Children’s books and cartoons contain more than just life lessons and morals such as “good always triumphs over evil”. Some have political, social, and historical connotations, while others contain subliminal messages with sexual, discriminatory, or even malicious undertones.
“The values which shape a book are the author’s politics. The promulgation of these values through publication is a political act. Except for a few types of children’s literature which seem to be value-free, most of what children read is filled with ideology, whatever the source, purpose, and mode of expression, whether consciously promulgated by the authors or not. In well-written books, the authors’ narrative skill, imaginative brilliance, and ability to create engaging characters and plot lines tend to mask the ideologies being expressed. But if ideologies have potential powers of persuasion, they are no less persuasive because they’re hidden,” wrote Robert D. Sutherland in his essay Hidden Persuaders: Political Ideologies in Children’s Literature, published in the academic journal, “Children’s Literature in Education.”
Hidden messages in children’s fairy tales
Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn is more than just a captivating story for children and teenagers. According to Sutherland, it is “a highly political book.” In this work, the author “attacks” the phenomenon of slavery and the consequences of racism. The story of The Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum, which made little girls dream of a pair of magical red shoes, “satirises militant feminism through the agency of General Jinjur and her Army of Revolt.”
The BBC writes that many theories have been put forward about Lewis Carroll’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: it could be a work dedicated to mathematical logic; it could hide drug-related undertones; or it could be a satire on the War of the Roses. The idea that the work is related to drug use is fuelled by scenes such as Alice eating mushrooms that make her taller or shorter and the caterpillar smoking a hookah. This theory is also reinforced by the legal availability of opium at that time. However, experts claim that Carroll was not a user, notes the BBC.
Examples of hidden messages in children’s stories are plentiful. For instance, C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia is believed to have undertones related to Christian theology. The Little Engine That Could may contain feminist messages, while How the Grinch Stole Christmas may depict the consumerism and materialism associated with winter holidays.
Visible messages that go unnoticed
In the case of cartoons aimed at children but loved by all ages, those who have paid close attention to the images have noticed subliminal messages with various meanings. For instance, the original poster for the animated film The Little Mermaid is said to contain a phallic symbol. According to Listverse, the artist intentionally created this image because he was about to be fired. However, the artist claimed that this “slip-up” was accidental.
The word “sex” can be seen in several popular cartoons loved by children. For instance, it appears “written” in the sky in a scene from The Lion King. The special effects team claims, however, that these letters are actually a “personal touch” and form the acronym “SFX”.
It has been suggested that the word “sex” also appears in the cartoon Beauty and the Beast, embedded in a decorative element. Other symbols with potentially evil connotations can also be seen in this film, such as a skull-like shape in one of the characters’ eyes and frequent hand gestures imitating horns.
At the same time, one of the scenes in The Rescuers features a brief glimpse of an image in the background that closely resembles the bust of a naked woman. In Monsters, Inc., one scene depicts a drawing of the heroine’s mother and “Uncle Rob” in an intimate pose.
Subliminal messages could also be conveyed through the dialogue. For example, in one scene in Aladdin, it was suggested that the following line can be heard: “Good teenagers take off your clothes.” However, according to the script, the line should have been: “Good kitty, take off and go,”‘ writes Listverse. There have also been accusations relating to Donald Duck’s character and his use of inappropriate language for a young audience.
The impact of subliminal messages
Even if we do not consciously perceive the much stronger connotations and messages beyond the stories in children’s books, it “doesn’t mean we aren’t absorbing them”, says Dr Alison Waller, Senior Lecturer at the University of Roehampton’s National Centre of Research for Children’s Literature, as quoted by the BBC. Sometimes these are not perceived either because the child is too young or because the story captivates the reader. The BBC points out that these “layered meanings are crucial to the longevity of stories that become classics, fairy tales being a prime example.”
Studies have shown that, although subliminal messages are not consciously perceived, they have a powerful influence over the human psyche, affecting an individual’s behaviour and attitudes. A group of experts observed that brief exposure to words associated with fear activates regions of the brain responsible for this emotion, reports World Science.
In another study, experts at Princeton University observed that exposure to subliminal thirst-related messages in The Simpsons increased thirst sensations among participants.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem also observed the power of subliminal messages to influence people, albeit with a different effect to that seen in the above-mentioned studies. According to Psych Central, they found that exposure to subliminal messages, such as the display of the national flag, does not intensify political attitudes, but rather has the opposite effect. In an experiment involving Israeli residents, some volunteers were exposed to subliminal images of the national flag. When asked to express their opinion on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, this group adopted a moderate attitude towards the subject.
Conversely, some experts downplay the influence of subliminal messages. For example, nearly 60 years ago, marketing expert James Vicary claimed that placing such messages in films increased sales of certain food products: Coca-Cola and popcorn, writes Discovery. However, his conclusions were later proven false.
Behind the charm of children’s stories lies a reminder: what we place before young minds helps shape the world they will one day create. Discernment does not mean fear but responsibility—to choose stories that nurture goodness, truth, and light.