The Changing Role of Women in Disney's Princess Movies. Feminism in the U.S.

The Changing Role of Women in Disney's Princess Movies. Feminism in the U.S.
Author: Sarah Wenzel
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Total Pages: 24
Release: 2019-06-18
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3668960321

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Cultural Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,0, University of Würzburg (Philosophische Fakultät I), course: Feminism in the U.S.: History, Ideas, and Politics, language: English, abstract: Bewitched by the magical atmosphere these films create, millions of girls are dreaming of becoming a Disney princess one day. Seeing girls and boys re-enact these fairy tales and in that way slip into the role of a princess the thought struck me in the context of my seminar about Feminism, in what way these movies influence children. Which concepts of womanhood do they foster and are these fairy tales really as timeless as the grandparents think they are? Taking a closer look at the most successful and best known of all Disney princess movies, there are basically three waves, defined by their date of release. The first feature-length animated film Disney created was a story based on the Brother Grimm fairy tale “Schneewittchen”. The Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was premiered in 1937 and was an instant success, followed by Cinderella in 1950 and Sleeping Beauty in 1959. The next wave of princess movies were produced between 1989, starting with Little Mermaid, followed by Beauty and the Best (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995) and ending in 1998 with Mulan, so basically during the 1990s. The latest wave of Disney princess films is from 2009 on with The Princess and the Frog, then Tangled (2010), Brave (2012) and the last one was Frozen (2013). This is an enormous timeframe. The 1930s, 40s and 50s provided a completely different audience than the 1990s or the current decade, as society and especially gender roles changed a lot over time. Consequently one can also expect differences in the way the Walt Disney Company chose to depict its characters over the years. This research paper will show that female gender roles in Disney princess movies respond to the change of society by portraying their Disney heroine much more assertive and less passive over time. To support this thesis one movie from each of the three waves which were introduced above will be analyzed exemplary for the period.

Saving Cinderella

Saving Cinderella
Author: Faith Moore
Publisher:
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2018-12-02
Genre:
ISBN: 9781790657568

It's time to save Cinderella!Ready for a radical statement? Disney princesses aren't anti-feminist. Until the 1990s, Disney princesses were role models for little girls, teaching them how to grow up into strong, centered, moral women. But then something terrible happened. A vocal minority of viewers and film critics (let's call them "princess critics") got hold of the narrative. They called Disney princesses "drips," said they were "boring," and boiled their dreams down to "husband hunting." And Disney listened, churning out princesses who were virtue-signaling, man-hating puppets shouting the ideas of the princess critics. But the princess critics were wrong. Each chapter in this book covers one of the eleven "official" Disney princesses (plus Elsa and Anna from Frozen, who aren't yet "official"). In chronological order the book will explore the themes, tropes, and symbolism of these movies, and the ways in which the princess critics have influenced our perceptions of them. And then it will prove the princess critics wrong.Saving Cinderella rescues the Disney princess narrative from the princess critics, giving Disney fans everywhere the validation they need to proudly love the princesses they've always admired in secret.

Good Girls & Wicked Witches

Good Girls & Wicked Witches
Author: Amy M. Davis
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2007-02-20
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0861969014

An in-depth view of the way popular female stereotypes were reflected in—and were shaped by—the portrayal of women in Disney’s animated features. In Good Girls and Wicked Witches, Amy M. Davis re-examines the notion that Disney heroines are rewarded for passivity. Davis proceeds from the assumption that, in their representations of femininity, Disney films both reflected and helped shape the attitudes of the wider society, both at the time of their first release and subsequently. Analyzing the construction of (mainly human) female characters in the animated films of the Walt Disney Studio between 1937 and 2001, she attempts to establish the extent to which these characterizations were shaped by wider popular stereotypes. Davis argues that it is within the most constructed of all moving images of the female form—the heroine of the animated film—that the most telling aspects of Woman as the subject of Hollywood iconography and cultural ideas of American womanhood are to be found. “A fascinating compilation of essays in which [Davis] examined the way Disney has treated female characters throughout its history.” —PopMatters

Marketing and Feminism

Marketing and Feminism
Author: Miriam Catterall
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2013-11-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1136352848

This cutting edge, innovative volume offers the best of current scholarship on feminist perspectives in marketing. Through many exciting and often controversial discussions, it highlights and challenges assumptions about women and gender in marketing theory and practice from both historical and current contexts. Key issues and debates include: * the dark side of female consumption * women and marketing in Socialist economies * women and advertising * ecofeminism and marketing * gender, marketing and cultural diversity * marketing, sex and sexuality. Written by internationally recognised experts in marketing and feminism, this book makes a unique contribution to marketing scholarship.

The Psychosocial Implications of Disney Movies

The Psychosocial Implications of Disney Movies
Author: Lauren Dundes
Publisher: MDPI
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2019-07-11
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 3038978485

In this volume of 15 articles, contributors from a wide range of disciplines present their analyses of Disney movies and Disney music, which are mainstays of popular culture. The power of the Disney brand has heightened the need for academics to question whether Disney’s films and music function as a tool of the Western elite that shapes the views of those less empowered. Given its global reach, how the Walt Disney Company handles the role of race, gender, and sexuality in social structural inequality merits serious reflection according to a number of the articles in the volume. On the other hand, other authors argue that Disney productions can help individuals cope with difficult situations or embrace progressive thinking. The different approaches to the assessment of Disney films as cultural artifacts also vary according to the theoretical perspectives guiding the interpretation of both overt and latent symbolic meaning in the movies. The authors of the 15 articles encourage readers to engage with the material, showcasing a variety of views about the good, the bad, and the best way forward.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter

Cinderella Ate My Daughter
Author: Peggy Orenstein
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2011-01-25
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 0062041630

Peggy Orenstein, acclaimed author of the groundbreaking New York Times bestsellers Girls & Sex and Schoolgirls, offers a radical, timely wake-up call for parents, revealing the dark side of a pretty and pink culture confronting girls at every turn as they grow into adults. Sweet and sassy or predatory and hardened, sexualized girlhood influences our daughters from infancy onward, telling them that how a girl looks matters more than who she is. Somewhere between the exhilarating rise of Girl Power in the 1990s and today, the pursuit of physical perfection has been recast as the source of female empowerment. And commercialization has spread the message faster and farther, reaching girls at ever-younger ages. But how dangerous is pink and pretty, anyway? Being a princess is just make-believe; eventually they grow out of it . . . or do they? In search of answers, Peggy Orenstein visited Disneyland, trolled American Girl Place, and met parents of beauty-pageant preschoolers tricked out like Vegas showgirls. The stakes turn out to be higher than she ever imagined. From premature sexualization to the risk of depression to rising rates of narcissism, the potential negative impact of this new girlie-girl culture is undeniable—yet armed with awareness and recognition, parents can effectively counterbalance its influence in their daughters' lives.

Feminist Film Studies

Feminist Film Studies
Author: Karen Hollinger
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2012
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0415575265

This comprehensive textbook provides an accessible overview of the field of women and film, complemented by an analyses of key texts that illustrate major topics in the field. The text covers a wide range of areas in which women's representation and involvement in film are paramount issues.

Not Every Princess

Not Every Princess
Author: Jeffrey Bone
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Total Pages: 18
Release: 2014-05-05
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1433817853

Not Every Princess takes readers on a journey that gently questions the rigid construction of gender roles and inspires readers to access their imaginations and challenge societal expectations. Also includes a “Note to Parents by the authors, Jeffrey Bone, PhD and Lisa Bone, PsyD.

The Princess Problem

The Princess Problem
Author: Rebecca Hains PhD
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2014-09-02
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 1402294042

How to Raise Empowered Girls in a Princess World! It's no secret that little girls love princesses, but behind the twirly dresses and glittery crowns sits a powerful marketing machine, delivering negative stereotypes about gender, race, and beauty to young girls. So how can you protect your daughter, fight back, and offer new, less harmful options for their princess obsession? The Princess Problem features real advice and stories from parents, educators, psychologists, children's industry insiders that will help equip our daughters to navigate the princess-saturated media landscape. With excellent research and tips to guide parents through honest conversations with their kids, The Princess Problem is the parenting resource to raising thoughful, open-minded children. "a very insightful look at our princess culture...Parents—this is a must read!" — Brenda Chapman, Writer/Director, Disney/Pixar's BRAVE

From Mouse to Mermaid

From Mouse to Mermaid
Author: Elizabeth Bell
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Total Pages: 279
Release: 1995-11-01
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0253116163

A collection of essays that explicate Disney ideology through fifty-five years of feature films, including Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, and more. From Mouse to Mermaid, an interdisciplinary collection of original essays, is the first comprehensive, critical treatment of Disney cinema. Addressing children’s classics as well as the Disney affiliates’ more recent attempts to capture adult audiences, the contributors respond to the Disney film legacy from feminist, marxist, poststructuralist, and cultural studies perspectives. The volume contemplates Disney’s duality as an American icon and as an industry of cultural production, created in and through fifty years of filmmaking. The contributors treat a range of topics at issue in contemporary cultural studies: the performance of gender, race, and class; the engendered images of science, nature, technology, family, and business. The compilation of voices in From Mouse to Mermaid creates a persuasive cultural critique of Disney’s ideology. The contributors are Bryan Attebery, Elizabeth Bell, Claudia Card, Chris Cuomo, Ramona Fernandez, Henry A. Giroux, Robert Haas, Lynda Haas, Susan Jeffords, N. Soyini Madison, Susan Miller, Patrick Murphy, David Payne, Greg Rode, Laura Sells, and Jack Zipes. “In this volume of 16 essays about Disney films, several pieces . . . begin the work of filling in a major gap in our understanding of animation.” —Film Quarterly