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Stereotyping in today's society portrayed by media
Stereotyping in today's society portrayed by media
Stereotypes on media
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Women Disney characters play a huge role in today’s society. The youth who watch the fairytales of their favorite characters are being introduced to both positive and negative perceptions of life and lifestyles. Although entertaining and seemingly harmless, Disney stories can introduce false hopes and guide children on the wrong path. People constantly discuss shows such as Family Guy, Jersey Shore, etc. that are negatively influencing people. Shows that make crude and inappropriate humor seem okay. Children watch shows like The Real World and see how older,”cool” adults act and want to be a spitting image of them. The same influential behaviors can be created through movies and stories spawned from Disney. Disney characters are not always …show more content…
an accurate and realistic role model for children. There are certain characteristics of each Disney character that needs to be weeded out to not adversely affect today’s youth. Disney stories are fairy tales but with a little digging and use of comparison skills can be derived into a realistic story that contain strong morals, practical characteristics, and can be deemed a positive influence. Cinderella poses as one of the most admired Disney characters and has been held up on a pedestal since she was created in 1812 by the Grimm Brothers. The Disney animated classic was released in 1950 and depicts a young woman being burdened with endless chores and an inferior position within the household. Cinderella’s step-family enforces her hardships but with the help from her small friends, Jaq and Gus, and her fairy Godmother, she has her world take a 360. Cinderella’s kindness, strong will, and patience helps her on her journey of triumph and happiness. These characteristics are what illuminate Cinderella into such a positive role model for young children. Cinderella has been a great classical movie but that does not mean there aren't flaws when considering influences of a fantasy. Going from “rag to riches” from a magical flip of the wrist is not an accurate and positive message being sent to children. Also Cinderella’s love struck attitude over Prince Charming in one night can be seen as an unrealistic romance. From watching Frozen one may see that falling for a man overnight can be a disastrous mistake. Seeing through Cinderella’s passive and easy to fall for traits, her story and personality express a significant message to children. The message of being strong willed and overcoming your hardships in life. Rapunzel’s story was originated in 1812 by the Grimm Brothers and first hit the cinema in 2010.
Instead of the movie being named Rapunzel, the developers decided to use the title Tangled, a more gender friendly name. The film pictures a teenage girl who is unknowingly being held captive by her “mother”. The story is based around Rapunzel’s journey to the floating lights that fill the sky each night of her birthday. With the guidance of Flynn, an unlikely match to Rapunzel, Rapunzel gets to see the lights and learns her true place in the world. “Rapunzel is quirky, bubbly, modern, and goes after what she wants.” Rapunzel uses her go get it attitude by bribing Flynn, A new trait shown within the archives of Disney characters. This assertive personality that is highlighted by her sweet and caring side can successfully relate to children that women should be assertive in their efforts of getting what they desire. On a negative note, Rapunzel seems to end up falling for Flynn, who a day before was a thief. But give Rapunzel the benefit of the doubt, she does not know any better and has not witnessed much life experience. Tangled expresses an accurate symbolic representation of life after the nest ; Leaving home and discovering the world, once of age. So Flynn could be viewed as a mistake, a life experience, the bad boy boyfriend phase that girls go through on their journey to maturity. So all around Tangled is a good orientation to the time period of leaving home and taking on the mysterious adventures of
life. Cinderella and Rapunzel have both been idolized by the youth of many generations and rightfully so. Each story connects itself to children through humor, hope, and education. There is a learning curve within both fairytales that is vital to the development of children and determining the positive and negatives of each is of great importance. Cinderella’s ability to stick it out and be kind and patient very much differs from Rapunzel’s tactics. Cinderella puts up with her stepfamily and shows great patience which in return rewards her with the ability to overcome her stepfamily and gain confidence within herself. Cinderella is given a lot of support throughout the story that is crucial in her success. On the other hand, Rapunzel is alone in trying to get what she wants. Rapunzel takes matters into her own hands, uses bribery, and fearlessness to get ahead in her efforts. Cinderella holds more of a strength from within whereas Rapunzel fully displays her brave composure. Cinderella and Rapunzel both share the experience of being locked away and in ways being held slaves to their captures. Cinderella laboring for her stepfamily who has basically taken her hostage and Rapunzel who has literally been taken captive to fulfill the witch's needs of remaining young with Rapunzel’s magical hair. The princesses share characteristics of being strong willed and naive when it comes to “love”. Both stories express really quick romantic relationships that can be viewed as an unrealistic lifestyle situation. Each princess contain strong morals and their stories can viewed as realistic with the extraction of a fairy godmother, who can make all your troubles go away, and the use of extreme premature love situations. Mulan is a 1998 American animated musical action-comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan and the poem, Ballad of Mulan. Mulan is the 36th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics and can be viewed as an unyielding, hearty film that illustrates clear gender role issues and the inner strength of someone who is willing to risk it all. Mulan is one of the first intentionally pro-feminism princesses and is created to challenge gender roles and be seen from a positive light from a woman's perspective. Mulan as a character can be viewed as one of the most flawed disney princesses. Mulan at times is clumsy, nervous, and does little thinking ahead. The addition of flaws to disney characters is actually a good source of reality to express to children. Sending the message no one is perfect, even a Disney princess, is a positive, influential method. The movie also contain flaws that aren’t as innocent and positively influential like personality flaws. The whole concept of one person defeating the majority of a major dynasty is a little over the top. The movie also poses obvious conflicts concerning Chinese beliefs and Christian doctrine with the additions of ghosts and some chinese religious values. Even though there are movie flaws people can not look past the fact that Mulan expresses great courage, honor, and bravery in order to rally forces with her somewhat guardian dragon Mushu. This film gives a positive outlook on how sometimes disobeying can be the right thing and how using the characteristics of Mulan can get women out of this inferior shadow of men in which society has seemingly thrown them into. The story of the Little Mermaid was written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story was first published in 1836 and found it’s movie debut being starred in 1989. This animated success is about a young teenage mermaid who has become dissatisfied with life under the sea and longs to meet a human prince on land. Ariel, the daughter of King Triton, finds herself constantly arguing with her father about what is best for her. The topic concerning the “barbaric fish-eaters” is a popular discrepancy among the two and is viewed as one of the main points within the story. Ariel and her father throughout the movie have a shaky relationship but as the movie transitions they become much closer through their catastrophic experiences and are united in the end. Ariel alone is a beautiful and charming girl who knows what she wants. She is not afraid to be different and shows that through her interests of human life. She is a prime example of a rebelling teenager that displays a slight edge of selfishness and is impulsive with her immediate actions. Ariel throughout the movie is extremely naive and can easily be swept away by her emotions. Ariel’s flaws, desires, and compatibility to a real life teenager are what have made her such a realistic Disney character, despite the fact that she is a mermaid. Together, princesses Mulan and Ariel are portrayed as the top two most flawed princesses. Their stories each display a rebellious act against their father’s demands and the two characters both strive towards what they want and what they believe is right. Their characteristic flaws are what stick out the most and are what make their stories most important. Perfection is a commonly sought out desire among not only children but also adults. The message, not everyone is perfect and even someone so great as a Disney Princesses have flaws, is the greatest aspect and moral of both imperfect characters. Children, after analyzing the two characters through their movies, learn that they too can have flaws and be successful and wonderful just like their Disney role models. The only issues between the two stories is that there could be religious conflicts and that the fantasies of one person destroying a dynasty and the quick love appeal are all unrealistic ideas. The animated adventure-comedy Brave was first released in 2012. The movie reveals ,Merida, a young princess who is determined to make her own path in life. The red, curly-haired princess defies traditional customs that creates chaos among the castle. With Merida’s rebellious actions comes a great dispute between her and her mother. In Merida’s young ignorant stupor, she makes a wish that causes great conflict. Accidentally granting her mother be turned into a bear, Merida must rely on her bravery and archery skills to undo the beastly curse. Bravery obviously plays a key factor in the movie, hence the movie title, Brave. Merida does not only express bravery when fighting for her mother back, but she expresses bravery when having the courage to stand up for herself, even when that means going against the “traditional ways”. Even though Merida displays an abundance of courage, bravery, and self-respect, she expresses a large amount of anger, the inability to explain, and the tendency to overreact. The manner in which Merida treats her mother and the over embellished debacle that occurs from Merida going against customs can all be seen as negative factors of the movie, whereas the strong demonstration of bravery, courage, and honor are all positive notes that can be taken into account. Pocahontas is an adventure, drama animated movie that was released in the year 1995. The film depicts a story involving an English soldier and the daughter of an Algonquin chief that share a romance when English colonists invade seventeenth-century Virginia. Pocahontas can be viewed as a character who expresses curiosity, a caring attitude, maturity, and an adventurous wild side. Pocahontas also at times is indecisiveness, slightly pessimistic, and easily persuaded. Pocahontas is an inspirational film that tries to combine history, love, and laughter. The classical movie tried to give a historical effect but instead butchered colonial history. “ The film gives children the impression that the conquest of the americas was a cheerful, cooperative effort between the enlightened Europeans and the accommodating natives”(The Guardian). Even though Pocahontas can be deemed historically irrelevant, it contains a strong use of independent action and bravery. Merida and Pocahontas both share the qualities of bravery, knowing what they want, and being strong willed with their actions to get their way.
Every fairytale seems to have the usual prince saving the poor girl from harm or servitude or whatever horrid situation she may be in, and then companies like Disney add their movie magic and make it into a franchise. Others may add a twist or two, such as the film Ever After, directed by Andy Tennant. Yet no matter how the story goes, there is the same feminine ideas imposed upon the female lead. She has to compete with others for the attention of her “prince,” gender roles are a must, and morals are taught in some way or another through some kind of stereotype. These tend to cause some feminist outrage and even maybe a small outrage among parents who must deal with the children that watch these movies and read the stories because of the behavioral
Have you ever gone so far to achieve your dreams? In Tangled by Disney, Rapunzel is trapped in a tower by Gothel, who pretends to be her mother. Gothel prohibits Rapunzel from leaving the tower. Every year on her birthday, she sees floating lights in the sky and she dreams about leaving the tower and going to see the lights.When Flynn Rider breaks into her house, she convinces him to take her to see the lights. When Disney introduced Tangled, it was meant to be like every other story of a princess stuck in a tower. Tangled travels through the Hero’s Journey by going on the Call to Adventure, Crossing the First Threshold, Supreme Ordeal, and the Resurrection.
Some individuals, like Monika Bartyzel, argue that princess culture sets boundaries for what is considered feminine or princess-like. Arguments against princess culture suggest that companies like Disney have a responsibility to young consumers and that they need to extend their reach outside of gender roles. Meanwhile, individuals, such as Crystal Liechty, counter-argue that princess culture is not entirely negative. Arguments for princess culture suggest that the negative effects produced by the Disney princess franchise are an over-exaggeration because gender roles are presented in various forms. Whether it is for better or for worse, princess culture has impacted the lives of numerous people in the past. Thus, provided the evidence of this trend, princess culture is sure to play a role in lives of many individuals for generations to
Disney promotes sexisim by forcing young girls to live in a patriarchal world. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The little mermaid, Aladdin, and Snow White are all examples of popular Disney movies that encourage young viewers that they need a man to save the day. Yes, it’s true that there are recent movies such as Moana and Frozen that prove otherwise, but how long will it take to completely get over the fact that women are mainly viewed as secondary citizens compared to the men? There are countless examples of how Disney movies influence this theme, and how much the female characters’ actions, ideas and thoughts are not included in a Disney movie.
In the 21st centuries take on the fairytale Rapunzel, the movie “Tangled” depicts the troubled life of an adolescent that is raised by a woman whom is not her mother. Rapunzel is abducted from her crib as an infant by an evil witch, Gothel, for the sole purpose of using her magical hair to enhance her beauty to make her young again. As an eager Rapunzel ages, she soon wants to be set free into a world that she has yet to see.
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.
Disney princesses are fun for all ages, but their target audience is young children and “as children grow and develop, they can be easily influenced by what they see and hear”. Therefore, what they see and hear in Disney movies leaves an impression on them. The first princess, Snow White, was created in a time where each gender and race had a specific role in society. Recently, many believe that Disney has come a long way in regards to gender and race since Snow White, as several multi-cultural protagonists have been introduced subsequently, and gender roles do not appear to be as stereotypical as they once were. However, many of the apparent innocent messages about race and gender in these movies, can be exposed as otherwise. Despite their mask of progression, Disney princesses still have the potential to corrupt the minds of young children through sexism and racism.
...ironment. Young people use all kinds of media to find out who they are and what the world is like. The media is a powerful influence on children’s ideas and understanding of the world. If Disney continues to portray women with these stereotypical ideas, this endless cycle of gender roles will never be diminished.
Society cements certain roles for children based on gender, and these roles, recognized during infancy with the assistance of consumerism, rarely allow for openness of definition. A study conducted by Witt (1997) observed that parents often expect certain behaviors based on gender as soon as twenty-four hours after the birth of a child. The gender socialization of infants appears most noticeably by the age of eighteen months, when children display sex-stereotyped toy preferences (Caldera, Huston, & O’Brian 1989). This socialization proves extremely influential on later notions and conceptions of gender. Children understand gender in very simple ways, one way being the notion of gender permanence—if one is born a girl or a boy, they will stay that way for life (Kohlberg 1966). “According to theories of gender constancy, until they’re about 6 or 7, children don’t realize that the sex they were born with is immutable” (Orenstein 2006). The Walt Disney Corporation creates childhood for children worldwide. “Because Disney are such a large media corporation and their products are so ubiquitous and wide spread globally, Disney’s stories, the stories that Disney tell, will be the stories that will form and help form a child’s imaginary world, all over the world, and that’s an incredible amount of power, enormous amount of power” (Sun). Because of the portrayal of women in Disney films, specifically the Disney Princess films, associations of homemaker, innocence, and dependence are emphasized as feminine qualities for young children. Thus, children begin to consider such qualities normal and proceed to form conceptions of gender identity based off of the movies that portray the very specific and limiting views of women (...
Critics have warned the public audience about Disney programming’s affect on the “invasion and control of children’s imagination” (Ross 5). These movies express the typical gender roles “such as males being physically strong, assertive, and athletic, and females being prone to overt emotion, inc...
The movie Tangled, by Walt Disney Pictures, follows the story of the classic character Rapunzel. In the movie, Rapunzel is kidnapped as a child by Mother Gothel, who locks her away in a tower so that no one will ever find her. She does this because Rapunzel 's hair has magical properties after her birth mother ate a magical flower while pregnant with Rapunzel. Eventually, Rapunzel makes the decision to leave the tower because she wants to see the floating lights that appear every year on her birthday. She is assisted in her travels by a man named Flynn Ryder. When Mother Gothel discovers that Rapunzel has left the tower, she employs various methods to try and force her to return. Eventually, Rapunzel discovers everything that Mother Gothel
Although this problem touches upon all age groups, some would argue that todays mass media is most damaging for young children. Ross believes that the impact the media has on young children is damaging to their growth and self-image. In Ross’s article she specifically talks about how Disney is placing negative messages in the minds of young girls. In regard to Disney, Ross says that, “In particular, most girls’ stories of this era promoted humility, devotion, punctuality, and tidiness, implying that adventure is something a nice girl would be wise to avoid” (Ross 474). As a result millions of young girls are taught from a young age the ridiculous notion that adventure is no place for a female. Companies cannot get away with broadcasting these kinds of messages, especially in this day and age. Girls of our generation should be taught that they are willing and able to guide their own paths, not coward behind stereotypes of the
• Rapunzel is innocent, carefree and beautiful young woman. Throughout the story, Rapunzel was an independent women and naïve. The women and husband in this story are happy and in love when they find out, they are finally pregnant. The wife is very dependent on her husband and is not very strong alone. The husband is a loving and caring man who does anything for this beloved wife.
Disney has been an inspiration to kids since October 16, 1923. With the start of Mickey Mouse cartoons, Disney has created an empire of imagination. Ever since Snow White, Disney’s first princess in 1937, came on the screen, young females have been amazed by the vision of the “Disney Princess”. As the years went by, dozens of princesses have hit movie screens and Disney has made billions off of the profits from these individuals. In reality, Disney has influenced the immature views of what to expect of beauty from a woman.
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