----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Hi everybody, I am a student at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, and am currently enrolled in a media criticism class (part of my broadcasting major). I am in the middle of a study dealing with Disney's The Lion King. I am doing a semiotic and structural/post-structural analysis of the film and researching available intertextual discourses. (any academic articles I can get my hands on!!!) The real thrust of my research deals with reader oriented criticism. After doing my own study of what signs and symbols are in the film, and finding out what ideologies other media crit. folk might see being pushed, I intend to find out what the average person gains through the film. I want to see if anyone recognizes what the High-Brows say is present in a film except for other High-Brows In my research of The Lion King, I have come across some, well, just far out opinions on what messages the film contains and sends to viewers on a number of issues, social, racial, ecological, and more. The only problem is that not many of the viewers were aware that they are receiving such messages--even after I told them so! Sheesh. So, I began to think, if no one picks up on the hidden meanings and pushed ideologies, how are the effectively present? Here's where you, my new friends, come in. Please send me any opinions you have on The Lion King. You loved it, hated it, hate it because your kids love it, feel it is going to bring our society crumbling down, feel it should be considered a national treasure, very academic research, your three-year-old's testimonial, whatever. It will be most appreciated! Please include some demographic info on yourself. (If I need to use someone's age, names will be changed to protect the innocent). Sorry I haven't discussed the material I have uncovered, but I want to keep your opinions objective. Some key points of discussion I am looking for deal with the characters Scar, the Hyenas, and Mufasa's death. I'll leave it pretty open for you. Remember, anything is welcome. Thanks again everybody, Adam Koscielski (gsaajk1)