Some Pearl-Clutching Mothers Feel Disney's "Turning Red" Is Too Mature For Children, But These 10 Disney Movies Are Way More Inappropriate.
If Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the soundtrack for those who are upset about the movie, would it be, "We don't talk about mens-tru-ation, no. We don't talk about menses!"
Disney’s Turning Red has sparked a fresh wave of debate, and not everyone is happy about it. The Pixar film follows Meilin Lee, a 13-year-old Canadian-Chinese girl dealing with puberty, crushes, rebellion, and the awkward chaos that comes with growing up.
Some viewers have called those themes too mature for kids, but the backlash has only pushed the conversation further. This article points out that Disney has been telling messy, rebellious, and sometimes downright questionable stories for decades.
And a few of those classics are a lot more inappropriate than Turning Red. Read on.
1. Beauty and the Beast
Belle and Beast fall in love, in spite of his "beastly" temper. But it's supposed to be okay because Belle "changes" (read: fixes) him.
Not to mention posturing in order to intimidate her, keeping her prisoner in exchange for her father's freedom... Beauty and the Beast is full of wildly inappropriate relationship ideals.
giphySo we're just going to ignore the fact that he locked her up in a cell, screamed at, and threatened her?
He only began to treat her with kindness because his enchanted staff encouraged him to do so in order to break the curse that his poor attitude got them all into. You can do better, Belle.
giphyThat’s a pretty rough way to start a fairy tale.
2. Toy Story 3
This one shouldn't surprise you. If it does, let's recap:
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The toys literally face death and just accept their fate. They share a solemn look and silently reach out to hold hands as they slowly inch closer to their imminent demise.
Let me tell you about how I SOBBED watching this as a full-grown adult. Do kids really need to face the cruel realities of mortality in their movies?
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3. Lilo & Stitch
I mean, yeah, same girl. And really, she had valid reasons to feel that way, too.
If you don't remember, Lilo and Nani's parents were killed in a car crash.
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Then while Nani is busting her ass to raise Lilo by herself, Lilo gets taken away by CPS agents.
I dunno, that seems a lot more "mature" than seeing a box of pads.
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That one hits a little harder than people remember.
4. Aladdin
OH LOOK, A TEENAGE GIRL SNEAKING OUT OF HER HOME WITH A STRANGE MAN. HOW SCANDALOUS.
Princess Jasmine was 15 and married a conman who straight-up lied about who he was nearly the entire time they were together, and this was AFTER she learned she was lied to.
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And let's not forget that this 15-year-old seduced and kissed a grown man in order to distract him.
BUT MENSTRUATION
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5. Dumbo
YEP, I'm coming for Dumbo, too.
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They got a BABY drunk
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6. The Lion King
Scar MURDERS Mufasa, his BROTHER, and then right after Simba finds his father's corpse, Scar convinces Simba it's HIS fault.
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That's some straight-up Game of Thrones type plot.
And there's no arguing that Game of Thrones is inappropriate for children.
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Disney really did not hold back here.
For more unresolved family tension, this mirrors the Redditor debating whether to skip their sister’s milestone event amid drama.
7. The Little Mermaid
Ariel was so completely hot and bothered over Prince Eric that she literally gave up her friends, family, and her FREAKING VOICE to try to get with him.
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Ariel was a horny-ass 16-year-old who got married to the first dude she met.
Mei's fanfiction drawings are TAME compared to that hornball mermaid.
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8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Dr. Madeline Levine, a renowned child psychologist, emphasizes that "media representations can significantly shape children's understanding of relationships and consent." Additionally, Dr. Laura Berman, a well-known sex therapist, points out that "the portrayal of unconscious characters in romantic scenarios can send troubling messages about consent." The film's conclusion, featuring the Prince kissing an unconscious (presumably DEAD) Snow White, raises serious concerns about the implications of such depictions on young viewers. Consent issues aside, this portrayal is indeed unsettling.
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It's also worth noting that Snow White is supposed to be FOURTEEN
Don't @ me with the "things were different back then" b.s.
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9. Sleeping Beauty
We literally JUST covered the issue of consent, y'all.
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Consensual affection 2022
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10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This movie is full of all sorts of inappropriate and mature themes: lust, murder, genocide.
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Within the first 10 minutes, Frollo murders a woman and tries to drown her baby.
He also tries to burn Esmeralda at the stake because she, God forbid, refused to have sex with him.
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That is a wild opening for a Disney movie.
Kimmy said it best
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Welp, there you go. Even these beloved classic Disney and Pixar movies share “mature” themes and varying degrees of rebellion (and horniness, let’s be real).
So, not only is it fitting that Turning Red joins their ranks, but hopefully, this calls out the RIDICULOUS outrage around a fantastic coming-of-age story that also focuses on a Chinese mother/daughter relationship.
Have you watched Turning Red yet? Let us know what you thought about the movie in the comments below!
And if you know someone with their undies in a bunch over the movie, share this with them to help shift their perspective.
Disney has been doing this for a long time.
Want another “pet rules during family drama” blowup? See the AITA about denying a pet-friendly apartment to a friend after their breakup.
