Gender, Racial and Cultural Stereotypes in

Disney Movies and Its Effects on Children

Media Literacy

Professor Susan Baran

Ayse Kamber

November 6th, 2020

Introduction

Media is an extremely powerful source of learning for kids, who are exposed to great

amounts of media from multiple sources every day. Kids start to consume media at an early age,

which is a very critical period for their cognitive and behavioral development, therefore, they are

extremely vulnerable to the content they are exposed to. The content they consume at a young

age shapes their ideas, beliefs, and their reality of the world, which has an impact on their overall

physiological and psychological wellbeing. Disney is the leading name for children’s

entertainment, and it reaches to millions of households and kids every day, all around the world.

Therefore, it is important to analyze the content of Disney movies through media literacy and

identify the messages it contains and what it teaches to kids, in order to understand its impact on

young children. This paper will analyze the different types of stereotypes in Disney movies

including gender, race and culture, and apply media literacy concepts in order to explore how

these stereotypes impact young children.

Consumption

Today, media is a growing presence in children’s lives, and it is a critical part of their

every-day routine. The average use of media for children at the age of 8 and under is three hours,

and 47% of toddlers ages between 0 and 1 spends two hours a day watching TV and DVDs

(Common Sense Media, 17, 23). Kids are not only starting to incorporate technology and media

in their life at such an early age, but they are also replacing their media consumption with

educational activities that are critical for their development. The amount of time children under

the age of 2 spend on watching television is twice as much the time they spend on reading books

(Common Sense Media, 11). As for children over the age 8, the numbers are much higher,

indicating that they are exposed to infinite content daily and are highly vulnerable to the content
they consume. It has been reported in a consensus research conducted by the Common Sense

Media in 2019 that tweens (8 to 12- year-olds) consume media on an average of just under 5

hours a day, and teens (13 to 18- year-olds) consume media on an average of just under seven

and a half hours a day (3).

Disney Corporation was founded in 1923, and it is now the leading name when it comes

to children’s entertainment and mass media, with products ranging from animated movies to

televisions show, children’s books to toys and many other merchandises. It owns many industry

giants and dominates multiple media outlets such as DVD, streaming services, and cable

networks. According to CNBC statistics, in 2019, Disney-produced films accounted for %33 of

the content of the U.S Box office (Whitten, 2019). Having control over more than ¼ of the U.S.

market also indicates that Disney alone is in control of %33 of the content children consumes. It

is important to be aware of how often kids consume media, but it is also crucial to understand the

context of the content they are exposed to.

Content Analysis

According to Pediatrics& Child Health Journal, the medium’s impact on children can

include the child’s susceptibility and developmental level (“Impact of media use on children and

youth”). Therefore, it is important to analyze and identify the messages in mediums children

consume. Disney has faced many controversies over the years about the embedded messages and

the context of their movies. Although Disney has been dominating the children’s entertainment,

identifying the messages in Disney movies began to emerge only recently, with the emergence

and raising awareness to media literacy. Previous research shows that Disney displays multiple

stereotypes in their movies including gender, racial and cultural stereotypes, which has a
negative impact on children psychologically and physiologically, which will be further analyzed

in this paper.

One of the most evident stereotypes in Disney movies is based on gender. The female and

male characters possess the same physical and behavioral traits in almost all the movies.

Disney’s approach to portrayal of gender roles can be described as archaic, and not suitable for

modern day society. Towbin et al, analyzed 32 Disney movie classics and found these messages

and patterns that are consistent in movies regarding male stereotypes:

a) Men primarily use physical means to express their emotions or show no emotions; b)

Men are not in control of their sexuality; c) Men are naturally strong and heroic; d)

Men have non-domestic jobs; and e) Overweight men have negative characteristics.

(28)

Male characters are portrayed as strong and dominant characters, which does not only lower self-

esteem for young boys due to the unrealistic body standards, but also gives the message to

young men that they are superior over women and they are the dominant gender in society.

These stereotypes also teach young boys how to act and behave like a “true man”, and how to

treat women, resulting in teaching the boys to internalize their emotions as well as to value

women based on their looks.

Female stereotypes in Disney movies sets high and unrealistic beauty standards for young

girls, where Princesses all have the same facial bone structure, delicate and skinny figures, and

an unattainable thinness. These consistent images and stereotypes influence the perception of

beauty for young girls and sends the message of what a pretty and desired woman should look

like. According to Towbin et al., out of 32 movies that were evaluated, 15 of the movies gave the
message that a woman’s physical appearance is valued more than her intellect (30). In Disney

movies, the path to happiness for girls and princesses is through love and marriage, not through

education or a successful career (Johnson, 9). Females characters are portrayed as hopeless

romantics, with no occupation or goal, whose only aspirations are to find their prince. The least

commonly portrayed traits of princess characters are being a leader, being heroic and fearless,

and being in a position of power (England et al., 563). Princesses fear ending up alone, and

fantasize about finding true love, and the songs they sing are about hoping to find love and

happiness (Johnson, 16), which gives the message that they are dependent on a man and a man’s

love to find happiness. Princesses also portray “feminine” behavior by being nurturing, kind and

forgiving. They are extremely delicate and emotional, in which they tend to portray

powerlessness and hopelessness through collapsing and crying (England et al., 563). Women

being powerless, helpless and in need of the protection of a man is also a common theme in

Disney movies (Towbin et al., 31). Another alarming message in Disney movies is teaching girls

to tolerate toxic masculinity. The movie Beauty and the Beast gives the message that young girls

will be able to change their partners into loving and kind individuals if they tolerate their abuse

(Towbin et al., 36), which romanticizes abuse in relationships.

Racial and cultural stereotypes are reoccurring concepts in Disney movies. There are

many microaggressions and blatantly racist messages embedded in Disney movies through

human characters as well as anthropomorphism. Disney movies consists of negative

representations of non-dominant groups and cultures, such as movies like Aladdin and the

Hunchback of Notre Dame, in which Arabs and Gypsies are portrayed as dirty, poor, thieving

and cheap (Towbin et al., 32). These stereotypes do not only create a prejudice for non-dominant

groups, but also praises White race and White culture. Disney also portrays these stereotypes
through anthropomorphism, in which they racialize non-human characters through attribution of

White, Black, Hispanic “human” characteristics (Lugo-Lugo and Bloodsworth-Lugo, 168). The

Lion King is one of the most common examples of racial anthropomorphism in Disney movies,

which has been analyzed by many critiques. In the movie Lion King, the good characters possess

the attributes of a White male, meanwhile villains talk with African American and Hispanic

accents. The heterosexual, White king rules an orderly kingdom, meanwhile the gay villain is the

king of a wasteland where animals with African American and Latino attributes live (Cappiccie,

51), representing the “ghetto” or the “hood”, which portrays the status quo and the structural

racism. When Scar and the hyenas take over the kingdom, it becomes decayed and disorderly,

implying that gays and under-class people of color are so morbid that if they are not carefully

contained and kept under control, their dysfunction will quickly infect the entire social structure

and society (Cappiccie, 51). Such images and messages in Disney movies masks the structural

and institutional racism while embedding and reinforcing negative stereotypes of non-White

identities (Kee and Grant, 76).

Psychological and Physiological Effects

The content children consume during their early childhood to their teens are extremely

important, since they are most susceptible to the influence of media during this stage of life.

Previous research supports that messages and stereotypes that were identified in these movies

have a negative and harmful effect on kids, both psychologically and physiologically.

One of the most common influences of media on young adolescents is low self-esteem

and body dissatisfaction. Physical attractiveness is a critical factor that determines self-esteem,

which is an attribute that is considered highly important by young adolescents (Kim and Lennon

5). The unrealistic body figures and physical traits seen on media are causing a low self-esteem
among young adolescents due to the established beauty standards, eventually resulting in body

dissatisfaction. Studies has shown that children entering adolescence engage in social

comparison with idealized body images in the media, in which they view themselves in

comparison to others (Jordan et al., 442).

There are also previous research proving a relationship between the influence of mass

media and eating disorders. Heavy exposure to consistent messages during childhood results in

children to develop beliefs about ideal body images and lay the foundation of future issues

related to food and body-image (Jordan et al., 442). Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are

the most common eating disorders, and according to the National Eating Disorder Association

(2019), approximately 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States suffer from an

eating disorder at some point in their life time. American Psychological Association (2020),

defines anorexia nervosa as a condition which individuals have a distorted body image, causing

them to practice self-starvation due to the fear of gaining weight. Bulimia nervosa is a condition

which individuals experience binge eating episodes followed by purging through vomiting or the

use of laxatives, enemas, or diuretics in order to prevent weight gain (APA 2020). According to

Harrison and Cantor, changing patterns in eating disorder epidemic has been mirroring the

changes in representation of women in mass media for the past 30 years (42). Women are

constantly striving to adapt to the changing beauty standards in mass media that are highly

unrealistic, which is harming them both mentally and physically. The mass media serves as a

trigger for eating disorders due to its influence on norms, values, and standard of beauty in

society (Harrison and Cantor 41).

Children are exposed to these idealized body images and beauty standards at a young age,

starting from exposure to cartoons and animated movies. They are influenced through characters
such as stereotypical princesses with unrealistic skinny figures, slim waists and full breasts, and

male characters who possess extreme masculine physical traits such as a muscular and fit body.

There are multiple methods to examine why and how children are influenced by mass media and

experience body dissatisfaction along with eating disorders, through media literacy. One way to

further understand this can be achieved through application of the social comparison theory.

APA Dictionary of Psychology defines Festinger’s social comparison theory as “the proposition

that people evaluate their abilities and attitudes in relation to those of others in a process that

plays a significant role in self-image and subjective well-being”. Self-comparison to unattainable

media images is causing individuals to experience body dissatisfaction as well as low self-

esteem. A previous study found that there was a significant association between self-esteem and

eating disorders, where low-self esteem due to self-comparison increased the risk of developing

eating disorders (Kim and Lennon 16). Females comparing themselves to others or societal

thinness standards has a significant impact on low self-evaluation as well as the risk of

developing harmful eating habits. (Kim and Lennon 18).

Stereotypes in Disney movies can also influence the construction of gender and gender

roles for kids. There is a consistent pattern the kids are exposed to through these movies in terms

of gender roles and the concept of femininity and masculinity. The firm differentiation between

two genders, bolstered by dominant stereotypes give rise to concern for gender constructions and

children’s perception (Golden and Jacoby 301). As stated, female characters and princesses are

passive in relationships, their personality traits involve only nurturing behavior, and they are

praised for their physical appearances instead of intelligence. Such examples give the message

that a true woman’s role in society is passive, and they must look pretty in order to be valued, as

well as the message that girls must be obedient and dependent on men. A study that was
conducted on preschool girls observed that participants were making statements such as “I want

to be pretty like her”, and “ I’m going to be pretty like Rapunzel” (Golden and Jacoby 305)

indicating that they were idolizing these figures for their beauty, and not their intelligence.

As for boys, the message being sent is influencing the boys to be dominant and restrain

their emotions, except for anger. It is also giving the message to boys that showing violence and

physical strength is what it means to be a true man, normalizing violence. The influence of these

stereotypes on young boys is correlated with aggression as well. In a study conducted, results

showed that television viewing was associated with fights or assault for males with a mean age

of 14, which lead to injury or act of aggression against another individual (Johnson et al. 3).

According to Johnson et al., “extensive television viewing by adolescents and young adults is

associated with an increased likelihood of committing aggressive acts against others” (3).

A major influence that stereotypes in mass media have on young children is depression.

Children are vulnerable to the messages and images of mass media; therefore, it is very common

to see young children developing depression as they are stepping into puberty, along with other

factors. A previous study by Primack et al., suggest that the impact of media exposure on

development of depression among young kids includes factors such as low self-esteem and

comparison to unattainable images, stereotyping, poor sleep as well as content that triggers

anxiety (185). Therefore, it is possible to see a development of depression among kids who are

already struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem and eating disorders. One interesting finding by

Primack et al., is that media exposure and content may have a stronger influence on male mental

health, due to the dominant sex roles and idealized perception of masculinity, which may

reinforce a feeling of worthlessness and feeling of marginalization for young boys (186). There

is no evidence on mass media having a direct influence on depression, and further research is
needed. It has been stated and explored in multiple studies that multiple factors of mass media

that impacts children’s psychological health serves as a trigger for depression.

Disney’s influence on children and their perception of race has been an on-going debate

for decades, and various microaggressions as well as blatant racist content has been identified in

multiple Disney movies. The negative portrayal of minority groups and different ethnicities in

Disney movies are not only creating a prejudice but also encouraging ethnocentric behavior.

Through microaggressions, negative representations, racial stereotypes and anthropomorphism,

Disney has been shaping the beliefs of kids and their perception of race through entertainment

from a very young age. These movies are serving as a powerful tool to teach children the

structural racism, racial and racist ideologies as well as teaching them the present status quo, and

how to maintain it at an early age (Lugo-Lugo and Bloodsworth-Lugo, 175). Baker and Grant

states in their book:

…Disney films is reinforcing White institutional power by framing non-White racial identities as

‘Other’ through binarism and primitivism, reinforcing negative racial stereotypes through

anthropomorphic representation, and at times erasing non-White perspectives entirely (68,69).

Application of the cultivation theory allows us to understand the relationship between

heavy exposure to these movies and stereotypes, and its strong influence on kids. Cultivation

theory, proposed by Gerbner, suggest that “the danger of television lies in its ability to shape not

a particular view point about one specific issue but in its ability to shape people's moral values

and general beliefs about the world” (Mosharafa, 23). Repeated exposures to mass media and its

messages heavily influence individuals’ beliefs, values, realities, and kids are most vulnerable to

this, since they are exposed to such content during crucial cognitive and behavioral development

stages. This theory can be applied to multiple influences that stereotypes and messages in mass
media has on kids, including low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.

Repeated exposure to unhealthy and unrealistically slim female bodies in media causes young

children to develop deeply established perceptions and beliefs regarding societal ideals and

beauty standards (Jordan et al., 440). The risk of developing harmful eating habits and eating

disorders increases with the amount of media an individual is exposed to (Hesse-Biber et al.,

216). Mass media can also have an influence on children’s perception on gender roles and how

gender roles are constructed. Consistent and repeated exposure to portrayal of gender roles can

become associated and connected with children’s concept of morality and socially acceptable

behavior (England et al., 557), resulting in children perceiving these roles as a reality of the real

world. Cultivation theory suggest that television and mass media does not reflect the realities of

the world, rather it presents an artificial world that serves to an agenda, which, through repeated

exposures, becomes the reality of consumers (Moshrafa, 24). Moshrafa also suggests that

stereotypes in mass media forms a mental image about groups and individuals in the consumers

head (33), which is a strong evidence to why stereotypes can lead to ethnocentrism, prejudice,

and racial and racist beliefs of individuals against minority groups, cultures, and ethnicities.

Media Literacy
Media literacy is the ability of an individual to access, comprehend, analyze, evaluate,

decode and produce information for different and multiple outcomes (Aufderheide, 6). Today,

consumers are exposed to infinite amount of media every day, through multiple mediums.

Children and young adults are exposed to large amounts of media and its messages through

multiple mediums, and these entertainment messages serve as a tool that defines social norms

and ideals (Koltay, 212). It is important to understand media and how media messages are
constructed to be a responsible consumer who possess media literacy skills. Aufderheide

introduces these concepts to help understand how reality is constructed through mass media:

 Media are constructed and, and construct reality

 Media have commercial implications

 Media have ideological and political implications

 Form and content are related in each medium, each of which has a unique

aesthetic, codes and conventions

 Receivers negotiate meaning in media (10)

Learning about the concepts and strategies about the media and possessing media literacy skills

enables individuals to evaluate and assess what is being portrayed as a reality in media (Hesse-

Biber et al., 220). It is important to possess media literacy skills along with critical thinking to

understand the messages we are exposed to and understand how they are constructed. In order to

be an individual who consumes content responsibly, it is important that we understand that the

media does not reflect the realities of the world, rather it serves an agenda. Media literacy allows

us to able to read between the lines and understand what is being communicated to us through

the content we consume, and not be vulnerable to these constructed messages. Possessing media

literacy skills and understanding its concepts will also help individuals become unsusceptible to

the impact and negative influence of media has on individuals, both physically and

psychological, that were explored in this paper.

Conclusion

Individuals are exposed to infinite amount of content, through multiple mediums each

day, and the contents they consume shapes their realities. Children are more susceptible to media
messages and its influence on one’s psychological and physical wellbeing. This paper identified

multiple stereotypes in various Disney movies including images of race, gender and culture.

Media literacy theories, social comparison theory and cultivation theory was successfully applied

in order to understand the relationship between these media images and its impact on children. It

was explored that media images and stereotypes in Disney movies influence the eating habits of

kids, and cause eating disorders due to the low self-esteem it causes through the unattainable

beauty standards presented in media. It was also explored that portrayal of gender roles were

playing a role in children’s perception of gender and how gender roles are constructed; as well as

encouraging young girls to stay in toxic relationships and normalizing aggression and violence

among boys. It was successfully identified in this paper that the negative representation of

minority groups in Disney movies are creating a dominant race perspective and influencing

children to develop prejudice against other cultures and races. Media literacy is crucial in order

to understand the constructed messages that are communicated to us through different mediums,

and it is important that individuals possess media literacy skills in order to identify media

messages. It is important that children learn media literacy skills at a young age to be evaluate

and analyze the messages they are exposed to and distinguish these constructed messages from

reality, which helps them to not be influenced by the negative impacts of mass media.
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