In most Disney movies, the princesses are depicted as morally loose and naïve, rebelling against their parents and relying only on their emotions. The princesses seem to always want what they can’t have. For example, Ariel from The Little Mermaid falls in love with the human, Prince Eric and wishes to be with him. However the only way she could do that is if she leaves her family behind and joins the human world, which her father disapproves of as he thinks humans are dangerous. This is seen when he says, “you could’ve been seen by one of those barbarians by by one of those humans!’ referring to the time when Ariel disobeyed him and went up to the ocean’s surface (TheLittleMermaid, 23:43). After being told multiple times about the dangers …show more content…
In Disney movies, the concept of true love and love at first sight is prevalent. Most Disney princesses meet a prince and instantly fall in love. Giselle, from the movie Enchanted, is one example of a princess who is confused about love, believing that love occurs at first sight and that a man is needed to complete the purpose of a woman’s life. This is seen when she sings “I’ve been dreaming of a true love’ kiss and a prince I’m hoping comes with this. That’s what makes everaftering so happy,” showing how she reasons that a prince is needed to feel complete and have that happy ever after life (Enchanted, 5:02). Every Disney princess as her prince and through this, Disney shows that women rely on men or need a man to be happy. The effect this has on the viewers is disappointment. This is because the viewers, men or women, will feel that they are obligated to find their true love and get married, as if they don’t then their life will not be complete and they will then be considered failures. Therefore this shows how Disney stereotypes women and also shows its effect on the viewers. Additionally, Disney stereotypes women as helpless and emotionally weak, as seen through the actions of the princesses. Whenever a princess struggles with something or is let down, she immediately throws herself against something (bed, floor) and sobs (shaking) in a statement of physical and mental …show more content…
The majority of Disney male roles concentrate mainly on the supremely macho “Alpha Male” mentality. This can be seen in the Disney film Beauty and The Beast when Gaston, the self-centered man is prided with how manly he is; singing, “As you can see I have biceps to spare; not a bit of (me) is scraggly or scrawny” referring to his body image (GastonSong, 2:15). This stresses the importance of physical beauty in men, explicating that in order to be a man one must be tough, suave, and muscular. Hercules is another perfect example of the macho gender depicted by Disney, as he has strong big muscles, slick hair, and a sexy cleft chin. This promotes a certain masculine look, as it shows that in order to get the girl and be happy, one must possess these qualities. Additionally, Captain Shang from the film Mulan depicts the macho male by not showing any emotion. He is firm and tough and the effect this has on the viewers is misunderstanding. This is because the viewers will misinterpret masculinity, believing that a man must be strong, tall, and assertive and that crying or showing emotion is a sign of weakness (which it is not). Furthermore, men in Disney movies usually claim the spotlight even when the story being told is not theirs. For example according to Cliff Leek, creator of the Sociology Lens website, “Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and