While many often think of Disney films as uplifting and joyful, we know their classic cartoons are full of pretty dark stuff. It turns out they've been teaching us all about something very serious indeed all along: death.
That's according to an expert in end-of-life communication, who believes old favourites like The Lion King, Bambi and even newer hit Frozen can help children and adults alike come to terms with the concept of death.
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A new study published in OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying explores the way in which death is portrayed in children's films, and found that characters are more than twice as likely to die than in movies aimed at adults.
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Study leader Professor Kelly Tenzek of the University at Buffalo said: "These films can be used as conversation starters for difficult and what are oftentimes taboo topics like death and dying.
"These are important conversations to have with children, but waiting until the end of life is way too late and can lead to a poor end-of-life experience."
Disney has long been preoccupied with death: Bambi losing his mother, Cinderella being orphaned, Simba losing his dad…
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Revealing that the deaths in Disney films can actually help children relate to death, she added: "We believe Disney and Pixar films are popular and accessible for children and adults so a difficult conversation can begin in a less threatening way earlier in life."
Parents can therefore use Disney movies as an opportunity to discuss death with their children as they get older.
"We acknowledge a child's psychological development is important when considering these discussions," adds Professor Tenzek. "It's not our intent to have these conversations with a three-year-old, but as children mature, then the films fit naturally into that growth."
Who knew Disney films could be so powerful?
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Francesca Rice is the Multiplatform Editor of Red, leading on all things digital for the brand. She oversees every section of the site, from Fashion to Wellbeing, and directs Red's digital content strategy across all platforms, including newsletter, social media and video. Francesca has worked as a journalist on the UK's top lifestyle and luxury titles since 2013. She joined Red as Digital Editor in 2021, having previously held senior editorial roles at Hearst UK as Good Housekeeping's Deputy Digital Editor and Prima's Senior Digital Writer. Prior to this, she worked as a News & Features Writer for SheerLuxe, after beginning her journalism career as the Features Assistant at Marie Claire. Francesca has a postgraduate diploma in Multimedia Magazine Journalism from the Press Association and a degree in English Literature from Durham University. Having attended an international school, she is fluent in French and Italian (and occasionally Spanish after a few glasses of rosé). She loves travel, books and pizza so a relaxing holiday in Italy is pretty much her dream scenario.
