The short film Chicken Little , produced by Walt Disney Studios in 1943, is an adaptation of the fable Henny Penny . Released during World War II, this cartoon was part of a series of productions with educational and propaganda purposes, commissioned by the United States Office of War Coordination. The objective was to warn about the dangers of rumors and psychological manipulation, a strategy widely used by the Nazi regime to spread disinformation and weaken the morale of the Allies.
In the short film, the fox, representing a cunning manipulator, wants to devour the chickens and, to do so, employs a series of psychological tactics that reflect principles of propaganda and mass manipulation. Each step taken by the fox refers to historically documented strategies that, surprisingly, continue to be used today.
The principles of manipulation
The first principle presented in the cartoon is: “To influence the masses, first target the least intelligent!” This strategy suggests that disinformation finds fertile ground among those who do not question sources or lack developed critical thinking. This concept is reminiscent of the “Big Lie” principle propagated by Adolf Hitler and his propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, which defended the idea that, for a lie to be believed, it must be colossal and repeated exhaustively.
The second principle explored in the short film is: “If you have to tell a lie, don’t tell a small lie. Tell a big lie.” The fox, like the totalitarian regimes of the time, spreads a grandiose and frightening narrative to provoke panic and hysteria. This same mechanism can be observed today in the propagation of conspiracy theories and fake news, where exaggerations and distortions are amplified by social media, reaching large audiences without adequate critical scrutiny.
The third principle used to manipulate the masses is: “Destroy the people’s trust in their leaders .” In the short film, the fox gradually undermines the authority of the natural leaders of the henhouse, convincing the birds that their protectors are untrustworthy. This tactic has been used throughout history to destabilize societies, from smear campaigns against political leaders to discrediting scientific institutions and the press.
The height of manipulation occurs when the fox reads in his psychology manual: “By using flattery, an insignificant person ends up convincing himself of his qualities as a leader .” This is exactly what happens to the naive chick Chicken Little. Convinced of his importance and leadership, he leads the others to the cave where they all end up being devoured by the fox. This technique is effective because it exploits the human desire for recognition and status, making unprepared individuals become key players in the dissemination of misinformation.
The timelessness of the fable
What makes Chicken Little so relevant today is that its lessons go beyond the context of World War II. We live in an era where information circulates at unimaginable speeds, but so does disinformation. Social media has become fertile ground for the use of these same manipulative strategies, whether in political campaigns, conspiracy theories, or even the dissemination of fake news for commercial or ideological purposes.
The fable teaches us that to avoid falling into similar traps, we need to develop a critical eye, question information, verify sources and not give in to collective panic. The story of the chick and the fox serves as a constant warning: those who control the narrative can control the masses.
This Disney classic is worth watching, not just as entertainment, but as a study in how the psychology of manipulation continues to be used, decades later, to influence entire societies.
