Welcome to my Media Issues website. Here I will examine the gender roles of characters in Disney films. I will do this by describing a particular gender role (or more often, a stereotype) in relation with characters from some of Disney's most successful films.
Gender is defined as a sexual identity, especially in the social sense. Gender is not something biological, but rather refers to the idea of being either masculine or feminine. Gender has nothing to do with the anatomy that makes a person male or female, just the roles and attitudes adopted by one gender as opposed to the other. For example, boys are considered 'girly' or feminine if they are very sensitive.
I decided to pick films from different decades, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937), Mary Poppins (1964), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). This was interesting to see how Disney's gender roles have or have not changed as social ideas changed very rapidly.
I also decided to examine all ten movies as four different mediums. The first is the animated musical. These are probably Disney's most recognized films. I therefore chose five of these for comparison. Another medium I chose was animated comedy. These are very popular but not necessarily considered their own genre. I chose one of these films. The next two films that I chose are a part of another growing trend in Disney productions, computer animated films. The last two films I chose were live-action, specifically those that used animation to enhance or create their special effects.
What you are now reading is the result of lots of research and a weekend-long Disney movie marathon. To begin the analysis, click here.
