For several decades, Disney has been running a princess line of characters depicting the role of young women in society. A princess, often understood as a highly valued person based on beauty and controlling power from her kingdom, is used to portray female characters in Disney movies. The essay by Youssef (2020) examines the development of princesses’ gender roles in Disney movies from a feminist point of view. The media, especially through television, plays a significant role in displaying women from a stereotypical perspective. Compared to the early Disney princess movies that portrayed women assuming traditional mothering roles, the recent ones have added a gender equality aspect to the female role. I agree with the author that although the princess gender role development has evolved throughout the years, the female stereotypes remain where the movies depict unrealistic beauty of the princesses.
The summary of the article indicates that although the gender role portrayed by the princess has changed over time from traditional feminist duties to empowered career women, females are still stereotyped in the media. The author reaches these conclusions after examining the princess movies by comparing an old movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to a new one, Brave, to show the dynamic character development in gender roles (Youssef, 2020). In the old movie, the female character is shown to be more submissive, affectionate, fearful, and pretty. The princess assumes the role of a traditional woman, where she waits for a prince to come and rescue her through marriage. The movie brave depicts female roles to have changed with societal dynamics, where they become career-oriented and have trouble being romantic or socializing. The women navigate through such problems, pursue a successful career, and marry a man they choose. However, women are stereotypically depicted where the princess retains flawless beauty, defining how a successful woman should look.
The author’s purpose or goal is to investigate how gender role portrayal has developed in media through Disney princesses. The author meets the purpose by examining the princess movie of 1937 to one of 2012 to show the changes in character and gender role assumptions (Youssef, 2020). The author examines the movies from a feminist perspective to find the female role in the development of Disney princess movies. The writer’s primary argument is that although media gender role portrayal through Disney princesses has evolved with time, women are still stereotyped in terms of sexism. The modern depiction of the princess entails a curvy figure, long wavy hair, firm breasts, and a pretty face. These characteristics display how a modern woman should look, thus discrediting egalitarian gender roles.
The author effectively uses various writing strategies and a positive approach to formulate the article’s argument. Youssef (2020) uses simpler words and phrases as one of her writing strategies. She uses words that are easy to comprehend, allowing the reader to understand her evidence and argument. The second strategy is consistently using keywords to maintain the meaning and purpose of the text. For example, she uses keywords such as gender role portrayals, stereotypical, patriarchal, and Disney throughout the essay (Youssef, 2020). The author consistently balance the use of simpler and more sophisticated language to avoid repetition. For example, she interchangeably use the word egalitarian with gender equality many times (Youssef, 2020). Using various strategies is effective because it makes the text easy to read and understand while retaining its meaning. Youssef (2020) uses a positive attitude approach to examine gender role development in princess movies. She investigates gender role evolution with an open mind and without bias, lets the evidence guide her conclusion.
In response to the essay’s argument, I agree with Youssef argument that gender role portrayal by the Disney princess is still stereotypical. The Disney princesses of the 1930s do not display the same gender roles as the princesses of the 2000s (Youssef, 2020). The Disney production team has gradually evolved with gender roles from when princesses would exclusively do domestic work to the modern character who can pursue a career and still be in a healthy relationship. England et al. (2011) affirm that gender role illustrations in Disney princess movies have evolved from the strict depiction of conventional female roles to women taking masculine roles. However, while indicating how the princess is used to portray changing gender roles of women, the modern depiction is still stereotypical (England et al., 2011). Throughout the character development of the princesses, the characters have been shown as having perfect bodies and facial beauty (England et al., 2011). This depiction directly displays the current societal female role, where although women are assuming masculine activities, they are still undermined from a sexual perspective (Youssef, 2020). The conventional view of women as sexual objects is still practiced in society and media. Men have to check a woman’s sexual abilities to determine whether they can commit to masculine roles.
A possible objective argument would try to prove that women are not stereotyped and that Disney, among other forms of media, have achieved success in the modification of gender role with human evolution. Disney has, through princess, portrayed development in gender roles from when a woman could only be a domestic worker to now when one can pursue the career of their choice. From this perspective, women have adequately achieved gender role equality, and sexism is not a fair judgment because they have equal opportunities as men. A counterargument to this objection is that gender roles still do not imply adequate equality. The portrayal of sexism where the Disney princess has flawless beauty with a curvy body and firm breasts indicates that these are the qualities of women who deserve equal roles with men (Youssef, 2020). Therefore, women with beauty flaws would seem unattractive and undeserving of the persuasion of masculine roles (Youssef, 2020). It would also be unfair to ignore the sexism in Disney character portrayal because it also exists in modern society.
In conclusion, Disney princess character development is yet to achieve egalitarianism. The essay is effective because it shows the development of gender roles in Disney princesses. A comparison of old to new movies indicates a significant improvement in evolved gender role illustration. However, the princess character depicts constant female sexism that limits women’s roles in society. The unrealistic beauty in these cartoon characters suggests that women should be perfect. Such depictions limit a woman’s real freedom in exercising equal roles as a man. The portrayal of flawless, unrealistic beauty in women is a major source of female stereotypes in the communities. It is, therefore, ignorant to assume that since women can now pursue masculine activities, they have achieved gender role equality. Until a woman is portrayed without sexism, society will never regard them same roles as men.
References
England, D. E., Descartes, L., & Collier-Meek, M. A. (2011). Gender role portrayal and the Disney princesses. Sex Roles, 64, 555-567. Web.
Youssef, N. (2020). The development of princesses’ gender role in Disney movies content analysis. ResearchGate, 1-43. Web.