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Examples Of Sexism In Disney Movies

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The Change of Sexism in Disney Movies

Disney has created many incredibly beautiful films over the years from Snow White in 1937 to The Little Mermaid in 1989 to Mulan 1998 all the way to Frozen in 2013. All these wonderfully made movies that have given many girls of all age’s dreams, aspirations and determination. But there was always something twisted in the Disney movies made back then compared to now. The main character women were portrayed as a weak, damsels in distress, always needed saving and were never were heroes.

In the beginning of romantic Disney films the “Snow White and the seven Dwarfs movie was about a beautiful princess dreaming of one day marrying a prince. Throughout the entire movie she is seen being weak and frightened …show more content…

When she confronts the Dwarfs about her staying at their house, she lists all the things she will do for them; like cleaning and making food. A known fact that back then women belonged in the house or the kitchen so they will cook dinner for their husbands. After the dwarfs gladly accepted the request she was found by the evil step-mother and was attacked by her resulting to her being in a deep sleep, almost like death. While that happens the Dwarfs ends up killing the witch and the prince Snow White has been dreaming about comes and saves her by kissing her. For Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty” She was fast asleep throughout the entire movie, and in the end the prince fought and saved her. Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” wanted to be a grown women and make her own choices – like any 16 year old would want to do, but then she goes against it by selling her own Voice to be with a guy. Before Ariel is turned into a human, she asks the sea witch how she will be able to talk to her so called “love”, and the witch tells her that as long as she has a pretty face and a knowledgeable use of her body language that any man will fall for her. Not only did she tell her that she mentions that men do not

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Rhetorical Analysis Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and many other Disney movies all have one thing in common, they feature a female lead who need a male figure to save them. However, things started to change after the release of Mulan 1988. It changed from only having those female leads who always needed to rely on someone, to females who were able to show off their more masculine side. In the article “Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Pixar/Disney,” Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Wooden explored the idea that Pixar movies were starting to show male characters who weren 't afraid to show their emotions and feminine attributes, to promote the “New Man” model.

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785 Words | 4 Pages

She continues telling Snow-White that she is simply selling things but what Snow-White doesn’t realize is that the “elderly woman” is really her stepmother who is trying to poison her with the items she is “selling”. Snow-White is successfully manipulated by her stepmother in disguise several times and the dwarves keep having to save her each time she is poisoned. A similar pattern of deception also occurs in the film, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, when Snow-White’s stepmother disguises herself as an elderly woman and brings Snow-White a poisoned apple that she claims is really a magic apple that is able to grant wishes. And once again, Snow-White is deceived into taking a bite and being poisoned. This time though, the dwarves are unable to wake her and her stepmother is granted a sense of relief for a short while, before Snow White is awakened by a kiss from the

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1343 Words | 6 Pages

From its onset with its first feature-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, Disney has grown to become a worldwide phenomenon today. But over the years, various parent groups, scholars and film critics have accused Disney for creating shallow, stereotypical princesses whose ultimate aim was to find her 'prince charming ' and live happily ever after. In her article, “What’s Wrong With Cinderella?” in the New York Times, Peggy Orenstein expresses her concern over the effect of princess figures like Cinderella on young girls ' perceptions of themselves and how they should behave (“What’s Wrong With Cinderella?”).

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1393 Words | 6 Pages

The Little Mermaid: Hegemonic Femininity The transition from a girl to a woman is created by the socially constructed ideals of femininity often depicted in commercials, books, and mainly films. One of the famous animated princess Disney films, The Little Mermaid can be easily added to yet another Disney film portraying hegemonic femininity. In the 1989 film The Little Mermaid, (Ron Clements, John Musker) a beautiful, young mermaid is willing to make a risky deal with an evil sea-witch because she yearns to walk on land and fall in love with a Prince, while secretly the sea-witch wishes for the mermaid to lose the deal. Ultimately, mermaid ends up achieving her dream of marrying the Prince, although the evil sea-witch tries to destroy the plan.

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475 Words | 2 Pages

Although there was still a general prejudice against women, they had a greater chance of living a diverse life. Because of the gain in rights granted to women, it is expected society can move forward from the limitations women had and demonstrate pride. Although this may seem to be the norm, the women in the Disney princess movies take away from women's rights and move a step backwards. Shortly after women start to seek light at the end of the tunnel, Cinderella was released in 1950, which took away from the success for women.

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590 Words | 3 Pages

“Oh, and Snow White,” she walks in my room, “We shall meet in two days to discuss this.” I agree and I run to the woods to find the dwarfs. Once I meet them I tell them my story and they agree to help. “All my life, the queen has put me down. This will be the last time, I’m going to stay strong.”

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772 Words | 4 Pages

When reading Anne Sexton and the Grimm’s versions of the tale the reader may begin to be very disappointed and think there has to be more to Snow White than her “China-blue doll eyes” (Schacker et al., 386). Even her name, Snow White, is nothing more than a simple description of her appearance. The dwarves and prince in the story see her as nothing more than pretty to look at. They even refer to her as an “it” in several instances; for example, in the Grimm’s version of the tale, it says, “But the dwarfs answered, ‘We won’t give it up for all the gold in the world.’” (Schacker et al.,

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People enjoyed the star-crossed lovers aspect of The Little Mermaid but are confused by the element in Beauty and the

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Snow White as a child had nurtured a injured bird back to health, so the birds continuously look after her well being. The color of the horse represents freedom from oppression. The dark forest is a place where people must come face to face with what they fear the most. The huntsman was the sidekick that helps the damsel in distress as he represents the knight in shining armor. After escaping with the huntsman when they are attacked by the troll, the huntsman ordered her to leave, and even though she was to told to

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766 Words | 4 Pages

Date back in 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was actually achieved great commercial success as it suited the taste of people at that time. However, does it still retains the power of giving delight or arousing our admiration? 2. Is story still workable in our real life nowadays? First, Snow White is no longer workable in our real life nowadays, since the story ignoring the fact that more and more women are independent and the phenomenon of being marriage-free.

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1690 Words | 7 Pages

The Little Mermaid which was produced in 1989, was the first Disney movie to challenge the traditional gender roles, for the fact that Ariel wanted to explore, and was more independent and assertive in her desires than the earlier princesses of the 1930’s and 50s films. Also the prince in The Little Mermaid went against traditional gender roles as well, simply because he was more affectionate and loving than his prince counterparts in other Disney films. “Both the male and female roles have changed over time, but overall the male characters evinced less change then the female characters and were more androgynous throughout.” (Descartes & England, pg.566). Disney movies have been for a long time a strong media target for children, and can serve as a way to address stereotypical gender roles (Leaper, 2000).

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524 Words | 3 Pages

Putnam explains that when her daughter asks questions about gender norms (boys having long hair, etc...), she knows that this is because of influences like Disney that establish and reestablish ‘correct’ gender standards in many of their films.

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1059 Words | 5 Pages

In various Cinderella folktales, Cinderella is constantly given house chores to do. Women’s dutiful job consisted of cleaning and working around the house like Cinderella. In Germany folktale of Cinderella, the daughter Cinderella was given much difficult work around the house. Grimm explains, “then the poor child had to do the most difficult work. She had to get up before sunrise, carry water, make the fire, cook, and wash” (Cinderella).

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1262 Words | 6 Pages

Because of her realization that she is not in upper class anymore, she had to take on the role of a proletarian by cooking and cleaning for the dwarfs. Snow White is now struggling again with her life because she has no choice but to work for them. If she did not listen to the dwarfs, she would have no place to live, and the evil queen would kill her. Because of their economic struggle of not being able to afford a large home, an additional member to their house, it is a new problem for dwarfs because they have to feed her. Therefore, in order to let her stay there, she has to work for them.

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When I came back I was happy but i had a little bit of regret. That regret was gone as soon as I asked, “ The magic mirror who is the prettiest of them all.” It answered, “ Snow white is now that she has been seen, You 're still the second prettiest my queen.” She had enough. Back at the cottage, The dwarves just saved Snow White by cutting her lace in two.

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