So much for a kids movie...

Last weekend I was watching a movie with a friend. 

Of course it was a Disney movie, it was Dumbo. And I can't stop my critic. Am I bad because I critic something even if I do love it anyway???

So with my friend, after a few tears were shed, we were discussing how Disney is so not for kids. I mean it is, kind of, but if you really look at all the aspects and not just at the figurative-possible-to-reach-happily-ever-after, it has a lot and I mean A LOT of bullying, racism, stereotypes and impossible dreams. Could be that the main help in almost all movies is magic, after all they are fantasy. (I don't want to say a fairy tale because I'm having some conflicting emotions about them for the moment). 

Anyway.

Baby Dumbo has big ears right, something unusual for his species. After that is discover he is ridiculed and criticized by his own kind. Not only that, but people -teenagers- who visit the circus were they work, break the rules and again make fun of him. Mom of course is infuriated, with all reason and justice and spanks the kids, but oh no the elephant is mad and is attacking people with no reason. Correction! she is defending, not attacking, DEFENDING, but who cares let's just lock her away and leave the baby alone. Not only is he separated from his mother but his own kind try to ignore him as if he was not an elephant, a baby elephant in need of love and care. That's right he is shunned from the elephant species by the other elephants. Sound way too much like high school and American society. Let me just remind people, he is still a toddler. Anyway after so much struggle and getting drunk (by mistake mind you), a friend of him, Timothy the mouse, finds a unique, beside the ears, special trait which pushes him to success and all the mock and hatred turns to admiration, by the brain-washable people who started the whole dilemma.

And in all of this I wonder, where is the dad? 

So, we see there rejection by the family, bullying by the society, glass ceiling from the employer and coworkers, forced separation from his mom, and more mocking -temporary- from other communities, the crows; and he is just a kid. Does is sound familiar? Yes it does, everyday of high school. If it does not sound familiar to you, congratulations, I don't know what kind of Utopian world you live in and I hope you never have to leave it. However, you know how many times this happens in real life? Lots of times. Kids in schools everyday are being bully because they look different, because they don't have a family, because they are alone and young, too young to know what to do and whom to follow to be in the right path. 

What's wrong with people? 

The good thing to get from all this is that it is the smallest character who made the biggest difference: Timothy the mouse. He is one of those character who should be taken more in consideration. He is small, yes, but he is the ears, eyes, and voice of the circus... or at least for Dumbo. He hears the elephants discriminating Dumbo and takes it in his hands to give them a lesson. He tries to help Dumbo in his job, failure but it was with all good intentions to show and promote his potential. He 'arranges' for a family visit and in the mean time he is taking care of Dumbo, showers him, feeds him, cheers him up. Finally he discovers Dumbo's ability and supports him and encourages him to believe in himself. 

There should be more characters and people like that. Small, seemingly insignificant but extraordinary and very important. No magic included, just the will to help others no matter how different they are.