The Princess and the Frog is a classical fairytale of a prince who is turned into a frog by an evil witch and must find a good princess to break the spell. The film has captured the attention of many people since it stars Disney’s first African American Princess. The story takes place in New Orleans during the late 1800s with young Tiana and her friend Charlotte la Bouff dreaming of fairly tale endings. The film has some questionable representations of race, gender and class that feminist and scholars are dissecting. Both Lester and Turner examine Disney’s representation of racial characters and the construction of a dominate narrative in this film. Representation matters, especially in movies that construct an imaginary world for the young …show more content…
At the costume ball Charlotte is dolled up in full make up with a dress nearly identical to the one worn initially by Cinderella, while Tiana is in a maid’s uniform serving pastries. This scene exemplified Tiana’s disposition, suggesting that even in her wildest dreams she will never fit in as a princess. However, their friendship does have positive elements that we don’t often see between an upper-class white lady and a working class black lady. For example, when Tiana is down and out covered in food after being put in her place by a couple of opportunistic realtors Charlotte comes to her rescue. Also, when Tiana realizes she has feelings for Charlottes’ soon to be husband, Prince Naveen, she tries to ignore them out of loyalty to Charlotte. Even after Prince Naveen tells Charlotte the truth, that he’s in love with Tiana, Charlotte decides to help them be together because she cares about Tiana. These instances, despite the obvious class and race issues, send a positive message to girls to look out for one another and have each other’s …show more content…
The message at the end of the film, that if one works hard enough and long enough dreams come true, simply isn’t true. Since Tiana is an African American woman living in the 1920s her obstacles for owning a restaurant would be more than poverty and opportunistic realtors. Turner discusses that the dominate message is one of colorblindness, although hard work is important it won’t stop legal discrimination, color or gender factors like Disney portrays. The theme of hard work “displaces race” and “re-affirms the dominant ideological tenets of hard work and capitalism… while at the same time further marginalizing race and its role in that ideology” (86). Ultimately colorblind racism tells us that Tiana doesn’t need affirmative action to make achieve her dream, just a good work ethic, a portrayal of blackness that appeals to everyone
Film analysis with a critical eye can give the viewer how animation giant Disney uses literary element to relay key messages to the audience. Walt Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” is a perfect example how different literary theories like ‘the Marxist theory’ and ‘Archetypal theory’ can be embedded in the simplest of the fairy tales. The different literary elements in the movie, shows a person how characters like ‘the banker’ and the setting of the houses helps to portray the socio-economic differences in New Orleans at that time. Applying ‘the Marxist theory’ and ‘the Archetypal theory’ to the plot, characters and the setting, shows how movies can be a medium to confront social issues and to prove that all fairy tales are of the same base.
Sixteen years after premiering as Disney’s thirty-third animated film, Pocahontas still incites excitement and wonder within those who wish for nothing more than to be a Disney princess. As Disney’s most notable attempt at political correctness, Pocahontas was created to entertain while attempting to maintain authenticity in regards to historical accuracy and in its fairness of depicting Native American culture. Jacquelyn Kilpatrick, the author of “Disney’s ‘Politically Correct’ Pocahontas”, feels the movie not only failed at being historically accurate but that it fell far short of being politically correct. The article, which appeared in the Fall, 1995 issue of Cineaste, contends the Disney production was duty bound in preserving the integrity of the Pocahontas legend and being both multiculturally and socially inoffensive. However, if being politically correct and constantly factual within any version of media made for entertainment were the standard, we would be left with documentaries and non-fiction. Artistic license allows for a literal account of events to become an engaging, accessible production.
In the article “Are All Princesses Really Waiting for Princes to Come?” Jack Heckel discusses some of the most common Disney princesses and the stereotypes that come along with them, as well as some of the stereotypes that are seen in the Disney princes. He supports his article by providing a variety of sources not only from Disney movies, but also from various authors and blogs. The analysis of Disney princess stereotypes has been a very common topic for years, and this overall analysis has revealed that a lot of Disney princesses are not good role models. Heckel uses many techniques including using credible, non-Disney sources, discussing other fairytales besides Disney, displaying a timeline of Disney
To conclude, film has an intrinsic duty to “provide a face for the faceless [… it] creates the life and times that American society has only heard about or researched but never lived” (“The Role of Native Americans in Film”, n.d.) therefore it is influential over audiences who are educated by films. This is particularly relevant when considering the representations of race; Disney’s representation of Native Americans began as highly offensive and problematic with examples such as Peter Pan highlighting all the negative stereotypes. In contrast to this, Pocahontas is a more recent production from Disney Studios which represented Native Americans in a much fairer and just light, showing that Disney Studios have developed over time to show a more accurate and responsible portrayal.
For this engagement essay the article Mean Ladies: Transgenders Villains in Disney Films by Amanda Putnam and the chapter “Someday My Prince Will Come”: Disney, the Heterosexual Imaginary and Animated Films by Carrie L. Cokely will summarized, analyzed, and engaged with using the Queer analytical framework.
...aves Princess Jasmine multiple times and falling in love at first sight. They also live happily ever-after together, just as every other Disney prince and princess in every other Disney movie. Parents should be aware of the subliminal messages that their children view in the Disney movies they are watching, and grow up to believe that is how life goes. The children that are growing up watching Disney movies with such strong gender stereotypes are learning things they may factor into their own futures, and think that acting the way of the Disney roles is the only way for them to live their life in a happy manner. The way Disney animated films assign gender roles to their characters effect young children’s views of right and wrong in society. It is wrong, and they should not be exposed to such material growing up because it is harmful to their future expectations.
Lester, Neal A. "Disney's The Princess and the Frog: The Pride, the Pressure, and the Politics of Being a First." The Journal of American Culture (2010). Print.
It is amazing how a seemingly educated woman that has won Oscar awards for her documentaries, could possibly be so far off base in her review of the Disney movie “The Lion King”. Margaret Lazarus has taken a movie made for the entertainment of children and turned it into something that is racist, sexist and stereotypes gender roles. She uses many personal arguments to review the movie but offers few solutions. The author is well organized but she lacks alternate points of view and does not use adequate sources. Lazarus utilizes the statement at the end of her review that “the Disney Magic entranced her children, but they and millions of other children were given hidden messages that could only do them and us harm” (118). She makes her point by saying that “the Disney Magic reinforces and reproduces bigoted and stereotyped views of minorities and women in our society” (Lazarus 117). She makes comparisons such as elephant graveyards are like ghettos (Lazarus 118). Other lines of reasoning Lazarus gives us are about Whoopie Goldberg using inner city dialect, the villain Scar being gay, and only those born to privilege can bring about change (118).
Journal #1 Growing up my parents never read fairy tale books to me and the movies didn’t get my attention. For example a very popular story was “The Princess and The Frog” which I never read nor was read to me. But eight years ago when the movie “The Princess and The Frog” was released and it was the first time Disney featured an African American Princess. Which I thought was great for a change from the same old lost, clueless white princesses who lived happily ever after. Instead it tells the story of a middle class African American young woman who is courageous, focused and works hard for her dreams.
Considering that, by viewing a Walt Disney film, they will alter their perspective as a result of identifying themselves as being similar to a princess. The unrealistic tale of Walt Disney films motivates children to act in a different way. In these issues we tend to investigate the perception of children towards viewing the films. As well as identifying themselves with specific fictional characters shown in Walt Disney films. Furthermore, we can discern the different emotions of female children within viewing it.
Every girl dreams of kissing their frog and living happily ever after with their prince charming, but how many of us really live in that reality? In 2009 Disney released yet another princess story, but this storyline was not quite like the others. The Princess and the Frog, follows the life of Tiana, a hard working southern belle, dreaming of owning her own restaurant. Along the way she stumbles upon kissing a “froggy” prince, who turns into a frog due to the powers of the shadow man. The two frogs entail along a journey to get the curse reversed, while meeting great friends Louis, a trumpet playing alligator, and Ray a very Cajun firefly in love with an evening star.
Disney princesses are fun for all ages, but their target audience is young children and “as children grow and develop, they can be easily influenced by what they see and hear”. Therefore, what they see and hear in Disney movies leaves an impression on them. The first princess, Snow White, was created in a time where each gender and race had a specific role in society. Recently, many believe that Disney has come a long way in regards to gender and race since Snow White, as several multi-cultural protagonists have been introduced subsequently, and gender roles do not appear to be as stereotypical as they once were. However, many of the apparent innocent messages about race and gender in these movies, can be exposed as otherwise. Despite their mask of progression, Disney princesses still have the potential to corrupt the minds of young children through sexism and racism.
Disney promotes sexisim by forcing young girls to live in a patriarchal world. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The little mermaid, Aladdin, and Snow White are all examples of popular Disney movies that encourage young viewers that they need a man to save the day. Yes, it’s true that there are recent movies such as Moana and Frozen that prove otherwise, but how long will it take to completely get over the fact that women are mainly viewed as secondary citizens compared to the men? There are countless examples of how Disney movies influence this theme, and how much the female characters’ actions, ideas and thoughts are not included in a Disney movie.
England, D. E., Descartes, L., & Collier-meek, M. (2011). Proquest. “Gender role portrayal and the disney princesses”. Sex Roles, 64(7-8), 555-567.
Disney and old fairytales threaten gender politics and ideal women roles by giving certain stereotypes for domestic and personality traits. Fairytales that have turned into Disney productions have sculpted domestic roles for women that consist of cooking, cleaning and caring for the children. Disney has also created these princesses with personalities that are shy, passive, and vulnerable. The cause of these stereotypes are making individuals obliterate their own identities and becoming clones from the mold that was prepared for