The Disney Influence

by Nicole Graham

Video Abstract:

In this video essay I explore the ways in which children are consumers of Disney’s films and merchandise and, therefore, are also consumers of Disney’s portrayal of gender roles and stereotypes. Disney’s animated films and particularly their line of princess films, can mold the ways in which children see gender. The research that I have drawn from has demonstrated that the portrayals of gender in these films generally conforms to traditional roles and depictions of men and women. I specifically focus on two in­depth studies — Towbin et al. (2004) and England, Descartes, and Collier­Meek (2011) — which come to the same general conclusions about gender in Disney’s animated films. Women are most often portrayed as subordinate, domestic, helpless, and concerned with their physical appearance. Men, in contrast, are most often portrayed as dominant, non­domestic, heroic, and physically strong. Additionally, women’s bodies in most of the films are sexualized and do not align with the biological reality of women.

Both studies also investigated how, if at all, portrayals of gender roles and stereotypes in Disney’s animated films changed over time. Both noted general increases towards more egalitarian portrayals, but with portrayals of women, more often than not, conforming to traditional roles and physical depictions. I analyzed the findings from these two studies by comparing them with the research by Cotter, Hermsen, and Vannemen (2011). These researchers found that over time there was a shift towards increasingly egalitarian gender views, but that a stagnation or even reversal occurred around 1994. Taking all three studies together, then, I argue that the slight shift in gender portrayals is reflective of society’s view of women. Of note, I left out a deep analysis of Disney’s more recent animated films — Tangled, Brave, and Frozen — because academic literature is not yet available on them. Importantly, though, all princesses since the first in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs through the most recent in Frozen, were created to have similarly sexualized body types. Elizabeth Bell, in her chapter in From Mouse to Mermaid, suggests that this unrealistic depiction of women, at least initially, was a creation by Disney artists that were dominantly male. I included this in my video essay analysis and furthered this idea by suggesting that Disney’s most recent princesses are conforming to the typical appearance of princesses that was initiated decades ago.

Of course, it is not just Disney films that are inundated with portrayals of gender stereotypes, but also the related merchandise and consumer spaces. I used several books and articles as background support for the history and continuation of Disney’s influence on child consumerism. Through its products and spaces, Disney has created ways for children to act out the gendered roles and stereotypes that they watch in the animated films. This is especially true when travelling into the fantasy land of Disney’s several theme parks around the world. Upon analysis, I realize that the consumption of Disney by children is a two­way street. Consumption of films leads to consumption of merchandise. Consumption of merchandise leads to consumption of films. And, importantly, both ways down this road lead to consumption of the gendered messages put out by Disney. I filled in the pieces of my research with a self­exploration of Disney’s animated films, with a special focus of those mentioned in the two cited studies. By providing my viewers with actual clips from the films that children are consuming, I was able to clearly demonstrate how characters are portrayed as stereotypically feminine or masculine and how this may alter children’s perceptions of gender.