In the article, “Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess Effect” originally published on October 3, 2011 from the Christian Science Monitor, author Stephanie Hanes persuades parents that social media and advertisements are the reasons behind their daughter's wanting to mature too soon. Hanes shapes her argument by using logos and pathos techniques, and using considerate organization of the information. Throughout the article, Hanes makes it evident that the audience of intent is the parents of young girls by referring to other sources such as Disney Princess Recovery: Bringing Sexy Back for a Full Refund, a blog by Mary Finucane, Cinderella Ate My Daughter, a book by Peggy Orenstein, and "What's Wrong With Cinderella?", an essay in New York Times, also by Orenstein. The authors of these sources are mothers sharing their attempts to steer their daughters away from Disney Princesses because of the negative effect it brings on their maturing.
Is this a fair picture of how women are or should be? How does it differ from “normalized” views of women? Does it differ from other Disney interpretations of women? (1 – 1.5 pages minimum; value 20) Intertextuality Intertextuality is the way in which texts refer to other media texts that producers assume audiences will recognize.
Most Disney princesses act as a “damsel in distress” which portrays them to be taken care of in order to survive. This is not true in feminist eyes, being able to take care of your self but also love and cherish someone is how a Disney princess should portray a girl. Having girls watch these movies is just showing them that you need a man to take care of you always which is not true a girl can take care of herself with the help of her parents and taking care of her school and social life. One of the lessons that children learn throughout watching these movies are bad people are always fat, old, and/or ugly. During childhood, a child’s brain learns morals, language, recognizable patters, and social skills.
Journal Entry My favorite disney princess is by far Belle from “Beauty and the Beast”. I like her for many reasons but most importantly because the character portrayed as an intelligent and independent woman. In most of the other disney princess movies you’ll often find a drop-dead gorgeous airhead who needs rescued by some handsome prince.
While many young girls love the princesses and look up to them, others view these characters as negative role models. Disney Princesses have always appeared in movies as young women who dress in elegant gowns, have sexy bodies and perfect hair. They are always paired with a prince who lives in a castle, meaning that he has a lot of money. This description of what the Disney Princess is like; give us a big concern in the influence this image is giving to the little girls. Unfortunately, what girls learn as children carries on into adulthood.
In the excerpts from both James Poniewozik's "The Princess Paradox" and Peggy Orenstein's "Cinderella and Princess Culture", the authors address the growing market of princess products and how big ticket companies are using this knowledge to turn a profit. Both authors are highly respected journalists who have been published in the New York Times multiple times. Each has done their own intensive research on the media's use of princesses and their culture to make money. While both authors address how corporations are finding profit in "princess culture", Poniewozik focuses on how movie studios found princess stories to bring money in from young audiences, while Orenstein appears more concerned with how Disney branded princesses.
In Poniewozik’s article, “The Princess Paradox”, he chooses to look at several different movies that have Princess type roles, and follow the Cinderella storyline. He chooses films that embrace some of the current feminist beliefs, as it helps prove his claim that modern-day fairytales are providing good, influential themes, for young girls of this generation. In contrast, Orenstein in her article, “Cinderella and Princess Culture”, chooses to look at several companies that are selling the more modern princess brand. The main companies she discusses are Disney, Mattel, and Nickelodeon. Orenstein pulls most of her evidence from studies done, proving that these companies are providing a disservice to young girls by promoting their princess products.
As one of the most influential entertainment producers, Disney dominates the global market for ages attracting the countless audience around the world. However, Disney’s most famous “‘princess’ fairy tale stories” (Barker, 2010, p. 492) are criticized for racism and sexism. In 2007, Disney confirmed production of the film, The Princess and the Frog, featuring the first African-American Disney princess, Tiana. For Disney this film was the response to the accusation of racism and sexism represented in its animation. Also, it was filled with African American parents’ anticipation and excitement who longed for a non-stereotypical black woman on the screen (Breaux, 2010, p. 399).
here,” simply offering themselves up so easily. Competition also brews between Ursula and Ariel, as they compete for the prince’s hand in marriage. Deborah Ross even argues that the bubbles in Ariel’s bathwater are significantly linked to Sebastian’s earlier ode that it is also “better down where it’s wetter.” Ross argues that sexual innuendos are implied in other aspects of the movie as well in her article, “Escape from Wonderland: Disney and the Female Imagination.” She also claims that Disney irresponsibly encourages the imposition of traditional women’s roles as an ideal infrastructure upon women, and encouraging their sexuality to be ignored and suppressed, although these ‘desires’ appears in later ambiguous forms throughout movies like
However, the later Disney films have gradually attempted to break away from this stereotype resulting in stronger female characters like Ariel, Mulan, and Elsa among others. Keeping this transition in mind, this paper uses semiotic analysis of four popular Disney films, namely, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Little Mermaid (1989) and Mulan (1998) to depict the influence of societies ' changing perceptions of women on the portrayal of Disney princesses. These films taking into account the earliest film and certain popular characters that have represented a shift from being the coy damsel in distress to a woman who plays an active role in determining her own destiny. The portrayal of the Disney princess has changed in accordance with the development of women in society over time (1937 to 2013) from demure and traditional to
The topic of self confidence is a subject that is heavily discussed when it comes to girls of all ages. Journalist, Stephanie Hanes, examines the current trend of sexualization amongst young girls. In the article “Little Girls or Little Women: The Disney Princess Effect”, Hanes examines the current trend of sexualization amongst girls. She addresses the issue of desiring to become a women too soon. Hanes develops her article by using the literary techniques of pathos and logos to describe the emotions young girls feel when they see images of women with unattainable features.
Princesses’ in Disney movies are tied down to a recurring theme: the princess that must be saved from the evil woman by the charming prince. A significant contrast to the usually weak and easily persuaded figure of the father. Even though the women are portrayed as weak, nobody stops to think how strong they have to be to carry the responsibility of an entire household on her shoulder, while the men always seem to be traveling or ill. Fairytales are based on a patriarchal way of thinking and as time passes by, it’s proven to be detrimental to society Women and men are constantly being bound to a series of stereotypes.
The Little Mermaid which was produced in 1989, was the first Disney movie to challenge the traditional gender roles, for the fact that Ariel wanted to explore, and was more independent and assertive in her desires than the earlier princesses of the 1930’s and 50s films. Also the prince in The Little Mermaid went against traditional gender roles as well, simply because he was more affectionate and loving than his prince counterparts in other Disney films. “Both the male and female roles have changed over time, but overall the male characters evinced less change then the female characters and were more androgynous throughout.” (Descartes & England, pg.566). Disney movies have been for a long time a strong media target for children, and can serve as a way to address stereotypical gender roles (Leaper, 2000).
Amanda Putnam’s essay, “Mean Ladies: Transgendered Villains in Disney Films”, is a compelling piece on gender portrayal and views in Disney films. Putnam opened the essay with a personal anecdote about her daughter. Her daughter wanted a Disney movie without a “mean lady”, as in most Disney films the villains are scary, evil women. The real life evidence strengthened her claim that children are noticing the characterization of female villains in Disney films. The antidote was brought fill circle when she referred back to her daughter in the final paragraphs of her essay.
“Feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes. This includes seeking to establish educational and professional opportunities for women that are equal to those for men. Feminist movements have campaigned and continue to campaign for women's rights, including the right to vote, to hold public office, to work, to earn fair wages or equal pay, to own property, to receive education, to enter contracts, to have equal rights within marriage, and to have maternity leave. Feminists have also worked to promote bodily autonomy and integrity, and to protect women and girls from rape, sexual harassments, and domestic violence. Changes in dress and acceptable physical activity have often been part of feminist
