Disney ACCUSED By 'Catholic Cleric' Of Corrupting Children's Minds

by **J The Kidd** Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:00 pm

A leading Catholic cleric has launched a fierce attack on Disney, claiming it has corrupted children and encouraged greed.

Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the
corporation of "exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of
turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site.

He argues that it provides stories with a moral message, but has actually helped to create a more materialistic culture.

Disney in particular, which he says is "a classic example" of how
consumerism is being sold as an alternative to finding happiness in
traditional morality.

While he acknowledges that Disney stories carry messages showing good
triumphing over evil, he argues this is part of a ploy to persuade
people that they should buy Disney products in order to be "a good and
happy family".

He cites films such as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians that feature
moral battles, but get into children's imaginations and make them
greedy for the merchandise that goes with them.

"The message behind every movie and book, behind every theme park and
T-shirt is that our children's world needs Disney," he says.

"So they absolutely must go to see the next Disney movie, which we'll also want to give them on DVD as a birthday present.

"They will be happier if they live the full Disney experience; and
thousands of families around the world buy into this deeper message as
they flock to Disneyland."

He continues: "This is the new pilgrimage that children desire, a rite of passage into the meaning of life according to Disney.

"Where once morality and meaning were available as part of our free
cultural inheritance, now corporations sell them to us as products."

"This is basically the commercial exploitation of spirituality," he
says, adding that as a result Disney and other corporations "inhabit
our imagination".

"Once planted there they can make us endlessly greedy. And that is exactly what they are doing."

The Walt Disney Company, founded in 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy
Disney, is one of the world's biggest entertainment companies. It owns
11 theme parks and several television networks, while its Hollywood
studios have produced more than 200 feature films.