Beauty and the Beast -- Revamped?

Disney aims to please, and with the current wave of feminism, we see their fitting decision to attempt to revamp and retell the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. With subtle tweaks in the storyline, we see an effort to make the fable appeal to a more liberal cultural and please the rising feminist population. But did Disney hit the mark with this new motion picture? In Disney's defense, it is hard to please everyone. Die hard Disney lovers and members of the Princess Belle fan club would be highly disappointed if this new film did not have the same plot and atmosphere as the original movie, but the progressive critic desires a story that shies away from tradition gender roles and stereotypes seen in the 1991 film. So, has Disney done the impossible and pleased everyone, or did they fail to meet the expectations of some? Indeed, there were many changes in the film, however were they powerful changes that upheld the integrity of the movie while promoting female empowerment?

Sadly, I believe the short answer to my inquiry is that is impossible to please everyone. Viewing this film through a feminist's perspective, I still see major red flags in which Belle is depicted as conforming to narrow gender stereotypes or being labeled as "odd" for venturing off the normalized path. The main plot, at its core principle, centers around a woman falling in love with her capture, and the subtle attempts to revise small attributes of the film to be more progressive in gender roles, we see a sense of false feminism.

For example, unlike in the original film, Disney decides to take make Belle an inventor. Belle is depicted making a washing machine like contraption, and while some would say this breaks the conservative idea that woman do more than housework, others are quick to point out that her engineering is still centered around chores. Of all things she could have created, did it really need to be a washing machine? 

Now I believe Disney missed a prime opportunity here. In my opinion, the construction of a washing machine would have been fine with a feminist explanation. It would have been great characterization if Belle explained that she used her wits to create this machine because she can't be bothered by doing laundry all day.

Another critic is two overarching messages are still misconstrued. The first of which being the primary motif that looks should not matter when falling in love. I would argue that to uphold this theme there would be no reason for the beast to transform back into a beautiful king, and that Belle -- which literally means beauty -- did not have to be Emma Watson level beautiful. The second, but less obvious, message I struggle with, is the idea that woman need to "fix" men. The premise that only "true love" can break the spell is narrow-minded and bound for feminine critique. It was never a question that the Beast needed to find a romantic interest to break the spell. Why wouldn't love from building a genuine friend be enough? Why does it need to be a woman to fix him? 

Especially in today's culture I think this is an incredibly destructive message to send. Even personally, I see this narrative play out time and time again in real life. Woman should not feel the need to teach, civilize, or change a man. Both genders need to be equally responsible for themselves and others. 

Moana Film Review

It has been obvious that Disney has progressively tried to shape their image of the Disney princess brand to reflected and appeal to the liking of its audience. Before they grew a multibillion dollar industry, they relied on socially intrinsic, but dangerously restrictive gender ideals to develop a conservative set of "perfect princess" standards and a traditional gender stereotyping princess culture. Once feminist critiques began to point out the discrepancies  between what Disney portrayed as the ideal woman compared to was society should view as the ideal woman, we see a gradual shift in the characterization of princess roles in Disney's newer films.

While it is impossible for a cooperation giant like Disney to please everyone, the gradual changes they have continued to make throughout each new princess wave has been, overall, very successful. At first, princesses were passive damsels in distress whose only hobbies centered around housework and singing. However, eighty years later, we arrive at a princess who is not only dynamic, but a hero in her own right, curious, brave, independent, and smart.

I would like to commend Disney on their striking execution of the characterization of Moana, and believe that this next wave of princesses to come has started Disney down a path of a less gender stereotyping and one that will continue to focus to promote female empowerment that has real substance.

Moana's "wishing song" is one that induces curiosity -- she stares out into the water and wonders about the great beyond. She wants to know 'how far [she'll] go" and is intrigued by the unknown. She is creative and envisions that there must be a solution to her people's problems somewhere past the membrane of their safe island, and is brave enough to deviate from her father's wishes in hopes of saving her island.

This action symbolizes a high moral development that should be infused in the minds of youth. Moana's actions illustrate an act as a form of civil disobedience, however, this deviant decision is clearly and thoroughly explained. You see her wrestle with wanting to be obedient to her family and respecting their rules, but you see the film justify her final decision to go against her father's wishes, especially through the grandmother, in a way that was extremely powerful.

Is was clear that she was going on her journey to save the island, and this act of deviance makes a maturely developed moral decision understandable to children. It subconsciously promotes the idea that even if society's rules say one thing, an individual's moral code might find flaws in the system, and it is important to empower yourself to do what you think is right, not what society deems is right. It stresses the need to think critically about the messages and values you want to soak in from society, and to challenge messages that you disagree with.

I find that a rather powerful message given the discussion of the portrayal of gender roles and woman empowerment (or lack thereof) in Disney films and the need to teach kids media literacy.

 

Mulan Film Review

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to watch Mulan as a young girl. For some reason, I don't have any recollection of the plot of the film from a childhood perspective, but absolutely love the female war hero characterization and empowering plot line. Mulan has zest, bravery, individuality, cunning, and smarts, she is a girl that I would want my future daughter looking up to. Unlike the princesses leading up to Mulan, she is dares to test the confounds of conservative gender roles and does so fearlessly. She is not glorified for her looks or feminine nature, she is shown to be heroic in the true sense of the word -- she saves the city with her intellect and agility and doesn't let the overt societal sexism hold her back.

Though I do not recall obsessing over this movie when I was young, I have always loved the music. Reflection, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful songs Disney has ever produced and trumps all other princess wishing songs to date, however after watching this film with a more critical eye, I found a lot of problems with the messages some of the other songs were sending to young boys.

I would like to switch gears and claim that I believe Mulan, with a few exceptions, painted a great narrative empowering women, however it did so at the downfall of narrowly stereotyping masculinity. Some songs like "Bring Honor To Us All" and "A Girl Worth Fighting For"have some obvious concerns regarding female stereotyping, but I argue that they also depict men in a negative fashion. "A Girl Worth Fighting For" depicts men lusting over a lady and dream of their ideal partner.  Yes I can make a case that they all envision woman who fit the conservative ideals, but I want to focus on lyrics such as this, "My girl will marvel at
my strength, adore my battle scars." This song's underlying message is that, to be complete, a man must win the love of a woman to gain a sense of worth and masculine pride. Without the acknowledgement of a woman that they are strong and powerful, they are not manly.

The most explicit song in which I saw glaring red flags regarding stereotyping gender roles of males is in "I'll Make a Man Out of You" in which the phrase "be a man" is repeated over and over throughout there chorus. This phrase, just in society alone, has taken on a such negative connotation that promotes hiding one's feelings, as to not show weakness, and presenting an outward physical strength. It directly illustrates that a person's masculinity is defined as toughness linked to the violence and fury of a "raging fire" and that their true feelings must be hidden and "mysterious as the dark side of the moon." Is this really what manhood is about? It is definitely not the message I want infiltrating the mind of young boys. If males grow up idealizing this message and masculine identity they are headed down a path of poor mental health and susceptibility to feeling lesser for superficial, outdated, and unimportant values.

The Curse of Masculinity -- So what?

The Curse of Masculinity thoroughly explores the shifting identity of masculinity and how Disney's Beauty and the Beast embodies this transition of the strong man of the 80s to the family oriented man of the 90s. Jefford analyzes how the beast is first is characterized as "hard-edged" but then, with the power of a nurturing female to spark change, can be transformed into a being that is kind and considerate. He then makes an incredibly interesting point that as males try and live up to outdated norms of manhood, they receive backlash  -- almost as if masculinity in itself is its "own evil curse." This argument then leads to the overall conclusion that neither males or females can be free of the confounds of gender roles until the "curse" of masculinity is revoked from a man's social pressures.

Jefford's thinking, in my opinion, was incredibly insightful and I both enjoyed and agreed with most of his piece. However, when it comes to the formatting of his paper, I think he fell short. This may be because I am mostly interested in the topic of Disney, but I found the introduction to discussion on Beast and the Beast far too lengthy, confusing, and  disorganized. It seemed as if he was trying to do too many things at once, and it lead him to link claims that were vague or had little substance. I didn't start truly getting wrapped up and focused in on his argument until Beauty and the Beast was introduced into the writing.

I also struggled to find a thesis and identify where the introduction ended and where the heart of his argument began. Because there was no clear thesis, I also found no roadmap for his piece and no hint of a "so what". His work introduced some very compelling points, however were not given any significance beyond the world of academia and into real life. There was no call to action or hint at how the messages in these movies have extended to effect men in real life. 

I think Jefford lost sight of the principal idea that writing is a conversation.

Beauty and the Beast Film Review

Disney’s revamped motion picture of Beauty and the Best is not only stunning, but casts one of the leading feminists of today, Emma Watson. Of course, me being a hardcore fan of both Disney and Emma Watson and her political work,  I was very interested to see how Disney was going to spin their classic tale of the beautiful Belle (literally — Belle means beauty) and the overbearing beast’s love story. Though the classic Disney princess tale is much more progressive from a feministic standpoint than that of others of its time, there is still much to criticize. 

Even in the original film, Belle was much more dynamic than that of the other Disney princesses. For example, she loved to read, her intellect was highlighted, she showed disgust in the hyper-masculinity of Gaston, and she was courageous to save her father. She, overall, had a personality beyond a damsel in distress, and her personality only grows in the 2017 film. In the recent film, Belle not only loves to read but is seen trying to educate other young girls to do the same in the village. She also keenly invents a contraption to wash clothing. The new movie especially tries to shy away from the “love at first sight” narrative, and instead shows a strong headed Belle that vows she will escape when first taken as prisoner and one who composes a rope-like contraption to slide down from the palace window. Belle and the Beast’s relationship, therefore is slowly growing  and dynamic, and we see the two of them learn to understand one another better, enjoy one another’s company over shared interests like reading, and lastly start to bond on a more romantic level. 

However, while Disney has made subtly changes to progress this princess narrative in a less conservative, gender typical direction, we cannot overlook the fact that the main premise of the movie still remains the same — a young, beautiful girl falls in love with her capture. Sure, I believe in the cliches like “people make mistakes” and “forgive and forget,” however when someone goes to the extent of imprisoning first your father and then you, they have crossed a line that, in my opinion, cannot be forgiven. But, not only does Belle forgive, she grows to infatuate for the beast. Is sounds a bit ridiculous to even have to pose the question, “Should I give this guy another chance?” given her circumstance and yet, in the world of Disney, I guess it’s not. Now that is the epitimay of a fairytale — that someone who locks you and a loved one up is capable of change to an extent you can fall in love with your captor. In the real world, this kind of behavior is unacceptable and should not be romanticized. 

Overall though, I would like to applaud Disney for its steps in a more feministic direction. They did tweak the story to create a more empowered princess protagonist, and I believe that is the most they could do to still maintain the integrity and heart of the film. Understandably, they cannot change the overarching plot of the story, which is where I can see the most red flags regarding gender roles, so I hesitantly deem this remake well executed. While it does send an incredibly poor message regarding healthy relationships, it also sends an extremely heartwarming and sincere message that inner beauty is the beauty that counts, and it is important to look past the surface of others to find it. 

Disney Song of the Week!

Over break I have found myself in a home with the next, up-and-coming broadway star. Yes, my boyfriend's nine year old sister has just landed a role in her elementary school's five-star-spectacular-to-be Aladdin! She is excited to debut her dance solo in the epic number Price Ali, so I thought it was suiting for this week's song to be dedicated to one of the cutest, most talented nine year olds out there.

"Prince Ali! Fabulous He!

Ali Ababwa"

Villain Makeovers

This is borderline glorifying villains and ignoring the obvious link Disney shows between physical beauty and good versus evil, while it's also calling attention to the glaring gap in popularity between villains and protagonists. Though I believe this video fell short when it didn't take the opportunity to  address the overarching stereotypes between appearance and morality, I do applaud it for defying the status quo and highlighting some of the positives found in Disney's villainy. Plus, I cannot resist the  mad skills of these makeup artists and enticing costuming. 

On a more positive note though, this video preaches the message that you can find beauty in anything, and that we should commend and embrace the good.

Readings Summaries - Laying the Groundwork

Two big names in the Disney debate are Henry A. Giroux and Rebecca-Anne C. Do Rozario, and I thought it would be good to summarize some of their work as another starting point when tackling my final paper. These pieces, The Disneyfication of Children’s Culture and The Princess and the Magic Kingdom: Beyond Nostalgia, the Function of the Disney Princess, lays out the initial framework of information the reader will need to knowledgeably delve into the topic.

Disneyfication of Children's Culture and the Princess

            In this piece, Giroux does an excellent job both posing and answering the question "why study Disney?" and emphasizes the need of media literacy in both adults (parents, educators, and cultural workers) and youth. He addresses the discussion of children's culture and how the branch of entertainment extends to a myriad of other spheres that craft a child's understanding of societal norms. He coins the term "teaching machine" as an idea that Disney can function on various different platforms in which conservative views are highlighted, and then explains that Disney has the power to subtly instill those values in its audience through "Disneyfication." The text also specifically touches on the gender stereotypes portrayed in Disney's princess films and recurring messages Disney delivers. These include the concept that in order for females to feel empowered, they must find a noble, handsome man and that physical appearance dictates good versus evil when looking at the stark contrast in physical appearance in villains compared to protagonists. It lastly dissects the iconic brand of innocence Disney has self composed and makes it clear that, though Disney is typically viewed as a trademark of innocence in the American eye, it predominately functions as a cooperate giant and cultural institution. Giroux calls us consumers to action to compare both dominate and oppositional reading of their films' messages and be conscientious about the messages we let our children absorb. 

The Princess and the Magic Kingdom: Beyond Nostalgia, the Function of the Disney Princess

Do Rozario analyzes the themes found in Disney princess films split by era. She first discusses the commonalities found in the first wave princess
storylines and then progresses to explain how the second wave princess film’s messages and similarities change. Key themes she found in the first
wave motion pictures include: the promotion of woman doing housework and its representation as it being “fun,” the damsel in distress and
passive nature of the princess, an explicit desire and all consuming dream for a man, an obedient attitude towards elders, and the promotion of the
concept of love at first sight. As time progresses and Walt’s princesses become Team Disney’s princesses some primary messages change. In the
second wave princess films, the father daughter relationship in emphasized and the princess becomes rebellious against her father’s conservative
rules. She falls in love, still within an incredibly short time span, with a man that is not endorsed my her father. The target audience also expands
from from family oriented to teenagers as well.

The Two Happiest Places on Earth Once Again Collide

Link: Disney Reunites with McDonalds

Disney, protecting its brand of innocence and all things pure, decided to disassociate themselves with the McDonald's brand as a world-wide limelight was shed on childhood obesity and a multitude of negative press clouded the iconic Happy Meal. For years, children could not expect their favorite Disney characters to be found inside their favorite red box with their favorite greasy meal -- until now! Disney has decided to once again decided to expand their brand and marketing through McDonald's. Word on the street is that we can look for Incredibles 2 themed toys! Good news kids, your two favorite things are are now, once again, merged together. All is good is your world. 

Disney Song of the Week!

Over played? Yes. Overhyped? For sure. Loved by all elementary aged girls? Absolutely! As the after school kiddos file into the gymnasium to watch Moana after a long day of learning, I sit back and watch all of the  young girls of Iron Horse Elementary go absolutely crazy for this song when it comes on. Seconds after the song begins I hear a soft groan come from all the older boys accompanied by the adorable chorus of the Moana fangirls singing along. This song embodies such great memories with the time I spent watching elementary kids before and after school. I miss them a lot here at Duke, so I thought this week I could dedicate a post to my favorite groupie of kids -- my Iron Horse Elementary friends.

Tap Into Your Inner Disney Villain

Quiz -- What Disney Villain Are You?

I fell down the buzzfeed hole of procrastination and thought I would start others on it as well. After watching The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty I was intrigued by both Ursula and Maleficent and wondered what made them such enticing female villains. After my web villain hunt, buzzfeed helped me come to the conclusion that my villain spirit animal is the Queen of Hearts, which I like because the name sort of implies that I am royal and a heart breaker. However, to be honest, the personalities of me and the Queen of Hearts are pretty different. It takes a lot to get me mad, unlike the Queen. None the less, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring my villainous side.

Curiosity to Infatuation

Ariel, unlike the first wave princesses, dares to dream beyond the realm of a prince. She dreams to walk on land, learn about thingamabobs, and be where the people are. She also, to my surprise, doesn't passively give up her dream when others attempt to persuade her out of it. I love her curiosity, her sense of adventure, and her acts of deviance against her father's well-intended but narrow-minded wishes. In the beginning of the movie, a sense of wonder twinkles in her eyes when she discusses all of her finding with Scuttle and bravely enters the sunken ship. Ariel teaches girls to be curious about the unknown and to have a hunger for discovery. She was brave enough to fight off sharks, snoop on the prince's birthday party, and to rescue Eric after the shipwreck. Ariel is a princess with zest and teaches young girls the importance of individuality and curiosity.

However, the glaring message of "love at first sight" is so obviously instilled through both Ariel's character and Eric's. Eric even explicitly states, "Oh believe me when I find her I'll know. It will just bam hit me like lightening" when talking about how he will meet his future wife. We also see the twinkle Ariel used to have for curiosity turn to awestruck for the prince. Her desire now for wanting to explore the human world turned from being driven by a want for exploration to an infatuation with a stranger. It would be one thing if she was willing to sacrifice her voice for a passion of exploration, but for a man she does not know seems like a pretty grim message to send young girls. A voice is so much more than pretty singing, which I feel Disney does not emphasis enough. A loss of your voice is a loss to an opinion,  a loss of communication, and a loss of personality.

The fact that Eric fell in love with a girl that he couldn't have a conversation with is beyond the realm of reality. Disney then sends the message to kids that love is based solely off of beauty. The entire romance between Ariel and Prince Eric is superficial and should not be endorsed by parents and consumed by children.

In Ariel's defense however, it is a bit unclear if the motivation for giving up her voice for legs is solely for a man or whether part of her chose to sacrifice her voice for the chance to explore the human world. Through my consumption of the film, I was led to believe that from the second she laid eyes on Eric, he became her one and only focus. I can see a potential argument being made that more went into her decision to sign Ursula's contract than wanting to be with Eric, but seeing things this way is something that would extend far beyond the mental capacity of kids. Therefore, I think it is safe to conclude that the message Disney portrays to young girls in this movie is that love is superficial and happens within an instant of physical attraction. While the film's messages started off strong, it ended up sending an overarching negative message about how people fall in love. 

Disney Song of the Week!

So maybe this isn't the exact message these lyrics are trying to portray but here is a Disney inspired message for your day...

The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake, so stop comparing yourself to others and be happy with your the world around you, there is such wonderful things around you!

I sang this song in high school choir complete with choreographed dance motions. It was a dream come true -- an entire concert full of Disney songs. From nostalgic memories to recent ones, Disney will continue to create new lasting memories throughout my lifetime.

"Just look at the world around you

Right here on the ocean floor

Such wonderful things around you

What more is you looking for?"

Sleeping Beauty is as Passive as her Nickname Sounds

After watching the film, I was a little disappointed to see that the role of Aurora had very little substance. In fact, I would argue that the main characters of the story were the fairies over the princess. While, I disliked the way the princess was portrayed in the film, I actually quite enjoyed seeing the fairies take initiative in helping raise and save the princess.

While their are some obvious gender stereotypes portrayed even through the roles of the fairies, overall, I loved to see three females take on the main heroic role. They are the ones that gave Prince Phillip the power to slay Maleficent. They were the ones smart enough to give the curse placed on Aurora a loophole. They were the ones who selflessly took on the role of caregiver, and selflessly gave up their magic wands for 16 years. The plump, kind, and nurturing fairies are not a typical hero. They are not strong, noble, or impeccably good looking. They were not a man. I think we should applaud Disney for turning a motherly-like character into someone that saves the kingdom.

However, on the other hand, while the overarching casting was a job well done, there were some glaring gender stereotyping that played a key role in. The first gift they gave Aurora was the gift of beauty. Kind of ridiculous that of all the things you would want to give a child the first thing that comes to mind is beauty. This action places an emphasis on how important it is in society for a woman to be attractive. The fairy quite literally makes it seem like that is the most important thing a girl needs. It is completely outrageous. Are a girl's looks going to help her solve the worlds problems? Are they going to help her treat people kindly? Are they going to help her find her passions or talents? No, looks are absolutely worthless when it comes to the true substance of a person, and is the last thing I would want my future daughter putting at the top of her list for things she aspired for. Why couldn't the gift have been intelligence, creativity, compassion, ambition, or resilience? Why did it have to be so surface level? It places girls in this confining box that there need not be any more than a pretty face. As for the second wish, I will let it slide because I am a sucker for song, but would like to quickly point out the gross subtlety that implies a beautiful must also be paired with a beautiful voice. The third wish, however, is definitely one I have to harp on. I will give it to the fairies, it was clever to try and fight evil with good, but to specifically put her fate in the hands of "true love's kiss" is demeaning by making her destined to be a damsel in distress. They put her fate in that of a man's. Why not gift here with a gift that allows her to save herself?

Aurora is honestly a pretty lack-luster character. She is passive and has little to no spunk. She is so  startled by the prince, and does not even want to give him her name She naively falls in love at first sight, yet does not fight to see him after being told she must return to the castle. Instead, she cries and morns the fact that she has just been given the power and title of a princess instead getting to see a man she has spend five minutes with.

The fairy, in my opinion, stole the show in this movie and were much more dynamic, interesting characters than Aurora. Though Disney missed the mark on defying gender roles a good amount of times throughout the movies, I overall enjoyed the fact the the fairies saved the day and think that is a positive message we can pass on to young viewers.

Bibbity Bobbity Boutique

Though I am absolutely certain that I would have been completely beside myself if I had gotten the chance to do this when I was a kid, now that I am older I really don't know what to think of it. It is going to the extreme of extremes emphasizing that to feel special, powerful, confident, and princess-like you must be beautiful. On the surface is seems like all the sparkle is just fun and innocent, but I am really not so sure. The mom says at the end of the video, that going to a place like Bibbity Bobbity Boutique has allowed her daughter's dream of being a princess to come true, and she can now dream even bigger. I practically cringed at that comment because, it seems to me, that "bigger" -- when taught that beauty is something to dream of and aspire to -- sounds incredibly toxic and harmful to a young girl. "Bigger" will lead to insecurities and lower self esteem. Bigger leads to the opposite of empowerment in this sense. 

Disney Song of the Week!

The voice of Pocahontas is by far, in my opinion, the most beautiful of all the Disney princesses. But besides the surface level beauty of the song, the point Pocahontas has is so important and still remains relevant to this day. As Pocahontas says, "if the savage one is me, how can there be so much that you don't know?" To often people feel the need to exert superiority over others when, in reality, we are all just people. We fail to realize that there is something to be learned from everyone and everything around you. Take some time to ask a grinning bobcat why he grins, taste the sun sweet berries of the Earth, and paint with all the colors of the wind. You will learn so much from what you're surrounded by.

"You think the only people who are people

Are the people who look and think like you

But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger

You'll learn things you never knew you, never knew"

Princess Designer

Link: Disney Princesses with Realistic Waistlines

If you could design a Disney princess...

If I could design a Disney princess the first word that comes to mind is balance. I want her to be poised yet strong, outspoken yet respectful, quick witted yet thoughtful. In the words of Peggy Ornstein I would want her to "have it all" and "be it all." However, upon rethinking all my contradicting descriptions that first came to mind, I have come to the conclusion that I wouldn't want my princess to take on the task of pleasing everyone and being actual perfection. More than anything, I would want my princess to be comfortable in her own skin, I would want my Disney princess to be intelligent, passionate, confident, and unforgivably herself. As for a fun plot line, I would make her a doctor that saves the life of a prince, and --yes-- she should have a realistic waistline and the coolest, quirky glasses young girls have ever seen. 

Wrestling with Disney

How can something like Disney, loved throughout all society, not be good? How can something that we have all grow up with, can all relate to, and can all find magic in be anything less innocent than its outer appearance? Is it possible that this "innocence" is all a facade that needs to be investigated? It comes down to the idea that the big brand of Disney is much more than a corporation for children entertainment. Disney is a corporation with political, educational, and ethic undertones that have much more power in influencing young kids than what we may naively think at first glance. Without a doubt, Disney has been a moral compass in countless young children's lives, and, on the surface, their movies instill some great messages. However, when these films are looked at with a much more critical eye than that of a six year old, it is clear there are some other messages being depicted that are not quite as universally accepted as the ones children grasp onto. Specifically when we start to evaluate the way Disney often displays gender roles.

When one starts to question the integrity of Disney, a majority of us do not take the topic seriously enough. Disney is passed down from generation to generation; we see it as part of the family in a way. It has worked its way into our hearts through our upbringing and we find it hard to inspect it with any sort of scrutiny when we have developed such fond personal relationships with the brand. Admittedly, I am wrestling to do so myself, however I do see the pressing need for such inquiry. We cannot simply argue that it is pointless to overanalyze such contexts because Disney is the best we've got or that we will never have the power to change its ways. In doing so we allow ourselves to use a scapegoat to not further challenge our  intellectual capabilities and  press forward and understand how media shapes culture. Dr. Crank describes this ability to not only consume media, but to understand the media we consume as a term called media literacy -- and those two words are the big "so what" of this blog.

Media literacy not only pertains to Disney, obviously, but to the world of consumerism. Disney, may be a person's first exposure into this world which makes it a prime example of study, especially because its target audience is the minds of children. Because they are the most susceptible to media influence it is our job to make sure what me set in front of them promotes an inclusive culture with positive messages. As the famous Henry Giroux explains, Disney is a "teaching machine" and while we are in the midst of this consumeristic culture, its main focus is business, which makes it our job to develop strong media literacy skills to make sure their business agenda aligns with the culture we want to promote in generations to come. Do not be oblivious to the shield of innocence Disney promotes, yes that is much of its identity as entertainment, but at the end of the day it is a powerful media conglomerate that needs to be read by society. 

Disney Song of the Week

Fun fact -- the first time I ever danced was to the soundtrack of Tarzan. When the music started to play I would crawl over to the leg of the living room table and pull myself up. I would stand hugging the leg of the table and bounce to the rhythm of the song.

This song in particular has a place in my heart (yes pun intended) because is it a song relating to a mother-child relationship. I remember my own mother singing me this song in our rocking chair upstairs, and will one day sing these same words to my children. 

"You'll be in my heart

Yes you'll be in my heart

From this day on

Now and forever more"

Dream Big, Princess

After my last post, I decided to seek out some more positive characteristics of Disney princesses, and they truly were not hard to find. I figured who better to turn to than the princess actresses themselves, and sure enough they are very proud of the animated princesses they brought to life and saw much more in their role than narrow-minded feministic ideals. They see girls who have a "zest for life." Girls who are "steadfast" and "brave." They see a "contagious spirit" and girls with "tenacity." Their "selflessness" and daring to dream "outside of the box" lead them to come into their own and be "heroine[s]." These princesses are "strong" and "capable."

These princesses can be a lot more to a daughter than a pretty face.

The "Princess Effect"

The so called "princess effect"

The debate over this so called "princess effect" has been on the minds of young parents for generations, yet many never arrive to a clear conclusion as to whether or not they believe it actually exists. Is their validity in this pressing concern or has it just gained far to much hype from the increasing feministic climate? I mean after all, we are just talking about fairytales here. At the end of the day, princesses are all just in good fun right? Wrong.

Maybe for those of us older than elementary school aged children, it is easy for us to overlook some of the negative connotations that come with the wave of princess mania. However, to young, malleable children some of the negative connotations we can oftentimes be blind to are glaringly obvious and captured in the spongy minds of kids. How can the things we expose our children to not have an effect on them? Growing up, the world is a window of discovery. Little minds take in everything they can, why would we be naive enough to thing they don't take in all of what the Disney princess has to offer? The iconic Disney princess is much more than a beautiful gown and a handsome prince charming -- the undertones behind these ideals are often times a young girl's first exposure to the negative effects female directed media has on feministic stereotypes.

The Proof

There have been countless studies done on the effects Disney princesses have on young children and time and time again the results prove to be the same. For girls, studies find that the more girls get enthralled with the princess culture, the more likely they are to act in a traditional feminine fashion. They also find that girls who have lower self esteem, particularly regarding body image, get hooked on the Disney princess scene and stay more interested in their ideals than girls with a higher self image.   

However, in the spirit of silver linings, studies have found that there may be some benefit with Disney princess engagement in the young boy population. The princess environment has been seen to discourage the traditional aggressive propaganda behind media targeting male children. 

Why? It goes back to the simple idea of balance. Dr. Hains explains, “If girls are already tending in this direction, then increasingly exaggerating the feminine is becoming extreme. For boys, who are already immersed in a hyper-masculine culture, becoming more feminine is becoming more well-rounded.”

What can we do to be proactive about the phenomenon?

Hopefully this post doesn't come across as too negative, because -- disclaimer -- I am actually a huge fan of Disney and most definitely went through an intense princesses craze as a child. But, it is important that we do not ignore the discussion of the messages we direct at kids. There are, without a doubt, good arguments as to why princesses are not all bad. The princess culture is wrapped up in magic and wonder; it is a way for a girl to embrace her unique beauty and develop identity that mirrors that of a brave, smart, or innovative action her favorite Disney princess makes. Overall the storylines, though with a few misleading messages along the way, do promote good morals. It is our job to point these positives to children. When watching a film with a child, call out the princess for her courage decisions and her quick-wittedness. Show children that there is much more to a princess than what meets the eye. Challenge your young daughters to look past the physical beauty of a princess and seek out beauty within -- trust me it is there. 

Disney Song of the Week!

Now, I won't even pretend like I was that one person in the theatre that wasn't crying when this  beautiful moment between Miguel and Coco lulled the audience into tears. The heartwarming, full circle experience of this song certainly pulled at my emotions, and I mean who isn't a sucker for cute old ladies and the power of music? So you have been warned -- the viewing of this video will cause severe heartwarming and emotion. Enjoy!

Remember me

Each time you hear a sad guitar

Know that I'm with you

The only way that I can be

Until you're in my arms again

Remember me"

Disney World -- Where Dreams Really Do Come True

Link: The Magic of Disney: Dad of Five finds a Kidney Donor 

Most enter the gates of Disney Theme Parks in hopes to see the newest attractions, greet their favorite characters, and take in the magical pixie dust floating through the air, but for the Leibowitz family their hopes were much higher. Robert Leibowitz, dad of five, ventured to Disney World in hopes its magic would find him a new kidney -- and it did just that! After walking around the Park with a shirt advertising his need for a kidney donor, pictures of him in the shirt went viral, and he found a donor!

There is nothing like a feel good story like this, happening at the most magical place on Earth! Hope this brightens your day a bit, as it did mine. At Disney, dreams far and wide, really do come true!

The Gender Spectrum

Society loves to categorize. By labeling and grouping things within our society, we feel more organized -- thus societal norms are created. However
we tend to make things black and white that, in reality, have a lot of gray area. For instance, society's approach to gender.

What is gender dysphoria?

A hot topic splashed across the media these days revolves around transgenders. From the TLC show I am Jazz to the story of Caitlyn Jenner, the
transgender community is gaining a lot of public attention. So much of what we soak in through this media, however, are personalized stories and
propaganda, and we lose sight of the elementary level understanding of what condition these people are actually struggling with. Gender dysphoria
is a condition in which a person feels a disconnect between the gender they were biologically assigned at birth and the gender they inwardly connect
with.

Just so there is no confusion, gender dysphoria is not just a theory of sorts. There is proven scientific evidence that this disconnect is a real
phenomenon. Those who seek surgical gender changes do, in fact, have different mental structures than those who do no not feel conflicted between
their biological gender and their self identification. Those wrestling with gender dysphoria have a brain structure that is in between that of a typical
male or female. This can be traced all the way back to fetal development. Physical genitalia is not developed until months after the organization of the
sexual structures in the brain, and because these two develop independently of one another, it is possible for there to be some disconnect.

Debunking the black and white label

The raw science explained above goes to show just how much of gender definitions is left up to society. Though we cannot overlook the obvious
factor biology plays in gender identity, it is most definitely not the be all end all. In fact, I would argue, that society plays an even more substantial
part in gender identity by labeling things as "masculine" or "feminine.” It is understandable that it is in our human nature to categorize things to
make sense out of our environment, but by creating these norms we suppress individuality and social acceptance. As, described previously, gender
is not black and white, it exists as a spectrum and I cannot help but wonder whether or not as many transgenders would still pursue surgical gender
reassignment if our society was move open and accepting. Imagine a world where it wasn't considered strange for a male to love pink and have long
hair and for a female to play football and love video games. Imagine a world with much less discrimination and violence and much more happiness
and feelings of self belonging.

Is there a solution?

Okay so this utopia described above is fine and dandy, but lets get realistic. There are many proposed ways that try and best deal with gender dysphoria,
but which way is best? Does seeking medical help to reassign the biological counterpart of gender help? The answer is somewhat unknown. However,
it is important that if one is looking into such surgeries that they do not commit to one prematurely. There has been some debate regarding whether or
not medical action should be taken when it is a child that is experiencing gender dysphoria. The clear answer here is to wait. The mind of a child is far
too malleable to jump to such costly and permanent action, and more often than not this gender dysphoria is just a phase they grow out of. Beyond this
conclusion, not much else is tried and true. But epidemics like this do call for society to stop being so narrow-minded with our stereotypes. The issue
really does call into question just how much society problematizes gender identity and roles. It is important that we become more aware of the negative
effects that result from our labeling and stereotyping.

Disney Song of the Week!

Introducing: Disney Song of the Week! The sound of Disney is one of the most magical parts of the Disney identity. To kick it off, I figured what would be more suiting that my absolute favorite song from my absolute favorite soundtrack --The Circle of Life. How can this choral infused classic set to the rising sun and parade of animals not speak to you? It surely has spoken to me. The lyrics of this song are words that will stick with me throughout the rest of my life. 

"It's the circle of life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope 

Through faith and love

Till we find our place 

On the path unwinding

In the circle 

The circle of life"

  

The Princess Craze

Like most young girls, the princess craze hit me hard growing up. The wave of outfits, movies, toys, and sing along cds flooded my household,
and -- like most little girls -- I latched onto the iconic Disney brand immediately. I would watch and rewatch Disney movies, sing along to
their soundtracks in the car, and debut my new princess gowns at the local supermarket. When I sang or dressed up, not only did I look and
sound like a Disney princess -- I became one. Upon slipping on my newest Disney princess dress, I would ascend down my spiral staircase with
one hand on the banister and the other gently gliding through the air. The sporadic daily movements of my young, hyper self disappeared, and a
new sense of poise and grace flowed through each step I took upon my descent. On my princess outings, I would be be so pleased when others
would note that they were in the presence of royalty. I would give princess waves to oncoming shoppers down the aisles of Walmart and be ever
so pleased when the lady behind the cash register would comment on how beautifully my gown flowed.

As you may have guessed, I grew out of the desire to parade around in princess dresses, however, the girly-girl in me still remains very present
in my personality today. Growing up with the magic of Disney has left a warm place in my heart for the mystical characters, beautiful
soundtracks, and enticing storylines they produce. As I approach 20 years old, I still keep up with all the new Disney movies while still
cherishing the classics. By working at an elementary school over summer breaks, I have been kept up to date with all the hip, new Disney
happenings, while enriching the Disney repertoire of our next generation with the classics. Almost every morning over the summer I find a
reason to play the Lion King soundtrack for the kids, and, at this point, most of the kids know the songs by heart. The kids know that I firmly
believe that soundtrack is the best soundtrack known to man. Period. They no longer debate me on this.

As I grow older, I don’t want to miss out on the childlike fun Disney has to offer, but I realize I want to expand upon my present
understanding regarding the topic. Coming to college, I want to channel the love I have for Disney with the passion I have towards women
empowerment and the curiosity I have in today’s gender roles. I want to wrestle with the pros and cons of the Disney princess stereotype,
and uncover how the common princess craze in young girls affects them later on in life. I want to see how growing up Disney may have
affected my life, and learn how to one day raise a daughter to love princesses and the Disney brand while still feeling empowered.

After minimal class readings, I already know that I am somewhat ignorant to the effects Disney has on young girls, and I am left
wanting to discover the reason why it may have such a profound influence in young female adolescents. I also want to explore the
other side of the gender coin and see what sort of things influence young boys during their developmental prime. Over the years, it
has become more and more obvious that Disney is trying to redefine what is means to be a “Disney princess”, and I would be interested
in understanding history behind this. How does this push start? Why did their focus change? What are they now trying to rebrand the
“Disney princess” as? And, most importantly, what effects will it have on young girls?