Recently, I’ve been taking stock of my childhood favorite movies—and I’ve been pretty shocked by what I found. While at first glance Tangled might feel like an unwritten script from the 1990s that’s been given a fresh coat of paint, its story is far more progressive than that of Frozen, and Rapunzel has more feminism in her flowing locks than Anna and Elsa put together. But the wardrobe change is emblematic of a trend in which an underwhelming brand of feminism is … D isney has taken a lot of flak for perpetrating sexist stereotypes in its princess movies. Through this series, I will try to judge, by the standards I've created based on certain feminist tropes and representations, what the "most feminist" Disney film is, but also lay out my process for everyone to see and judge for themselves. I'm a bit new to this, as a person who calls himself feminist. Her character is independent, strong, and able to deal with things when they get tough and rough. The Other Women: Most Disney films are motherless, but in Brave, mum Elinor, takes front and centre stage. With regards to that sequel film, people starting trending the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend. Snow White for instance, was stated as being “fairest of them all.” Here, physical beauty was the primary fuel for the queen to attempt an assassination. But we felt that it deserved to be on this list. movies, and is an example of how to better represent women. All main characters are white and unrealistically thin. Sometimes they break gender roles but that is nowhere as often as showing us those… The Changing Role of Women in Walt Disney’s Princess Movies 2.1 The first wave: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) 2.2 The second wave: Beauty and the Beast (1991) 2.2.1 Analysis of female gender roles in Beauty and the Beast 2.2.2 Comparison of the first and second wave of Disney princesses 2.3 The third wave: Frozen (2013) 2.3.1 Analysis of female gender roles in Frozen 2.3.2 Comparison of the second … This movie was included on the list because we not only have a female hero (and villain), we also have a society split into two (sound familiar?). She wants control of her own life. We follow them inside Riley’s head as she navigates a great change in her life. The finale of the movie only allows her true happiness when the law is changed and her choices are fully her own, to which she happily replies, “I choose Aladdin!” 3. I mean, not only did it have TWO princesses as main characters, a first, but it also specifically subverted a trope for women that Disney itself has been one of the strongest users of: True Love's Kiss. Men always have the biggest variety of meaty, diverse roles, heterosexual romance is portrayed as the overwhelming norm to the point of being the only perceived option (and practically a requirement), and white people get to play non-whites at a much higher rate than the other direction even to this day. The hashtag became prominent enough for Idina Menzel, who voices the icy Elsa in the film, to comment on the trend, and she responded positively to the idea. And if you think of any criteria that may belong on the list of consideration, please, comment and let me know. Mulan stole her father’s armor and went into battle for China, even though it was illegal for women to fight in the military. She sets off by herself and faces danger on her own. There’s no denying that princesses are popular with Disney. Feminism- the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. If you see anything you disagree with, I'm always willing to learn and love to have conversations, especially about things I'm ignorant of. There's a black lady on TV and she ain't no maid.". The Disney and Pixar movie ‘Brave’ (2013) is clearly one of the most feminist movies from the company. The enduring feminism of Disney’s Mulan Mulan, Disney's 36th animated film, is still relevant today. Ursula turns Ariel human. Despite the movie being two and a half years old, kids still watch the mess out of it and Disney is still making bank with it, with the princesses Elsa and Anna appearing in Once Upon a Time almost immediately, the short film Frozen Fever being released, a stage musical being worked on, and a sequel film in the works. Tiana is a woman who works hard to achieve her goals, and does not need anyone – least of all a rich spoiled prince – to help her. Generally, the most anti-feminist views could be more prevalent in the decades preceding the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s. My favorite Disney movie is Mulan because it’s defintely feminist. This movie revolutionized Disney movies and started a new era of Disney animation. If you spend time on social media like Facebook or Twitter, it's very possible that in the past few weeks or so you've seen a trending topic about the Disney film Frozen. Inside Out Wanna be an archeologist? She uses her wits where she isn’t physically stronger and it is her quick thinking that saves all of China. Feminism in Disney Movies Conclusion Impacts girls and boys Girls: Think that that is the way to be successful Boys: Think that is how they should behave Real Life Situation Grew up watching these movies Influences view of success and beauty Relevant Ways of Knowing Aimee Grech Second-wave feminism arrived around the 1960s and 1970s, a time when a lot of movements popped up. Many of the animated royals are rooted in actual time periods, political movements, or are loose interpretations of historical figures. But... what is feminism? foxes are not trusted and are discriminated against. In a very knowing nod to their own legacy of heterosexual romance breaking spells (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty), Frozen showed Anna specifically turn away from the true love's kiss with Kristoff to show her true love to her sister. ★★ Not The Typical Love Story Women Empowerment Frozen shows the importance of the bonds of sisterhood. No longer was she a damsel like the other princesses, but a strong, rebellious young woman who did not want to conform to the norm. During her travels she comes across big, scary, tough men…who enjoy singing and dancing as much as she does. I hope to do this once a week (Possibly with other posts during the series? And Disney is such a cultural powerhouse that it has itself created and proliferated many gender-associated tropes... some of which are incredibly unfortunate and find girls growing up to think unfortunate things. ...so, what does Disney have to do with this? On the one hand, Belle maintains a strong sense of self throughout the movie. Moana is the daughter of a Polynesian Chief, who will one day be Chief herself (female chiefs are a non-issue here). And if you think that non-heterosexual, non-white, non-male people and their aspirations and equality in society matter, then feminism is incredibly important for media. Moana. Name a job or profession, there's a white guy that has been it in movies. I was and still am not alone in this admiration towards the Disney princess franchise, as some form of Disney entertainment permeates many American homes (Henke et al. Others... not so much. Their nemeses or their mentor figures are born magical or learn magic, while the princesses have magic thrust upon them. The fruits of this labor really started to become more visible in the 1980s and '90s. No longer did women have to be secretaries or house wives or simple sexual objects... they could be rock stars, businesswomen, and many other things. It started around the time the previous wave was ending and has grown in fervor to this day. Instead of changing herself, she wishes for a new friend, someone who she can be ‘weird’ with. Female Hero: Belle. One is queen who only wants to protect her little sister, the princess. Lilo is a girl who doesn’t fit in. 2010 saw the release of Disney’s fiftieth animated classic, Tangled, and the powerfully feminist Rapunzel. Not The Typical Love Story Women Empowerment Frozen shows the importance of the bonds of sisterhood. This movie includes the line “You can’t marry a man you just met”, thus touching on the ‘love at first sight’ theme found in many Disney films. Frozen: A Feminist Princess Disney Films Not There Yet Frozen breaks down the stereotypical barriers of Disney movies. Well, certainly not because of Tiana. Number of named female characters with speaking lines: Number of times named female characters saved from peril by male characters: I agree that it was a right decision to make the prince the main character. Disney’s Hercules, which features both a strong male lead and a strong female lead, has the potential to appeal to, and therefore influence, a larger group of child viewers than the more gendered movies, such as the traditional Princess movies. Still, Skarsgård was onto something. As a young girl, I watched countless Disney movies and I still do to this day. She is defiant in the face of men who want to make decisions for her. In films from earlier decades, such as Cinderella, women were cast in a powerless light, reflecting the roles of many women of the decade. The Bottom Line: Brave was the first film to break the typical princess mould and capture the essence of a strong female bond above all others. A star rating has also been included to help you to determine the strength of feminism in the movie, some fare better than others. This movie is also about family, and that family isn’t always a mum, dad, and, Beauty and the Beast Merida’s parents want her to marry for the good of the kingdom, and she is extremely vocal about her dislike toward this idea. On the one hand, Belle maintains a strong sense of self throughout the movie. A Terminator? And when Frozen first hit theaters, you may very well have seen a LOT of people talking about Frozen being the most feminist Disney movie ever. Everybody has 5 core emotions; Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. Disney has been around for over 80 years, and during that To get in contact with us please call 0413 714 599. They influence and reach children through many avenues, not just with movies, but through clothing, games, and toys. Yes, the movie with the “feminist” Disney Princess is pretty low on this list. There is no romance story in this movie, which is another reason this movie has made this list. It is absolutely undeniable that media, even fictional, can shape our perceptions of reality, of ourselves, and of our futures. This makes the list however due to Belle’s attitudes towards marriage, men, and life in general. But why is any of that important, especially to anyone that isn't already on Rush Limbaugh's "Anti-American Traitors" list? Does the film pass the Bechdel Test? Number of openly non-heterosexual characters: Disney has a lot of problems. Moana is a movie that tells about a girl who is being counted on by of her tribe to rescue them. 1. Is there a heterosexual romance? It is said to have more feminist elements to it (thanks to Emma Watson) so check it out! The central message of the movie challenges a very fundamental of gender order by empowering woman and giving them a chance of controlling everything by themselves (Howson, 2005) The reason behind this kind of movies stems from the change that occurred recently in the society and impact of the fourth wave of feminism, where we can see the neoliberal values. Female Hero: Riley and her inner emotions Joy, Sadness, & Disgust (plus the male emotions Anger and Fear). Disney's The Little Mermaid, released 30 years ago on Nov. 17, 1989, gets a lot of flak for being anti-feminist.So why do women still love the film? 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