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Jinger Duggar grew up without Disney movies.
Like most music, television, and film, it received a ban in the cult that raised her because these stories contain ideas, concepts, and messages that aren’t from Christian fundamentalism.
In many ways, Jinger and Jeremy are on a very different path than her infamous parents.
But there’s one iconic Disney film that Jinger never plans to let her children see.
Are Disney films ‘demonic’ somehow? No, but Jinger Duggar grew up believing that they were
On the Wednesday, December 10 episode of their The Jinger and Jeremy Podcast, Jinger Duggar and Jeremy Vuolo spoke about limits on which children’s films their kids can watch.
“Magic was something that they, I think it makes sense as a Christian why you would want to avoid that,” Jinger reflected, referring to Jim Bob and Michelle banning classic fairytales.
“I don’t know if that was a teaching of Bill Gothard or not,” she admitted, referring to the disgraced IBLP founder.
“But definitely thinking about the spiritual world and those things that we don’t wanna mess with,” Jinger continued. “I think that was something that a lot of Christians shied away from.”
While the majority of American Christians, who constitute at least 60% of the population, do not necessarily shy away from fairytales and Disney films, some more extreme groups — such as fundamentalists and Jehovah’s Witnesses — generally do.
“I think that Disney definitely promoted a lot of that magic. And it was like, you know, that’s kind of what they’re known for,” Jinger went on.
She recalled one time when she was able to pick out a couple of Disney films. Jinger settled on The Shaggy D.A. and Herbie the Lovebug.
Something like Fantasia, an artistic tribute to orchestral music which features wizards, ghosts, and imagery from other religions, was off the menu, however.
Jinger shared that her kids — 7-year-old Felicity, 4-year-old Evangeline, and 8-month-old Finnegan — don’t get much screen time. But they can watch PBS shows like Franklin or Curious George.
(Those are all good and well for Evangeline, but 7 is sort of pushing it)
‘Superstition takes over’
“I like the slower-paced movies, the older movies, even older Disney movies,” Jinger Duggar expressed. “It’s kind of fun to let the kids watch that.”
More extreme sects within Christianity believe that Disney films can be “demonic.” Not containing demonic imagery, but in some way related to the spiritual warfare that they believe that literal demons wage against Christians. (Which, if that’s part of your belief system, probably makes the world a very scary place!)
“I think a lot of Christians think that things are going to overtake them unknowingly,” Jinger generalized. “And that’s kind of the setting I grew up in, superstition takes over.”
She explained: “So you think if I engage with this darkness in any form, then it’s going to overtake me and I won’t even know it. And there’s a fear that can grip you.”
Jinger acknowledged: “And that’s what I grew up thinking.”
When it comes to which Disney film Jinger and Jeremy have banned from their household, it might sound like overt bigotry — but that’s not the way that she means it.
“It’s like the green princess dress. I don’t even remember her name, but it’s with the frog and the princess dress. Is it Tiana? I don’t even know,” Jinger described of the film that “goes into voodoo.”
That film is, of course, The Princess and the Frog.
“I watched a section of it one time, and it goes into voodoo, and I’m like, I’m not gonna let my kids watch that because I don’t believe that that’s true,” Jinger explained. “I don’t want them thinking that’s good.”
In The Princess and the Frog, a practitioner of a malicious, fantastical version of Vodun, Dr. Facilier, uses his sinister powers to transform one of Disney’s most handsome princes into a frog. A mambo, a woman who practices Vodun that aims to serve her community, provides a magical helping hand to Tiana and Naveen during their story.
‘I don’t think that’s crazy conspiracy’ (But isn’t it, though?)
As we said, we don’t think that Jinger Duggar is consciously espousing bigotry against Afro-Caribbean faith communities. Instead, like most Americans, she probably just doesn’t know much about them. (Maybe she could fix that)
Meanwhile, Jeremy Vuolo complained about how he feels that many Disney characters are “rewarded” for “disobeying their parents.”
He argued: “You start seeing certain themes emerge. And I don’t think that’s crazy conspiracy.”
(Making your own choices and going off on your own, finding that the world is scary, is a normal storytelling trope. However, if you believe that Disney is trying to brainwash children into defying their parents, then yes, you have lost the plot)
For the record, it makes sense for parents — and not society at large — to place reasonable restrictions on what their young children can watch. Excessive restrictions can often lead to lifelong resentments, and can cause children to miss out simply because their parents don’t care enough to understand.
Ultimately, this is about limiting how many ideas a child experiences. In reality, other religions, other cultures, all exist — no matter how much fundamentalists like Jinger’s parents wish that they did not. Jinger’s at least doing better than her parents, but that is a low bar.
Jinger Duggar Bans ‘Demonic’ Disney Film From Household: ‘I Don’t … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.