In the past all of Disney’s Princess movies tend to follow a similar plot line. It was always the same formula, the princess falls in love with the first man she meets and relies on him for comfort and guidance as they go off to live happily ever after. This formula has worked commercially and financially for Disney with movies like, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937), Cinderella (1950), Sleeping Beauty (1959), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), and Pocahontas (1995). While these movies have turned Disney a huge profit they have never given young girls a strong, independent role model to look up to. These films, while entertaining and visually appealing, have taught young girls nothing but to find the person that they will spend the rest of their life with as soon as possible. Not one of the princess movies allows the princess to be anything more than something of a housewife. These women did not pursue any type of dream or career, they just fell in love with the first man they saw. Now while the Disney princess movies of the past have only been about finding love and riding off into the sunset, there was a Disney release last year that broke the cycle. Frozen, released in November of 2013, was a box office hit grossing over $400 million domestically and $700 million internationally. It did not focus on finding love for the main female character. Instead it built two strong female lead characters while focusing on the importance of sisterhood. Frozen is the tale of Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) embarking on a journey to find her sister, Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel), after she goes into hiding when her powers cast an everlasting winter in their town, Arendelle. Frozen was inspired by the 1844 fairy tale by Hans Chris... ... middle of paper ... ...es to show how strong the bond between Elsa and Anna was. The film had nothing to do with the male characters. For once Disney made the male characters the bystanders as the females took center stage. The film is not about finding your one true love and living happily ever after. Surprisingly no one in the film ended up getting married. The female characters stood their ground and remained strong independent women. Instead it is about two sisters in a coming of age story and reconnecting as sisters. Little things like the death of their parents and the catchy songs live up to the Disney formula, but the film as a whole is something new and refreshing. While Disney is not quite on Japanese director, Hayao Miyazaki’s level of producing strong female characters, this movie was a move in the right direction. Instead of a movie with girls this movie is about girls.
Every fairytale seems to have the usual prince saving the poor girl from harm or servitude or whatever horrid situation she may be in, and then companies like Disney add their movie magic and make it into a franchise. Others may add a twist or two, such as the film Ever After, directed by Andy Tennant. Yet no matter how the story goes, there is the same feminine ideas imposed upon the female lead. She has to compete with others for the attention of her “prince,” gender roles are a must, and morals are taught in some way or another through some kind of stereotype. These tend to cause some feminist outrage and even maybe a small outrage among parents who must deal with the children that watch these movies and read the stories because of the behavioral
Disney Princess movies target children and are none other than a transfigured fairytale story in which innocence and moral virtue are questioned. In pursuit of romance and having the mindset of doing whatever it takes for love, Disney creates this magical world and targets the youth, especially young girls. Walt Disney was a creative and “radical filmmaker who changed [one’s] ...
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.
It is no secret that there is an obvious difference of how women are portrayed in the media versus men. This movie discussed female characters never having lead roles and stated that when they did it ended in the women depending on, loving, or having to have a man. One young high school girl said, “Women never play the protagonist. The girls are
...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.
Of course, this could be justified by the target audience, as it is a Disney princess film after all. However, this relationship between two sisters is special enough to be analysed. Indeed, female friendship is often depicted as conflictive, in films such as Bride Wars for instance, whereas male friendship is made more valuable, as seen in most Seth Rodgen films. Here, the feminine solidarity is the core of the plot in Frozen, which motivates each protagonist’s designs and solves central issues of the
The most important events of this film all revolve around the female characters. While there are some male charac...
Disney movies have a very narrow view of what women should be like. Since the arrival of the first Disney movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, the idea of it has expanded, but rather marginally. There is a clear distinction of what a young women should be and what she shouldn’t be. Those who do not fit the mold of Disney’s expectations are cast aside to become villains, but those who do, end up becoming the damsel in distress. Ultimately, these stereotypes are what influences young girls who watch these films, and can have devastating effects on their self worth and change their idea of what it means to be a women. Films like Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,
A highborn and well-trained lady, Queen Elsa of Arendelle is as graceful as she is polite. She is well-versed in the customs of her time, and dutifully observes them whenever possible, barring instances where others may be at risk. Although naturally vivacious (as shown by her warmth and playfulness in the prologue and epilogue), she is forced to become an enigma, trapped by societal expectations and her own magical abilities. After nearly killing her sister with her powers, her parents close the gates to their castle. From then on, Elsa only interacts with her family and the servants, though she spends the majority of her childhood in her room, alone, devoting herself to her studies.* As a result, Elsa is an intellectual, who adores art in all its forms — music, books, nature — and possesses theoretical knowledge of most subjects. Additionally, because of her inability to control her powers, she is unable to touch anyone from a young age, and distances herself from those she loves in order to protect them. After her parents' death, Elsa becomes truly alone, without anyone who knows of her dangerous powers. She conceals her true self — her powers and her previously warm personality — crafting a regal, reserved persona, fit for a queen. Naturally, this repression takes its toll on Elsa. She lives her life in a constant state of fear, emotionally closed off from everyone, even her dear sister. Furthermore, underneath the surface, Elsa is extremely emotional, partially due to her inability to express herself. Her emotions build and release in bursts, her powers exploding with her temper.
In the past the Disney’s version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” has been recognized as being the original story of Snow White even though it was produced in 1937, a hundred and twenty-five years after the original. The Newest version of Snow White called “Mirror, Mirror” came along in 2012, exactly two hundred years after the Brothers Grimm’s version was published. This version brought comedy and color into the story. As a result, they changed a little more of the story to make it more appealing to an audience of today’s generations.
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.
I can understand how many parents are blinded to the negative effects of Disney movies, and their princesses. When they get a movie for their kid they probably say to themselves, “They’re made for children, so they must be okay, right?” Wrong. Just as Henry Giroux, the writer of the book, “The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence” believes that Disney movies have a negative impact on the children that watch them, I believe that as well. Disney movies can teach young girls stereotypes of the ideal body image, how they should act, and unrealistic expectations of love.
The film may actually be more detrimental than other Disney films; it conceals traditional gender expectations within a message of female empowerment. The song, I’ll Make a Man Out of You, reinforces stereotypical male traits and claims that they are useful, while, A Girl Worth Fighting For, highlights feminine traits and represses intelligence. In contrast the poem is incredibly progressive for the time. Fa Mulan is treated as an equal, she is able to bring honor to her family without being married off and her fellow soldiers accept that she is a woman and don 't shun her for