. Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59581/27-motherless-disney-characters