Fairytales and princesses are a huge part of our culture, shaping children's dreams and ideals at a young age. They set the stage for our roles and ideals as we grow up, most commonly finding a prince-charming and having a happy ending. For as long as I can remember Disney movies were a part of my life. My parents bought my sister and I endless videos that we would watch almost daily. If we were not watching the movies, we were watching the Disney channel. We also had clothing, stuffed animals, posters and other objects representing the Disney theme. During the past decade, it seems that Disney has kept up it's popularity and it's market has become even larger. All of the younger children I know (cousins and friends children) idolize the princesses in a way that I did not. They want to look like them, act like them, and dress up like them.
Christensen's claims prove a point that most women that have grown up watching Disney movies can relate to. He states, "When we read children's books, we aren't just reading cute little stories, we are discovering the tools with which a young society is manipulated." Now that I am being taught to analyze these movies, the stereotypes they show are crystal clear. It is also clear that they represent a "secret education"; shaping roles like fashion, sex roles, how to succeed, and how not to rebel. However, if not given the opportunity to look deeper into these underlying assumptions, it is simple to view these movies as "cute" and harmless.
The movie Brave does not portray the princess Merida as a typical princess is portrayed in the vast majority of Disney movies. She is a rebellious tomboy who is rejecting the idea of getting married to a prince (something that most Disney princesses spend most of the movie trying to do). She is defiant and does not have the same hobbies as typical princesses; she likes to spend most of her time finding adventures in the outdoors. Also, the female characters in the movie are authoritative; Merida's mothers makes the decisions and it is she who is forcing her into marriage. It is refreshing to see gender equality rising in this animation that strays from the norms and challenges stereotypes.
Brianna - I love that you included the idea of "secret education." As an ESL teacher, I wonder what connections you could make between the "secret education" and what students new to America *think* about what it means to be American/a girl/a boy/whatever other category they might define.
ReplyDelete