Impact of Disney’s Gender Image and Gender Roles

Theme Many children grown up watching Disney Films and they remember all the characters and the typical storyline. Disney movies define a female and male gender image and role in society. Disney movies target youths which results in their admiration of these characters as the ideal gender image and role. Many female youths grow up wanting to be a Disney princess and many male youths grow up wanting to be a Disney hero. These characters define a typical male and female in society.

Theme In her article “Gendered Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender”, Julia Wood presents how the media’s portrayal of stereotypical women and men is unequal. Most male Disney hero characters are displayed as masculine, strongly built, heroic, and dominant. Most Disney female princess characters are displayed as needy, attractive, and male dependent. In his article “More Than Just Anorexia and Steroid Abuse “, Xiao Wang describes the impact of societal and media structures of both the male and female gender image. Disney princesses and heroes are admired by youths, but these characters are displaying many typical gender image and roles which result in gender discrimination and promote unhealthy gender images for men and women. Wang states, “engaging in unhealthy dieting or steroid use. Several recent studies have found that media exposure or more specifically, body image exposure, can lead to negative outcomes”(Wang 51). Disney seems to set up gender roles for kids, that many youth are not completely comfortable with in today’s society.

Dependent on Male

Typical Body Image

Princess Age

Ugly Villains

Man music

Male Image

Result