Gender Roles in Disney Movies

Gender Roles in Disney Movies

It is undeniable that the company that is leading to many generations in their child age is Disney. Who does not remember Mickey and Minnie Mouse?, Who has not thrown a tear when Snow White was poisoned by the evil witch?, Who did not want to ever be in the place of handsome John Smith or Pocahontas herself to revive their love story?, that tender these films, is not it, for example the Little Mermaid and Sebastian the crab song, who does not remember that song from "under the sea"? Has anybody ever wondered why the dwarves themselves did not do the housework when they came home once Snow White "moved in" with them? Or why an Indian as Pocahontas, falls for a murderer of thousands of his countrymen as was John Smith? Or why witches are always bad? Or why women are always in the background in these films (Hubka, Hovdestad & Tonmyr, 2009)?

The world of Disney Princess began in 1937 when Snow White entered the world with the Seven Dwarfs (McRobbie, 2008). Since then it continued to add princesses in this world and the most recent movie was Tangled (Rapunzel) in 2011. In the past years, due to the lack of portraying ethnicity, Disney movie makers were highly criticized by their audience. Therefore, Pocahontas appeared in 1995 and after three years in 1998 came Mulan, which created a racially diverse collection of Disney princesses. After a decade The Princess and the Frog was released in 2009. It is important to understand that Disney plays an important role in societies today. The company has many princess films and has portrayed an image of different genders which is very well penetrated in the minds of children (Disney Princess, 2010). According to B. Davies masculinity and femininity are not properties inherent in individuals, although there is inherent or structural property our society that is, arising from social action and at the same time, the condition (Calvert & Huston, 1987).

Beauty and the Beast

There are about 26 characters in the movie out of which 8 are female and the male characters are 18. Bella is beautiful, dreamy, hardworking, curious, weak, brave, assiduous reader of fantasy novels and sweet voice. Girls of the people are lush, beautiful, flirty, silly or unintelligent at all costs and seek a husband. Women (the people) are plump, with apron and basket, do not talk much and most just out shopping. Women always comes closet converted into smiling, his voice is very sweet and shy (Klein, Shiffman & Welka, 2000). Mrs. Pott is a good mother, a good person, hardworking, perfectionist, chubby (like all women of a certain age in the movie. The woman duster is lush, sexy, not talk too much, just be seduced (is a parallel with the village women). However on the other hand, Gaston is strong, fearless, not smart, hunter, no manners, smug, evil, calculating. Beast is at first rude, cocky dirty, neglected, is an evil. After the arrival of Bella to the castle is transformed into a more polite, gentle, until after the spell becomes handsome. Assistant Gaston is short, fat, evil, no personality and charming (Coltrane & Shih, 2010).

Father of Bella is short, chubby, his profession is a scientist, and people say that's a little crazy. Gaston Assistant little round, fat and ugly (Li-Vollmer & LaPointe, 2003). Ding-dong is stiff, chubby and grumpy. Lumiere is slim, seductive and fun. Bella is dreamy, nice and quiet. Girls are silly and fanciful. Mrs. Pott is good, sweet and perfectionist. Gaston is evil, arrogant, calculating and stubborn. Beast in the beginning was foolish, arrogant, evil, but eventually became good and kind. Ding-dong is stiff and insecure. Lumiere is daring and seductive. Bella's father is good, clueless and intelligent. The stereotypes linked to female characters in Disney movies are (Coltrane, 2004):

* Pretty girls are dumb.

* Women only help the husband, or engage in home and children.

* Women can express their feelings.

* Women should not read.

Stereotypes linked to male characters (Lacroix, 2004):

* Handsome guy silly

* Men