Disney and Gender

Hello all, we are back! Sorry about the delay.

Beauty and the Beast! A favourite childhood classic of mine. I thought I’d take some time to look at the way that this film depicts gender roles.

Personally, I always viewed the story as being quite progressive –Belle is not a helpless princess waiting for her prince – as seen in the video here, she clearly makes up her own mind about the partner she desires.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUmT-T6n4PA

However, Joanna pointed out to me that this film has some problems in regards to gender roles, namely the way in which Belle tolerates the verbal abuse from the Beast. This got me thinking about other gender depictions in the film, specifically in regards to the character Gaston. Gaston was a character whose arrogance and conceit are met with Belle’s refusal to marry him. Therefore, it appears that the message conveyed through the character is that conceit is not something that is rewarded. To quote the Bible “Pride goeth before a fall”.

However there are gendered ideas presented through the character of Gaston. He is the picture of traditional masculinity, and this is characterized by his muscular appearance, his love of hunting, and his popularity with women. This is, of course, neither good nor bad. It just is.

The problem with this character is his attitudes towards women, seen when he denigrates Belle’s love of reading as it may result in a woman “getting ideas . . . . and thinking”. Take note also of his assumptions of her “dreams”. These involve the ideal of “domestic bliss” –and the assumption that this is something universally desired.

However, as we see in the clip, Belle deals with Gaston’s arrogance by refusing to marry him.

In a way, it could be argued that this film satirizes gender roles by depicting an arrogant, sexist Gaston –who assumes that Belle would be honoured to marry him and blatantly voices a sexist opinion in regards to female literacy –by allowing him to be rejected. However, it may also be argued that this film supports rigid gender roles, by confining males into stereotypes. After all, not only is this a muscular, tall character who enjoys to hunt, but he is clearly a misogynist.

So what do you think? Does the film challenge gender roles? Does it reinforce masculine stereotypes? Worse yet, does it serve to imply that stereotypically masculine = sexist?

Online videos of children aka “Pick on Someone Your Own Size”

Hello Everyone!

I recently came across some more “funny” videos on youtube, which I have complied here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7vD2CfQiNA

I was shocked to see that not only do adults videotape children doing things that are “funny”, they videotape them when they are hurt and upset.

Doesn’t seem responsible, does it?

The little girl in the first clip actually has a problem with being filmed. Rather than respect her wishes, an older sibling has decided to humiliate and frighten her and film her in tears.

Second Clip: There wasn’t any real explaination for filming this boy crying. I’m not sure who would be unsympathetic enough to find a little boy crying funny.

In the final clip, we see an appalling act of cowardice as a grown man humiliates a little boy. This reminded me of the phrase we all heard as children:

“Pick on Someone Your Own Size”

It’s extremely cowardly and pathetic to resort to treating children this way. It’s depressing that people even watch this online and find it funny!

I’d just like to remind everyone that children are vulnerable, and look to us for comfort and assurance, not for humiliation and laughter.

-Wilhelmina

A good example

Before reading this, proceed to watch video:

We see here a teenaged girl relating an interaction between her and her mother. Her mother, we understand, dresses provocatively and lives an exciting nightlife. However, when the girl emulates her mother’s dress, she is not only scorned, but condemned by school staff. She states that her mother FAINTS at the sight of her attire, and when asked where she learned to dress in that manner, she points right at her mother. Then, alarmingly, the girl’s mother raises her hand to her. However, the girl concludes her story by reminding her mother that she is merely living by her example.

Oftentimes, the messages that adults send to and youth children follows a “do as I say, not as I do” pattern. It’s troubling also, to see that her mother would condemn her for following the only example she knows. For all who have children or just know children,  YOU ARE A ROLE MODEL. It’s important to conduct ourselves in a way we wouldn’t mind children around us to emulate.

Just a thought.

-Wilhelmina

David After Dentist

Hello again!

I would just like to draw your attention to a video that I have created concerning the popular “David After Dentist” video. While I think it was disrespectful and insensitive to film the child in this state, I think it even more appalling that the parents of the child have in fact been able to sell “David After Dentist” -themed t-shirts on the internet. Not only is it unethical to humiliate a child -someone who is vulnerable and dependent, but it is shockin that his parents would exploit them for financial gain.

Any thoughts?

-Wilhelmina

Meet the Sailor Scouts

Is there any one girl that appeals to you as a role model? Is there enough variety among the girls?

Discussion: What we Think

“As a young girl, I really liked Sailor Jupiter because she was so strong and sporty.  So in my case there was a girl who appealed to me, and even now, I considered her the best out of the Scouts in the cartoon (in the comic, Sailor Moon becomes the most mature and strongest emotionally and she as well as Jupiter become my favourites). Although, looking back now, Mercury is really appealing because she takes her school work and responsibility seriously and she is always the voice of reason when Moon and Mars argue. I think there is quite a bit variety and most girls will probably find at least one girl whom they can relate to. The only problem in my opinion is that only one Sailor Scout (Mercury) out of five isn’t excessively boy crazy. It would have been more balance if there were two at least who were not obsessed with chasing boys.”

“My favourite was always Sailor Mars, as she was fierce and feisty. From this clip, however, I definitely see the virtues of Sailor Jupiter, who appears to be the most well-rounded. I think that the personality types, from frivolous, to serious, to feisty, to well-rounded, to feminine are very encompassing and most girls will relate to at least one scout.”

Continue the Discussion: Tell us What you Think

Gender Roles in Last Unicorn

Often it is during endings that the message of the movie is conveyed. Taken together does the ending of Last Unicorn reinforce gender roles, or does it subvert them?

Discussion: What we Think

“I am really torn about the ending. On the one hand, Amalthea refuses to do what she must until she is forced. First, she refuses to return to being a unicorn to save the others until she is forced by Schmendrick’s magic when the Red Bull attacks. Second, when she is a unicorn, she only fights back when Prince Lir is wounded/killed. This part seems to strongly reinforce the notion that women are naturally gentle and only fight back when the their loved ones are threatened. On the other hand, for a movie made in 1982, the heroine is quite active, she does fight her battle and the ending is bittersweet. She doesn’t stay with her beloved, she returns to the forest, to her former life. The lack of a pairing at the ending is amazing. It subverts the notion that lovers need to always be together regardless of their other dreams and obligations. In the Last Unicorn, love is important but it doesn’t take precedence over other important things and that in itself is very subversive to the notion that love is the most important thing in a woman’s life.”

“I think that the ending of the last unicorn is really gendered in the sense that once she has turned into a unicorn, she goes back to the forest and doesn’t live in the “wild” anymore or what not. I mean if it were the prince that turned into the horse he’d end up staying around the castle and what not. It seemed as the unicorn went off to the quiet forest where she will be accepted”

“It appears that this both subverts and reinforces gender norms simultaneously. On the one hand, the hero breaks out of the norm by telling the heroine that this doesn’t have to be their “happily ever after”. Also, SHE appears to rescue HIM, and defeats the red bull, however the issue with this is the idea that the female character defers to the male character for guidance and becomes more attached to him than he is to her.”

“That is very true Mina. There was something that bothered me about that exchange but I could not put my finger on it. Now I can. The exchange was very paternalistic. The men (Lir and Schmendrick) were both telling Amalthea what she should do, what has to be done. I did not like that either, that she could not come to her own conclusion that saving the unicorns is important; instead she need a man to point it out to her.”

Continue the Discussion: Tell us What you Think

Behaviour and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Part 1

Part 2

When watching charlie and the chocolate factory, one thing was imminent: the behaviour of kids, the behaviour of adults, and their relationship. In these two clips, it is evident that the kids have done something that Wonka has opposed them not to and that has resulted them various consequences. You can see that majority of these kids act the way they do because of the parents influence. They aren’t “bad” kids because of themselves but because their parents refused to teach them the different between right and wrong!

“I honestly thought that this had both positives and negatives.  The positive parts include that it does show kids that if you do something bad or something that shouldn’t be done then there are consequences. The one negative I can think of is the fact that it’s not the kid’s fault that they are doing bad things. I think that if the parents had intervened then they wouldn’t act this way.”- Sadaf

“I think one of the good things about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the way in which it satirizes modern families and the way in which people raise their children. Some people spoil their children, push them too hard overfeed them, or let the television raise them. However i think it problematic that the film allows a depiction in which the children are punished for the mistakes of the parents also problematic are cultural stereotypes, take for instance the german stereotype of agustus gloop, or the colonialist attitude of willy wonka towards the oompa-loompas (colonizer verses primitive tribe). these cultural stereotypes are innacurate and outdated” – Mina

What do you guys think? Is it the parents fault? Do bad things always happen to bad people and good to only good people? LET US KNOW!

Marriage in Sailor Moon

Discussion: What we Think

“While it’s nice to see a pair that isn’t about appearances and just wants to be together. The excessive attention paid to the ritual of marriage by Serena and her home room teacher draws the viewers attention from what really matters, i.e. that two individuals want to be together regardless of each one’s faults and the fact that they cannot afford a nice marriage ceremony, to less meaningful things, i.e. the white dress, the big party. Now I think the wedding ceremony is important as it is a physical manifestation of each partner’s commitment, however, the important thing isn’t the ceremony itself, but the emotions and decisions behind it.”

“They say women grow up anticipating their “big white wedding” because it’s the happiest day of their lives. But would women really feel that way if it weren’t for pop culture influences that push that idea upon us? This episode simply proves that the idea is fed to us from the time we are little girls. It shows the fantasy of marriage -not the reality of communicating with another person, paying bills with them, running a home with them, or raising children together”

Continue the Discussion: Tell us What You Think

Masculinity in the Last Unicorn

Lir: The Traditional Hero

Lir represents the traditional hero: he falls in love at first sight with the fair Amalthea, tries to court her by killing a dragon and later writing poetry. He does all in his power to be of “use” to Amalthea.

Lir represents the very old archetype of hero and the belief that men should woo the women that they love. If she ignores you, you just got to keep trying to win her love. Note the implicit notion of passivity in the female and the activeness of the male.

Also recall Mina’s comment from the previous post: “The idea that the heroine’s falling in love has caused her to “forget who she is” is tied to a very antiquated notion.” This is further reinforced here, when Amalthea urges Lir to make her forget what the dreams keep telling her to remember. And when she finally does forget, she falls in love with Lir.

Furthermore, Lir’s total devotion to Amalthea is very romanticized notion of manhood. A romanticized notion that often appears in media aimed primarily at young girls. Think of the prince’s total devotion to Cinderella or Aurora. Girls are shown very unrealistic images of manhood (as well as womanhood), which paints unrealistic notions of themselves and boys. This likewise happens to boys.

Are such romanticized images good for either sex? Is there something true about the view that falling in love means forgetting your own dreams or has this arisen from the assumption that women have to conform to men when they choose mutual life (i.e. fall in love and start a family)?

Masculinity in the Red Bull

The Red Bull is another representation of masculinity. Firstly, he is a bull and therefore male in nature. Second, he is aggressive and large and relentlessly chases the feminine Unicorn.

It’s interesting that the negative side of masculinity is shown when we have the idealization of manhood present in the character of Lir. Ultimately, however, the Red Bull only reinforces the notions that men are violent and aggressive, while women are not.

Schmendrick: The other Man

What is curious about “The Last Unicorn” is Schmendrick, who is quite unlike any male hero one would normally find in a children’s movie. First off, he has trouble rescuing the Unicorn and being a magician. He doesn’t think much of himself or his magic yet tries his hardest. He’s very pessimistic yet still tries to do what he feels he should. But most importantly, he is paired with Molly, the middle-aged ex-wife of a bandit. The two of them aren’t seen doing anything “romantic”, and the viewer only realizes the two are together in the last moments of the film when Schmendrick helps Molly onto a horse and the two of them leave together. Their love is shown to have arisen through mutual exchanges, slow and gradual. A much more realistic notion than love at first sight.

It is interesting that him and Molly are present in the film, almost parallel to the idealistic relationship of Lir and Amalthea. However, even still, the focus is on Amalthea and Lir as the main relationship. In the end, I cannot but wonder why such an unusual pair and a far more realistic duo was even present in the film.

Is the Last Unicorn attempting to subvert the idealized relationship of Amalthea and Lir? Or are Schmendrick and Molly more tacked on? But even if they are tacked on, is the presence of a more realistic relationship revolutionary in itself? What is the significance of idealized masculinity in Lir and brutish masculinity of the Bull?

The Last Unicorn: Amalthea’s Eyes

Also consider Amalthea’s song:

Discussion: What we Think

“There is a close link between loss of innocence and adulthood (as King Haggard mentions Lir’s eyes are the same) that is expressed in the change in Lady Amalthea’s eyes.  While this and a few other images do express a romanticism of innocence and in turn childhood, there is competing imagery that expresses the need to grow up; after all the Unicorn’s journey is a coming of age story. In the end, what the Last Unicorn stumbles upon is the assumption that childhood is an age of innocence. That innocent creatures do not know what love or regret is. Thus while it doesn’t romanticize childhood to the degree of Peter Pan, there are still some western presuppositions of what childhood is about present in the film.”

“The idea that falling in love with a man/ being physical with a man tie a woman to him is seen here. The idea that the heroine’s falling in love has caused her to “forget who she is” is tied to a very antiquated notion. This idea, therefore, reinforces traditional gender binaries within the context of a children’s film, which may cause them to perpetuate this stereotype in later life.”

“the message is clear when you see this clip, women are the beholders of innocence and once that is lost, they are nothing. At least that’s what I got from it. The Evil king seemed like he was angry when he found “no innocence” in amalthea’s eyes. I think this is really sad because it should be the same for men and it’s not. Only women are looked down upon or looked at a different way when the innocence is gone.”

Continue the Discussion: Tell us What You Think