Dermatological Findings in Children’s Films

Introduction: Filmmakers use dermatologic findings to help the audiences decipher between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters by portraying villains with recognizable skin findings. The objective of this study was to analyze 18 Disney live-action movies in relation to their earlier animated releases to determine whether there were changes or correlation about how the industry portrayed certain characters based on their roles as heroes or villains. Methods: To better understand how the use of dermatological findings are changing in the film industry, eighteen Disney live-action movies in relation to their earlier animated releases were compared for changes or correlation on how the industry portrays certain characters based on their roles as heroes or villains. Results: Film antagonists were depicted with significantly more dermatologic findings than protagonists (p<0.0001). In addition, the frequency of periorbital hyperpigmentation (p=0.02) and nasolabial folds (p=0.05) were significantly higher in antagonists versus protagonists. Discussion: These findings have important implications about the dermatological content of movies directed toward children. Findings of this study suggest filmmakers are continuing to use common dermatological findings to indirectly portray characters as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’.