This week in class we viewed a film discussing the representation of gender within well-known Disney films and how it sends messages to young children about what it means to be male and female. Disney does get away with demonstrating such gender portrayals due to the magical and timeless essence of the company. It just feels wrong to question or challenge Disney. We, however, as a society must look at the kinds of messages that are reaching young children. For example, I thought the scene of the beast yelling at bell and emotionally abusing her was pretty harsh and as a result she stays with him and finds the good. As the film discusses, this portrayal tells young girls to stay in an abusive relationship in order to one day bring out the good in the person. This message can be scary and detrimental to young girl's futures. Also, many of the Disney princesses are depicted as rather seductive and dress to attract the opposite sex. This sends girls negative messages concerning what really matters in relationships. Even as Mulan is depicted as a rather independent young woman, in the end she ends up in a relationship with a fellow soldier. There seems to always be a man to help or save the heroine from a disaster or the heroine giving up everything to simply be with her man. For example, in The Little Mermaid, Ariel gives up her life under the sea and her voice in order to be with her love, Erik. This seems pretty extreme don't you think? I, myself grew up watching Disney movies and took it upon my self to dress up like beauty from Beauty and the Beast for Halloween and have a Snow White birthday party. I internalized many of the gender messages and thought if I looked like the Disney princesses, I would be considered pretty and live "happily ever after." The truth is this is simply a fairytale.
