When one thinks of animation, Disney is probably one of the first animation studios to come to mind. They are in fact one of the first and most well known animation companies. Little girls say that they want to be princesses when they grow up, but is wanting to be a pretty little princess really as innocent as it seems? The young daughters have these girly expectations pushed onto them at a very young age; they need to keep their little dresses clean, but God forbid if a young boy picks up a doll or does not feel the need to get his new shirt dirty. Disney in particular really enforces the “be perfect, act perfect” stereotype onto girls with their character models all looking nearly the same. The characters do not necessarily have to look the same; there is much diversity in the men and villains, but all of the princesses look almost exactly alike. This imprints the notion that to be likeable, you must fit these certain standards, which can be damaging to young and impressionable minds. Technology has recently grown exponentially. Gone are the days where every frame has to be hand-drawn. Even in 2D animation, there are …show more content…
programs that have the capability to copy and paste frames and edit them slightly instead of trying to redraw the entire picture, and that does not even begin to cover the 3D technologies. Lino DiSalvo, the head of Frozen’s animation team, commented about the difficulty of animating female characters. Historically speaking, animating female characters are really, really difficult, because they have to go through these range of emotions, but you have to keep them pretty and they’re very sensitive too — you can get them off a model very quickly. So, having a film with two hero female characters was really tough, and having them both in the scene and look very different if they’re echoing the same expression; that Elsa looking angry looks different from Anna being angry. (Amidi) Steven Brown, a professor in the animation industry, stated his take on “Same Face Syndrome in an interview. Same Face Syndrome happens when a company wants to save money on design and begins creating characters with templates. Reusing the same body and face shapes and only editing additional features like hair and clothing. Every time you add a character to a story you have to spend more money on a designer to make a new character design. With animation being such an expensive medium to tell a story, most companies look for any corner you can cut so they can save money and time, reuse designs, reuse backgrounds, and even sometimes reuse animation. (Brown) But why do the faces have to stay “pretty”? No girl, or really no one at all, keeps the same face with every emotion. Their faces get scrunched up with anger, they sometimes get the dimples when they smile, their face contorts with sadness and crying; they do not keep the same face just with furrowed brows, slight smiles, or flowing tears. It is understandable that it saves time and money, but really, with the state that the technologies are in, it doesn’t take that long to create a new model and actually give it a range of facial expressions. The target audience for Disney princesses is little girls, who all look up to the princesses. They all want to be beautiful like Cinderella, or dainty like Snow White. They all want to be exactly like the princesses; this is the problem. Most of the original princesses are carbon copies of each other, with the exact same face and body type, the only things differing being the hair and dress color. These little girls are looking at the princesses and thinking that they absolutely must be like these princesses because it is what it means to “be a girl”. They never even consider that they do not have to cling to the princess image. At this tender young age, children naturally do not have any concept of gender or what makes them a boy or girl, except for what we shove down their throats since practically birth, like the color pink, or what toys they are or are not allowed to play with. They do not develop this “gender permanency” until around six or seven years of age. “Restricting girls to princesses and boys to mock fighting is regressive for growth, development, and exploration of self” (Orenstein) What is this telling the young generation of girls? That they can’t be strong enough on their own? That they have to fit this “perfect, dainty” appearance just to be acceptable and find a Prince Charming? If one actually pays attention to what most of these princess stories are saying, they are a little bit messed up. In most of the princess tales, the princess marries the first man she meets. Ariel even gives up her own voice just to be with her man, which really is not that much different than women have to do now. Women are expected to shut up and let the man do the talking. And really, take a look at all of the older, classical princesses. Do any of them have much of a personality at all? “In Disney movies, male characters tend to be funny and quirky, because they don't need to remain pretty while they walk, while they talk, while they show emotions on their faces.'' (Weiss) The Disney princesses all seem like robots, only speaking when necessary to advance the plot. They only seem “interesting” once the prince shows up and whisks her away. Think of Sleeping Beauty. All she does is sleep the entire story and wait for her prince to do all of the work. The story is about her, yet she does nothing because she is a woman and therefore cannot drive the action. She must remain pretty and inexpressive, only serving as decoration for the story, which is a very scary concept for the real world. There has not been a single human female Disney character, aside from villains, who is not stick-thin, with more bone than muscle. What does this say to the young girls who may have a little bit more chub that they cannot seem to rid themselves of to look like a princess? They feel that they are imperfect because they look more like Ursula than they look like Ariel. They feel that no one will like them because they look like the villain, and will go to unhealthy measures to make sure they look like the princess. Merida in the movie Brave was a great character in the fact that she broke the norm and did not want to be a princess with her prince. She wanted to be free to do as she pleased. She also did look a bit different from the character model; she was more rounded. But then, when Disney introduced her into the official Princess lineup, they gave her a complete makeover, the sparkly dress that she would have shunned in the movie and everything. Disney claimed "we routinely use different art styles with our characters and this rendition of Merida in her party dress was a special one-time effort to commemorate her coronation," (Disney) but it was really an effort to get her to also fit in with the princess norms. This seems innocent enough, but the girls are really just learning that “it’s okay to be different as long as you appear proper” which is still a very toxic ideal. Every true Disney princess is white. Every single one of them. One may wonder about Mulan and Pocahontas, but “Mulan and Pocahontas, arguably the most resourceful of the bunch, are rarely depicted on Princess merchandise, though for a different reason. Their rustic garb has less bling potential than that of old-school heroines like Sleeping Beauty. When Mulan does appear, she is typically in the kimono-like hanfu, which makes her miserable in the movie, rather than her liberated warrior’s gear.” (Orenstein) All Disney movies that involve a princess of color either makes them have to conform to male norms like Mulan, oppression of the Indians like Pocahontas, or being an animal for most of the movie like Tiana. There is a Latina princess in a childrens animated cartoon now, but Disney has an interesting claim. Some of you may have seen the recent news stories on whether Sofia is or isn't a "Latina princess." What's important to know is that Sofia is a fairytale girl who lives in a fairytale world. All our characters come from fantasy lands that may reflect elements of various cultures and ethnicities but none are meant to specifically represent those real world cultures. The writers have wisely chosen to write stories that include elements that will be familiar and relatable to kids from many different backgrounds including Spain and Latin America. For example, Sofia's mom comes from a fictitious land, Galdiz, which was inspired by Spain. (LeTrent) Disney seems like they are trying to be more diverse with their princesses, but not willing to come out and say that she is directly Latina. With the recent release of Big Hero Six, there are indeed more racially diverse characters, though they are not princesses. However there are still some issues with this cast. The boys all seem okay, but the Latina woman does not seem Latina at all. Yes, there is a wide range of features that Latinas can have, and it’s understandable that they did not want to make her stereotypical, but instead of giving her both blonde hair and green eyes in accompaniment with lighter skin, why not one or the other with slightly darker skin? She seems white, and in fact it would not occur to most people that she is Latina unless one looks up her heritage. In many other animation companies, their character models are very diverse. For example, in Shrek, even the humans have very diverse designs. In How To Train Your Dragon 2, not only are there multiple very different species of dragons, but the humans are very diverse as well. Astrid looks nothing like Ruffnut, but they are both equally likeable characters. Every character looks different except for the twins, who look alike because they are twins, which makes the movie so enjoyable to watch. In Frozen, it’s understandable that family would look similar, but they all look like they are twins. Brown has an interesting point about the characters in Frozen: Elsa and Anna both look identical if you remove their hair and clothes.
The genes in the family are pretty tight as their mother in the film also have the same model… Rapunzel is a very appealing character design, Disney thought so too because almost every female character since Tangled feels like they have been edited off that design. When Disney designed Rapunzel they found the most stylistically appealing proportions for a 3D animated female. Once you find that, its hard to not want to use it. Do I agree with it? No. In real life people have distinctly different jaw lines, eye shapes, nose lengths, everything is different. And animation should reflect that. Yes, beauty and appeal are major factors regarding sales, but as an animator... imperfection opens up so many new doors. It’s a shame that Disney prefers to play it safe and cheap.
(Brown) A comment that the creator and co-director of Brave while designing Merida’s mother is “At one point they thought I was making the mom too big, her bum too big, And that was frustrating for me because I wanted her to feel like a real middle aged woman.” (Khazan) Disney did not even want a middle-aged woman to appear her age, but rather young and appealing, like every other female Disney royalty. The boys are not safe from the reuse of models either; again using Frozen as a reference, Hans looks very similar to Kristoff, and some have even gotten them confused for each other before. In How To Train Your Dragon, Hiccup looks like his parents Stoick and Valka, but still different enough to be his own character and definitely a separate model. Also, Stoick and Valka look nothing like each other either. The Book of Life, produced by Reel FX Studios, is one of the most diverse movies as of recently. Yes they are all Mexican, but they all look different and interesting in their own ways, though they are nowhere near realistic, and shows cultural appreciation as opposed to appropriation. Disney characters are not very different from each other and need more diversity. They need to stop with their old habits and branch out if they ever want to keep their audience around. Many avid animation fans, particularly those of color or non-stereotypical body types, are being turned off to Disney and more attuned to the vast character diversity of other animation companies. Disney’s films are quickly becoming boring and repetitive, and it is time for them to either change something in their stories and characters, or they will quickly become obsolete. Even the little girls growing up with the princesses will, in the ever-changing world, come to realise that being a princess is not all it is cracked up to be, but not before they already have the “be perfect, act perfect” mindset, which is a very hard pattern of thinking to break from and makes many girls think badly of themselves their whole lives. Disney needs to make princesses that may not appeal to everyone but multiple that appeal to specific groups of people so that everyone has at least one role model to look up to as a young person.
Finucane’s daughter had seemingly been robbed of her creative imagination after trying to live up to the expectations of a Disney princess. Her daughter “seemed less imaginative, less spunky, and less interested in the world” (Hanes 1) after being introduced to the Disney princess line, willing herself to be just like the princesses. Young children know no better and are very susceptible to the world around them, and are very likely to imitate what they are shown or what intrigues them. Hanes was outraged at how Disney had stripped the child of believing in other imaginative creatures and activities, and was stuck on behaving as a princess. Hanes provides research in the article that supports that Finucane’s daughter is not the only one to catch the Disney princess symptoms. There is a whole book about this “diseases” as well as much research conducted on educators that seemingly all agrees that “[teachers] are unable to control the growing onslaught of social messages shaping their…students” (Hanes 1). Through her research Hanes discovered that the Disney Princess empire is a $4 billion dollar industry that leads to “self-objectification, cyber bullying, and unhealthy body image…” (1) causing problems for young girls. These “ideals” will stay with them throughout the remainder of their life, based on decisions that were made for them, to introduce such “ideals” into their minds. Hanes’ readers are most likely to be parents or adults who will likely become parents in the near future, and this article is a great introduction to the long road of making decisions that will impact the way their children think
In the article “Are All Princesses Really Waiting for Princes to Come?” Jack Heckel discusses some of the most common Disney princesses and the stereotypes that come along with them, as well as some of the stereotypes that are seen in the Disney princes. He supports his article by providing a variety of sources not only from Disney movies, but also from various authors and blogs. The analysis of Disney princess stereotypes has been a very common topic for years, and this overall analysis has revealed that a lot of Disney princesses are not good role models. Heckel uses many techniques including using credible, non-Disney sources, discussing other fairytales besides Disney, displaying a timeline of Disney
Since Disney’s Snow White appeared in 1937, Disney princesses have been a present in pop culture. With the release of new movies frequent and re-release of decades old movies inevitable, a continuous stream keeps Disney princesses in the foreground of adolescent society. It is with the value of entertainment they have been created and as entertainment they should be viewed.
From a young age, princess culture has impacted the lives of numerous people. Some individuals may have spent their childhood parading around in the attire of their favorite Disney princess while they put on their best rendition of the character they admired most. Ohers may have only seen a few Disney princess movies here and there and went seemingly unfazed by the phenomenon. With Disney’s debut of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, princess movies would provide the defining factor of the Disney entertainment empire for years to come. From this, fairy tales embarked into a territory that would touch the lives of many individuals
Disney has made it his life 's goal to create home entertainment for both young and old. From the creation of Mickey to his work in films, Disney had made it clear that happiness is something that everyone should have. Disney had also know that animations is not just for the imagination of the children. Early movies such as Snow White and Pinocchio have clear messages for the younger views. “In Snow White- the main characters are victims of injustice who are eventually restored to their rightful place. In Pinocchio, the characters Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket and Geppetto are faced with dilemmas, and their own actions result in them becoming victims of ev...
Despite the tremendous steps that have been taken towards reaching gender equality, mainstream media contradicts these accomplishments with stereotypes of women present in Walt Disney movies. These unrealistic stereotypes may be detrimental to children because they grow up with a distorted view of how men and women interact. Disney animated films assign gender roles to characters, and young children should not be exposed to inequality between genders because its effect on their view of what is right and wrong in society is harmful to their future. According to Disney films, it is important for women to achieve the stereotypical characteristics of a woman, such as maintaining their beauty to capture a man, and being weak and less educated than male characters. The women in Disney movies are always beautiful, which helps them to find a man.
Hanes presents the idea that “Disney Princess Effect” influences young girls to grow up sooner that they should because of the things that they see on television and the toys that they play with. The media plays a huge role in the sexualization of little girls. Making this topic very important because so many little girls watch Disney, putting them at risk later in life. The characters and images may seem harmless, but in the long run they are very dangerous. Potentially causing self-objectification, poor body image and eating disorder later in life (483).
According to Giroux (1996), animated movies are a part of children’s culture. Children’s culture consists of entertainment, artifacts, myths, etc. that are based around the notion of what it means to be a child. Animated movies, particularly Disney films, encourages the child’s imagination and fantasy to be enhanced, creates a drive within them to go on adventures and helps them develop an aura of innocence. Animated films are “teaching machines” (Giroux, 1996, p. 66). Disney films teach children about specific roles, values and ideals and also take them through the world of enchantment. It helps them to understand who they are and what it means to be a part of the society and an adult environment (Giroux, 1996). Disney characters are a reflection
Princess films are centered around a female character who meets the love of her life and, like in other fairy tales, ends with their wedding (Ross 4). Initially, the Disney princesses’ have portrayed a typical female role in the film, showing the expected gender roles in American society (England Descartes Collier-Meek 563). These gender-based stereotypes are influenced by the time period they were made in, but also originating from old fairytales made centuries ago. “Society’s increasing reliance on the use of television and videos to occupy children warrants continued investigation of how exposure to media may affect children. Given that media portrayals like those in the animated movies of Walt Disney often reinforce societal stereotypes related to gender, ethnicity, and culture, parents may consider a more thoughtful approach to the use of television and videos” (Disney Movies 1).
Each Disney princess has different positive attributes that make her unique, the most recent Disney princesses are especially fitting in today’s society. In Jena Stephens’ analysis of the three most recent princesses, excluding Anna and Elsa, she describes Rapunzel by saying, “Her forward thinking, desire to prove she is just as capable as a man, and realistic dreaming make her a great role model for young girls”. Whether it is to become a princess and marry her true love like Cinderella or open a restaurant like Princess Tiana, all of the Disney princesses have aspirations. Jena Stephens says, “The words that Tiana sings about the necessary hard work it will take for her to reach her dream stand out as a message to young viewersone that does not covey that love is the only thing that will make girls happy”. Not only do Disney princesses have dreams but they make their dreams come true with hard work. As Liz Gumbinner described her trip to Disney World with her daughters, “The princess luncheon led to a great discussion later in our hotel room, in which we told our girls that it is okay to be strong, smart, hardworking and still dream of marrying a prince”. Disney princesses carry themselves in a humble and confident manner. The princesses are beautiful but they are not conceited. Lastly, they are never stuck up but rather loving and independent which makes their character so
Many of us have seen a Disney movie when we were younger. Disney movies captured our attention with their mortals and successful conclusion. The animations and music transform us into a land of magic where anything is possible if we just believe. Disney movies wrapped us in the idea that good always triumphs evil, that happy ever after exists. We have become the generation of Beauty and the Beast, The 101 Dalmatians, Dumbo and Snow White as children now have not heard of these or have watched them. Some of these movies have been recreated and released in high definition and on DVDs in the past few years, but the structure and themes of the movies stays the same. However, we never stop and thought of the undertones in Disney movies? They contain abuse, violence, dysfunctional relationships, and gender stereotypes, which is not appropriate for children. They may not understand what abuse, violence, dysfunctional relationships, alcohol or tobacco are at their ages but do we want to think it is normal. When we think that little girls wat...
Evidently, children has always been exposed to this kind of films, films that has the “never-ending-tale-of-love-story” concept. Walt Disney had created its own television network known to be “Disney channel” using logo of famous Mickey Mouse. The network developed different shows that was not exclusively for children but has a wide range of target viewers. A great number of viewers are mostly female children who more often than not portray and imitate the princesses in the film. These female children probably tend to identify themselves as the animated characters.
With no sympathy for the wicked step sisters, the prince and Cinderella embarked on a seven day Disney cruise. Packed up and ready to board the boat, the prince forgot his traveling brochure on the bed stand where him and Cinderella laid. Rumpelstiltskin came from the cellular where he was banished to spend the rest of his days. Around the couple’s room he crept like a lion stalking his prey. He found the brochure and in his attempts to ruin the married couples honeymoon he sent it all around the kingdom as an invitation to all their friends.
Disney and old fairytales threaten gender politics and ideal women roles by giving certain stereotypes for domestic and personality traits. Fairytales that have turned into Disney productions have sculpted domestic roles for women that consist of cooking, cleaning and caring for the children. Disney has also created these princesses with personalities that are shy, passive, and vulnerable. The cause of these stereotypes are making individuals obliterate their own identities and becoming clones from the mold that was prepared for
If you ask a girl over the age of eighteen what their all-time favorite television show is, most likely they will say Sex and the City. This is not a mere coincidence. If you are one of those skeptics, who thinks that Sex and the City is simply about four frustrated woman in their thirties, you are not entirely wrong, but you are also not entirely right. I used to believe that feminism allowed us women to stop having to truly rely men and become free to simply want them instead. While you might believe that this show is centered around women who are entirely dependent on the lives of their male counterparts, why not look at it as a humorous criticism of the outrageous expectations of females.