How Disney Animated Films contributed to my poor self image

I've battled image issues most of my life up until recently.    Honestly, I think the only reason why I don't really battle them now is because of two reasons.  First and foremost I've dated and scored with a far number of attractive women over the last 5 years.  Some people are of the mind that confidence creates success, and in many ways it probably does.   My experience has been that success creates confidence.    Secondly, while I am still pretty harsh on myself as far as my body goes, wanting to consistently become more built and lose more weight,  I've gotten to a point that I really don't give two shouts and a holler whether my face is an attractive one or not.   However, at one time I was very self conscious of it and Disney animated films are partially to blame.

I have a long face and a big chin, and how did Disney illustrate nearly ever villain that they have ever put on screen?   A long face and a big chin.    It was difficult not to find myself unattractive as these popular films often depicted what was ugly, as the exact facial features that I had.  

Am I exaggerating?  Maybe, but have a look for yourself

Amos Slade from "Fox and the Hound"  - Long face and huge chin

Aunt Sarah from "Lady and the Tramp"  Exceptionally long face

Captain Hook from "Peter Pan"  How much more obnoxiously could you possibly make your point?  Disney got it across loud and clear here that long faces and big chins were NOT attractive.

Cruella De Vil from "101 Dalmations"  Once again, long face and big pointy chin.

Doctor Facilier from "The Princess and the Frog"   Long face, big chin!

Gaston from "Beauty and the Beast"   I'll actually give a little bit of gratitude to Disney on this one.  While they still had to go out of their way to draw a big massive chin on the Villain in my favorite of the Disney animated films, they at least had it to where Belle was the only one to find him unattractive.  Even at that it was his personality that repulsed her, not his looks.  The fact that the three identical triplets found Gaston to be a knockout is actually, I kid you not,  what gave me the confidence that maybe I could land a good looking girl myself.   I know it sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it's true.   I thought if those babes (albeit they were cartoons, but they were still babes) could fall for Gaston, a man with a long face and a huge chin, that maybe I could get a babe or two in my lifetime to fall for me.   I did, :)  Thank you Gaston!

Hades from "Hercules"   Obnoxiously long face and big chin.   Disney could you be any more subtle with the fact that you think people with big chins are ugly!?!!?

Jafar from "Aladdin" While his chin isn't that big,  his face is extraordinarily long

Stepmother from "Cinderella" Now here Disney just came right out and said it.   They were not discreet in the least bit here,  they just blurted it right out.  The Stepmother was "ugly" and looky here,  she has a long face and a big chin,  imagine that.

Maleficent from "Sleeping Beauty"   Now I actually find Maleficent to be an attractive woman.   One of those types that  I'd never get along with personally, but would secretly hope would have a sudden urge to argue with me while in a skin tight bikini, rather than in what she was wearing.   I think Disney animators even wanted her to come across as at least somewhat attractive.  Nevertheless they didn't hesitate to make her face long and give her a definitive chin.

McLeach from "The Rescuers Down Under"  Just another one added to the list,  look at the size of that chin.

Sykes from "Oliver and Company"   His chin is bigger than Fagin's entire head!!!

Whether you agree with me or not,  I think I have provided more than enough examples.   Disney has drawn a substantial amount of their evil antagonist with long faces and large chins.   Disney has went out of their way to embed within young minds, and the minds of us that still enjoy these films today (People like me!!) that long faces and large chins are ugly and unattractive.     It may seem absurd and weird to think of a nearly 29 year old man having these thoughts but you have to remember I wasn't 29 when these films came out or when I first watched them.   I can remember watching "Peter Pan" with a group of other kids when I was little and hearing them all say that Captain Hook was ugly.   Well shucks,  I sorta looked like Captain Hook.  I didn't have a mustache or a 5 O'clock shadow but I sure had a long face and I sure had a big noticeable chin.   All the little girls watching him on the T.V. were saying how ugly he was.   Well, didn't that mean I was ugly too?  


It was my late Grandma Reta Fox (along with Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast") that helped me to finally feel that maybe I too could get with an attractive woman.   On an hour and a half ride from North English, Iowa to Bettendorf, Iowa my mom and I were talking about something at school that had happened.  A girl in my class had told me that I was the ugliest person she had ever known.   Now a days,  I'd just tell the wench where to stick it, but as a 14 year old seventh grader I was devastated. 


"You know", she said to both my mom and me, "I never found Bill (her husband, my late Grandpa) to be attractive"


My mother and I both looked at her as if she were either insane or pulling our legs.


"Oh come on", my mother shot a quick response, "Of course you found him to be attractive"


"No", Grandma Fox held her ground, "No, not really"


I just smiled and shook my head thinking that while she probably did find him to be physically attractive, she was just saying this to try and make me feel better.   But then she said something that made me realize that she wasn't pulling my leg, and that she was being serious.


"Stephen", she said to me, "I didn't like Bill because of the way he looked,  I liked him because of the way he treated me"


It took a while before that finally sunk in and I began to take chances with attractive women, but I'd say had that day never happened and had I never had the thoughts I did while watching, "Beauty and the Beast" then the dozen or so times I've either scored with or dated attractive women probably never would have happened.    Oh no,  I probably would've just concluded that I with my long face and my big chin was too unattractive to ever appeal to any beauty.    I mean after all, isn't that what Disney animated films have lead us to believe?