Sexual Inequality in Disney Movies

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We live in a world that is surrounded with beauty. Amazing skyscrapers, tall, strong buildings. A world that is now equal in all aspects in life, racially, sexually, physically. However, it can be said that this is not the case in the media. Beautiful women were portrayed weak while hideous women were characterized as evil. This essay will explore the sexual inequality in the disney movies Little Mermaid, Tangled and Cinderella . Little Mermaid, a disney filmed created in the 1950’s. A story based upon a mermaid princes who dreams to be a part of the human society. However, her almighty father forbids her from doing this. This is a classic example of how sexual inequality is portrayed in disney movies. Throughout the exposition of the film, the father and his trustworthy companion sebastian clearly states how Ariel is too pretty and too weak and is not able to defend her self. This is clearly evident when King Triton said “You are forbidden to go to the surface. It is too dangerous, someone could of seen you” This quote supports the idea that Ariel is too weak and must be protected. To further support my point, only a few lines later, King Triton commands sebastian to monitor Ariel’s actions as a form of protection. Sebastian must report to King Triton and inform him that his youngest and prettiest daughter is safe from harm. This supports my point because it exemplifies how disney movies portray young and pretty women to be extremely weak to the point where they must be supervised at all times. Moving on, in every classic disney film, if the villain is a female; it is common and somewhat expected to picture her as extremely hideous and seek to be gorgeous. This was clearly seen in Little Mermaid. Ursula, the movie's main vill... ... middle of paper ... ... portrayed to be ugly and seek to beauty. Lastly, every princess in disney films are portrayed to need saving. In the film Cinderella, this is also the case. She spends the majority of her time locked away in the tower and acts as a maid. She wishes to be saved and set free from her duties from her stepmother. Though not the typical saving, she still required to be set free. In the Disney film Cinderella, it exemplified sexual inequality. They did so by portraying cinderella as weak, female villains as ugly and seek for beauty and how princess need to be saved. The majority of Disney films show sexual inequality. This was evident in the three films Little Mermaid, Tangled and Cinderella. Each princess from each movie were portrayed to be pretty and weak, female villains were characterized as ugly and thrive for beauty and lastly, how every princess needs saving.

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