Gender Role Portrayal in Disney Movies
Although Disney movies teach our children many lessons about good from bad, and right from wrong, parents and teachers should consider what other lessons are being implemented in these movies. Some lessons may not seem as obvious as others, a big one that has been evaluated by a number of different people deals with how male and female characters are portrayed in the Disney movies. Many of us wouldn’t think too much about this, and most likely hadn’t thought about the characters portrayal of gender roles when we were children viewing these movies. But some argue that these movies have a negative influence on children. How? I wondered the same thing but as I continued to look below the surface lessons in the Disney movies and read more closely into the contents of the movies I began to understand what these analysts were talking about.
Looking more closely at the Disney characters, their characteristics and thinking about what Schopenhauer said about children being very influential it makes sense why people question the way genders are portrayed in these movies. Like I had mentioned earlier in my piece, Schopenhauer talked about how today teaching is done by planting “ready-made ideas” (Schopenhauer 627) into children’s heads. Children aren’t really making their own complete meaning of things or creating their own independent understanding of the world. Children’s beliefs are swayed by the things they are taught in school, on television, and from movies. They are taught concepts that are valued by someone else. Some see this as enforcing the social and moral codes accepted by American society while others question it (Cork 2). I think as a future teacher, teacher, future parent or parent it is important to be aware of the things that influence your children because these influences do play a part in shaping children.
The female characters in the Disney movies are portrayed differently, some evil and some sweet and innocent. In Paul Castillo’s article, “The negative effects of Disney on children”, Castillo wrote, that many children learn how men and women are supposed to act from watching movies. He gives an example from the movie, Sleeping Beauty, stating that, “Aurora is described as an extraordinarily beautiful woman, so young girls will understand, even if they are not directly told, that is how they are supposed to strive to look” (Castillo 1). This idea applies to not just Princess Aurora but the other Disney princesses. Castillo also explains that the princess’s bodies are not realistic, that like a Barbie doll they are not proportional to a real human and that they are “hyper-sexualized to the point of absurdity” (Castillo 1). We see young girls idolizing the princess characters and running around in costumes that make them feel like princesses. Maybe Castillo has a point these characters are depicted as very thin and beautiful, this message could be influencing young girls and their understanding of what a female should look like. This idea that is planted into young girls’ heads could be carried out through their life as an ideal image that they need to live up too. But this impression may only be picked up by some girls, and so it might not have a great effect on every young female viewer.
Henry Giroux, a writer who has written multiple pieces based around analyzing Disney movies questions things in the movies that influence the beliefs and behaviors of children who view them. In Giroux’s piece “Children’s Culture and Disney’s Animated Films” Giroux states that Disney films act as “teaching machines” (Giroux 567) for viewers. Some of the lessons that he found taught in Disney movies are both surprising and concerning to me. He explains that Disney teaches children about different stereotypes of race and gender. These lessons may not be obvious to some viewers but they are in the movies and play a role in shaping our understanding of gender roles along with racial stereotypes. Giroux uses Princess Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid film as an example of how females are portrayed in the Disney movies. He states that, “Although girls might be delighted by Ariel’s teenage rebelliousness, they are strongly positioned to believe, in the end, that desire, choice, and empowerment are closely linked to catching and loving a handsome man” (Giroux 580). Giroux also says that Ariel is a “metaphor for the traditional house-wife in the making” (Giroux 580). Ariel is a role model for young girls who gets in trouble by disobeying her father Triton. Even though Ariel disobeys her father to explore the human world, she in the end finds her love, Prince Eric. Ariel was willing to give up her voice to Ursula to grow legs so that she could find Prince Eric, a man who she had never spoken to but was in love with. Seems a little extreme for a girl to make such a drastic change for a man she didn’t really know or speak to.
Princess Belle is characterized in, Beauty and the Beast to be very different from the other girls. She is rebellious in the fact that she does not follow the actions of the other girls in the movie. She is not interested in Gaston or his handsome looks. She is portrayed as a strong, independent female who doesn’t feel as though she has to follow the crowed. Belle is described by Giroux as, “a model of etiquette and style” (Giroux 581); her powerful personality helps her to teach the Beast appropriate manners, and how to dance. Belle is a female who can be thought of a feminist who is caring, loving and wants to help solve problems. Belle holds many qualities that are valued by females these days, so perhaps this is a good movie to use to teach lessons about being a strong woman who does not follow the status quo, but instead stays true to her beliefs.
The Disney princesses are very influential characters and their actions influence young girls understandings of themselves as females. These characters teach young girls how females should act, what they should look like and how to treat a man. These movies might provoke girls to act foolish around men and take big risk like Ariel did in order to get a man’s attention. But then again Belle teaches girls not to just settle for a man like Gaston who is handsome but find someone who you love for their personality.
The Disney princesses are very influential characters and their actions influence young girls understandings of themselves as females. These characters teach young girls how females should act, what they should look like and how to treat a man. These movies might provoke girls to act foolish around men and take big risk like Ariel did in order to get a man’s attention. But then again Belle teaches girls not to just settle for a man like Gaston who is handsome but find someone who you love for their personality.
Looking closely at the adult females in the Disney movies I saw a pattern. Many of the adult females appear evil. Does the Disney Corporation believe that adult females are evil? Think about it, in the story, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the Queen is portrayed as evil and wants to kill Snow White by giving her a poisoned apple. In Cinderella, Cinderella’s stepmother is evil, and forces her to do chores all day. In, TheLittle Mermaid movie Ursula is the adult female character, is a dark character that ticks Ariel and tries to destroy her chances of kissing Prince Eric. Do these evil adult female figures influence children’s understanding of adult females in their own lives? Should we be concerned that these movies could potentially be influencing young children that their mothers or other adult females are bad people? |
Perhaps I am looking too closely at the way gender roles are portrayed in the Disney movies. I may be over analyzing these ideas but then again Disney does play a significant role in many children’s lives and definitely influences their views in some ways. Perhaps it is important for parents and teachers to discuss the roles that characters play in these movies after the children watch the movies to make the ideas clear and to make sure children are not getting the wrong ideas about what to believe in. Maybe parents and teachers should review the lessons that are taught in the movies as a way to help children understand that not every adult female is evil and that not every girl has to act like Ariel to marry the man she loves.
We can also take a look at the male figures in the Disney movies to understand how gender roles are portrayed. In the Disney princess movies, the princes are distinguished as the heroes. Although viewers don’t learn a much about most of the princes we do see them save the princesses in the end of the movies. For instance in the movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs we don’t learn much at all about prince but in the end of the movie he kisses Snow White and awakens her, breaking the spell that was cast upon her by the evil Queen. In the movie, Cinderella the prince finds Cinderella by having all the young girls try on the glass slipper and finding the girl that it belongs to. In the end Cinderella and Prince Charming get married, saving Cinderella from having to be with her wicked stepmother and step sisters. The men are depicted as hero’s that save the females, but the females could not be saved by anyone but the princes. The princes are characterized as strong, powerful and good looking. These are characteristics of the males who win the beautiful princesses in the ends of the Disney princess movies.
Understanding the way Disney portrays gender roles in their movies can be helpful for both parents and teachers to understand why their children act particular ways. It can be useful information for teachers to also incorporate into lesson plans. Perhaps you want to teach children about different characteristics, Disney movies can be useful in giving students examples of the different characteristics people can have. Understanding how the Disney Corporation influences children can help you as a parent, future parent, teacher or future teacher understand how other movies, television shows and media influence your children. Taking the time to look closely at what your children are viewing shows that you truly care about your child and their growth as an individual.