---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I just didn't realize the unbelievable…"
description: "\"I just didn't realize the unbelievable impact Disney films had on American society until my assistant coached me on the stories and brought me up to sp..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/roger-ross-williams-5118_american_i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-i_2229844.jpg"
---

#  I just didn't realize the unbelievable impact Disney films…

![“I just didn't realize the unbelievable impact Disney films had on American society until my assistant coached me on the stories and brought me up to speed.” quote by Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/roger-ross-williams-5118_american_i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-i_2229844.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/roger-ross-williams-5118_american_i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-i_2229844.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/roger-ross-williams-5118_american_i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-i_2229844.jpg)

> “I just didn't realize the unbelievable impact Disney films had on American society until my assistant coached me on the stories and brought me up to speed.”

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Disney movies have subtly shaped American values, narratives, and expectations, often unnoticed until examined critically.

**In simple terms:** Disney films deeply affect US culture.

Key Takeaway

Recognize media influence on society.

Themes

culture media influence storytelling society

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

observational critical

When to use this quote

- marketing analysis
- educational curricula
- parental guidance
- media literacy

Key Concepts

cultural studies media impact collective memory

Questions to Reflect On

- How do Disney narratives reflect American ideals?
- What other media shape cultural norms?

A Different Perspective

Impact may be overstated without empirical data.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[American society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-society/) [Disney Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disney-films/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/)

## Related quotes

> [I think television has had a vast, unbelievable impact on us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-think-television-has-had-a-vast-unbelievable-impact-on-us/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [I love reading all the mythological stories. I was brought up on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/i-love-reading-all-the-mythological-stories-i-was-brought-up-on-them/)

[Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/)

> [A lot of the stories I was brought up on had to do with extreme actions - leaving everything behind, crossing the trackless wastes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/a-lot-of-the-stories-i-was-brought-up-on-had-to-do-with-extreme/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [ It is our stories \[classic Disney films\] that make us human - so Owen \[Suskind\] has become an expert in what connects us and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/it-is-our-stories-classic-disney-films-that-make-us-human-so-owen/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [I love 'Jungle Book' and all the classics growing up, but what I learned about this is that these Disney films are basically classic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-love-jungle-book-and-all-the-classics-growing-up-but-what-i-learned/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [ I mentioned before, these \[classic Disney films\] are classic mythological tales, a hero's journey, and have been told for thousands of years. Disney has… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-mentioned-before-these-classic-disney-films-are-classic/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [ I realized that Owen \[Suskind\] is completely brilliant, because he embraced and memorized all these classic Disney films - these fables that chronicle the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-realized-that-owen-suskind-is-completely-brilliant-because-he/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [People who grew up watching Disney films like myself, there are films that are certain benchmarks in my childhood. 'The Little Mermaid' was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-moore/people-who-grew-up-watching-disney-films-like-myself-there-are-films/)

[Mandy Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-moore/)

> [I consider every one of the Disney films that Bob &amp; I worked on, to have been the luckiest break any two songwriters could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-sherman/i-consider-every-one-of-the-disney-films-that-bob-i-worked-on-to-have/)

[Richard Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-sherman/)

> [I've always just loved drawing and loved cartoons. Growing up, I loved Disney films, I loved The Simpsons, and I was a big fan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-hirsch/i-ve-always-just-loved-drawing-and-loved-cartoons-growing-up-i-loved/)

[Alex Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-hirsch/)

> [Having portrayed a lot of villainous characters in Telugu cinema, voicing Scar was a different and memorable experience for me, and I was glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jagapathi-babu/having-portrayed-a-lot-of-villainous-characters-in-telugu-cinema/)

[Jagapathi Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jagapathi-babu/)

> [I do what I do because of Walt Disney - his films and his theme park and his characters and his joy in entertaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/i-do-what-i-do-because-of-walt-disney-his-films-and-his-theme-park/)

[John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/)

> [I fancy all the Disney princes, obviously. I also fancy some objects and animals that are in Disney films, like the French Candlestick from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-atack/i-fancy-all-the-disney-princes-obviously-i-also-fancy-some-objects/)

[Emily Atack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-atack/)

> [I watch a lot of Disney films and whenever one of my little nieces is round I'll slap on 'Cinderella' or 'Hercules' and use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-matthews/i-watch-a-lot-of-disney-films-and-whenever-one-of-my-little-nieces-is/)

[Spencer Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-matthews/)

> [You never know how things are going to fit. So, you don't count your eggs until they hatch. You can't pre-project that. I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jena-malone/you-never-know-how-things-are-going-to-fit-so-you-don-t-count-your/)

[Jena Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jena-malone/)

## More by Roger Ross Williams

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [I didn't have a lot of exposure to films as a kid, and I never went to the cinema. I had a single mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-didn-t-have-a-lot-of-exposure-to-films-as-a-kid-and-i-never-went-to/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [While shooting in Uganda in 2011, the conservative evangelical pastors I was filming - the most ardent supporters of the country's now infamous Anti-Homosexuality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/while-shooting-in-uganda-in-2011-the-conservative-evangelical-pastors/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [I grew up in a Southern Baptist-style church with a choir, a band, and music, but I've been asking myself my whole life, 'Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-grew-up-in-a-southern-baptist-style-church-with-a-choir-a-band-and/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [My mother worked as a maid, cleaning the fraternity dorm of the local college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/my-mother-worked-as-a-maid-cleaning-the-fraternity-dorm-of-the-local/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [As Mike Bickle said to me, there is a spiritual battle going on in the world, and he believes that in America marriage between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/as-mike-bickle-said-to-me-there-is-a-spiritual-battle-going-on-in-the/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [I agree that Scott Lively is marginal, and that is exactly why evangelicals must not let him speak for them. But in Uganda, Scott…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-agree-that-scott-lively-is-marginal-and-that-is-exactly-why/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [Racism is a global problem and it is as damaging to Whites as it is to non-Whites. Everyone must fight against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/racism-is-a-global-problem-and-it-is-as-damaging-to-whites-as-it-is/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [ I both didn't know Owen \[Suskind\] beforehand and didn't have any connection to the autistic community. But Owen wasn't really a problem, because he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-both-didn-t-know-owen-suskind-beforehand-and-didn-t-have-any/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [I grew up in the church, and I went into the production of 'God Loves Uganda' intending to raise awareness of the abuse of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-grew-up-in-the-church-and-i-went-into-the-production-of-god-loves/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [I began filming 'God Loves Uganda' by first meeting some of the Ugandan and American missionaries who have helped create Uganda's evangelical movement. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-began-filming-god-loves-uganda-by-first-meeting-some-of-the-ugandan/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [Even after I won the Oscar, my phone did not ring. No one called me to fund films or offer projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/even-after-i-won-the-oscar-my-phone-did-not-ring-no-one-called-me-to/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [Racism was never acceptable to the people who suffer from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/racism-was-never-acceptable-to-the-people-who-suffer-from-it/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [While growing up, I lived in my own fantasy world. I had kind of a rough childhood, so I created my own reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/while-growing-up-i-lived-in-my-own-fantasy-world-i-had-kind-of-a/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

[Explore all 103 Roger Ross Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

## More American quotes

> [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/)

[Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/)

> [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/)

[Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/)

> [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/)

[H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/)

> [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/)

[Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/)

> [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/)

[Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/)

> [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/)

[Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/)

> [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/)

[Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/)

> [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/)

[Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/)

> [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/)

[Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/)

> [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/)

[Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/)

> [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/)

[Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/)

> [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

Browse all 7,717 American quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I just didn't realize the unbelievable impact Disney films had on American society until my assistant coached me on the stories and brought me up to speed.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Roger Ross Williams"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-impact-disney-films-had-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "American"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-impact-disney-films-had-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/roger-ross-williams-5118_american_i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-i_2229844.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/roger-ross-williams-5118_american_i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-i_2229844.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/roger-ross-williams-5118_american_i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-i_2229844.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I just didn't realize the unbelievable impact Disney films had on American society until my assistant…” — Roger Ross Williams",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Roger Ross Williams",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I just didn't realize the unbelievable...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-impact-disney-films-had-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-just-didn-t-realize-the-unbelievable-impact-disney-films-had-on/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
