Disney movies are popular among children of all ages and many of us grew up watching these classic films. As we begin our conversation on gender development and socialization, consider how some of your favorite films portray gender stereotypes and other stereotypes for social behavior.
Answer the following questions (commenting below) by Friday 1/31 at 8am.
Choose your favorite Disney movie...
1. Describe the main character's personality, behavior, and general characteristics (briefly... 3-5 sentences)
2. What gender stereotypes does this character reinforce?
3. Who is the villain in the film? Do you see any gender stereotypes in this character?
4. In general, what does this film teach children about gender and other components of socialization? What are the pros and cons of this film?
TED TALK: How Movies Teach Manhood
One of my favorite Disney movies is Cinderella. In the movie, Cinderella really has no voice and cannot make her own decisions because she is constantly controlled by her "evil" stepmother and her two stepsisters. Even though Cinderella wants a lot of things in life, she really wants to be able to find true love; however, she is always stopped from finding it. I think that the movie really show the gender stereotype of women being the ones that stay home and take care of the house. Cinderella is always made to do housework, like women tend to be stereotyped as the ones who primarily do the housework. The villains in the movie are Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters because they treat her like a maid and basically make her a slave for them in her own home. The film in general shows how people are always looking to find true love. The story itself is about how both Cinderella and her Prince Charming fall in love and eventually end up getting married. I think that the cons of this movie work be showing children that it's okay to basically force someone to do chores for you and to control other people and not let them have their own opinions. On the flip side, I think it shows how people really do want to find true love and will do just about anything to be with the one they love. It also shows how dreams can come true as long as you keep trying and believing in something.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite trilogies of all time is the Toy Story trilogy. The third movie was easily my favorite out of all three. It tells the story of a boy named Andy, on his way to college, and the process of giving up or misplacing his toys. The main characters in the movie however all seem to be male, with a 3:1 man to woman ration throughout the movie. Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and Latso are all extremely masculine and aggressive main characters in the movie. Buzz and Woody share similar qualities in the fact that they are the ones to initiate escaping, and are the ones that make all the plans. Latso, the main antagonist is the one that initiates the locking up of the other toys and the true aggression. Not only is his character ironic, because he is a teddy bear, but he also is the main villain in the film. These stereotypes indicate that the men should be the ones in charge, and the women should just follow along. They also indicate that men should be aggressors in relationships.
ReplyDeleteThe women in the film are given fun and adventurous roles however, are outshined and brought down from the men. There were several scenes where the women are told not to talk, or shushed because they are talking too much. This indicates a stereotype that women talk too much. A change in Toy Story 3 was in the character of Barbie. Although she was still controlled by the majority of the male figures in the film, she was able to step up to Ken and defeat Latso and the antagonists. This indicates that women can also be aggressive and fight for what they want.
In general Toy Story 3 was a fun movie for children to see. The movie however displays several gender stereotypes and has too many male characters to women characters. The women’s roles are extremely muted. The movie also shows how much children can love their toys, and how the transition to the college process can be difficult.
A famous disney movie that I loved when I was a child was Cinderella. The main character, Cinderella, is a poor girl who has to work for her stepmother and has 3 evil stepsisters. Her behavior is that she is very humble and does what she is told. She is very unhappy with her life because she is forced to work for hours for her stepmother and stepsisters and is not able to do fun activities like them. The story of Cinderella shows that women are not as important as men are. Cinderella has the job of serving her mother and slaving all day doing work around the house. It shows in this story that men are better off than women will ever be. Towards the middle of the story, the stepsisters are invited to a ball where the prince is introduced to them. This tells us that if you are the prettiest, than the handsome prince will like you. The prince ends up choosing Cinderella and through all that, he has to get her away from the evil stepmother and stepsisters. This indicates that a strong man needs to rescue a weak woman to prove that a woman needs a man to care for her. Gender stereotypes are definitely shown through these characters. Lady Tremaine is the villian in this film, also known as the stepmother to Cinderella. She enforces the rules that Cinderella always has to live by, and does not do any work around the house. The stepmother could represent a dictator or ruler of a home typically something the male would be. This film teaches children that if they are beautiful, men would like you and take care of you. This teaches children to care about their appearance more than their personality and character. The pros of this film would be that there is a happy ending and Cinderella gets the guy. It also teaches children that about imagination and children could apply imagination to their life. The cons would be how people could easily force others to do things when it isn't morally right. It could also be teaching children that apearance is the only thing that matters when trying to find a guy which could be misleading.
ReplyDeleteA disney movie i enjoyed that was only recently released is Frozen. The main character of the film Frozen is Anna. Anna is a young princess who is full of energy and has a strong desire to explore the world outside of her castle. Anna enjoys playing games and just wants to have fun but she cannot escape her isolation because she is not permitted to leave her castle and her only sister will not play with her in fear of revealing her powers.
ReplyDeleteAnna is young and naïve as most princesses are in Disney movies and often acts on impulse because of her desire to explore all her possibilities. Anna reinforces the stereotypes that young princesses are domestic and are often in need of a husband by her longing to meet a man and her plan to marry him the same day she meets him. She also reinforces the stereotype that women are helpless and need a male figure to protect them as she makes her journey up the mountain to find her sister.
The villain in the film is Prince Hans, the man that Anna decides she is going to marry after only knowing him one day. Prince Hans does reinforce the gender stereotypes that often-male villains will lie and deceit for self gain and he is that stereotypical handsome, cunning, male figure that the woman of the movie wants. Often the villain in Disney movies is large and unattractive but he follows the physical features of a good male figure.
This film teaches children the stereotypical beautiful princess in search a king to marry so she will no longer be alone. Although Anna does show the typical characteristics of a princess she shows some characteristics of an independent individual, which is unlike most stereotypes. Often Disney movies display that males must be strong, handsome, clever, wealthy figures which will set high standards for many and often set children up for failure when they yearn to be like these male figures.
My favorite Disney movie is The Little Mermaid whose main character is Ariel. Ariel is a bubbly and adventurous teenager who longs to live a different life than her many sisters who follow their fathers every rule. Ariel wants nothing more than to be a human and often defies her father’s orders in order to learn more about this mysterious world that is just above the surface of hers.
ReplyDeleteThe gender stereotype that Ariel holds mainly has to do with her view on love. In the movie she sees a sailor and has a ‘love at first sight’ moment. Following this she is portrayed as a love-obsessed teenager that would do anything to finally see her unknown sailor again. Another stereotype that is in this movie is that women need a man to save them. Prince Eric takes care of Ariel when she washes onto shore and in the end his kiss is the only thing that could save her. This goes along with the idea that a girl needs a boyfriend or a husband. The villain in this movie is Ursula. I think Ursula actually goes against gender stereotypes in movies because usually the villains are male characters. Ursula is a very powerful and commanding character, which is not how female characters are usually portrayed.
The movie follows the usual story line where a girl thinks she needs a man and would do anything to get him. That is probably the biggest downfall of the movie. However, it does have some pros. Ariel is a very adventurous person and when she saw something that she wanted she didn’t let anyone or anything get in her way and this shows determination and the importance of hard work.
A disney movie that I always loved as a kid, and even now, is The Little Mermaid. Ariel, a mermaid who lives in the ocean, has always dreamed about walking on land and socializing with humans. Ariel is an elated, optimistic mermaid who has never walked on the shoreline or talked with a human before. Ariel's father, who is the king of Atlantica, loves and protects her; as he does to all of his daughters. However, the character that Ariel possesses demonstrates the gender role of having to listen to a dominant male and, in result, is controlled by having to suppress her feelings of wanting to explore her dreams. Though, it can be seen that her father is just trying to protect her, it is almost as though he doesn't trust her to live her own life. He keeps her undersea and not allowing her to go to shore. This ultimately leads her to the villain, or antagonist, of the story. The antagonist is a larger set sea witch, named Ursula, who manipulates Ariel into trading her voice for human legs. Ursula can be seen as a jealous woman who feels the need to make others feel small so she can feel better about herself and stay in control. She abuses her intellect by tricking others and withering them. Ursula gives Ariel legs, but if Ariel cannot make Prince Eric, a human that Ariel starts to like on land, fall in love with her in three days she will loose her soul and become withered like the rest of Ursula's victims. This movie starts out by teaching the audience that women should be controlled by men because men's instincts are best, that women should stay at home and listen to their husbands or fathers because they know what's good for them. However, Ariel defies this role and seeks exploration herself, without her father's opinion or permission. Though, she is tricked by Ursula and almost loses her life and her true love, she defeats Ursula. However, it is not Ariel who kills Ursula but Eric, and because of Ariel's rebellious departure of her homeland, it led to her father sacrificing his life for hers and almost turning into a polyp, which could have meant losing to the second most powerful creature of the sea. The ending is also traditional, she ended up marrying prince Eric and living on land with him. However, in another light, she proves to her dad that other beings besides mermaids aren't so bad and defeats the evil witch. She's also is successful in pursuing her dreams and that can be stressed as a role model for children.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Disney movie is Nightmare Before Christmas. The story is about Jack Skellington, the scariest thing in all of Halloween Town. One stereotype is that the Jack is loved and adored by everyone, they all think he is perfect. But after years and years of doing the same thing, Jack becomes bored with being scary. So after wondering for a while he comes across a series of doors, one that leads to Christmas town. After experiencing the aw and wonder of Christmas town, he thinks that he can just take it over. Typical man, he thinks that he can take a perfectly good thing and make it “better”. So he starts giving out role, one role was given to three mischievous children to go and find Santa Claus. They find him and bring him to Jack, and even though Jack told them to keep Santa safe, they take him to the Oggy Boggy Man, the villain in the movie. He thinks that he controls Halloween Town and thinks he is the best at everything, just because he is big. But he is just a bag of bugs, literally. So another role that Jack gave was to Sally. She has loved Jack since the day she was sown, but she was given the take of making the Santa Suit. Why does the woman have to make the clothes? Why cant the men do it? Its wrong. Sally also ties to convince Jack to not go through with his plan, but like everything the women tries to tell the man not to do something and he tells her that everything is under control and just brushes her off. So the awaited day arrives, Christmas Eve. And as expected Jacks plan fails, and he completely destroys Christmas for everyone. He realizes that he has to get Santa so he can fix everything. However, Sally was already ahead of that. She knew something would go wrong so she went after Santa herself. To get to Santa, she uses he limbs to seduce Boggy and uses the rest of her body to get Santa. Typical, a woman using her body to lure men. Why Disney why? So Jack swoops in defeats Boggy, saves Santa, and gets the girl. He then hands Christmas back to Santa so that he can fix everything. Another stereotype make your mess and give it to someone else to clean it up for you. So in the end there were two men who saved the day. Two MEN. This story teaches us to not stick to the status quo and if we want something, go after it. But it tells girls that you are not the hero, the man is, we just help. And that needs to change.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Disney movies is the Lion King. The main character is Simba who is a young lion who is mischievous, curious, brave, and courageous. Simba is a lion who believes he can do what his dad does at a very young age, and eventually that gets him into trouble. Simba grew up to be a strong male lion and when he came upon Nala in the forest, he aggressively fought her to protect Pumba. He did not win this fight, which breaks the stereotype portrayed in the movie that men are the strongest. It was surprising that a female would win over a male. The villain in the film is Scar, Simba’s jealous uncle, who cruelly stole Mufasa’s role in the kingdom by getting him killed. When he became the leader of the lion pride, he bossed everyone around and made the women collect food for the entire family. The gender stereotype in this character would be that he is more powerful and entitled because he is a male. This makes it look like women have less control over their lives and are forced to hunt for food. This film teaches children that you can be sneaky and malicious in trying to get what you want. The way that the lion pride is structured is that the men protect and the women find the food. Women can be the leaders and take charge with or without a male telling them what to do. The pros of this film are that it shows that Simba could live with Timone and Pumba, who are not lions. Normally, people grow up and stay with their own kind, yet this movie shows that you can easily live with people who are different from you. The cons of this film are that it shows kids that a family can be easily broken by one bad person.
ReplyDeleteOne of my all time favorite disney movies is Pocahontas. The main character, Pocahontas, is a brave, noble, determined, courageous and free-spirited teenager. While growing up in her Native American tribe, she tries to help and guide others and can be looked at as a role model for all people. She enjoys spending her time with nature and is able to speak to the spirits and understand animals. Pocahontas shows the stereotype of women being submissive to men. One main example of this is shown when Pocahontas plays into the stereotype of allowing the European colonists to lure her into adapting into their culture and eventually planning to civilize her tribe. When Pocahontas falls in love with the character, John Smith, she also falls into the stereotype of marrying into his culture and only being accepted if one's culture is widely accepted. Throughout the film, Pocahontas and her tribe allow the European colonists to colonize the land that was rightfully the Native Americans. The stereotype of Native Americans being "less than" or unequal to the white colonists plays a major role in the film too. The villain in this film is Governor Ratcliff, who wants to find large amounts of gold in the Native American's for himself and for his good only. There are definitely gender stereotypes in this movie such as Pocahontas, or any of the other women, being submissive to other men, including her father at times. The men in the film also play gender stereotypes such as looking imposing and acting as if they are better than other races and genders. In general, this film teaches children that we should stand up for ourselves, even if we are being discriminated against. This film does show the horrors of discrimination against others, particularly of different races. I think that the pros of this film are that it teaches children to be strong and stick up for themselves, especially when times are difficult. One must always be independent and not let others bring them down. The cons of this movie are the gender stereotypes, the stereotypes of the Native Americans and colonists, and the fact that the colonists did overpower the Native Americans. Despite some of these flaws, I do believe Pocahontas is a strong, independent role model for children and adults of all ages.
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ReplyDeleteOne of my all time favorite disney movie is Aladdin. Its about a young boy named Aladdin who is very mischievous and cunning. He is very street smart and always carries his monkey, Abu. He is prideful but very courageous. He lives a poor life out on the streets and usually is caught with stealing food from the market place. He soon finds a lamp and rubs it and a genie comes out. The genie tells him that he can grant him 3 wishes. Aladdin thinks hard about his wishes so that they may be good ones. He soon meets this girl named Jasmine. She is the sultans daughter and soon to be princess. Jasmine is very sweet and kind. He has fallen in love with her and he wants her to be his. He asks the genie if he could make her fall in love with him, but he couldn't do that. So he tried figuring out ways to get closer to her. His first wish was to become a prince so he can see Jasmine more often, and might have a better chance of marrying her. His second wish is to be rich and have everything he wanted. Soon enough, Jafar comes along. Jafar is the villain of the movie and he is your typical villain. He is devious, wise and cruel. When he wants something he wants it at that moment. He wants Jasmine to marry him so that he can become sultan. But Jasmine doesn't like Jafar. He fights with Aladdin so that he may have Jasmine. In the end Jafar loses and dies along with his parrot. Aladdin soon comes to realize what was really important. That he should do good for others instead of himself. He then marries Jasmine. He decides that his last wish was for the genie to be free from the lamp. In this movie it teaches children how to follow your heart and to always do good for others. We always do good for the ones we love. But the con of this movie is that it almost teaches children to steal, like Aladdin did. But I believe that it is a great movie for children all ages. It doesn't target just girls or just boys, both genders could understand the meaning behind the story.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Disney movie while growing up was Aladdin. Aladdin is clever, trustworthy, generous and resourceful. He is a “street-rat” whose resourcefulness often shows in his ability to steal food for him and his monkey Abu. He also shares with others that are less fortunate. Aladdin’s heroism is demonstrated through his selfless acts and determination to rescue Jasmine whenever she needs help.
ReplyDeleteAladdin reinforces the stereotype that men are the heroes and women always need rescuing. Jasmine never seems to be able to stand up for herself but rather needs Aladdin to come in and save the day. The villain in the film is Jafar. I don’t think there are any gender stereotypes in his character. I think this film makes Jasmine look weak, and unable to take care of herself. Aladdin always has to come to the rescue. This film also shows kids to not be proud of where they come from. Aladdin was ashamed that he was poor so he changed his look and called himself Prince Ali.
#1- The Little Mermaid
ReplyDelete1. Ariel is a beautiful, independent mermaid girl who wants to break away from the control of her father. She wants to explore and experience life from a different perspective other than under water. She falls madly in love with this prince named eric who lives on land and she knows she cannot be with him they way she is as a mermaid.
2. Ariel reinforces the stereotype that girls have to give up everything for the man they fall in love with and that they need to depend on men.
3. The villain is a woman which goes both ways with the gender stereotypes. In most disney princess movies the villain is usually an evil, ugly, envious woman and this kind of gives the message that women are cruel. But then again, it gives a sense of power to women because the villain represents control and it goes against a stereotype by saying that women can have power just like men and are able to fight for what they want even if its means are evil.
4. When Ariel trades her voice and singing to become a human, ursula tells her not to worry because she is beautiful and that's all she needs. So basically this is teaching that the only important thing to worry about is being beautiful and any man will love you. That's obviously not true. Also, Ariel gives up her family and friends to live a life on land so this is giving off a message that it's ok to leave everything behind to pursue the life you want. A good thing about this movie is that Ariel is independent and she does want to break away from the control of her father King Triton and she makes it her goal to live the life she wants and get the man she wants.
I recently watched the new Disney movie, Brave. The main character, Merida, aspires to change her fate. Her mom makes the decision that she must get married and Merida fights back. Merida is strong-willed, perseverant, and skilled. She never looks down upon herself and knows what she is capable of. In the movie Brave, the protagonist is Merida. They put a female as the main character and incorporates her pride and capabilities. This movie defies the social norms of a stereotyped female; not getting married and being into archery. Not only is Merida the only female defying the gender roles, but so is the mother. The mother has a more sufficient role than the father and she is the one making the rules of the house. Throughout the movie, Merida, the protagonist, must find courage to make up for her mistake and bring her mother back to normal.
ReplyDeleteIn this film, there was no real stand out villian. Though, in a way, the witch could be considered a villain for turning the mother into a bear. This villian happens to be another female role that messes with the "princess" story line.
Brave teaches children about gender and other components of socialization by representing women as the strong role. In many other Disney movies, women are not the protagonist and are usually quiet and interact very little. In this movie, the women role is sofisticated, strong, and powerful, unlike other Disney movies. The pros of this film are showing what women are fully capable of and how they can control their own fate. They show rebellion towards the norms of society and how they lead an improtant role in their lives. The only con's about this movie were feedback from critics and viewers talking about how the movie's main role was a female. Many viewers made comments that it deviating from the norm by putting the attention on a female instead of a male.
My favorite Disney movie is Tangled and the main character is named Rapunzel. Unlike the original Rapunzel, the heroine of this story is not a passive character; she is strong, independent, and smart. This Rapunzel is “her own hero”; she takes initiative and goes after her goals without needing someone to do it for her. Rapunzel wants to see the lights that shine on her birthday in person and she is not afraid to enlist Flynn Rider, a stranger, to help her. Throughout the movie, Rapunzel is very brave and sacrifices her freedom to save the life of Flynn, who then in turn saves her life figuratively. Rapunzel is innocent and optimistic, but does not come across as naïve and in need of protection. Rapunzel defends herself often throughout the movie enforcing the theme of girl power, as she does not need a man to protect her.
ReplyDeleteThis film does display some gender stereotypes for both males and females. Of Rapunzel and Flynn, Rapunzel is far more loving, nurturing, and compassionate than her male counterpart, caring for the film’s animals, playing with the children, and helping the men at the bar gain confidence to pursue their dreams. Flynn, on the other hand, is more self-centered and motivated, portraying the stereotype that males are more individualistic, while females are more involved with the family and therefore are more caring towards others.
The witch is the antagonist of this film, who kidnapped Rapunzel and raised her as her own in order to use Rapunzel’s magical ability to keep her looking young. The archetypal, evil witch is a stereotype, although not a gender stereotype. In some aspects, the witch could embody gender stereotypes due to her lack of stereotypical female characteristics. The witch is so uncompassionate, self-motivated, not motherly, and powerful that she could enforce gender stereotypes because she could show that women going against the stereotype are evil. In other words, anyone women who does not stay confined to their stereotype is evil.
Overall, Tangled relates to the TED speaker’s message about men and women working as a team. The movie centers on Rapunzel and Flynn working together as equals with Rapunzel truly leading. This different than many films where the women wait at home will the men fight violent battles. In fact, there is little violence in this movie or at least it is absent from the bulk of the storyline. While this film possesses some stereotypes, overall it spreads a positive message to kids about gender in socialization. It also contains the central theme that through hard work and perseverance, a happy ending is always possible.
For me my favorite Disney movie was Mulan. The main character is Fa Mulan. She is awkward, sneaky, absent minded, clumsy, and brave. In the beginning of the movie, her grandmother, mother, and the town start out in a song for her meeting with the Match Maker. She was to go to show she is ready to become a wife and has the qualities a proper wife should have. But sadly she does fail the test, but when the recruiters for the army comes along, her father cannot enter do to his physical condition. Mulan took this opportunity to gain back the honor of her family.
ReplyDeleteThe only gender stereotype that really stood out was that the women have to practice to become a proper wife and must maintain the house and listen to their husband.
The main reason behind this movie was to show gender equality. That is why there is no real solid gender stereotype. Mulan enters into the army and trains and ends up being one of the best soldiers.
The villain in the movie was Shan Yu, who was the leader of the Huns. However with the Huns, women had as much power as the men. The women could work in any field they please, they could divorce, and even join the army if they wanted to. That is why when Shan Yu sees that the solider who took his victory is a female and what he said back was, "the solider who took my victory". He saw that she was obviously female but he was not shocked/confused. That is because of the stand women have in the Huns.
Unlike all other Disney movies, this one is the one that stands out. Mulan is not like all the other princesses like in the other movies. She's strong and refuses to let a man throw her down and give her less respect then men. She proves that women are just as good as men. The main theme of this movie was to show gender equality and this movie really hit the nail on the head. The movie proves from start to finish that women have the power, determination, and strength that a man has.
Favorite Disney Movie: Tarzan
ReplyDelete-Tarzan is the main character in the movie "Tarzan", he is strong, brave, determined, loyal, and fearless. He grows up in the jungle with a pack of gorillas and eventually becomes the head of his gorilla family, even though he is human. He grew up only around animals and has developed abilities in the jungle that a 'normal' human did not have.
-Tarzan reinforces the stereotype for his character because the man of the movie is usually always either a guy who is arrogant or something along those lines or the guys who have the 'prince charming' characteristics. The guy is is sweet, loyal, and has all the qualities that every girl would always dream of. Tarzan has those 'prince charming' characteristics, but with some sort of twist because he isn't like a normal guy that lives in a castle or is a prince.
-The villain in the film was a man named Clayton and his men. They teach Tarzan things about human behaviors, English, and other things had never seen before. He begins to fall in love with Jane and Clayton and his men use it to their advantage to convince him to take him to his family of gorillas and later on capture Tarzan and take him back to England. I feel like Clayton is the typical stereotype of the man who comes in and is nice in the beginning and seems interested in someones, *Tarzans*, life. Eventually, having the other person let their guard down, Clayton is the typical villain who would take advantage of another person.
-'Tarzan" teaches children more about components of socialization rather than gender I think. It mixes people from two different worlds and how different people can either take advantage of one another or end up falling in love even if they have social differences. I feel like the pros or main pro of this movie was the mixture of two cultures and how they can combine to become something great and form friendships. I don't know if there are necessarily and cons that stand out. I think this was a good film for Disney because it really wasn't a movie where "the hero saves the day"
Since I was a little girl, my favorite Disney movie has been The Little Mermaid. The main character is the amazing, kindhearted yet adventurous young mermaid named Ariel. This supernatural girl lives under the ocean with her marine friends and her powerful dad, who is a King, that rules over and supervises her every move. Ariel makes the decision to rebel against her father and consults an evil witch, Ursula, considered the villain in the movie and wants to trade her beautiful voice for the ability to walk on land. Ariel ends up defying her dad and falling madly in love with a human prince named Eric. Thankfully Ariel is saved at the end of the film but she puts many lives in danger including her father's, Eric's and her own. I never really thought about the gender stereotypes in The Little Mermaid but I finally realized how prevalent they really are. Ariel is portrayed as being an immature teenager that is forced to listen to the dominant male figure her father is, additionally she has to give up so much in her prosperous life just to be with the human man she loves. This all means that they are trying to communicate that a woman always needs a man in her life to save her in tough situations.
ReplyDeleteAs previously stated, Ursula is the antagonist of the movie, she manipulates these creatures and shows her greed for power. I believe that in various popular movies the villains are women which can show the audience that women are all evil, cruel and ambitious to rule over everything. This negative gender stereotype is quite conflicting because it can also be seen in a positive way because by being the main antagonist, Ursula displays that women can indeed have power, take care of themselves and fight until they get what they want.
The Little Mermaid unfortunately teaches children that the hero will always be the man but it also teaches girls that because Ariel is so beautiful, she doesn't need her voice, she can live on her looks alone which is completely untrue. Although there are cons, the pros of the movie are that Ariel shows how adventurous she is and how determined she is to set out and reach her goals. Ariel is a good example of a role model for everyone because of her dedication and perseverance.
My favorite Disney movie is Pocahontas. The movie is about European colonists colonizing in the "New World". It follows Pocahontas and her curiosity for the colonists. She ends up falling in love with John Smith, a colonist, and they both learn about each other's lives and how different they are. The main character, Pocahontas is very independent, courageous, intelligent, accepting and kind. Pocahontas finds comfort and knowledge in nature and often seeks guidance from it through out the movie. She is a strong role model for the people in her tribe and acts like a leader for them. Pocahontas reinforces gender stereotypes by allowing her father to chose a husband for her and not being strong enough to say she did not love him. Pocahontas was supposed to marry a man from her tribe and not be with John Smith, rather than sticking up for what she believed in she felt inferior to her father and the man she was supposed to marry, and lied to them instead. In this film there are multiple villains and obstacles that keep Pocahontas and John Smith from being together. For example the colonists who view Pocahontas and her tribe as barbaric and want nothing to do with the Natives. Also, Pocahontas' tribe stands in the way of her and John Smith, they are not exactly the "villains" like the colonists are, but they are an obstacle between John Smith and Pocahontas. In my opinion this film overall is a good example for young children, especially girls. In the end, Pocahontas does not end up with John Smith. He asks her to go back to Europe with him, but she says no and continues on to become the leader of her tribe. She does not make a man the number one priority in her life, instead she is independent and strong with out the help of a man. There are some unrealistic parts of this movie that may cause children to have high expectations towards people. For example, a relationship like John Smith and Pocahontas would have a hard time working out in the real world. Yes, the movie is based off of a true story, but people are not so accepting of each other in society today. But in general, I think the movie Pocahontas sets a god example and teaches young children about what is really important in life.
ReplyDeleteI can’t help but remember, when thinking back to my “Disney Princess Phase,” the Halloween when I was in kindergarten and dressed up as Belle. She was, and still is, one of my favorite Disney characters of all time. Belle is an inquisitive and naturally energetic girl. She loves to read and often finds herself captured in a story. She seeks a life like those in her books-a life beyond her small French village. When her father is captured by the Beast, she loyally sets out to rescue him and nobly takes his place as the Beast’s captive. Her devoted love of family and her ability to see past appearances and stereotypes establish her as a model for all children. However, she is not a perfect model. As a character, she does reinforce many of the stereotypes typical for women. She is depicted as a fair maiden, a gentle woman who should not be undertaking such endeavors on her own. She is sought after by Gaston because of her beauty, reaffirming the notion that women are mere objects of beauty and nothing more. In being “abnormal” in her love of knowledge, she indirectly sets in the minds of children that the “norm” for women is to be passive and unconcerned with knowledge, although her heroism does act to reverse this idea. Finally, when the Beast is injured, she aids him, acting as the nurse and assistant to the more powerful man. On the other side, Gaston, the villain of the piece, also brings with him many negative stereotypes for men. He is infamously arrogant and varies his air of superiority wherever he goes. He is conceited and rude, as well as small-minded, particularly when foiled with Belle. His inherent insecurity drives his actions, particularly when he decides to hunt the beast after learning of Belle’s infatuation with him. He is, in many senses, the perfect example of the negative male stereotype. He hunts and is known for his violence. He spends the rest of his time in pubs drinking. Overall, Gaston reaffirms in the minds of young boys the image of a crude male figure. With these two stereotypes in mind, I would venture to say that the film teaches children many of the bad stereotypes for their respective genders. Males are shown to be simple-minded, rude, and violent, while women are painted as objects, are not notoriously intellectual, and are expected to care for the men. Although this may be so, the heroic actions taken by Belle do set some excellent examples. Her loyalty, courage and open-mindedness allow her to have courage in the face of adversity and eventually see the Beast for what he truly is. This would overall set a good example for children, although it may perhaps set some stereotypes in their minds subliminally.
ReplyDeletePart 1: My favorite Disney princess is Mulan. At the start of the movie she is dissatisfied with the role she must play in her society. She goes off to fight in the war for her father, but she must disguise her gender to be able to fight. She is very cunning and uses her smarts to defeat the Huns.
ReplyDeleteWhile she mostly acts to reject gender stereotypes, she does have to hide her femininity to be able to fight. This idea that although females can be strong feminity is antithetical to strength and power is presented as one of the main conflicts of the story. Perhaps this serves specifically to dismantle that idea by presenting both masculine and feminine sides of Mulan as important to their victory. The three soldiers are dressed up as concubines to enter the palace at the end, dressing up is a female talent. Mulan is not wearing her Ping outfit when defeating the main Hun, rather she is wearing a dress. She takes his sword by doing a cool move with her fan. However, her physical agility, lack of super feminine makeup (like the makeup in the beginning she doesn’t like) show that she also has traditionally masculine qualities to shine, but her ultimate victory on the roof is largely due to her use of a female-associated object. On the other hand, Chinese history has plenty of stories (both mythical and historical) of women fighting in battle without having to hide their gender. That Disney chose to portray this story instead one where women are recognized outright as powerful could be seen as somewhat of a validation of the idea that feminity=weakness. Some think "Why should a female character have to prove the validity of her gender when other stories exist where female power is stipulated as fact?" It is difficult to point out any overriding female stereotypes in Mulan as the story concentrates so largely on dismantling these ideas, but as is with all stories opinions abound.
Part 2: The villain of the film are the Huns and specifically the main Hun, Shan Yu. He serves more as a catalyst for Mulan's personal growth than a fully realized character himself. (Which is interesting as women often are used to act as catalysts and backgrounds for male development, this is a cool reversal!) He is tough and brutish--the qualities of a villain to be sure, but especially the qualities of a male villain. As there are ideas about what a good female or male character is, the same applies for villains. Yzma (from the Emperor's New Groove) and Ursula are villains too, but they present villainy through other stereotypes. Both are cunning and deceptive instead of outright violent. Both are somewhat vain. Mulan's villain, on the other hand, shows male villainy as unthinkingly sadistic and violent. He is overconfident, extremely strong, and more or less unfeeling. Some of this dehumanization is by virtue of being a villain, but he portrays the flipside of the coveted traditionally male qualities of stoicism and strength. A song in the movie, A Girl Worth Fighting For, talks about the kind of man the soldiers think a women want--a specific type of strong and attractive warrior. This presents "one hegemonic male" which casts Mulan's three friends as outside this ideal. (disneyprincess-swag.blogspot.com) The song also presents the girl worth fighting for as pretty, domestic, and an passive object of affection. The message of the song is opposed only by Mulan-as-Ping's comment that this girl could also be smart.
ReplyDeleteThis movie gives girls many positive messages. While many supposedly empowering female characters must reject their femininity in order to be powerful, Mulan only rejects the type of femininity that does not fit her. While many people tend to place much value on the tom boy who "is not like other girls", Mulan shows that being girly isn't necessarily bad. However, this movie also rejects the passive, domestic role which Mulan faces at the beginning--this does not define her personhood either. By giving girls a nuanced character, it shows that the rad tomboy/ditzy princess binary isn't everything. Additionally, Mulan is not only the main character but she is a fully realized protagonist who isn't completely helpless or 100% powerful--she has to learn and fail like everyone else. By presenting a character who isn't superpowered right away, the movie makes Mulan more relatable both girls and boys.
Some cons of this move are the lack of fidelity to real Chinese culture both on details and in portraying cultural values. The original mythical Mulan did not go to war out of American-style individualism, but rather completely because of Chinese filial piety. So, a bit ethnocentric. This matters because issues of feminism don't exist in a vacuum, the problems that women face intersect with other isms about race, sexuality, SES, etc. Another con is the lack of more female characters (does this pass the Bechdel Test?). The female perspective could be considered limited if presented only by one character--as we know women act differently around each other. What if Mulan had gone to war with a younger sister? What if her tentmate had shared a similar secret? As said in the TED talk, it is good to prepare children to be in a diverse team, and girls and boys should see women working together, not just as isolated individuals who exist as an addendum to the male story. A third con could be the fact that the movies resolution is Li Shang coming to visit Mulan. In a way she is returned to the predicament she faced at the beginning: marriage. It's interesting that despite her rejection of that life route part of her happy ending is leading back that. This is not so much a con considering the second movie, where tension in their relationship is addressed and Li Shang must learn to respect Mulan's identity/personhood. (I also really like the second movie).
My favorite Disney movie is The Little Mermaid
ReplyDelete1. The main character is Ariel. She is a young, curious mermaid who is not satisfied with her life under the sea. She has strikingly perfect physical features and a tremendously beautiful singing voice. She is rebellious especially to her father and is not afraid to shun her world even though her father is in a position of power. She is very adventurous and takes a lot of risks. She is naïve to the dangers of the world – both her own world under the sea and the new one on land – and does not recognize the evil intentions of others. She longs to change everything about herself and live as a human on land. She easily and desperately falls in love with a “picture-perfect” prince. She is completely determined to make him love her and is willing to give up everything to be with him.
2. Although we might think that Ariel is a strong young woman, rebellious against the status quo, she does fit into a gender stereotype when she falls for a man who she has never spoken to and is willing to give up what matters most to her to be with him. She sacrifices her voice and her family. It is also worth noting that without her voice, the only thing she can use to “win her man” is her body.
3. The villain in the film is an evil, ugly, old, voluptuous, cunning sea creature who is jealous of Ariel. Ariel is innocent, young, beautiful, slender and gullible which is the polar opposite. Ursula is determined to destroy Ariel by taking her most beautiful voice. The stereotype is that one’s inner self is so black and white (evil or good) and this can be defined by how you look – how young, skinny and beautiful you are shows how good you are. In reality it is not so clear cut or easy to recognize. And good doesn’t always triumph over evil either.
4. Even though I have always loved the visual beauty of this movie and the music, it does have a rather outdated underlying theme. A girl cannot be happy unless she gives things up for a man. And in order to get what she wants, she must sacrifice what she is. In the end of the movie, Ariel needs to be rescued by the Prince to be happy. It is interesting that The Little Mermaid came out in 1989, when women were breaking out of these stereotypes. We cannot always recognize the good and evil in people. It certainly cannot be determined by appearance. Reality is all we have both within us in varying degrees and the conflicts of good vs. evil. They are much more complicated and difficult to resolve. The lessons we learn as children form the way we view the world for years to come. It takes time and experience to begin to question these stereotypes and adjust to the way the world really operates. On the positive side, I still admire Ariel’s thirst for knowledge and adventure and the fact that she was not satisfied with the status quo to live like everyone around her.
One of my favorite disney movies is Snow White. It's such a classic. The main character is Snow White. Snow White is a young, pretty, and good-natured. She is always dreaming about a prince to come and take her away from her evil stepmother. She runs away into the woods and find a cottage and immediately starts cleaning it. When she meets the seven dwarfs she cleans, cooks and cares for them. This movie definitely portrays the stereotype of women that all of them are meek, dainty and are expected to clean house and cook for males. She also acts in manner that makes it seem like all girls are expected to just sit around and wait for a man to come sweep them off their feet.THe Villain in this movie is the evil queen who is also Snow White's stepmother. She is extremely jealous of snow white's beauty so one could assume she upholds a stereotype that women are always jealous of others women's looks. This movie was one of the first disney princess movies, it laid out the groundwork for the other movies to come. It portrays a woman being dependent on a man to be happy. The pros for this movie is that it teaches kids to never stop believing that something better will come. However Snow White stereotypes women with the image that all women should clean,cook and wait for a man to come around and take care of everything else.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Disney movie is Pocahontas. Pocahontas is about a native american girl living in Pre-colonial America, before people settled there. Pocahontas is a very free spirited, energetic girl, who likes to do what she pleases and go with the flow of nature. She enjoys a peaceful life with her tribe until the British come over in search of gold. While there, they have encounters with the Natives. Pocahontas meets John Smith, a British man. THe two spend the day together, and Pocahontas is a very free spirited, energetic girl, who likes to do what she pleases and go with the flow of nature. shows John Smith a new perspective on nature. SHe teaches him what it means to appreciate nature. I think this goes against the general stereotype that men know everything and don't need to be taught by women. It is usually the other way around, men teaching women life skills, but in the case it is the opposite. Pocahontas is supposed to have an arranged marriage to better the life of her tribe. She does not want to do this because she falls in love with John Smith. She refuses to marry who her father wants her too and continues to live her life on the edge and free in nature. I think this sends a positive message to young girls. It shows that they can follow their hearts and not always have to conform to what other people want them to do. It shows that their happiness matters just as much as everyone else's'. Finally, in the end of the movie, Pocahontas actually saves John Smith's life as he is almost killed by her father. This is the total opposite of the common stereotype where the male saves the "girl in distress". Pocahontas is shown as the strong, brave, heroine as apposed to the weak helpless victim. I think this also send a good message to boys that girls ARENT weak and that they are capable of taking care of themselves. Overall, this sends a good message to young children.
ReplyDeleteEver since I was little, my favorite Disney movie has been Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up. Peter Pan is regarded as a provider, protector, and leader among the lost boys living in Neverland. He is set in his ways and is sure of himself, and believes that life should be all about fun and adventure. Peter Pan can also be considered a bit of a showoff, as enjoys the praise and adoration that he receives when he defeats Captain Hook in their many battles for glory. In the movie, he meets a girl named Wendy in England and takes her and her brothers back to Neverland with him. In Neverland, the lost boys look to Wendy as a motherly figure-- they want her to tuck them in at night, sew their clothes, and read them bedtime stories. Wendy is utterly enticed by the idea of caring for these boys and takes on the traditional role as their temporary "mother" while Peter continues to be the leader. This reinforces the gender stereotype that the man should be the provider, while the woman must feel obligated to succumb to a domestic life. These are young children, therefore Wendy is simply mimicking what she has learned from her own mother. The villain in the movie is Captain Hook, a malicious pirate whose mission is to rid Neverland of Peter Pan forever. I do not see any particular gender stereotypes with this character, other than an older, scary looking man being portrayed as villainous. Ultimately, it is clear that when the story of Peter Pan was written, males were still considered superior to the females, even in the case of young children at play. However, I still believe that Peter Pan is a wonderful movie that epitomizes childhood dreams and the spirit of adventure. No matter how old you are, you can watch this movie and become a kid again.
ReplyDelete1.) My favorite Disney movie is Cinderella, and it has been ever since I was about four years old. Cinderella is a beautiful young and selfless girl who is basically a slave to her stepmother. In the midst of the humiliation and torture she faces within her household, she keeps a positive and loving essence about herself, and tries making the best out of everything. Although her stepmother treats her very poorly, Cinderella does not hate her, she shows love towards everyone, and even though her situation is not fair she does every chore and request to the best of her ability.
ReplyDelete2.) Cinderella reinforces that woman should be treated as equal. Even though she is being bossed around by her stepmother, another woman, she is the perfect representation of a meek woman who is "only good" for cooking, cleaning, and housework. Even though these "rules" don't seem to be held as plausible in today's society, we still see this notion a bit. When she is able to go to the ball, find her prince charming, and live happily ever after it gives these girls like Cinderella, and girls in general hope that they can show what they are really capable of.
3.) The villain in Cinderella would have to be her stepmother. There are very few gender stereotypes in this character, but she does portray the stereotypical version of a step-mother who has inherited all of her late husbands money. It shows the stereotypical attitudes associated with this character such as selfishness, a lack of compassion, and the desire for money.
4.) This film shows the audience (geared towards girls mostly), that others should not influence us and degrade us in any way. We are just as capable of prospering as men are. The lesson this film provides is that hard work, and self-dignity pays off in the end. The pros of this film would be that the audience is able to see a young girl who is brought up by someone who does not seem to love her, and to whom she does not love, but she works hard, and follows the rules while keeping her pride, which will always be rewarding in the end. A major con of this film would be the way Cinderella is portrayed. Personally, I think she is portrayed in such a degrading way, and even as a child I felt much sympathy for her, and the way she was treated. The way she was spoken to may have also been a big issue for the audience. The villain in this movie is suppose be a typical evil stepmother, but the way she talks to Cinderella is unacceptable, and not a great example for small children.
My favorite Disney Movie is Tangled. The main character is Rapunzel. She has hair that is long, blonde and magical. She is energetic, curious, sweet, creative and has a beautiful singing voice. When first introduced to Rapunzel, she is portrayed as very innocent and naive like. Rapunzel reinforces the stereotype that girls are naive and don't know a lot about the world. It also enforces the stereotype about girls with blondes hair are dumb. The villain is Gothel, an old lady who pretends to be Rapunzel's mother. In almost all of the Disney movies, the villain is old or scary looking. Gothel reinforces the stereotype that the old lady is defiantly evil. Tangled teaches children that you have to live your life the way you want to. Sitting around and waiting for something to happen isn't the best idea. The pro of Tangled is that it encourages girls to be curious about things. It's a con though because it will make children think that any scary looking lady in their life isn't there mother and could possibly be evil. Also because Rapunzel lost her magic, her hair got shorter and changed color. Girls with long blonde hair will then think they need to change their look in order to be like her.
ReplyDelete1. I choose the movie Cinderella. Cinderella is my favorite Disney movie because it ultimately proves no matter how you life was spent you will always have a happy ending. Cinderella Cinderella's personality is very quite. She is very shy, but she is a very hopeful person. I would describe Cinderella's behavior as very determined because her step mom makes her do all these chores for her and the step sisters.
ReplyDelete2. The stereotypes that Cinderella reinforce is a typical stay at home mom. Although Cinderella is not a mom in the movie she does portray the role of one. She does chores for her step mom and step sister. She cleans the house, does the laundry, does the dishes. Anything a typical mom would do!
3. The villain in the film is the Step Mom also known as Lady Tremaine. The typical gender stereotype is if someone has a mean step mom. Lady Tremaine only married to steel the money form her new husband.
4. In general, the film teaches children mostly young girls that you shouldn't let anybody tell you what to do and when do it. You should be yourself and not be afraid to be. The pros in Cinderella is that it shows when you work hard you will always get a reward or everything will turn out perfect. The cons of this story is making little girls believe in a fairy tail ending. Of course you will have a happy ending but nothing happens like it does in the movie.
I decided to choose the movie Hercules, released in 1997. The main character is Hercules, himself. He is a small, skinny boy growing up in a town where he is out casted because he cannot control his strength. He finally decides to go out into the world to find out where he really came from and what his real purpose in life is. He finds out he is the son of the most powerful god in Greek history, Zeus. On his way to fulfill his newfound destiny, he meets a satyr named Phil, who helps him to become stronger and more powerful; to be a hero. Hercules becomes stronger every day and eventually meets Meg, a “damsel in distress.” Secretly, Meg is working with Hercules’s worst enemy, Hades. Throughout the movie Hades makes several attempts to kill Hercules, but Hercules escapes every time.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that male power is embedded in many aspects of this movie. Hercules becomes immensely strong and dominates in every way. He saves Meg from a villain in the beginning and continues to save her. Generally the characters are all male. Hercules, Phil, all the villains, and even Hades's minions. They are all strong and recognized with important roles. Meg, the only female character, is constantly being seen as weak and a victim needing to be saved. Hercules, the movie, even fails the Bechdel Test. There is another female character, Hercules's mother, and both these females have lines. However, they never interact with each other in any way.
Hercules teaches young boys to be strong and independent. They are taught how to protect people, like women, and be a "hero." However, women are portrayed as weak and incapable individuals. It teaches young girls to depend on men. This movie seemed to be very male-dominated.