Disney Subliminal Messages

Are there subliminal messages in Disney films? I'll answer that in just a second... First though, t what exactly are subliminal messages?

The word subliminal literally means "below the liminal", or beneath perception. That's slightly misleading, because for subliminal messages to work, they must be perceived at some level, and so a better definition might be “below the threshold of consciousness”. Subliminal messaging therefore refers to the act of sending messages directly to the subconscious mind.

Yes, most definitely. In fact, there are both subliminal and non-subliminal hidden messages in Disney films – it’s actually a bit of a tradition at the studio. When new Disney films come out, hidden message hunters race to be the first to find such secret messages.

It’s difficult to say for sure, the practise of incorporating subliminal and hidden messages goes back to Disney’s early days, and with so many films and so many messages some are bound to have been missed. It is widely believed that the tradition was started by disgruntled animators who were unhappy about the fact that Walt Disney did not include their names in the credits of his early movie shorts. In a sort of underground fight back, the animators started hiding messages in the movies. An early example of this can be seen in Goofy “Sports” series of shorts, where you will find many of the characters names are actually Disney animator and artist names.

Here's a quick run-down:

The Rescuers

This contains two frames of a topless model. They are in the scene when Bernard and Bianca fly down through the city on the albatross.

The Little Mermaid

At the start of the movie when King Triton swoops down over the people, you can see Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy among the crowd.

There is also some suggestion that in the scene where Eric and Ursula are about to get married, the priest has an erection. However, there is equally as much suggestion that in fact what can be seen is merely his knee.

On the subject of hidden erotica in Disney movies, we should mention the cover art for The Little Mermaid. Many people have commented that the tower looks rather phallic! The artist apparently fully intended for the tower to look like a penis, although when he had finished the cover, he realised that it was actually a bit too obvious. The artwork was sent for approval with the assumption that some changes would be required, but no such request was ever made and so the cover was released with a not-very-hidden phallus on it.

The Lion King

In the scene where Simba watches his father die, the word “SEX” is briefly formed in the clouds above his head. Some observers think that the hidden word is actually the letters “SFX”, referring to Disney's Special Effects department. Perhaps those artists are still having their underground revolution.

Aladdin

Aside from the many in-jokes, some people believe they can hear Aladdin say “Good teenagers take off your clothes” in one scene. Is this an intentionally hidden message, or does it just sound like that’s what he’s saying? You decide!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

More hidden Disney erotica. This time, there is a distinctly “Basic Instinct” type shot when Jessica Rabbit bounces out a Taxi - it only lasts for two frames. And as the artist’s revolution continues, Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner’s home telephone number appears plastered on a Toon Town wall!

Whilst Disney executives were happy to let many hidden messages go unchallenged in their cinema releases, video and DVD makes it possible to find all sorts of messages that you may have missed in the theatre. Disney is a firm with a reputation to keep up; some hidden messages then have been deemed not suitable for inclusion in these new formats, and so have been erased. However, it does appear that over time they get forgotten about as when some of the films are re-released, the original messages are back – presumably as new videos are produced from un-doctored originals.

Walt Disney may not have been too impressed when it first started happening, but having a keen eye for business, he certainly didn’t discourage the practise; anything that got the films talked about had to be good for the bottom line. And now it’s a tradition, people have actually come to expect it, thus broadening the appeal, and therefore market, for the movies.

Heck yes! Subliminal messages have been shown to be useful for loads of things - from quitting smoking, losing weight, gaining confidence, and even improving self esteem. There are loads of subliminal message CDs and the like out there, but we like this software which runs on your computer and flashes up messages that you create yourself, while you surf, work, or read your email!