6.+Gender-media2-GraceM

GENDER ROLES; THE WAY THEY CHANGE & THE WAY THEY STAY THE SAME**
 * DISNEY MOVIES: ALADDIN & THE LION KING



Disney movies have become a staple of society in America, and actually even around the world. These movies are watched and adored by millions of children, and even adults. We begin watching these movies at such a young age that the ideas presented in them become ingrained in our psyches and become part of our subconscious every day views. It is no surprise that so many little girls want to be princesses like the beautiful and magical princesses portrayed in these movies. It is very often that these images and ideas from the movies play a large role in what we consider to be societal norms and what we consider acceptable behavior in our society. Although I believe that all Disney movies can be examined in the area of gender study, I have chosen to explore 2 movies that both reinforce gender stereotypes AND introduce alternative gender roles.

When I first thought of Aladdin and The Lion King, it was mainly because these were my two favorite Disney films, and the ones I was more familiar with. However, as I began to do some further research and examination, I realized that I had inadvertently come across two particular films that challenged gender roles at the same time that they were reinforcing them. I believe my findings prove that as our society evolves, it is undeniable that there are certain expectations for separate genders. However, it also shows that there is room for even more evolution. These two films were made around a decade ago, yet still introduce new and fresh gender ideas. More primitive Disney movies such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are much more old fashioned, while the films I have chosen give a little bit more depth to issues of gender.



There are certainly many gender ideas that the movies Aladdin and The Lion King reinforce. These ideas include those that males and females belong together, and that life is not really complete until you find that "other half" out there. Aladdin and Jasmine fall in love and live happily ever after together after some minor bumps in the road. The same goes for Simba and Nala once they have grown up and fallen deeply in love. The male in these situations is very masculine; giving girls the idea that the man should have the upper hand and be the "alpha dog" in the relationship. The girls are ultra-girly and the men super-masculine. This goes back to the idea that (like in the clip above) movies like these often present unrealistic ideas of what men will be like in a girl's future and also that the man should be the one to make a move on the woman in the relationship, not the other way around. It also introduces the idea to young boys that there are certain activities and actions that should not be taken by a man due to societal expectations (hence the present-day comic-example above.) Young boys and girls are shown a particular way that their gender is perceived and are given a structured list of ways that they should act within the confines of that gender. Although this seems harmless and normal for kids to see, it definitely sets them up for a constricted way of looking at things. If someone is unsure of their gender implications or sexual orientation down the road therefore, they may have trouble acting on these inner feelings because there are not really any examples out there that we experienced when we were younger to show the ropes of how to go about that situation. There are no guidelines or rules and this can cause a lot of confusion.



Despite all the reasons that I have listed which enhance the gender roles that these movies enforce, we cannot ignore the progress that we have made in the media concerning gender roles and the diversity with which our world holds them. Although these movies clearly and certainly, as I have mentioned above, put forth a model of "normal" gender behaviors and over-emphasize the importance of masculine men and feminine women, there are also important new ideas introduced in these movies that were definitely not seen in earlier Disney films. These ideas include two major themes.

The first is that Aladdin is poor in the first movie. He is a beggar at the onset of the movie and even has to resort to being a thief to ensure that he can eat and get by from day to day. Jasmine, his eventual love, is the princess who is rich and privileged. This idea is different from the norm in Disney movies. The woman ends up being the hero in a way because she saves Aladdin from the way he was living. In a way, this can be seen as her having the upper hand. This is a huge change from the usual depiction of the man being the mighty one who always has to provide for the woman.

The second idea that I came across is from The Lion King. In this film, the young lion cub Simba is being raised by his "single" Father, Mufassa. Although Mufassa eventually dies, it is his influence and guidance that helps Simba through his young life and into his adulthood. This is a take on parenthood that is usually not seen in animated films. Usually, the Mother is the caretaker and comforter the Father is simply the provider and possibly the disciplinarian. However, in this film, the Father is seen in all 4 roles. This shows young boys and girls that are watching this film that it is OK to go on different paths and not necessarily go with just what is most common.



The images above are some that reinforce gender norms, while the ones below are some that //challenge// gender norms. I think these are interesting to examine, and they show a true range of ideas that our society has come to accept. Despite many ideas that we happen to fall back on, there are so many new ideas that have formed and are continuing to form, that it just shows that there is hope to overcome the biases that once ruled our ways of thinking!




 * WORKS REFERENCED**

Adessa Towbin, Mia and Shelley A. Haddock, Toni Schindler Zimmerman, Lori K. Lund, Litsa Renee Tanner. "Images of Gender, Race, Age and Sexual Orientation in Disney Feature-Length Animated Films." Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 15. 2003, 4, 19-44.

Archer, Maureen. "Gender Stereotypes." http://ezinearticles.com/?Gender-Stereotypes&id=1115363 EZine Articles, 2008.

"Disney: Gender Stereotypes: Avoidable?" http://www.urbanmamas.com/urbanmamas/2008/02/disney-gender-s.html Urban Mamas. February 20, 2008.

Henken, Elissa R. "Gender Shifts in Contemporary Legend." Western Folklore. July 1, 2004.

Miles, Joyce B. "Technology and Gender Bias." Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences. January 1, 1999. ProQuest.

Presley, Ben. "Disney Reflects Gender/Racial Issues in Cartoons." November 9, 2001. http://media.www.deltacollegian.com/media/storage/paper320/news/2001/11/09/Campusfeatures/Disney.Reflects.Genderracial.Issues.In.Cartoons-140917.shtml The Collegian.

Wellhousen, Karyn & Zenong Yin. "Peter Pan Isn't a Girls' Part." http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=KgvTJpWJpQgnP4lJMGVZhMLngSbZv7jrp3ZBRhN6vJQ8x08psy5G!2030117294!342583392?docId=5000580097 Questia.