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The Little Mermaid: Gender Stereotypes

2329 Words10 Pages

At some point in life, being a Disney princess was every females’ dream. Their kindness, courage, and beauty is thought to provide a safe culture for children (Mcbride, 2016) Not to mention, their flawless appearance and their happily ever after makes the princess culture. For these reasons, parents perceive the Disney as quality family entertainment (Buckingham, 1997). But in actuality, princesses may not be the most positive role models for young viewers.
The issue associated with Disney Princesses movies is that their usual gender stereotyped as the submissive female who falls in love with a man to live happily ever after. Birbeck and her colleagues assessed the princess culture in 198 preschoolers (male and female), 96% of females and …show more content…

Her father, King Triton, forbids Ariel from meeting a human, so she finds other ways to connect with humans. Ariel steals possessions from poor women and men lost at sea from shipwrecks. During the movie, Ariel goes to her secret grotto to store her stolen treasures. Over the a period of time, Ariel has stolen thousands of possessions. Although she is caught stealing by her friend, Sebastian, Ariel struggles to stop compulsively stealing items from humans. She simply calls the items “her collection” instead of admitting that she is a …show more content…

In this case, does not have her happy ending until she received her legs; Ariel’s a mental disorder handicapped Ariel’s ability to learn how to accept her flaws. Also, Ariel’s infatuation with humans causes her to become a kleptomaniac when stealing from shipwrecked victims. The idea of having a princess as a role model for young viewers with a chronic theft pattern should not be accepted in society.
In the movie Beauty and the Beast (1991), a princess named Belle is ostracized in her small town in France for being an illiterate woman. One day, her father, Maurice, gets lost in the woods and goes into a secluded castle for shelter. A beast resides in the castle and mistakes Maurice for an intruder, so the Beast locks him away as his prisoner. Belle goes looking for her father and goes inside the same castle only to be confronted by the beast, as well. Belle sees her father sick and weak and offers to take his place as the Beast's prisoner. The Beast accepts Belle’s

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712 Words | 3 Pages

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1155 Words | 5 Pages

As one of the most influential entertainment producers, Disney dominates the global market for ages attracting the countless audience around the world. However, Disney’s most famous “‘princess’ fairy tale stories” (Barker, 2010, p. 492) are criticized for racism and sexism. In 2007, Disney confirmed production of the film, The Princess and the Frog, featuring the first African-American Disney princess, Tiana. For Disney this film was the response to the accusation of racism and sexism represented in its animation. Also, it was filled with African American parents’ anticipation and excitement who longed for a non-stereotypical black woman on the screen (Breaux, 2010, p. 399).

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However, the later Disney films have gradually attempted to break away from this stereotype resulting in stronger female characters like Ariel, Mulan, and Elsa among others. Keeping this transition in mind, this paper uses semiotic analysis of four popular Disney films, namely, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Little Mermaid (1989) and Mulan (1998) to depict the influence of societies ' changing perceptions of women on the portrayal of Disney princesses. These films taking into account the earliest film and certain popular characters that have represented a shift from being the coy damsel in distress to a woman who plays an active role in determining her own destiny. The portrayal of the Disney princess has changed in accordance with the development of women in society over time (1937 to 2013) from demure and traditional to

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1393 Words | 6 Pages

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Representation Of Disney Princesses In The Media By Isabelle Gill

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In today's society, the issue of gender roles has always been divisive and is still a source of contention for many. Remarks made about women in the media and even in person have always presented difficulties for women. Isabelle Gill writes about the prejudice that women still experience today and how it affects how princesses are perceived. Her article's goal was to highlight the distinctions between men and women in Disney tales. Isabelle talks about how princesses in movies receive unfair criticism and why they should be given more credit.

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1432 Words | 6 Pages

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1025 Words | 5 Pages

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1285 Words | 6 Pages

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1690 Words | 7 Pages

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