Preview

Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Gender Stereotypes in Disney Films

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1109 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Gender Stereotypes in Disney Films
Mickey Mouse Monopoly

Gender:

1. There are many gender stereotypes present in Disney films. Some of the most common ones are seen in almost all main characters. The women have big breasts, small waists, fluttering eyelashes, they are also very seductive and use their sexuality to get what they want. Women are seen as weak and being the “damsel in distress.” For male characters in Disney, they are always seen as heroic, tough men, with chiselled chins, outrageous muscles and the perfect overall body. They are always seen as the ideal perfect man. Many Disney movies including The Little Mermaid, The Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella demonstrate that to be happy, men and women have to have the “ideal” physique.

2. I believe that stereotyping between male and female characters in Disney films is even but female characters face harsher severity of stereotyping. I find gender stereotyping to be more pronounced in female characters because in movies, females are portrayed as big breasted, thin waist, seductive and wearing skimpy to little clothed. For example, in Aladdin, Jasmine becomes very seductive, bats her eyelashes, with breast out, and a coy smile in order to distract someone and get what she wants. Thus creating several notions of what femininity should be. Also, females have it worse because no matter what Disney movie, the men are always considered the dominant ones, while women are still fighting for independence and strength in female characters.

3. The gender portrayals in Disney films have gotten worse over time. In every Disney movie females are portrayed as skinny, big breasted, “weak” women compared to male characters that are stereotyped as the saviors, extremely muscular and strong. We see movies like, Malian, which demonstrates a strong leading female character, but it is at the expense of others things, for example, the oppression in China that is shown in Malian.

4. Hollywood executives are white males because in almost

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Content analysis will be used to see the portrayal of gender role in Disney princess films.The coding procedure that will used for this study is based on (England, Descartes, & Collier-Meek, 2011). In addition, comparative analysis will also be done to observe any differences that are present in the Disney princess films with respect to their color.…

    • 393 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    This author, Peggy Orenstein talks about and argues that the isolation of boys and girls are pretty relevant through the commercialization of Disney films and toys when all is said in done. Disney and toy organizations are promoting gender roles as a hidden topic in the matter of what boys and girls ought to partake and be. The view of Disney films creates what girls and boys should and shouldn't make strive toward in the public eye. Orenstein demonstrates that gender roles are made through the utilization of Disney motion pictures. The one point I might want to grow and remark on is the commercialization of the Disney princesses Orenstein discusses with her friends.…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When examining an individual’s appearance, what are the first few characteristics that you identify? Is it their gender? How about their race, or social class? As a society we immediately categorize each other; we classify every aspect of our personalities and presentations. If a certain characteristic of an individual seems to deviate from the social ‘norm’, we cast that individual off and claim them to be different from us. But who are we, and where has our society received these notions of right and wrong? It is important to note that reality is completely relative and totally depends on the culture and the time period. Reality is also fluid and ever changing. It continues to evolve as society either agrees or disagrees on what is acceptable. Today, the media plays a vital role in portraying who and what members of our society should be. Disney has been around for generations and continues to be a dominant media conglomerate that aids in gender socialization of our youth while also painting a vivid…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I do agree that Disney does follow a lot of the Gender stereotypes. In Disney, Women have to be really skinny and white to be beautiful, which is not true they focus on outer beauty and not inner beauty. They are teaching little girls beauty is being white and skinny that is resulting in an image and standards set for girls. I totally disagree with that and think Beauty should vary and not be just be white and skinny. In "The little Mermaid" many stereotypes are involved involving Ariel and her prince. They teach the idea of changing who you are to be with someone and not following the idea of "being yourself". They teach the idea that women are submissive. I think symbolically it even goes deeper to say that women give up their voice to be…

    • 338 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Media plays an important role in the depiction and construction of gender. Several studies exist which have focused on gender role portrayals and gender stereotyping appearing in the media. Considering this phenomenon, gender stereotyping is not only displayed in commercials or other television programs, but these can also be found in media products directed towards children. One of the issues , which is of great interest to many researchers is that even fairy tales, like cartoons and animation films, present male and female characters portrayed stereotypically (Robinson et al. 2006:203). Fairy tales have been the first kind of literature with which children…

    • 103 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Snow White Gender Analysis

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages

    For generations, Walt Disney films have been a “must watch” by parents, children and their families. However, these people may not see the hidden meanings behind Disney films. Currently, children are constantly exposed to media and opinions inherently presented within television, films, radio, books and more. Disney films are no exception. The films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty all reinforce traditional gender roles, and the idea that lightness is supreme and will help when it comes to goodness conquering evil.…

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    By listening to all of speeches that were presented in class, I was able to hear that in Natalie’s speech, we both mentioned how people stereotype females when playing sports as she had mentioned that the movie Shes the man quoted, ‘Girls aren’t as fast, strong or athletic than boys’ and I have mentioned that we stereotype girls at sports as we assumed they run in a crazy matter and are worrying about their hair. Both Melanie and I also stated that we stereotype boys and girls in Disney films. This can be seen as I discussed in my speech that from the image of Belle, it is shown how she has a long, slim neck, an impossibly thin waist and a narrow wrist. Melanie, on the other hand, has mentioned that when going out on special occasions, women…

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lopreore finds that Disney seemed to have stuck with what they know best and since it sells, they never really veered from it. Moreover, Lopreore in an article, we learn that girls may follow in the footsteps of the gender roles that are exhibited from Disney Princesses. She states Disney princesses tend to “emphasize the importance of physical attractiveness and dutifulness in women, whereas the important qualities in the male characters included leadership and exploration” (11). This becomes problematic for both genders, because girls would begin to limit themselves in what they can do, like Collins stated, when they watch their favorite characters are only doing domestic work; furthermore, boys would grow up expecting women to do all the housework, and believe that they are far more superior than women are. Lopreore writes, “when such popular character such as the prince and princesses in Disney movies are portrayed in rigid, stereotypic roles, the children inspired by the characters are left with limited choices for the role - models” (11). These implications that are seen from the prince and princesses of Disney movies can greatly mold the child’s future and their perception of the opposite…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A young princess is stolen from her parents by a vain old witch in the dead of night. The magical long haired princess, Rapunzel, is locked up in a tower only to be discovered by a thief on the run. Her world is flipped upside down, by finding out secrets, going on an adventure of a lifetime and falling in love. Walt Disney’s Tangled is a modern day take on the German fairy tale Rapunzel that revolves around a princess with long hair. Walt Disney films are a classic childhood staple for young boys and girls alike. They are exciting, colourful and will pull at your heart strings, yet serve valuable life lessons. Disney has made a tremendous impact on the lives of children by teaching them they can achieve anything they put their minds to, to…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Stereotyping females creates a domino effect that leads to maintaining gender inequality. The film industry's long standing portrayals of female stereotypes have socially normalized these ideas. Normalizing females stereotypes pose an issue for women because it implies inferiority in the community. Socially accepted ideas seem to be normal and become strange to contradict. Thus, causing the continuation of gender inequality. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey's book, "Women's Lives: Multicultural Perspectives" explains why circumstances that cause inequality are effective. "Maintaining systems of inequality requires ongoing objectification and dehumanization of subordinate peoples. Appropriating their identities is a particularly effective method of doing this, for it defines who the subordinated group/ person is or ought to be" (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey, 2013, p. 106). The passage explains that a method that maintain inequality need to portray the oppressed as either objects and less than human because it effectively labels the oppressed. The film industry's use of stereotypes for storytelling has become a method of inequality that labels females as inferior. As the film industry continues to use female stereotypes the more normal the idea of female inferiority in the social community will become. Ultimately continuing gender…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many will argue that movies starring women don’t sell. Disney has been proving them wrong by making more female-centered films, including the animated hits Frozen and Inside Out and the “live-action” Maleficent, Tomorrowland, Cinderella and Beauty and the…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Disney is a very popular company. Many of us grew up watching their movies and shows. Many of us don’t see what they are doing until we have grown up and become exposed to how women are not treated equal. Disney has many movies with showed many things be seen as stated here, “the author cited numerous examples of both sexism and racism in the films, specifically noting the heroines’ extremely pale skin tones, small waists, delicate limbs, and full breast. (England 556)” They have the image of women to be light skin, skinny, and mainly be more attractive to men. Disney shows that women need be the person to get the help, not them helping themselves. In many movies you will see the ‘princess’ will be confronted with some problem that…

    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sexism In Disney Movies

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This paper explores the ideas brought up by many different articles about Disney movies and their effect on the thoughts and behaviours that children possess and how these thoughts and behaviours effect the way they communicate. The research found was mostly based on observations of certain behaviours in various popular Disney movies. The topics brought up by the articles were that Disney portrays sexist and racist behaviours, questionable gender roles, indirect aggression, negative body images, and plenty more. The argument is that these movies display these topics to our children which causes them to learn to adopt the mindsets and behaviours that come with them through the social learning theory. Many different movies such as Fantasia, Dumbo,…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Shame of Family Films

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This article made me think back to the movies I watched as a child and I realized that a lot of those movies were also sexist. Many of the movies were and are made with traditional gender roles set in them. They portrayed a feeble main female character that was saved by a strong male character or a main character was a very strong minded male who was assisted by a female sidekick. I agree with Baird that there is a lack of heroines in children’s movies. Many children may continue to follow the traditional gender roles because of the movies they watch. Boys will think that they are suppose to be strong, powerful, and intelligent and the girls will think that they have to be weak and that even if they are strong and have power, a male will always have more power. I would like to see more female characters in children’s movies not abiding by the traditional gender roles because…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    1. My narrowed topic is "women (princesses) in Walt Disney Films and their impact on young American girls" and I think it is related to popular culture because Disney princess films are popular in America. There is a larger social issue related to women in Walt Disney films because of how Disney princesses look and act. Majority of Disney princesses have unrealistic body shapes that young girls find beautiful and want to achieve. This can lead to low self-esteem in young girls and the development of eating disorders. Moreover, Disney male characters tend to overpower princesses which may lead to young girls believing that men have the right to do that. I am looking for sources to represent every angle.…

    • 291 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays