Gender Roles The Little Mermaid ( 1989 ) And Beauty And...

INTRODUCTION: Growing up watching Disney films is a fond memory that many people share, including myself. Older, and now deemed as ‘classic’ Disney films are funny, heartfelt, endearing and produced an all around joyful experience. With the Disney Corporation as â€Å"one of the largest media companies in the world† (Towbin et al. 2004:19), it is easy to see why Disney films are the most popular among children’s entertainment (2004). A large and very significant aspect that is typically not associated in everyday conversation about Disney films is the topic of gender roles and how they can impact society. In this paper I will be focusing on the gender roles illustrated in Disney films with specific attention on Cinderella (1950), The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). I hope to demonstrate and compare the gender roles of men and women within these films and discuss the relation between Disney films and society based on a feminist perspective. DEFINING MASCULINITY AND FEMININTY: It is apparent that there are clear distinctions between men and women and what is meant by ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity.’ For example, as noted by Sà ¶dergren (2014), feminine women possess qualities of empathy, weakness and nurturing. Men, on the other hand, are shown with qualities of ambition and dominance (2014). It should come to no surprise, then, that men and women are represented differently in the media. Studies have shown that women are usually portrayed as younger than menShow MoreRelatedThe Female And Female Relationship1140 Words   |  5 Pagesmessages for children in general; what the media define as â€Å"normal† reinforces the stereotypes of gender, while intersectionality can challenge hegemonic ideas about gender by adding multiple different categories, It is clear that the themes and messages from Disney’s popular animated films influence females’ perception of gender. Laura Sells (2016) suggested the Disney version of The Little Mermaid reinforces women’s struggle to make sure they secure a place in a patriarchal society. TheRead MoreEssay on From Delicate Damsels to Strong Self-Starters978 Words   |  4 Pagesanimated films, many of which include greatly admired princesses. The popularity of these princesses reached such a height that Disney created a franchise featuring various female heroines from several of Disney’s successful films. Society’s views on gender roles at different periods of time are reflected through each Disney Princess’s character and the time in which they were created. The first three princesses Disney creates each represent society’s ideal â€Å"woman† at the time in which they are createdRead MoreDisney Summary On Disney s The Little Mermaid 1788 Words   |  8 PagesDisney Comparative Analysis The Disney Renaissance era from 1989 to 1999 (Kearns) was the time when Walt Disney Animation Studious produced successful well-known stories into animated films that brought a lot of critical and public interest to the Walt Disney Company. One example is the article written by Laura Sells â€Å"Where Do the Mermaids Stand?† In the article she quarrels and critiques the narrowness of the representation of women in society and how they are assigned value based onRead MoreLiterature Review - Representation of Women in Walt Disney Cartoon Characters.3370 Words   |  14 Pagesremembered forever. Children idolize their favourite character, the character they have most in common with and are best able to identify with, and try to emulate that character’s actions. From these fairy tales children learn proper etiquette and the role they should play in society. What actions are good and what actions are bad are clearly displayed. However, this imparting of knowledge through tales can be used to manipulate and brainwash children into continuing the dominance of a group. Also theRead MoreThe Disney Princesses857 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to a study done by England D., Descartes L. and Collier-Meek M. (567) all of the Disney Princess movies portray women as having very stereotypical representation of gender. Over time Disney’s portrayal of the princesses have changed but overall there is not a lot of improvement in regards to the portrayal of gender stereotypes (England, Descartes Collier-Meek , 568). These stereotypes have given young girls misunderstandings about how a woman should look and behave. The first Disney princessRead MoreDisney Princess Movies And Childrens Impact On Beauty And Body Image1297 Words   |  6 PagesSleeping Beauty, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmin are all too familiar to little girls. These characters are often the response when girls are asked, â€Å"What do you want to be when you grow up†? When boys are asked a similar question, their responses are much more masculine, a fireman, policeman, or football player. This paper will focus on the Disney Princess movies and the role they play in shaping a young girls perspective of beauty and body image and what effects they have on children’s views of gender rolesRead MoreAnalysis Of Disney Films From Netflix And From Google Searches Of The Top Disney Movies860 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom Google searches of the top Disney movies from the 1980s and 1990s. We then took the generated list and randomly assigned each movie a number and choose five different Disney movies. The movies selected were Beauty an d the Beast (1991), Mulan (1998), Hercules (1997), Little Mermaid (1989), and Aladdin (1992). The four researchers were then all assigned a number and randomly paired with a movie to independently watch and code with the exception of the final movie which acted was watched by eachRead MoreSexism and Disney2712 Words   |  11 PagesCorporation has been providing us with countless films made to delight and amuse children and adults alike. But not all Disney films seem particularly appropriate for their target audience. Many of these films portray violence, gender inequality, and skewed views of leadership roles that seem altogether inappropriate for impressionable young children. Better and more contemporary heroines need to be added to Disney’s wall of princesses in order to counteract years of sexism. Admittedly, many of Disney’sRead MoreDisney s Evolving And Adapting Their Ideologies And How Is Frozen s Narrative Challenging Patriarchal Themes?2353 Words   |  10 Pagesreligious ideologies, particularly regarding a woman’s role in the household. The embedment of these ideologies from young ages consequences to them being engrained into the adult mind. For example, the concept of having a one soul mate or prince charming is a Disney ideology. This essay will discuss the Disney gender socialization a child is exposed to from young ages and how Disney is developing these ideologies from Snow White, to Beauty and the Beast, to the modern Brave and Frozen. The Disney timeline