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The media impact on society
How does disney influence gender roles
The impact of disney films on children
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The media impact on society
How does disney influence gender roles
The impact of disney films on children
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Recommended: The media impact on society
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.
For example, racism. Racism has always been a part of American history. Disney has always been sensitive to social issues such as racism. But Disney is also a company trying to please the masses, and since back then that kind of racism was widely accepted and not considered offensive. The jungle book (1967) is one of characterization movies changed over time.
Gender role changes in The Lego Movie, start with the main character Emmet, played by Chris Pratt, starts out as a beta male. Just an average guy who conforms to all norms and goes along with all the other people without thinking twice. This is proven when he’s reading a book on how to be “normal” and how to fit in. He’s not trying to be his own person but just trying to be like everyone else and to conform to norms. Towards the end of the movie Emmet begins to lead and take charge of the group and becomes more of an alpha male.
This distinction is ingrained in the minds of young people very early on with children’s shows and animated films. In fact, between 1937 and 2005 there were only 19 female protagonists in animated films, and all except one had the aspiration of finding romance. It is no wonder that young girls grow up believing the societal constructions of gender roles as these portrayals of women waiting for their knight in shining armor have been spoon-fed to them since infancy. Another example in the documentary which highlights the misrepresentation of women is the portrayal women in films of the 1920’s through 1940’s juxtaposed with the women in films today.
The 2001 film Spy Kids is about two children Carmen and Juni Cortez who must save their parents who are spies captured by a children’s television star by the name of Floop. Carmen and Juni are often at odds with each other with their contrasting personalities. Carmen is an independent and confident older sister while Juni is the scared and younger brother who makes frequent mistakes. Compared to the analyzes of children’s books done by Lenore Weitzman in her journal Sex-Role Socialization in Picture Books for Preschool Children and the release of Spy Kids it is apparent that great progress has been made over the years in the dynamics of gender roles shown in the media.
Media’s influence on society and perpetuation of different ideologies has been a highly debated issue especially in this time of accelerated technological advancement where media surrounds us. One of the most quickly popularized forms of media is the video game industry that provides audience an interactive option of entertainment. Disney’s Pixar realized how popular and powerful this industry was and integrated it into their 2012 film Wreck-It Ralph. This type of media cross over leaves itself open to interpretation from many different angles because it involves ideologies from both cultures.
This thought has never crossed my mind before because I, myself, took ‘gender’ as a natural phenomenon. Gender is a product of socialization. It is cultural roles and personality characteristics that are labeled appropriate for men and women (lecture). Gender facilitates normative accountability: “structures that are in place to “correct” people’s gender non-conforming behaviours” (Johnson). Normative accountability and gender expectations were big issues children in the film faced.
City of Chillicothe The locality chosen is the city of Chillicothe, Ohio and the following is social and economic information on the location as per the 2010 United States Census Bureau. The education differences in men and women is based on a 5 year estimates and according to the U.S. Cenus and American FactFinder the education differences in educational attainment for the locality of Chillicothe, Ohio is pretty close in percentage of high school grads and a higher education. It shows that men have high school graduate then women do.
Disney Company is notoriously known for making revolutionary cartoon movies that always gets the kid’s attention and win their hearts. The vast majority of their movie are targeting kids, kids under the age of 15, who are unbeknownst to the hidden messages about the movie(s) they’re watching. For example, The Disney film Sleeping Beauty, the main character Aurora was cursed to be sleeping forever by an evil witch. And Prince Phillip is bound to kiss her for a “true love’s kiss” and wakes up. It is pretty evident at the ending that the prince kissed Aurora without consent and she had no idea that it was going to happen for she was asleep.
American actress Marilyn Monroe once said, “I don't mind living in a man's world, as long as I can be a woman in it.” (Monroe 22) In Disney’s The Little Mermaid, it is evident women are vapid and submissive because of the divisions of labour and separate spheres which is depicted; through the feminist theory, the applications of Jack Campbell’s Monomyth, and Northrop Frye’s three levels of language.
Blasphemy! How can parents possibly choose to make their children watch Disney movies? Disney movies have been a part of millions of people’s childhood. All the adventurous stories, “innocent roles”, and happy endings may seem harmless, but they are affecting the audience’s mind by sending the wrong message. Disney movies are negative for the viewers, and aren’t beneficial to children because they represent historical inaccuracies, send subliminal messages, and promote sexual activities.
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.
In the movie, Mulan, by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, they use the character, Mulan, to represent feminism and gender roles of women, such as bringing honor to their family through marriage, and how women are deemed to be “inferior” in the eyes of men, for example, when women are not able to participate in war, allowing Mulan to act and fight for what she believes is to be right. Although having a feeling of superiority over women, men tend to act more based on pride and honor than what they believe is to be just, thus making them seem unruly and disgusting. During the ancient Chinese Dynasty, many of the women were looked down upon, making the men have a feeling of superiority over them. Men are usually portrayed to uphold the family honor
Gender roles have been noticeable in Disney films especially the Disney Princess series. Women are typically portrayed as a princess, homemaker, or queen while men are portrayed as strong, dominant and authority characters. The portrayal of the prince or knights in the movies usually highlighted with the strong and powerful characteristic, whereas the Disney princesses are weak, vulnerable and being protected. According to Tiffany, gender stereotypes and behaviours illustrations are very common in Disney culture and their depictions have become sophisticated over the years especially those of female characters.
Disney creates a mindset that anything is possible and that fairytales do come true. When children watch Disney movies, they form a Utopia an imaginary word in which everything is good and there are no problems and even if there are the people can always win. When I was young I was fascinated by the Disney movies and I still am. They provide us with a perception of a better life. Children are the same their perception is made