Gender And Social Stereotypes In Walt Disney's Movies

The Walt Disney company is widely known for their movies starring princesses who find themselves in a dilemma and are eventually saved by a prince. They also now own Marvel and Lucasfilms which expands the media that they control. This content is beloved by much of society. However much of Disney content, that is targeted toward children, is inappropriate for younger audiences. Andrew R. Todd an assistant professor with a Ph.D in Social Psychology says “Pervasive cultural stereotypes link Black Americans with violence and criminality”(Simpson, Todd, et al.). The negative views associated with black individuals within society are only amplified by Marvel studios films that star the character War Machine. This character is a black individual

To reiterate what was previously stated, Christopher Bell says ¨every single aspect of your human existence outside of your basic bodily functions is in some way touched by media.¨ Throughout the youths development media has some influence on what you learn is socially acceptable, how to make and interact with friends, and how to problem solve. Relating to this Kristen Salyer of Time magazine describes how the low body esteem and lack of confidence that derives from the exposure to Disney media can cause girls to develop eating disorders and depression because they want to fit the stereotype that girls are meant to have lean bodies. These mental problems came from the influence of of media as explained by Christopher Bell. Khaled Habib and Tarek Soliman stated “A well written scenario, right audio & Visual effects and a decent looking character, are all the main factors for the child to get stuck for the cartoons hero, and enough for his brain to begin automatically following his path and trying to b a copycat even for the finest details, including way of speaking, thinking, body language... and even the way of dressing up.” The factors in cartoons that can lead to a child copying their favorite characters can also be present in Disney films. This reinforces the idea that the

However racial and gender stereotypes embedded in their media has influenced children to believe certain biases and think that some stereotypes are socially acceptable or normal. There have been some positive outcomes due to the viewing of these stereotypes however there are a plethora of after effects that cause children to have negative views on specific cultures and females. Some of the views imposed on people cause mental problems and disorders that are dangerous.