Walt Disney Gender Roles

As you may already know, the Walt Disney Company is a renowned organisation that has brought magic into the hearts of millions around the world for generations since its inception in 1923. Its longevity has been largely attributed to the quality of its productions as well as the positive values it tries to propagate that makes it loved by families and individuals of all ages (Dundes, 2001). Despite Disney’s success in the market, society is constantly changing and as such, it is imperative that Disney keeps up with these changes in order for it to meet its goal of being the world’s chief producer and provider of information and entertainment (The Walt Disney Company, 2016).
In recent years, Disney has been the subject of criticism for its portrayal
Although there has been a shift in recent years to push for feminist ideals in movies such as Mulan, Brave, Rapunzel, and Frozen, Disney must continue this trend and not portray these Disney Princesses as merely fragile creatures but also as strong individuals. In Wiersma’s (2001) analysis of 16 Disney animated films, it was found that gender narratives remained stereotypical in which male characters held a diverse range of jobs ranging from chefs, doctors, and lawyers whereas most female characters were depicted to be more involved in domestic tasks. Although when a female character is the protagonist, she is often portrayed as passive and submissive whereas men are displayed as masculine through how they talk and behave (Li-Vollmer & LaPointe,
This brand identity further entrenches the notion of femininity and gender roles among girls as they have no alternative to turn to (Wohlwend, 2009). A hyper-feminine persona, setting the standard of what it means to be a female, while playing passive roles whose only contribution is to always play the damsel in distress (Giroux, 1999; Bell et al., 1995). These toys then become a metaphor for how females should act and behave, especially to young girls as princesses are supposed to be feminine, gentle, and sensitive. Therefore, it is proposed that a new line called “Disney Heroes” should be introduced that consists of the same characters from the Disney Princesses line. Instead of wearing colourful dresses, this line entails that the princesses wear rugged outfits similar to Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, in order to dissociate them from being delicate creatures and symbolically portraying that despite being princesses, they too are able to go on adventures, a role normally occupied by male