Walt Disney Stereotypes

Throughout history, women have been portrayed as submissive characters in all forms of stories. This is evident in the Disney versions of commonly known fairy tales, especially Sleeping Beauty. Not only are the female characters most often subservient to the domineering male characters, but they are frequently passive as well.

Born December 5, 1901, Hermosa, Chicago, IL, Walt Disney was one of five children- four boys and a girl. His family had little money and he had a stern father. In spite of this, he was encouraged by his older brother and his mom. It is evident that Disney’s stories were highly influenced by his upbringing as an overriding patriarchal tone is one of the most common themes in his retelling of fairy tales. Disney’s Sleeping

Due to the time at which it was produced, existential influences on Disney’s Sleeping Beauty augmented the preexisting sexism. In the Perrault, Basile and Grimm version, Sleeping Beauty is “blessed” with desirable looks. As recorded in La Belle au bois dormant, “The youngest [fairy] ordained that she should be the most beautiful person in the world; the next, that she should have the temper of an angel; the third, that she should do everything with wonderful grace; the fourth, that she should dance to perfection; the fifth, that she should sing like a nightingale; and the sixth, that she should play every kind of music with the utmost skill.”[ Charles Perrault, Perrault's Fairy Tales. Trans. A. E. Johnson (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1969), pp. 3-21.] Beauty is often highly regarded in many cultures, and as portrayed by Sleeping Beauty, is a woman’s only means of power. In spite of also receiving things such as “grace,” the ability to “dance to perfection,” and so on, she is not given any meaningful/useful qualities that actually give her character depth. If she had been given what is now considered prized characteristics such as cognitive strength, wit, or bravery, her character would have been controversial to her time period as only a man is best “fitted” for having those attributes. “Children’s fairy tales, which emphasize such things as women’s passivity and beauty, are indeed gendered

Disney uses this theme in his movie Sleeping Beauty, where Aurora and Prince Philip dance as well, but they additionally are in the woods singing together. Disney calls it by a different name, “Once Upon A Dream.” The lyrics are fairly shallow, and also representative of Aurora and Prince Philip’s relationship. “You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.”[ Jack, Lawrence, Once Upon A Dream, Walt Disney Music Company, January 29, 1959] It is evident that their “love” is a superficial one, being that it not only will it happen again immediately, but it’s only preexisting form was in a