Disney Pixar Gender Roles

In the past years, Disney/Pixar has revolutionized the premise of their movies by shifting away from princesses and portraying resilient male characters as the protagonists of their highly successful animated feature films. From 1995 to 2008, Disney/Pixar released eight films, all of which included a male lead, yet these characters are arguably unlike any other protagonist in early Disney animated films. In their essay, “Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar,” Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Wooden call attention to the new manner Disney/Pixar use to depict their heroic male characters in their movies. Gillam and Wooden claim that Pixar is using their movies to promote the acceptance of a new standard of masculinity capable of embracing feminine traits, as conveyed by the male characters within the films. As a viewer, it is easy to recognize the emasculation of the male protagonists within Pixar movies, however, the authors’ claim is faulty; they fail to acknowledge that society now has room for a new sympathetic man because it is straying way from a patriarchal beliefs of the past.

In the article, “Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar,” written by Gillam and Wooden, they argue that Disney's line of animated movies depict a “new man.” Their argument is based around three movies: Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Cars. Gillam and Wooden then state that all three of the movies start with a traditional alpha male character who, throughout the movie, begins to accept his more “feminine” aspects. The idea that the two present is that the lead characters show traits of “acute loneliness and vulnerability.” From there, Pixar emasculates the character through some type of disempowerment that then leads to the overall maturing of the characters (Gillam and Wooden). Throughout the article they bring up many great arguments of which I agree to. However, Gillam and Wooden only cite the three movies mentioned above, when in fact Disney/Pixar has continued with the trend of having an “alpha male” character who throughout the film becomes more mellowed out and less dominant. The idea of emasculation can be carried into the Pixar movie “Up,” where the viewer can witness acute loneliness, slight depression, and eventually the admittance of defeat, where the character is forced to take on help and accept the “emasculation”.

Disney movies have been the leading outlets for child education and social learning. Due to such power of influence controversies have been raised which include the following, but not limited to, gender roles and stereotypes, issues of independence, and misrepresentation. Many people argue that despite the morals and messages that occur within such films there are still underlying messages that deal with beauty standards and norms. However, others may argue that Disney is evolutionary and evolved the imagery of male/female standards. The controversy then becomes: are Disney films doing more harm than they are good? Due to certain themes brought on by such movies, it has left younger audiences with both positive and

Disney’s Pixar has always had a traditionally “alpha male” role for its leading male characters, but there is possibly a “new male model” concept that has overtaken this predominant alpha male role as portrayed in the article, “Post-Princess models of gender: The new man in Disney/Pixar” by Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Wooden. Within the article, Gillam and Wooden use a well-structured article with supportive examples that effectively strengthen their ideas and theories. The observation in Disney’s Pixar promotes a new male model in their films which expresses more feminine traits is effectively reinforced by the author’s success in organizing the evidence and examples which support their ideas: also the authors effective use of structuring the article to draw your attention to the main issues being discussed to successfully connect to their thesis. Effective introduction of their topics and ideas in a sufficient orderly fashion and present these ideas which give a lot of their theories and ideas strength in persuading the readers to think a certain way about the topic. The authors succeed in addressing their theory that in Disney’s Pixar films there is a new male model which has transformed the previously “unambiguous alpha” male role.

The Walt Disney Company is a well-known franchise that is specifically popular among young children. This franchise’s growing popularity is due to their heart-warming, family-friendly animated films. In any given year these animated films were released, almost always they had a common theme present throughout the movie: the classic female princess who needs to be saved by the strong, handsome prince. Due to this common prevailing theme, this essay will analyze the claim that Disney only writes its characters to follow heteronormative roles with intentions to teach young viewers that they too must follow their gender heteronormative norms to be accepted by society. To prove this claim is true, research need to be conducted.

The essay by Gillam and Wooden attempt to prove that in many Pixar/Disney films, the often male protagonist goes through a change where they are “stripped of their identity” and made into a new more female like character (470). The two authors assert that Pixar has been making movies that create a new model of masculinity – one that does not follow the ideals of the “ubermacho Gaston” but rather a gentler and more understanding man (471). Gillam and Wooden assert this to appeal to the reader who has seen all or some of the movies they are refrencing not only to prove a point but to make the reader aware of what has occurred in the movies.

“Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar”. Journal of Popular Film and Television, Vol. 78, No. 1, pp. 137-137. 36, Iss. -.

Stefan Babich, a blogger for Periscope Magazine, a blog for women.Wrote a online article in 2011 that Brings up an issue many of us might not have even knew existed, that there is a lack of female protagonists in Pixar films. Babich brings up many points that are important to think about, because whether we realise it or not films,books,video games, and the media in general, at times do treat women to be less than their male counterparts.

Gender Socialization found in Disney Films Gender Socialization is happening all around without people even realizing it. For example, if a person where to walk into a toy store, there would be two separate sections, one for boys and one for girls. The female section of the toy store would most likely be pink and the males blue. The toys for the females too, would be different than of the males. The females would most likely have dolls and houses and the males would be toy cars and action figures.

When you think of Disney, you think about how everyone lives their happy ever after fairytale. Most Americans grew up with Disney and have a strong connection with the brand. Yet, there is a lot more to a classic Disney film, then what the average American sees the first time viewing.

Zootopia is Disney’s New York City, the city of opportunities, where “anyone can be anything” (Zootopia). A female bunny can even be the first police officer in Zootopia history. Despite being constantly discouraged from persuading her dream, Judy Hopps proves her doubters wrong and becomes Zootopia’s first bunny police officer. Once at the male dominant Zootopian Police Department, the hopeful Judy is placed on parking duty and is outsmarted by the fox, Nick Wilde. On her second day, she is almost fired for insubordination, but Judy is given one last chance to prove herself by finding one of the missing predators. With the help of Nick Wilde, she begins her investigation, where she is constantly disrespected by the male characters. However, her feminine and masculine qualities allow her to eventually gain their respect. With Judy in the lead of the investigation, it is discovered that the once innocent Mayor Bellwether was behind the disappearances and she is arrested. Zootopia is once again peaceful and is under the protection of the respected Officer Judy Hopps. By comparing Judy Hopps to the other gender roles present in the film, Zootopia shows that moving between the masculine-feminine spectrum should be accepted and encouraged.

Have you ever noticed how Riley’s emotions in the Pixar movie, ‘Inside Out’ are both male and female while her parent’s emotions are gender unified? This is just one noticeable feature in Riley’s emotions. This can possibly show the gender stereotypes that are displayed in this movie. Were these the result of coincidence or of conscious choice? This movie was intended to show children that emotions are complex with the emotions as a mixture of both masculinity and femininity shown in the emotions.

For decades now, Disney Corporation has been providing us with countless films made to delight and amuse children and adults alike. But not all Disney films seem particularly appropriate for their target audience. Many of these films portray violence, gender inequality, and skewed views of leadership roles that seem altogether inappropriate for impressionable young children. Better and more contemporary heroines need to be added to Disney’s wall of princesses in order to counteract years of sexism.

astonishing as Disney has immense potential to shape cultural notions of parenting, family and gender roles in young children. It is important as a parent, to reevaluate how family patterns are represented in today’s media and how it can often portray false notions about family normalisations to our children. The films evaluated were released anywhere between 1937; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and 2009 with the release of The Princess and the Frog. In addition, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Lilo were also analysed in this study. It was of noticeable concern that these movies attributed the same traits to similar characters.

Disney is one of the most successful and largest companies in the world. They have their hand in nearly every form of entertainment as well as media, and broadcasting. Disney is best known for their animated films, unique cartoon characters, catchy musicals, and fairy tales that most of us were first introduced to as children. They are one of the few entertainment companies in the World whose primary demographic is children and teens. Nearly everybody is familiar with the Disney name and its brand, and its realistic to suggest that nearly everybody has experienced a Disney film and animated character at some point in their lives; which may have helped to influence them or their behaviors or even their