The ice princess Elsa in the Disney movie "Frozen", is an example of how movie makers purposely create girl characters who are not really human. What I mean by this is that the girls in the movies are inhumanly perfect. Elsa has smooth skin, perfect hair and make up, and is also very slim. Her appearance being so flawless creates the value assumption that girls should also be as beautiful or skinny as her too. When girls watch the movie "Frozen" it makes them feel self-conscious because they start to believe that they should look like Elsa in order for them to be considered beautiful. This then creates the false belief that the value of a person depends on their appearance, rather than their character. It's putting their self-esteem down, which has led to 65% of women to have eating disorders and depression to double among them from 2000 to 2008. In addition, Elsa's dress has a slit on the side, giving off a sexual vibe that consumers want to see. This vibe then attracts more people to want to watch the movie, however, it's also using a woman as a sex object.
Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty both depend on men to save their lives, conveying the reality assumption of women needing the assistance of men. The two Disney princesses don't need to do anything at all to make their lives better, find true love, and achieve happiness. Cinderella is saved from her poor, miserable life; Sleeping Beauty is literally waiting for a man to come and kiss her so that she can wake up. With this, men are usually the ones playing the protagonists roles in movies. They are the ones who come save the day, depicting the reality assumption that men have all the power in the society.
Princess Jasmine from the Disney movie "Aladdin", is being used as a sex object, classifying women in our society to be only objects, rather than human beings who should be treated equally as men. In this scene, Jasmine is using her beauty to seduce the villain Jafar as a form of distraction. She is using her appearance to get what she wants, showing the reality assumption of how a woman's appearance can allow her to get what she desires. Along with this, Jasmine's midriff is part of her "costume". This is the need for attention that consumers want to see, and therefore, Disney gives it to them by making Jasmine show her midriff practically all the time.
Mulan is the only or one of the very few Disney princesses that is not "missrepresented". Mulan did not let herself being a girl stop her from taking her father's place in the war. She had enough self confidence to go off to battle and risk her own life for her father's. She pretends to be a guy, which shows how girls are just as strong as men. Mulan also conveys how women possess the same amount of power as men. When the other main character Shang tries to kill Mulan when he finds out that she is really a girl, he cannot do it. This scene shows how a man doesn't always have to be masculine or superior over women. Unlike the value assumption of how a man should not be emotionally sensitive, Shang was, proving to boys that they do not always have to maintain that "manly" appearance. Unlike the other Disney princesses, Mulan is not being used or seen as an object. She had to physically work and fight for her success. She did not need the help of a man to help her achieve her desires or goals; just herself. Mulan also doesn't show any midriff or a lot of skin, nor does she like to wear make up. She is seen as an equal to all the men in the movie, even the scary and tough-looking ones.
Like Mulan, we too have to realize that we only need true selves to move forward in life. We don't need to lose weight, wear tons of make up, or rely on a guy or our appearance to achieve want we want. We possess just as much power as men and should not be seen or used as objects just to get attention. Media had caused all of this negativity towards women to erupt, which we have fallen into believing since the degradation has practically become a norm in the society. However, women must become more self-confident in themselves and in other women too, rather than believing in media's degradation of women, so that we can lead our own vision of rising up in power.
Everything you're saying is true. Even at such a young age, we are given who we are supposed to be. Another example I thought of was the movie Tangled. It seems as if an implicit message is that without the long blond hair, she wasn't beautiful. It also tells younger girls with brown hair that they aren't good enough, that like Rapunzel, they need long, blond hair to be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe're the ones that can start the change. When we believe in ourselves, other people will too. As long as we believe that we can change things, we will. Sadly, we are taught all of this at young ages, both boys and girls, but being more like Mulan, defying stereotypes, will get society to do the same.
ReplyDeleteYay for Mulan! Oh but you know what makes me really sick after I read your paragraph about Elsa? The Disney store. The fact that Disney offers these stereotypes and classifies us at a young age to become perfect princesses and super heroes. Don't get me wrong, I'm nothing against dressing up as characters. But it goes again with the idea that we are taught as little babies that we must be princesses or we must be heroes.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, when I was growing up, my favorite princess was Mulan. Not only was she beautiful, but she was very strong and selfless. I admired her so much that I would dress and be like her for Halloween. She was my inspiration when I was little and she is still an inspiration to the younger generation today. With her bravery, she advertises that women are able to be as strong as men and be compared to them as an equal.
ReplyDeleteI agree that in the movie Frozen they made it so that the female characters were inhumanly perfect, but in the movie they also made it so that the female characters weren't completely dependent on their prince charming to save them. In the end, it was Elsa's sister who saved her and it showed girls that they could save the world and be strong, too. I don't deny that we still have a ways to go, though.
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