Dressing Up In Gray: How Children Are Taught To Worship Villains
A pink dress full of frills— that's what I wore to my 6th birthday party. Although I was more fond of Belle, Aurora was kind and gentle, so I didn’t mind. As a kid, my friends and I always dressed up as a Disney princess for my birthdays. Being a princess was popular; we all wanted to be pretty, kind, and loving, just like all the characters depicted in classic movies and fairytales. At the same time, we criticized the villains, never wishing to be like them. We grew up with these black-and-white fairytales showcasing people as good or bad, princesses or villains. However, the reality is that human beings are more complicated. There isn’t a straightforward way to define us as “good” or “bad”.
With new genres of movies that illustrate the origins of our childhood villains, it’s evident that the media has begun to recognize the complexity of these individuals. Morally gray characters are drawing in audiences through their increasingly accurate representation of the complexities of human nature. These characters show that virtue and vice can co-exist and that we as a society are becoming increasingly drawn to understanding the emergence of their “vices”.
However, these stories marketed towards children teach them that it’s justifiable to act upon our anger or trauma. The question remains: why are we teaching kids that malice is warranted? Yes, even though introducing the complexity of villains elicits understanding and sympathy towards their character, this shift has provided leeway for the normalization of malice. Considering these stories are shaping the personalities and idealities of children, we need to steer away from forming role models out of characters that act upon their impulses. Instead, the media should start portraying characters that show restraint towards their impulses and attempt to overcome negative emotions as a result of their trauma rather than justifying their actions.
In the original 1959 Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent is the dark fairy who curses the protagonist, Aurora, proclaiming that she will pass away on her sixteenth birthday by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel. In the original representation of Maleficent’s character, she is portrayed as a classic, one-dimensional villain, wearing dark-colored clothes, performing curses with powerful magic, and having the ability to transform into a dragon. These stereotypical villainous traits, combined with a limited understanding of her backstory, can only be seen as an unexplained attempt to end Aurora’s life. On the contrary, the 2014 version of Maleficent provided a new perspective on this well-known character. The story begins by explaining her origins, illustrating her as an innocent young girl trying to protect her home. Her ability to love and care was stripped when Aurora’s father, the King, betrayed her trust by drugging her and stealing her wings. This was not only a physical act; in doing so, he limited her freedom, individuality, and power. The young girl who was once filled with joy and an optimistic outlook for the future becomes filled with anger and vengeance, traumatized. The story continues with Maleficent regretting her actions and attempting to lift the curse as she watches Aurora grow up into an innocent and kind person. A vindication from a deeply hurt character regretting her vengeful actions. Maleficent is purely a representation of a human being; just like all of us, her actions were simply a result of the deep betrayal she faced. She was not born a villain and she does not remain a villain—she is ever-changing and complex. Movies like the 2021 film Cruella also portray the classic villain as an ambitious young woman who goes through loss and trauma which guides her future malice.
The trend in these films is simple. They show that we are a product of our circumstances, and instead, the resulting anger, hurt, and fear shape us into villains. However, is this really what we should be teaching children? The short answer is no. Children are beginning to dress like the villains, idolizing characters who act on their malice. Focusing on justifying harm, teaches children that harm is warranted. Instead, if the media wishes to depict individuals with morally gray characteristics, they should focus on their control over their actions and finding regret and remorse before they act upon intrusive thoughts.
The media’s increasing portrayal of characters that portray both virtue and vice highlights we are growing more and more attracted to characters that represent humanity and the complex journeys we as humans all face. Finally, the media has caught on. Nonetheless, children's stories are not the way to do this. Children always find role models and idolize characters but they do not understand yet the full complexities of the human experience. There are other ways to show a character's ability to change than justifying murder or malice. Society needs to understand this so we don’t teach our children to find justifications for such actions in their own lives.