Essay Gender Roles in Disney - 1174 Words

Tokio Nakamoto Mrs. Kish AP Language and Composition 28 March 2011 Role of Gender in Disney In the diverse society of today, the topic of equal rights and equal treatment of every person is a heavily focused and pronounced topic. With time and tremendous amount of effort by many advocates of civil rights, the enormous rift between races and genders have minimized to fractions of what it used to be. This change of belief from the white male supremacy to the diverse equality is a significant turning point of the world history. Not even 100 years ago, women were not able to vote and were supposed to stay at home while the husband, the man of the household, went out and worked for the family. Within the past few decades, women and men†¦show more content†¦In The Beauty and The Beast, Belle was helpless when chased by a pack of wolves when looking for her father. With the help of the Beast, she was able to escape, but she would have been a feast to the starving wolves if it was not for the help of the male character. Princess Aurora from The sle eping Beauty depends on the recue from the handsome Prince Phillip to be awakened to from her cursed sleep. Disney films, proven from these scenes represent women as a weak dependant figure always in need of assistance by men. As well as the story lines of many films, the roles, the behaviors and the looks of many female characters illustrate the stereotype of a typical woman. In The Beauty and The Beast, all of the women in the village have same dress with an apron, and many of them are seen cleaning, doing laundry, and grocery shopping. They all are tasks of a typical stay home woman whose job is to simply cook for the family and tidy up around the house. Even the main character Belle who is said to be unlike the rest is seen doing laundry in the film. Not only the village people, but the cursed workers in the castle reflect many stereotypes. All of the objects that did the task of a maid were women. The dust cleaning brush who in the end was a maid was a woman. Mrs. Pots who ser ved tea was a woman. These roles of female characters are not only present in The Beauty and The Beast. Many other Disney films like Cinderella and Snow white exemplify the stereotypicalShow MoreRelatedGender Roles Of Disney Films1598 Words   |  7 Pagesyou think of Disney, you think about how everyone lives their happy ever after fairytale. Most Americans grew up with Disney and have a strong connection with the brand. Yet, there is a lot more to a classic Disney film, then what the average American sees the first time viewing. Gender roles, also known as gender stereotypes, are things to be considered appropriate to certain men or women and we are constantly surrounded by them without even realizing it. Cultural gender roles in America haveRead MoreGender Roles in Disney Essay2313 Words   |  10 Pagesand appropriate gender roles that they inevitably try to make sense of. The power of media is very influential especially in the minds of the youth. Disney movies target the youth and plant certain ideas and concepts about social culture into the vulnerable minds of children. Media uses gender to its advantage, just like Disney productions. Humorous caricatures reveal some harsh realities about the portrayal of Disney Princesses in many movies made by the Walt Disney Company. Disney mixes innocenceRead MoreGender Role Portrayal And The Disney Princesses Essay1656 Words   |  7 Pagesinto these films we begin to realize that the Disney princess line, through their story lines and characters are settin g up gender roles for children, essentially educating them on what society deems appropriate for their gender. Many of their movies often portray some stereotypical representation of gender, consistently depicting the heroine as the victim who needs help saving, playing the typical damsel in distress. For many years, the Disney Corporation has created a gold-mined with theirRead MoreDisney s Influence On Young Girls Gender Role And Self Esteem1730 Words   |  7 PagesDISNEY’S INFLUENCE ON YOUNG GIRLS GENDER ROLE AND SELF-ESTEEM Genevie M. Sauceda Texas A M University – San Antonio Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine if a relationship between gender role and self-esteem exist in girls who view Disney Princess movies. Twenty-one elementary fifth grade girl’s ages ten and eleven were questioned on how Disney princess movies influence their perception of gender role and self-esteem. The results suggest there is a relationship between the two variablesRead MoreEssay on How Do Gender Roles Get Portrayed in Disney Films?702 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction A. Definition of Gender Roles A gender role consists of characteristics that refer to a set of social and behavioral norms that are widely considered appropriate for either males or females. Gender roles are different throughout society and cultures. One gains gender roles unconsciously, consciously, or genetically due to cultural rules (Princeton). B. How film characters are seen by the audience Many people view women as weak in hopeless and males as strong and heroic in films. MaleRead MoreGender Roles : The New Man Of Disney / Pixar `` And Dude, You re A Fag1300 Words   |  6 Pagesinterested to know how we get our gender roles. The articles â€Å"Why Do We Make So Much Of Gender?†, â€Å"Post-Princess Models Of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar† and â€Å"Dude, You’re a Fag: Adolescent Masculinity and the Fag Discourse† comply well with this topic. Gender roles have dramatically changed in the past few decades especially the roles of females as in the past they were thought to be the property of men. Stereotypes have played a big part on gender roles. The most common male stereotypes areRead MoreThe Success Of The Multi Million Dollar Disney Corporation Essay1395 Words   |  6 Pagesmulti-million dollar Disney corporation is undeniable. Whether it be through films, books, merchandise, or television advertisements, Disney has considerable impact on children’s lives. One of Disney’s primary influences has been on the construction of children’s perception on gender roles and gender expectations. The influence Disney has on young children has been bought to the attention of critics, who argue these films produce unhealthy, concealed messages to the most vulnerable viewers. Disney is aimed atRead MoreMovie Analysis : Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs1697 Words   |  7 PagesThrough Disney animations Walt Disney has cultivated a society driven by stereotypes on gender roles that have restricted the liberties of young girls and boys alike to explore their own individuality. Disney s brilliance transcended beyond his ability to captivate an audience, his true talent resided within his ability to leave a direct impact on his viewers. As the prominent academic Jack Zipes puts it, The power of Disney s fairytale films does not reside in the uniqueness or novelty of theRead MoreWomen s Role Models For Young Children1531 Words   |  7 Pagesleast heard of a Disney movie. Little girls always wanted to be Cinderella, Snow White, or Belle and the boys Hercules or Aladdin. These characters have been role models for young children for many years. Looking back at Disney films now, they seem a little different. Now, because we are much older we can see how they were setting up gender roles that we are completely comfortable with today. Using Frozen and Hercules as an example, we can teach kids and students about gender roles and what is consideredRead MoreAnalysis Of Disney Films Mulan And Aladdin1393 Words   |  6 PagesStarting its production of films in the early 20th century, Disney has become a very popular company targeting an audience of children and adults. By the 21st century, its films has gone through many changes according to trends during those periods of time, especially with relationships between males and females. Men has always been prominent compared to the women in the movies. Women were displayed to be very dependent on male characters to come rescue them, no signs of independency are apparent