Cultural Analysis: Can Hyenas Have a Race?

After watching parts of The Lion King last year in sophomore english and having discussions about implications of race in the movie, I immediately became defensive. No one wants to believe that their favorite childhood movie could have possibly racist undertones that may have unknowingly shaped the ideas of children for two decades. Although many parents still allow their kids and especially their daughters to watch Disney princess movies it has been my experience that most people are able to clearly label the message of weak female characters and explain to their children that these popular tales are not the reality. The Lion King, while sometimes mentioned for its perhaps racist undertones, is usually overlooked in the list of stereotypical or offensive tropes that Disney often perpetuates.


For those not familiar with The Lion King, it is somewhat similar to the plot of Hamlet in that the main character Simba’s father (Mufasa) is killed by his evil uncle (Scar), although it takes place in the savannah with lions and other animals. For many movies the easiest way to recognize race is through image, and it is definitely true that Scar and his henchman hyenas have darker fur. However I am not sure that this is the most direct way that the movie comments on race. It is a widely accepted knowledge in our culture that lightness represents the good and darkness the bad. Because many of the frightening scenes have a darker lighting and deeper shadows while the happy musical numbers are bright and vibrant. Because it is not just the the evil characters color that is dark I don’t believe that it represents the animal’s race.


One part of The Lion King that is much more obvious than the color of the animals is that sound and voices of the characters. Shenzi played by Whoopi Goldberg and Banzai voiced by Cheech Marin are both hyenas and people of color. While Ed the third hyena is played by a white man the character has very few lines and is portrayed and incredibly unintelligent. Anyone can tell that the way that these three characters speak is much different from the rest of the lions. They are the only ones that use what could be considered slang while the rest of the ‘good’ characters speak using correct grammar all the time. These characters are also separated from everyone else and seem to bring with them famine and destruction. The portrayal of these animals seems to send a message that people who may have hispanic or other accents should not be trusted and are evil.


The movies becomes very complicated to talk about in terms of the rest of the cast. Mufasa (Simba’s father), and Sarabi (Simba’s mother) are both voiced by black actors, who use proper grammar. In the end I am not sure I am any more sure about the portrayal of race in The Lion King than when I started. Although I certainly believe that there are stereotypes of race that could be absorbed by young children unknowingly I still feel that The Lion King has a strong positive message for kids and should not become a banned movie in households. As long as parents are able to talk to their children about how race affects their lives and the lives of others.