Persuasion of any sort can be quite a difficult task. Persuasion to change people’s habits on how they view things, can be even harder. To a certain extent, Stephanie Hanes did argue her point effectively. Her goal of persuading others to see the negative effects society has on females of any age, was weakened by her reliance heavily on the device of Logos. Her piece had more than enough potential to be stronger than it is, but she did not take the chances to do so. Stephanie Hanes opens up the article with an experience a woman named Mary Finucane had with her daughter. The 3-year-old, Caoimhe (Keeva), became a more passive child than she was before discovering the world of Disney Princesses, which her mother credits to be the cause. Mrs. …show more content…
She brings forth various studies and statistics regarding females, ranging from infants and screen time to sexualized animated characters. Near the beginning of the article she incorporates an entire group of different study results involving parents’ concerns over how their young daughter sees themselves or how others see them. Hanes states, “A University of Central Florida poll found that 50 percent of 3-to-6-year-old girls worry that they are fat” (2). This is only one of the four findings given in that section targeted to parents. Further on in the article when she talks about young women and their bodies, she also uses a variety of research findings even when she doesn’t explicitly state them. Hanes writes, “Research also connects sexualization to eating disorders, depression, and physical health problems…. who claim that it is empowering to be a sex object often suffer the ill effects of sexualization” (4) Although not exactly stating the outcomes of that specific examination, it is enough to reasonably support her point within that …show more content…
Hanes does not incorporate her personal feelings on the matter anywhere throughout the post which is slightly disappointing. Hanes could have easily added in a section where she expresses her outrage or how she firmly disagrees with everything that was said. Being a parent could have really worked in her favor to exhibit more passion into her piece, but she did not take advantage of that. The lack of parental input on her part not only affects the Pathos device for her argument but her Ethos as well. Being a parent provided her with more credibility and authority over the matter than let’s say a guy who is not a parent. Having children not only gives her more authority, but being a woman herself does. Living in today’s society where all these issues take place, Hanes has to have at least one instance where she was the target of female inferiority. A personal experience regarding the themes she wrote about could effectively confirm or deny any of the claims she
“I grew up with hand-me-downs and once-a-year trips to Walmart. I’d never really been presented with a princess dress. But thinking back, if I had been, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been stoked” (Liechty 471). In February 2013, Crystal Liechty, a mother from Utah, posted this comment on the blog The Unexceptional Mom. She argues that although some children are not exposed to the princess culture, it is important that the parents are not taking away their imagination. Parents should not discourage their children about the princess culture. These princess movies allow parents to talk about certain topics with their children as they grow up. Liechty states, “And these princess movies give me a great chance to talk to her about what kind of guy she
Since Disney’s Snow White appeared in 1937, Disney princesses have been a present in pop culture. With the release of new movies frequent and re-release of decades old movies inevitable, a continuous stream keeps Disney princesses in the foreground of adolescent society. It is with the value of entertainment they have been created and as entertainment they should be viewed.
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
Orenstein explores the rise of Girl Power in the 1990s and the differences that are in today’s society. The rise and fast spreading message that girls receive from the Disney Princesses is one of her biggest issues. Not only does she disagree, but other mothers from Daisy’s preschool do as well. In the second chapter Orenstein invites all the mothers with daughters that are obsessed with Princesses to discuss the subject, one mother states that she sees no problem with encouraging being feminine and then states, “On the other hand, I a...
In persuasion, the Mere Exposure Theory, the Dissonance Theory, and the Social Judgment Theory are used. Each of these theories of persuasion explains why it works or does not work in any specific setting. Depending on the theory, certain means of applying these theories can be successful or unsuccessful. The Mere Exposure Theory of persuasion states that people will be persuaded simply by repeated exposure. (G.Magee,
Eva’s lack of value for motherhood shaped the lives of her family as well as her own. Because of her negative feelings toward motherhood, many of the people surrounding her have similar values. Eva reflects her community’s negative perception of motherhood by being straightforward about it and passing it down through her family
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.
In closing, Persuasion is a powerful tool, both in trying to persuade others and being
"Disney Princesses: Classic Fairy Tales Or Gender Stereotypes?" Hartford Courant, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
In “Escape from Wonderland: Disney and the Female Imagination,” Deborah Ross argues that the goals in which Disney princesses pursue teach little girls to strive for all the wrong things. For instance, in The Little Mermaid, Ariel risks all of her best attributes to marry a man and walk the earth as a human. Tying the knot with Prince Eric is perceived as Ariel's only goal in life. This causes little girls to believe that the best thing they can achieve is to marry a man and satisfy him. Ross stresses this idea when she writes, “what we see her do is flee a world of infinite possibility to settle in a land of the banal [. . .] yes, she gets her legs, she makes her stand, she marches—but only down the aisle, to marry some guy named Eric” (60). Rather than being concerned about losing her voice, Ariel is more focused on Prince Eric and how to make him fall in love with her. Ariel is not only focused on things are unimportant to her development as a strong woman, she is oblivious to the repercussions of her
Sethe, as the protagonist in the novel, serves as one of the main characters who undergoes one of most difficult changes, leaving her wondering what purpose she serves in this lifetime. Serving as a slave in Sweet Home, she grew to be self-loathing due to the treatment and events that occurred. The abuse that she had suffered was awful but compared to how the “schoolteacher’d wrap that string all over my head, ‘cross my nose, around my behind. Number my teeth,” (Morrison 226), it was unbearable. She was treated like an experiment, a farm animal who had to have measurements taken. She was described as having animal characteristics “you got two feet...not four,” (Morrison 194) that only made her feel less human. Her children are the only inspiration that keep...
Each Disney princess has different positive attributes that make her unique, the most recent Disney princesses are especially fitting in today’s society. In Jena Stephens’ analysis of the three most recent princesses, excluding Anna and Elsa, she describes Rapunzel by saying, “Her forward thinking, desire to prove she is just as capable as a man, and realistic dreaming make her a great role model for young girls”. Whether it is to become a princess and marry her true love like Cinderella or open a restaurant like Princess Tiana, all of the Disney princesses have aspirations. Jena Stephens says, “The words that Tiana sings about the necessary hard work it will take for her to reach her dream stand out as a message to young viewersone that does not covey that love is the only thing that will make girls happy”. Not only do Disney princesses have dreams but they make their dreams come true with hard work. As Liz Gumbinner described her trip to Disney World with her daughters, “The princess luncheon led to a great discussion later in our hotel room, in which we told our girls that it is okay to be strong, smart, hardworking and still dream of marrying a prince”. Disney princesses carry themselves in a humble and confident manner. The princesses are beautiful but they are not conceited. Lastly, they are never stuck up but rather loving and independent which makes their character so
Do Rozario, R.,C. (2004). The princess and the magic kingdom: Beyond nostalgia, the function of the disney princess. Women's Studies in Communication, 27(1), 34-59. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/198270180?accountid=32521
Over the years, Disney has presented many movies to their audience—most having a Princess as the protagonist. These movies became a babysitter for most parents in the early stages of their child’s life. Most people found these movies as relatively harmless. The obvious assumption about the Disney Princesses is that they only desire true love since almost every movie ends in romance. Parents just viewed these movies as romantic movies on a child’s level. However, these movies were not solely intended for an audience of an age that can be counted on both hands. They were intended to speak to “an intelligent and active audience” (Sumera 40). However, there are many people who disagree with the ways of the Disney Princess movies. The disagreements lie within the portrayal of women gender roles in these movies. It is argued that Disney portrays women as a being nurturing individuals without any control over their identity. The women are unable to think for themselves, because they are uneducated, and they are quick to fall in love with the first man that pays them any attention. However, this is not completely true. The people that are against the portrayal of women in the Disney movies are failing to recognize the underlying concepts in these movies. For example, Belle, in Beauty and the Beast, was well educated, Mulan went to war despite the consequences, and Merida, in Brave, stood up to her mother in refusal to marry. The Disney Princesses desired intelligence, bravery, strength, and independence—not true love’s kiss.
... portraying women in roles that don’t objectify them, encourage degradation, and promote feminism and female agency, there are some films that (luckily) do possess these traits. Tests such as the Bechdel Test, and theoriest such as Moi and Mulvey, point out and raise the issues present in our current patriarchal society that tries so hard to pigeonhole women and reduce them to sexual objects without agency, present only for male pleasure and power, are incredibly valid and important, yet no longer as overwhelmingly true – the feminist movement is making progress, on some fronts, even in the world of Disney, which constantly receives critique for the women role models that it promotes to young girls. Luckily, through the lenses presented by Moi and Mulvey, it becomes apparent that these Disney Princesses do possess agency, and are not just there for men to objectify.