Written by Vinnie C
Edited by Jairaj Vij
Trigger Warnings:
Eating disorders, anxiety, ADHD, OCD and depression.
The majority of disability-related media is only intended for adults because the reality of the disability is seen as something children should not be subjected to, which further stigmatizes it. Although we try to shield children from it, we do not realize that they have inherently grown up learning about disability.
I know I grew up watching Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Madagascar, Scooby-Doo and many other children’s media that were inclusive of disabilities and a lot of other themes that are usually veiled. This article focuses on the animals from Winnie the Pooh and their portrayal of different disabilities.
Lets begin with the protagonist, Winnie the Pooh, a personified stuffed toy bear. He is childlike, always happy, a joy to be around, considerate, and he always wants what is best for his friends. Pooh's fixation on honey usually creates issues and is one of his major personality traits in the show. This proves that Pooh's compulsion to consume honey may be due to him having an eating disorder. BED (Binge Eating Disorder) to be precise.
For example, when most of the characters in the 2011 film look for Christopher Robin, who may be unsafe, Pooh is preoccupied with his desire for honey. He sees hallucinations of all the animals saying "honey” and although he makes a massive effort to pay attention to the task at hand, which is finding Christopher Robin, he cannot fight the hallucinations.
Moving on to Piglet’s anxiety, it is usually evident in his body language. He often gets flustered, blushes, twitches and shakes. He is frequently fearful even in non-threatening situations. Through the series, it is obvious that Piglet is ashamed of his cowardice, and numerous plots in the show have focused on him trying to fight his worries, even though the rest of the characters do not seem to have an issue with it and always include him in every activity.
Piglet also exhibits a tendency to startle easily, persistent concern and stress and an exaggerated perspective on issues. He frequently considers how everything could go wrong and struggles with internal dilemmas over what to do if it does.
Next is Tigger, Pooh's active, excited and trouble-maker friend.
Tigger is always bouncing around and cannot seem to contain his excitement. His disregard for and obliviousness about personal space is extremely evident throughout the show.
He is rarely seen sitting still and is always fidgeting, running and bouncing, often on others. He is zestful, fun loving and overconfident to the point where he thinks any task is "what tiggers do best". He often creates chaos in the series. However, Tigger also comes off as strong, positive and bold. His all-time bouncing and irresponsibility often compromise himself and others around him, therefore diagnosing him with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Winnie the Pooh's donkey friend, Eeyore, is well recognised for his perpetually dispirited, hopeless and unhappy disposition. Eeyore lives in a section of the Hundred Acre Wood designated "Eeyore's Gloomy Place: Rather Boggy and Sad." We may determine that Eeyore has dysthymia, sometimes known as chronic depression, based on his behavior.
Eeyore exhibits dysthymia symptoms such as consistent sadness, hopelessness, self doubt, insecurities and no curiosity in tasks that his friends try to complete together. He usually has lower spoons of energy (spoon analogy, Miserandino, 2003) and drags himself along with his joyful friends.
Eeyore frequently says, "Thanks for noticing me," in an attempt to downplay his importance and when Pooh greets him in the morning, he glumly replies, "Good morning Pooh Bear. If it is a good morning, which I doubt".
In the Winnie the Pooh books, Bunny is the warm natured but irritable Rabbit. He believes that he is the wisest animal among those who live in the woods and that his way of doing things is the only right way. He is also seen focusing on being prepared, over organizing things and sticking to self inflicted rules.
One of his major personality traits is how well he maintains his garden and gets snappy when someone damages it. Considering his fixation on order, self inflicted rules, organization and compulsiveness, Rabbit qualifies for an OCD diagnosis.In most of the scenes that feature Rabbit, the audience witnesses him cleaning his already tidy home and protecting his garden from potential intruders.
While most children’s media was intended to shield us from knowledge about disability, Winnie the Pooh and Friends proceeded to destigmatize it by personifying animal characters and making them relatable, therefore making their young audience feel safe while learning about disability.
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