by Susan Quilty

Created on: May 16, 2009   Last Updated: June 26, 2009

Disney's colorful characters and catchy songs have captured the imagination of children around the world for over 70 years. But what lessons are these movies teaching our youth?

Some Disney movie lessons are positive. Toy Story shows Woody putting aside his jealousy to save Buzz and become his friend. Lady and the Tramp shows us that love can cross class boundaries.

But what about the other, less than positive messages? Take a look at five examples of terrible lessons taught in classic Disney movies:

5. Mothers are expendable, stepmothers are evil.

*Movies: Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and many more

Mothers in Disney movies get a bad rap. If mothers don't die on-screen, there's a good chance they are already dead or just won't be mentioned at all. If a stepmother is introduced she will likely be the jealous villain of the movie.

Missing mothers may gain sympathy for main characters, but time and time again Disney movies show that an absent mother is an easily surmountable obstacle. (If she is mentioned at all.) Fathers, on the other hand, are often shown in vital, supportive roles.

It appears both mothers and stepmothers need to disappear for the hero to gain independence and live happily ever after.

4. A woman's life purpose is to find her prince charming.

*Movies: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin

Every Disney princess is matched to her ideal prince. The quest for true love is a common theme for many films and even more so for classic Disney movies where the prince is often seen rescuing his princess.

The earliest Disney movie princesses - Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora - were the classic damsels in distress. They were in danger and needed a prince to come to their rescue. Later Disney princesses - Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine - had definite ideas about who they would or would not marry. Yet in the end: Prince Eric defeated Ursula, the Beast defeated Gaston, and Aladdin defeated Jafaar. The princesses may have helped, but it was the princes who saved the day.

While Disney has been making an effort to create stronger female characters, many of their classic movies do a good job of teaching little girls how to become perfect damsels in distress.

3. Deals with the devil pay off in the end.

*Movie: The Little Mermaid

If you can't get what you want on your own, make a bargain with an evil sea-witch. In the Little Mermaid, Ariel dreams of leaving her underwater world to live on land with

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