Kayleigh Figueiredo, Marissa Mealey, Brendan Smyth, and Avery Bonina

Professor Baran

Disney’s Misrepresentations

COM 260A- Media Literacy

11 December 2017
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The Happiest Place on Earth. That’s the claim Walt Disney Pictures takes on all things

regarding Disney. Walt Disney Pictures has been a formidable company since the late 1930's,

producing hundreds of movies for entertainment for all ages, specifically young children. Even

with all the success, one is bound to face critics along the way; Disney has been condemned

throughout the years for their negative portrayals of certain topics, ranging from their depiction

of women all the way to their ill representation of some races and ethnicities. At such a young

age we cannot expect children to think critically of what they are consuming, thus Disney is

praying on the young developing minds. Through content analysis, we examined the influence

Walt Disney Pictures has on boys and girls ages 3-10 and how it creates negative perceptions for

their developing identity.

Disney has branded this image of the Disney Princesses and what they stand for. These

princesses have shaped young girls’ minds into twisted ways of thinking regarding love, beauty,

and character. Although the Disney Princess image has grown and developed since the 1900’s,

each princess has remarkably the same appearance. Common physical traits they share are

slightly larger heads, thin waists, arms, legs (if visible), and small features such as nose, hands,

and shoulders. They are all wearing makeup, typically bright red lipstick, and have enlarged eyes

with long eyelashes. Disney has a strong tendency to display the same type of characters, along

with the recurring scenarios: a young lady who is or becomes a princess waiting for her dream

man to rescue her and marry her. “The Disney Princess brand suggests that a girl’s most valuable

asset is her beauty, which encourages an unhealthy preoccupation with physical appearance”

(Hains 2016). This gives young girls the perception that beauty is what makes you special and

nothing else matters. Presenting that content and calling it entertainment is sending the wrong
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message to young girls and boys, influencing them to believe that these unnatural ideas are what

to expect of women.

Disney portrays these unrealistic ideas through their films, and in return, young girls

learn all the wrong attributes that they comprehend as meaningful. If young girls are exposed to

this and try to achieve these unrealistic appearances, they could form an obsession with beauty.

This can increase a girl’s vulnerability to eating disorders, depression, and risky sexual behavior.

The Disney Princess image also implies that girls should be sweet and submissive, and should

expect a man to come to their rescue in an act of love at first sight. Most Disney movies that are

focused on the princesses have the same “damsel in distress” theme. By portraying a woman as

weak, and always needing a man’s help, this can cause girls to have lower self-esteem and feel a

lack of independence.

Brigham Young University conducted a study on 198 preschoolers’ engagement with the

Disney Princess culture. The study found that engaging with Disney Princess culture could make

young children more susceptible to gender stereotypes. The researchers found that “96% of girls

and 87% of boys had viewed Disney Princess media” (Salyer 2016). For both boys and girls,

engagement with Disney Princesses was associated with more female gender-stereotypical

behavior a year later. The study found that “the influence could be good for boys—it could

encourage better body esteem and being more helpful. But it could be damaging to girls—it

could make them more susceptible to having bad body esteem and less confidence” (Salyer

2016). Exposure to the Disney Princess culture has been proven that it can lead to many issues

later on in life, regarding relationships and also how young girls’ feel about themselves. Today,

there are select movies created by Disney that have shown some diversity; however, as a whole,
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the Disney Princess image must be destroyed. Later on, the Disney Princess image will be

explored through various Disney films and the influence the movies have on young girls.

In 1937, Walt Disney Pictures came out with their first motion picture Snow White and

the Seven Dwarfs which introduced the Princess culture to follow. Being the first Disney

Princess, Snow White represented the first image which set a standard for the rest of the

Princesses to follow. Snow White is a beautiful young princess, described by her evil

stepmother's Magic Mirror as having “hair as black as ebony, lips as red as the rose, skin as

white as snow” (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). The opening scene shows Snow White

singing with the animals about how she wishes for a man to come and take her as his. This

exemplifies the typical damsel in distress theme and teaches girls they need a man in order to

live their life to the fullest. The movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was based on a girl

who was forced by her evil step-mother to be a maid due to her jealousy of Snow White. The evil

step-mother sent a man out to kill Snow White while she was in the forest one day, but he could

not bring himself to do it. Snow White then runs away with the animals of the forest and they

bring her to a dirty, dusty, old cottage where she makes herself at home. Immediately upon

arrival, Snow White just wants to clean. This is a stereotypical moment because back in the early

1900’s, women did not have the same rights as men and they would often stay at home, to cook

and clean. When she is observing the house she says, “maybe their mother would clean it, but

they might not have a mother” (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). This line is degrading to

women because it is presenting this message to young girls that all they are good for is their

beauty, and their domestic skills. Once Snow White meets the seven dwarfs they were only

focused on one thing, and that was the deciding whether or not she was allowed to stay in their

cottage. Snow White pleads, “If you let me stay, I’ll keep house for you. I’ll wash and sew and
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sweep and cook” (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). The dwarfs cheer and based on her

domesticated skills, they decided they were going to allow her to stay. This once again expresses

to young girls that they have to be domesticated in order for men to like them and appreciate

them. If they are not going to cook and clean, then they are useless, which sends a negative

message to young girls. Finally, after being poisoned by her deceiving, evil step-mother, Snow

White is put into a coma from the apple. She is in a deep sleep until the same prince that she was

singing about in the beginning of the movie comes to her casket and awakens her. He breaks the

spell by giving her “true love’s kiss” and they live happily ever after. This is a stereotypical

movie ending and once again it has a negative impact on girls. Girls are taught that they have to

be rescued by a man and that “true love” is essential. It doesn't matter what you have to do in

order to obtain it, whether it be domesticated or beautiful, but you must find true love because in

the end that is all that matters.

The second Disney Princess that will be explored is Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty,

also known as Princess Aurora, was born into royalty as well as becoming betrothed to Prince

Phillip. At Aurora's christening, she was granted three special gifts by fairies: beauty, song, and

the ability to change the spell that was cast on her by Maleficent. The gift of beauty instantly

depicts that being beautiful is the most important feature to have as a girl. The gift of song

follows the same attributes the first Disney Princess, Snow White, had because she was

considered beautiful, hence the reason why her step-mother was jealous, and she also sang

throughout the duration of the film. The third gift was given after Maleficent, enters and casts an

evil spell on Sleeping Beauty. She declares that the princess will prick her finger on the spindle

of a spinning wheel on her sixteenth birthday and die. After Maleficent exits, the third gift is

given which changes the effect of the prick to a deep sleep instead of death. Once again, true
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loves kiss will break the spell. Sleeping Beauty is strikingly similar to Snow White because they

both show that women cannot live their own life until they find true love, only then afterward are

they able to live their life to the fullest. After Aurora turns sixteen years old, she is taken by

Maleficent to the spinning needle and is put to sleep. As the film progresses, it shows the prince

traveling to save Aurora with the kiss. He endures a lot which shows young girls they have to

have a man fight for them and save them. In the end, Prince Phillip kisses Sleeping Beauty and

breaks the spell. This unrealistic theme of love is shown to girls at a young age and it distorts

their way of thinking. “They are not able to construct an identity other than what has already

been shaped according” (May 7) to the content they are consuming, in this case, Disney Princess

culture.

The recurring theme of “true love” can also be seen in Disney’s 1991 Beauty and the

Beast where the film displays an unhealthy relationship based off of the actions that are seen

throughout the movie. Belle, a young princess demonstrates the same Disney Princess “image”

as in Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Belle’s father is initially

imprisoned by the Beast, who then offers himself to replace him. This idea of a man replacing

anyone is controlling and twisted which is then instilled into young girls’ minds. The Beast is

actually a prince under a spell in order to take away his attractiveness but this is not revealed

until the end. The curse can only be broken by love, how original. Throughout the film, Belle

allows the Beast to yell at her and lock her away. Belle often dismisses the Beast's abusive

actions and behavior as a "bad temper". This paints a picture for young girls that it is acceptable

to look past a male’s wrong behavior. This film socializes girls (and boys) to accept and

overlook intimate partner violence. Belle is able to change the Beast’s character with love and

her beauty. The movie explains that if you are sweet-natured, submissive, and beautiful then you
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are able to change an abusive beast into a kind man. In the end, it all works out because she looks

beyond the Beast’s rage. Her perseverance breaking the spell, accompanied by their love,

allowed them to live happily ever after. This ideal situation is unrealistic and would not happen

in an abusive relationship in real life. Young girls are not able to tell the difference between

reality and the film's depictions, and this is dangerous. From the first Disney Princess Snow

White (1937) to Belle (1991) there is hardly any difference in plot and meaning behind the films.

The main character in The Little Mermaid, Ariel, epitomized a typical Disney Princess

image physically and mentally. She is highly sexualized with her outfit and her appearance;

Ariel's size and appearance illustrates to young girls that they need to look a certain way to be

considered a feminine woman. Young girls have to be taught and have to learn to be comfortable

with their body. It is difficult to accept that everyone has different body types if these young girls

are only exposed to the same one in all Disney Princess films. Ariel and Ursula’s contrasting

personalities in The Little Mermaid follows the stereotypes that women are one dimensional and

they do not have much depth. This is typical for Disney Princess culture because they portray

women as lesser than other humans and they do not have much to offer. This is showing young

girls that they have to choose what to be because there is no way of being both nice and powerful

at the same time. Furthermore, their body types coincide with their one-dimensional

personalities. Ursula is much larger and more powerful. Ariel is significantly smaller than Ursula

and she is unable to assert her power towards Ursula. Ariel and Ursula's opposing personalities

shows young viewers that they are not meant to acquire a wide variety of abilities. These two

characters follow the stereotype that women are not widely diverse individuals. There is a song

in the film that states, "The men up there don’t like a lot of blabber…Yes on land it’s much

preferred for ladies not to say a word…Come on they are not that impressed with conversation”
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(The Little Mermaid). This is belittling to women and it teaches young girls to remain quiet

because their input is not valued. Ariel sacrifices her voice in order to find "true love" with Eric.

This teaches young girls that it is important to sacrifice your happiness and abilities in order to

win over a man. The analogy of Ariel giving up her voice also sounds the fact of women not

having a voice in society and that they are better off keeping quiet.

Alice from Alice in Wonderland is not considered a Disney Princess but she does display

the same characteristics such as makeup (red lipstick) and her physical features resemble the

other princesses. In the beginning of the film, Alice was playing with her kitten and the flowers

and not paying attention to her history lesson. This shows girls that their intellect is unimportant

but to focus on other activities instead. Alice says, “In my world, books would have nothing but

pictures” (Alice in Wonderland). She prefers not to actually read words in a book because that

would involve having an education. Alice dozes off during her history lesson where she enters

Wonderland. She first encounters a male doorknob who will not let her past the door unless she

is a smaller person. Alice drinks the unknown potion which causes her to shrink in order to fit

through the door. She hysterically starts crying and her tears cause an ocean. This shows that

girls are emotional and she even says, "I wish I didn't cry this much" (Alice in Wonderland). The

male doorknob yells at her for crying and says, "that won't help" and she quickly stops. After

traveling through Wonderland, Alice stumbles upon two men, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

She explains that she is curious and they shake their heads at her and tell her the story about the

curious oysters. The oysters that are shown in the film are pink and purple and have pink

eyelashes. It is shown that Alice (a girl) is curious and the girl oysters were naive (also curious)

and nothing good comes from girls being curious. This discourages girls from being curious,

letting them believe that something bad might happen if they were to wonder. It is better to
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remain silent and to not ask questions than to be curious, and brave. This can deteriorate a girl’s

self-esteem and confidence because she will always second guess herself and never ask

questions.

With lack of confidence, one is likely to slip into a submissive role and feel as though

they do not have a right to act assertively. This type of behavior is demonstrated when Alice

begins to take orders from Mr. Rabbit, the animal she followed into Wonderland. This shows the

power imbalance between males and females, leading viewers to believe it is acceptable for

women to take orders from a man. Alice stumbles into the garden where she is greeted by the

feminized flowers. The flowers bat their eyelashes and sway when shown in the film. One flower

says to Alice, “we can talk if there is anyone worth talking to or about” (Alice in Wonderland).

Hearing a quote like that normalizes drama between girls, allowing the young viewers of Disney

to believe women not supporting women is ordinary. The messages being sent through Disney’s

content claims it is acceptable to talk about or bash other girls thus creating negative perceptions

of female relationships. This is portrayed through the flowers scene and is a negative influence

on young girls’ behavior within their peer relationships. The flowers continue to depict the

arrogant drama by making fun of Alice saying she is “scrawny, has no smell, and resembles a

weed” and in the end of the scene, Alice sings, “you can learn a lot of things from the flowers”

(Alice in Wonderland). This not only portrays unnecessary girl drama but also is contradicting to

the beginning of the movie. In the beginning, the male doorknob is telling Alice she needs to be

smaller and thinner to fit through but when she is among her female peers (the flowers) she is

picked on for being too scrawny. This provides young girls with the illusion that you have to be

thin and small in order to be submissive to men, but not too small or else girls will make fun of
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you as well. This can create a twisted idea in young girls’ minds about self-image and can lead to

health problems as well as mental health issues.

Further on in the film, Alice has two slices of bread to eat and one will make her bigger

and the other will do the opposite. She eats a slice of the bread and it makes her huge. A female

bird starts frantically yelling “serpent” trying to get Alice to go away when Alice defends herself

saying she is “just a little girl” the bird laughs at her and tells her that she is “not little at all”.

This is another example of drama between female peers and this can influence girls in real life.

Alice is told later on by a male character that if “you don’t think; you shouldn’t talk”. Once

again, the film represents the idea that women should keep quiet and shall not speak up because

they are not on the same intellectual level compared to men. Most characters in the film are

male, besides Alice, her professor, the curious oysters, the bird and the flowers. Although the

main character is a girl, she is harassed and picked apart throughout the film by various

characters in Wonderland. Disney’s audience, who are typically young children, will internalize

these norms Disney displays on the screen and believe that this is how one is supposed to treat

others. Disney’s antics have gotten out of hand and it is time for all viewers of this

“entertainment” to become aware of the brainwash they are consuming, which includes the

lenses in which men and women are perceived.

In 1998, Disney released Mulan, a story about a young Chinese girl named Mulan who

trains for the Chinese Military, while dealing with the pressures of living in a patriarchal society.

In the movie’s first song, “Honor to Us All”, Mulan’s family sings about how a woman can bring

great honor to their family. They claim that to do so, a woman must have, “good taste, calm,

obedient, who work fast paced. With good breeding hips and a tiny waist,” (Mulan). This

indicates that a woman’s worth is determined by their suitability for marriage and domestic life.
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This teaches young girls that their main purpose is to be able to please a man and care for their

family; diminishing any intent to follow their dreams, explore the world, and experience things

they never have before. Throughout the film, Mulan is criticized for being a woman time and

time again. For instance, when Chi Fu first discovers Mulan is a woman, he shouts, “I knew

there was something wrong with you! A woman!” (Mulan). Sentenced to execution, Mulan’s

friends plead to Chi Fu to spare her, but he responds with, “She’ll never be worth anything, she’s

a woman!” (Mulan). Later, when Mulan warns people about the Huns’ existence, Mushu claims

that no one will listen to her because she is a woman.

Mulan’s most famous song, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”, accounts Mulan’s training

ability to become a warrior, adding in jabs against her gender. The other soldiers in training, who

are all men, do not treat her as equals. Throughout the song, the instructor repeatedly says, “I’ll

make a man out of you” (Mulan), referring to Mulan’s current lack of strength or will. The

instructor commands Mulan to “Be a man with all the force of a great typhoon. Be a man with all

the strength of a raging fire” (Mulan). As the trainees carry heavy bags through the mountains,

Mulan struggles to keep up, and collapses. The leader looks down on her in disappointment,

picks up her bags, and continues on with the rest of the trainees, leaving Mulan behind. This

implies that only men can be strong and powerful. This gives younger girls the idea that they do

not have these abilities, whether it be physical or intellectual. It could cause young girls to not

challenge themselves, or try anything different from the usual because they do not have the

power to do so. It may also cause younger boys who view this scene to think the same thing

about females. They may start to think that they only have power, potentially leading to them act

dominant towards girls. In some films, unlike Mulan, Disney purposely places women into
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submissive roles allowing men to assert their dominance which guides young boys and girls that

this is how relationships should play out.

As Mulan's journey progresses, she is diminished relentlessly on her gender; however,

she soon proves to her nay-sayers that she is worthy enough to be a soldier. Mulan proceeds to

attempt training until she gets it right. Once she does accomplish successful training, she catches

the eyes of her peers and gains the respect of the men around her. Although it is nice that Mulan

finally gains the respect she deserves in the end, shouldn't she have had it from the beginning?

Younger girls viewing this may think that they have to work twice as hard as men to gain simple

respect from their male counterparts. They may feel the need to continue to prove themselves so

they never lose respect; however, there should always be mutual respect from the very beginning

without expecting women to jump through hoops just to obtain it.

Walt Disney Pictures’ 1997 film Hercules brought Greek mythology to the animated

screen and was a box office hit; however, there were many underlying messages being sent to the

young children watching this film that were creating negative impressions in their developing

minds. This Disney film told the story of Hercules, the son of Zeus, who was kidnapped as an

infant by Hades, God of the underworld. Hades knew one day that if Hercules was still around

with his god-like powers, he would never be able to seize the power from his brother Zeus.

Hercules was forced to live as half-mortal, half-god but eventually learned the truth of who he

was. The movie takes you through Hercules triumphant journey back to the top; however, at the

cost of many moral principles.

Along the way, Hercules meets Megara, who Disney portrays as a damsel in distress,

once again, a common role all female Disney characters are cast as. For several years, Disney

has constructed these certain stereotypes on what femininity and masculinity should entail
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causing young developing minds to see a blurred line between what is real and what is a myth.

Below is a character analysis chart of Hercules’ main female character, Megara:

Attributes Example or Quotation Revelations

Character’s  Overly slim waist Meg’s body type emphasizes the “desired”
physical  Exaggerated size of look of having an hourglass figure. Today’s
description hips society attributes having a nice body to
 Long dark hair having a very thin waist but with wide hips.
 Heavy face make up There are certain specificities that society has
 Sexualized constructed to what a beautiful woman looks
appearance like and Meg holds some of those physical
traits

Character’s Meg sacrifices herself to Disney portrays her as a damsel in distress

actions Hades in order to protect being swept off her feet from the heroic man
Hercules one last time.
She falls submissive to Hercules by putting
him first always and basing most of her
actions off of his wellbeing

Character’s HERCULES: [as she lies Meg loses herself throughout the movie since
words dying] “Meg, why did you… she throws all her focus on to Hercules by
you didn’t have to… forgetting about her own safety and putting
MEG: “People do crazy his protection as her top priority.
things… when they’re in
love” (Hercules).

What others Hades treats her like an Neither of the male characters see Meg as an
say or feel object and uses her as ordinary person. They see her as a symbol for
about this leverage to get what he a reward while using her to fight against one
character wants another.

Hercules sees her as a trophy

or an award. He makes all
these heroic moves to win
her over against Hades

Through Megara’s character analysis it is clear to see the issues in Disney’s portrayal of

female characters. All they show for Megara, also known as Meg, is that she is a ting young

woman who cannot seem to protect herself thus introducing Hercules to save her time and time
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again. Although she is not a princess she still fits into the culture of the Disney Princess by

adhering to the physical expectations. She is hypersexualized by exaggerating most of her

physical traits. The way the male characters relate to her is also a key factor in how she is

another example of Disney’s representation of women. Her character’s behavior is evidence

supporting Celeste Lacroix’s Images of Animated Others: The Orientalization of Disney’s

Cartoon Heroines from the Little Mermaid to the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Lacroix explains

that even with more and more heroines seeming like they hold on to their strong independence

they “still live in male-dominated worlds, and ultimately find fulfillment through their romantic

relationships” (Lacroix 223), adding that many feminist critics believe the positions of the

Disney characters are “defined by male standards and goals” (Lacroix 223). Narratives such as

Meg’s in Hercules enhance the tainted ideas of femininity by telling young boys and girls that

these are society’s norms regarding gender identity.

There are plenty of gender stereotypes depicted in 2009’s The Princess and the Frog, one

of them being how a woman should behave in order sit parallel with society’s strict ideas on

femininity. The Princess and the Frog is set in New Orleans, Louisiana and follows a young

African American woman named Tiana who has always dreamed of opening up her own

restaurant. At the beginning of the film, Tiana is very focused on her goal of owning a restaurant

and is seen as having no time for anything else other than work. Even with these aspirations of

independence in mind, Tiana’s mother expresses how she wants her to settle down and find love.

An age-old Disney message, continuously reiterating the fact that women should drop everything

in their life that is not centered around a relationship with the man of her dreams. Eudora,

Tiana’s mother, goes on to say,

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EUDORA: “Love. That’s all I want for you, sweetheart. To meet your Prince Charming

and to dance off into your happily ever after” (The Princess and the Frog).

Many young women feel the pressure of finding a husband and a provider because our society

has drilled that into the minds for centuries on end. Tiana’s mother represents the societal

badgering of women fitting into feminine roles; likewise, they discourage the ideas of

independence and self-love in order to echo the myths on what femininity calls for. Disney

intrinsically inserts these diluted notions across all forms of entertainment they create.

Femininity isn’t alone in these unrealistic expectations in which Disney tries to instill in

their young viewers; there are specific characteristics that Disney portrays which teaches the

consumers that masculinity is a concrete idea and anything that does not fit the roles Disney has

depicted is incorrect. Larisa Arnold, McKenna Seidl, and Ariel Deloney discuss in Hegemony,

Gender Stereotypes and Disney: A Content Analysis of Frozen and Snow White, that “a number

of male expectations are emphasized in Disney films and sends messages to men in the real

world… this comes with the expectations that men should be strong and brave at all times.

Hercules and Peter Pan are Disney films that portray characters with strong and intelligent

characteristics” (Arnold, Seidl, & Deloney 7). Setting these stereotypes of masculinity, as well as

femininity, as the norms are sending an unjust message to the budding minds who innocently

praise the characters they see on the screen. Almost all protagonists in Disney films are

represented as “an attractive man with big muscles and nice hair (who is usually white) ... often

paired with a foil played by a small and/or fat male character that plays comic relief” (Juergen).

Disney sends home the idea that this is what masculinity is: the strong, white male is the aspired

identity and anything opposite of those traits are seen as less masculine. What Disney portrays as
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femininity and masculinity are the myths our society has socially constructed; what we see on

the movie screen is not what is depicted in real life.

Gender Role portrayal has always played a major factor in the making of Disney films,

even dating all the way back to 1937, with Snow White as the first Disney Princess. When Walt

Disney came out with his second Disney Princess film, Cinderella, nothing had changed either.

Cinderella was based on the fairy tale book written by Charles Perrault. In the movie Cinderella,

a young girl faces many obstacles while living a frustrating life: having lost both her parents at a

young age, she is forced to work around the house owned by her unpleasant stepmother, Lady

Tremaine, and stepsisters Drizella and Anastasia. Resentful of Cinderella's beauty and her

amazing voice, the family treats her like the dirt on the bottom of their shoes. They bully

Cinderella into waiting on them hand and foot and demand she must do all the housekeeping

chores:

JAQ: “Cinderelly, Cinderelly / Night and day it’s Cinderelly / Make the fire! Fix the

breakfast! / Wash the dishes! Do the moppin’!” (Cinderella).

This quote shows that Cinderella is objectified to all the household chores because she is a

woman. She is expected to cook and clean because of her gender; just one of the many recurring

stereotypes that Disney portrays.

As the film progresses, word spreads around town that the Prince is looking for a suitable

Princess to live his happily ever after with. Here we see the same storyline playing out like the

ones in all the Disney movies: in order for a woman to be truly happy, she needs a prince to

come and sweep her off her feet. The Prince soon realizes it is Cinderella who the glass slipper

belongs to and they fall in love. This before and after fairytale shows children that women are

characterized as feeble in strength and only then when they find a man will they gain value.
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Children who are consuming this entertainment absorb these polluted ideas into their developing

minds, which can allow them to wrongfully believe that this is how one must identify genders.

Although Disney’s 1955 Lady and the Tramp centers around two dogs, it mirrors similar

stereotypes society has set for men and women over time. Lady and the Tramp is an animated

classic that tells the tale of a coddled cocker spaniel named Lady whose life gets turned upside

down with the arrival of a new baby in the household. With Lady’s position in her home

becoming less prioritized she finds herself in the streets living life as a stray and eventually

meets Tramp, her love interest. This romantic relationship that begins to bud between the two

canines may appear such like puppy love; however, the resemblances between Lady and Tramp’s

relationship compared to the stereotypical characteristics of a man and woman’s relationship are

synonymous. As changes arrive in Lady’s home, she looks to Tramp, the male dog, to give her a

purpose in life by following his lead. Lady falls into the damsel in distress role and must rely on

Tramp to rescue her. Tramp belittles Lady by saying “oh, now, now. Who could ever harm a

little trick like you?” (Lady and the Tramp). The usage of the word “trick’” hypersexualizes

Lady. This behavior is a reflection of many other Disney female characters who are too

frequently portrayed as desirable, dependent, and docile. Life as a pampered female pup comes

naturally to Lady; due to the help of animation tools, Lady is personified with human female

traits: big brown eyes with long eyelashes and perfectly groomed hair, along with the sweet and

innocent tone of voice. Features such as these are nearly identical to the model of the Disney

Princess image. Even with the female character being a dog and not an actual princess, Disney

still feels the need to reflect the impractical expectations of women.

In 2010, Disney created Tangled, a recreation of the story of Princess Rapunzel where

she meets Flynn Rider, the kingdom's most wanted bandit. Rapunzel becomes enticed by Flynn's
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mysterious allure and enlists him in the help of her escape from the tower. Although Flynn is

considered a thief, in the beginning, he quickly turns into the stereotypical man that comes to the

rescue and saves Rapunzel not only from the tower and her mother but also the Stabbington

brothers who wish to take the crown that rightfully belongs to Rapunzel. In spite of Rapunzel

and Flynn slipping into the stereotypical gender roles, Disney has cast upon them, Rapunzel’s

character does have more of a voice compared to the previous Disney Princesses that come

before her.

As the years go by Disney has gotten much better at breaking away from the stereotypes

of men and women and focused more on a strong female character who can do things on her

own. Disney succeeded in doing this when they came out with the movie Brave. Before Brave,

Disney had gotten a lot of flak from the media and parents about not giving female characters the

ability to do things on their own. However, in this film the main character named Merida

completely breaks the mold of a princess: “but every once in a while, there’s a day when I don’t

have to be a princess. No lessons, no expectations. A day where anything can happen. A day I

can change my fate” (Brave). Merida is very headstrong and believes that it is time for history to

change. She believes that there is no urgency to stand beside a man and live out their happily

ever after. Her mother, who prides herself on tradition, believes that Merida needs a man who

will control her wild side and conform to the princess stereotype. When the time comes for

Merida’s betrothal, the strong-willed girl degrades her suitors when she fires an arrow on the

three targets the suitors shot at and hits a bullseye with each one and nearly triggers a civil war

amongst the three suitor families. After a fierce argument with her mother, Merida decides to

runs away into the forest, where she meets a witch that she tells all her problems to. The witch

casts a spell to change Merida’s mother’s mind, but the spell backfires transforming her into a
 18

monstrous bear. Instead of the proverbial prince coming in to save the day, Merida figures out on

her own that the thing that is more powerful than a "true love's kiss" is the love for her mother

and family. Eventually, she fixes her problem by herself and remains happily single. Disney

highlights Merida’s independence as a strength, not a weakness as they do in most of their

movies.

A few years after Disney had released the strong female empowered movie Brave, they

continued on the path of new princess stereotypes by releasing the movie Moana. Moana is the

most revolutionary Disney Princess they had ever created. With Moana, not only is she the first

Polynesian Princess, she is also unlike any other princess before her because she does not just

forgo a love, she simply never encounters one in her storyline. Like the movies Frozen and

Brave where they reject the idea of not having a significant other, romance is never mentioned in

this movie. Instead, she has a completely platonic relationship with Maui, the male protagonist.

Although Moana seeks him out in the movie, it is not for love or even because she cannot do

anything on her own, it is simply to save her entire island. Moana even denies the fact that she is

a princess when she is picked on by Maui because she does not want to be categorized into that

princess culture. She explains to Maui by saying, “I am not a princess. I'm the daughter of the

chief” (Moana). Not only does she end up saving all the people that live on her island, she also

unlocks secrets of her people that advance the way the people live on her island. Although

Disney may be working towards a more realistic perspective on gender stereotypes, combated

with femininity and masculinity, for decades they have struggled with a realistic portrayal of race

and ethnicity.

Disney has been guilty of racism and classism through the profiling of their characters in

many ways throughout their several years in the entertainment business. Two examples that
 19

come to mind are Disney’s 1988 Oliver & Company, as well as 1994’s The Lion King, which

both have clear biases on inner-city minorities, such as Latinos. The storyline of Oliver &

Company revolves around a young kitten, named Oliver, who joins a gang of dogs involved in

minor larceny around New York City. The stray dogs all assume inner city personalities and their

animated voices talk like street thugs who get themselves into mischief constantly. The

connections Disney makes between the characters and their relation to the storyline is no

coincidence. For example, the character named Tito, voiced by Mexican-American actor, Cheech

Marin, is a Chihuahua who acts very macho which is likely linked to the Mexican ethnicity since

the Chihuahua is originated from Mexico. Tito is not the only character throughout Disney who

is represented based on preconceived notions about certain characteristics of minorities.

In The Lion King, when listening intently, the three hyena characters strongly resemble

the same type of profile as Tito: all characters are depicting inner city minorities who are shown

as the “bad” guys throughout the film. One of the hyenas is even voiced by Cheech Marin, the

same actor who voiced the Chihuahua in Oliver & Company. The behavioral characteristics of

all three hyenas can be summarized as loud, idiotic, and barbarous. When certain voices are

painted on specific characters, viewers, most commonly young children, become influenced and

create perceptions of people which can sometimes spiral into negative prejudices. This pattern

has been embedded throughout Disney’s films for decades and decades. In bell hook’s Cultural

Criticism and Transformation, she explains how it is important to study popular culture and “the

purpose of such study, she suggests, is to help us resist offensive representations-- not to be free

of them, but to be critically vigilant regarding them” (Wormer & Juby 581). Disney’s actions do

not coincide with bell hook’s scholarly beliefs because what Disney creates for their viewers

only cultivates those offensive portrayals and continues to wrongfully influence their consumers.
 20

Disney’s Zootopia, a film about a young rabbit named Judy aspiring to be the first ever

rabbit police officer, also details the connection between racism and classism, a matter in which

Disney loves to put at center stage. At the beginning of the movie, Judy’s parents try their best to

discourage her from enrolling in the police academy, but she does so anyway and travels to

Zootopia. Judy receives no respect from the instructors and struggles to keep up; however, she

improves and graduates the academy. During her first few days on the job, she is given 48 hours

to find Emmitt Otterton, an otter that has gone missing. During her search, Judy finds out that

Otterton, as well as other animals, have suddenly transformed from normal to vicious, dangerous

animals. They attack Judy in an attempt to rip her apart, destroying everything in their way in

the process. Upon further investigation Judy learns that there is a new drug making its way

through the streets of Zootopia, causing predators to act violently. When on the drug, predators

attack other mammals and vandalize property across the city. Because the predators are the

mammals most affected by the drug, they are denied jobs, demoted from their current jobs, and

lose the trust of their peers. The predators most affected by the drug are those who are voiced by

either African-American or Hispanic actors. After watching Zootopia, children may develop a

schema that associates the use of drugs with African-Americans and Hispanic people. They may

think that African-Americans and Hispanics are always on drugs, and because of that, are violent

people. This would cause young viewers to discriminate against these two ethnicities.

According to the film, those who are addicted to drugs are dangerous people. They will

steal from others, destroy property, and even attack other people. Although crime does come

hand-in-hand with drug abuse, and those addicted to drugs are likely to hurt others and steal to

feed their addiction, this story dehumanizes addicts, depicting them as animals. Hopefully,

children will understand the dangers of drugs by linking the physical and mental effects of the
 21

drugs in Zootopia to real life drugs. However, they should also understand that those with drug

problems are still people who cannot help themselves, and need the help of their peers in order to

get healthy. After years of producing popular films, it is common to see how Disney depicts

minority groups and the negative notions they attach to them; however, just because it is a

pattern in their films does not make it right or just.

In 2009, Disney introduced their first ever Black Princess onto the big screen in their

film, The Princess and the Frog. It took Walt Disney Pictures close to 75 years to have finally

introduced an African American Princess as their lead role; Disney’s first motion picture was in

1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Most could commonly guess that “the princess’s racial

identity also created excitement and at some level, suspicion, especially among those in Black

communities who were wary of Disney’s ability to represent them on-screen in flattering ways”

(Moffitt and Harris 57). Disney has been well known for its lack of adequate and fair

representation of certain races and ethnicities. Kimberly Moffitt and Heather Harris discuss in Of

Negation, Princesses, Beauty, and Work: Black Mothers Reflect on Disney's The Princess and

the Frog that "Black women in animated films were limited to the ever-present and almost

synonymous mammy, maid, auntie, washerwoman, pickaninny, or savage" (Moffitt & Harris

57). Viewers see Tiana in that sort of role playing a glorified servant to the rich and powerful of

New Orleans. Right off the bat, Disney depicts the distinct differences in social class which is

based on race. Throughout the movie, the audience sees that many races who are classified as the

minority are the ones living amongst the city working multiple low-pay jobs, unlike the wealthy

white families who spend their money aimlessly. Disney may think they deserve a round of

applause for introducing their first Black Princess, but Tiana was long overdue; furthermore, the
 22

way she was painted in the film only amplifies the stereotypical beliefs society has created

revolving around race and ethnicity.

Disney’s 1995 motion picture Pocahontas, is yet another film by this company that

distorts the perceptions of specific race and ethnicities. This animated tale is about a young

Native American girl named Pocahontas and her love interest John Smith, a British settler. This

couple comes into conflict after Pocahontas’ powerful father does not approve of their

relationship. Meanwhile, John Smith’s fellow settlers plan to rob the Native Americans of their

land and fortune. The strife between these two races become intense, so much so that a song in

the movie called “Savages” perfectly depicts the notions these races have on one another.

Leading up to the scene, John Smith has been captured by the Native American tribe, and the

British are preparing to attack them and free Smith. As they prepare, they sing about the evils of

the tribe. The writers of “Savages” included multiple references to genocide in their

song. When depicting the Native Americans as devils, the British say that “they’re only good

when dead” (Pocahontas). Continuing on this trend, Governor Ratcliffe says that the settlers

must “destroy their evil race until there’s not a trace left”. At a young age, children viewing this

are exposed to the brutal history of this time, and may not be able to understand it. Lack of

comprehension to a subject as intense as this may lead to an ill prejudice of Native Americans,

viewing them as evil, just as the settlers do in the film.

Furthermore, the British state that the Native Americans are “barely even human”, and

repeat this multiple times in the chorus. They also refer to them as Vermin, which are wild

animals and birds known for spreading disease and destroying crops. Governor Ratcliffe says

that they are “not like you and me, which means they must be evil” (Pocahontas). The settlers

do not view the Native Americans as equals, and because of that, believe they must be killed.
 23

This scene dehumanizes Native Americans, leading children to believe that they are dangerous,

and deserve to die for the safety of all others. It also teaches children that if others are not like

them, then they are not equals, and should be avoided. This type of influence can hinder children

from having an open mind to those who appear or act differently than them. They may feel that

it would not be okay for them to branch out of their comfort zone and meet new people because

they have been taught that those who are not the same are lesser than them. The determining

factor in human equality is neither based off of cultural differences nor differences in skin color.

The fact that Disney refuses to represent that idea in their films, is a major issue for society.

However, some have realized and identified the issues with Disney’s offensive

portrayals, specifically in Pocahontas. For example, when the settlers refer to the Native

Americans as “dirty Redskin devils” (Pocahontas), Disney received so much negative feedback

for the use of the word “Redskin” that they had to substitute the word with “shrieking” before the

movie was released on DVD. Nevertheless, the settlers also describe the Native Americans’ skin

as a “hellish red” (Pocahontas). This line was left as is for the DVD release. After being taught

that those who are different are not equal to them, children will hear these racist lines that follow

and believe that it is okay to point out differences in other people and use these differences to

bully them and treat them unequally.

In addition to the derogatory language portrayed in Disney films, Aladdin, produced in

1992, outlines the cruel Middle East stereotypes, such as barbaric culture. The men are

aggressive warriors who fight often, steal from each other, and treat women with little to no

respect. The villains featured have strong Arabian accents and dark skin, while the rest of the

characters have American accents and lighter skin. The women are confined to their homes,

often found doing laundry and cleaning. When they are not in their homes, they are dancing
 24

erotically while wearing revealing clothing. These are not the type of morals we want to share to

today’s children; portraying men and women such like those characters, sets society back

centuries.

The song “Arabian Nights” is featured in the opening scene of Aladdin. The narrator

states that he comes from a place “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face”, and

continues to describe his homeland by saying, “it’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home” (Aladdin). Don

Bustany, the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination

Committee at the time of the movie’s release, was so upset with these lyrics that he reached out

to Disney. During a meeting before the DVD release, Bustany expressed his concerns to Disney

executives and was able to convince them to change the lyrics. The opening lines were

eventually changed to, “Where it’s flat and immense and the heat is intense. It’s barbaric, but

hey, it’s home” (Aladdin). Still, Bustany was upset that Disney chose to keep the word

“barbaric” in the song, stating that viewers would still label Middle Eastern countries as such.

A second conflict arose in Aladdin when a certain scene depicts how Middle Easterners

resort to violence to deal with minor disputes. In this scene, Jasmine finds a starving child while

walking through the marketplace. She tries to steal an apple to feed the child but is caught by a

worker. The worker aggressively grabs her by the arm, takes out a sword, and raises his arm to

cut her arm off. Just before he does so, Aladdin slides in and stops the worker, pretending to be

acquaintances with Jasmine. During his meeting with Disney executives, Bustany asked that this

scene be removed from the movie, reiterating the fact that it illustrates Middle Eastern countries

as having a barbaric culture. He felt that young children would be influenced to assume that

Middle Eastern countries, and the people who come from them, are violent and dangerous to be

around. Yet, even though Bustany had a clear and strong point, Disney refused to remove the
 25

scene. If Disney’s content received backlash for their offensive portrayals, then how come they

chose to not do anything about it? The answer is money.

Disney has made it clear that their main goal is to maximize their profits. In fact,

Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney from 1984 to 2005, once said that the company's only objective

is "to make money". This is yet another example of Disney doing just that. They believed that

the lyrics of "Arabian Nights" were too aggressive, and would cost them money if they refused

to change it. However, they felt that the marketplace scene was crucial for the movie

maximizing on its potential. When facing further criticism about the movie, Disney stated that it

was a major success, as it was the first of their movies to feature an Arab hero and heroine. A

statement like that is not good enough because it completely disregards all of the underlying

meanings it puts out there.

All the topics, from Disney Princess culture to offensive cultural portrayal, Disney

exploits are all prime examples of Cultivation Theory working in the minds of the consumers.

This theory examines the long-term effects of media entertainment on adolescents. According to

Professor George Gerbner, Dean of the Annenberg School of Communications at the University

of Pennsylvania, “The mass consumption of Disney, especially in children who are more

affected by the influences, can be worrying when considering Cultivation Theory. Children are

subjected to heavy consumption of Disney films and the consistent ideals portrayed within them

because of the huge power of the company.” (Gerbner 2013). Growing up when Disney would

release a new film, almost every child would have that film on VHS or attend the movie theatres

to watch it. Watching something like a Disney Princess film over and over again could

potentially have a negative effect on the child who is consuming the content. Children will often

mimic almost everything that they see on the screens in front of them. For example, if they were
 26

to watch their favorite Disney Princess being swept off their feet by Prince Charming this might

alter their decision-making process when it comes to future romantic relationships. Gerbner also

believes that “women are only made happy by men in the films, therefore the usual cultivation

effects will make women believe they need to wait for a man, but they will also mold into those

female roles that are portrayed in the films because they identify themselves with the characters."

(Gerbner, 2013) This can have a serious effect on new generations of children, especially if

Disney does not do more to change their films to less stereotypical behavior of male and female

characters.

In today's fast-paced world, children are exposed to limitless opportunity to consume

media. Some young children can be limited to consumption if their parents take control in how

much their children are watching; however, for those who do not limit, they are likely unaware

of the psychological effects media consumption has on a young child. Specifically, the content

Disney puts out has a serious impact on a child's brain development which in turn plays an

important role in decision making later in life. According to the Association for Youth, Children

and Natural Psychology, “a large percentage of children (i.e. from kindergarteners to teens)

watch extremely violent movies (i.e. R-rated slasher and/or violent horror movies). These movies

tend to leave psychological scars on a child’s psyche. Child-based movies and cartoons do

influence the thinking and behaviors of millions of 21st-century children” (AYCNP, 2017). As

you can see, there are statistics proving how heavy of an influence media consumption has on a

child. If a child is consuming Disney’s content, they are most definitely internalizing all the

messages Disney is sending. By internalizing what they see and hear on the screen, they make

the attitudes or behaviors of the characters’ part of their own identity.

 27

Each new day the world is changing along with society, so it is time for Disney to get

their act together. They can no longer keep filling their consumers’ brains with depraved notions

on how society should be viewed. The content analyses on the Disney films that were discussed

throughout are prime examples of the wrongful portrayals Disney creates. The messages being

sent are not parallel with how today’s society works; however, the children watching these

programs will consume these messages and unfortunately internalize them if they are not aware

of the underlying means of them. To become aware, one must become media literate; becoming

media literate in such topics like these, will improve thinking for generations to come.
 28

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