Corporal punishment in Disney comics

[MASSENGALE MELANIE O]

On Sat, 11 Nov 1995 disney-comics at Minsk.DoCS.UU.SE wrote:

> Date: Tue, 07 Nov 1995 20:41:51 -0500
> From: David A Gerstein <David.A.Gerstein at williams.edu>
> Subject: Re: Disney-comics digest #840. 
> 
> 	TODD regarding "The Rabbit's Foot," WDC&S 32:
> 	"The plot is a bit nastier than we think of as Barks, as well,
> with [DD] planning to whip the boys at the end..."
> 	Actually, I think that what makes this moment particularly
> harsh is that (A) Donald is using a metal-plated strap rather than the
> usual tree branch, (B) Donald refers to "the licking of your lives,"
> and (C) THE BOYS HAVEN'T DONE A THING TO DESERVE IT!  Every other time
> we see DD chasing the boys with intent to spank them, they've at least
> accidentally done something to pique his rage.  In WDC&S 32, DD simply
> realizes they were right when he was wrong, and because he's mad, that
> gives him the license to spank them for that.

These references seem almost anachronistic to American audiences now, I
think.  Despite the fact that people undoubtably do still spank their
kids, few discuss it much.  There have been a lot of stories in the paper
about child abuse charges filed against parents who, say, swat their kid
in the grocery store.  In recent years, it has come to be viewed as
socially unacceptable (rather like smoking).

> 	Van Horn has managed to get comments about DD spanking the
8> kids past Disney's editors in recent months, but for those of us who
> aren't "name" creators yet, it's harder.  DD threatening to "whale the
> blazes" out of the boys made it when I dialogued "The Hoard at the
> Rainbow's End" (DDA 25);  DD stating that he'll "peel you kids like
> onions," which was in my script for "A Car-Gone Conclusion" (DDA 31),
> did not.  Why not?
> 	Do more parents spank their kids now than in years past?
> Maybe it's that the question of what constitutes child abuse is more
> important these days?  I always enjoyed DD's exaggerated threats to
> the kids, but then my parents never peeled me like an onion, either.

The child abuse question is definitely a hot-button issue.  I believe that
many of the child psychologists who publish strongly urge parents to avoid
completely any form of corporal punishment.  School have been sued by
irate parents for punishing by "paddling."  I personally see nothing wrong
with these references in the Duck comics, but wouldn't be at all surprised
OTOH if some parents complained.

Best regards,

Melanie