Sexism, Strength and Dominance: Masculinity in Disney Films

I love this youtube video, made by Sanjay Newton, that explores masculinity in Disney films.



I've spent some time pondering the impact of Disney movies on little girls and constructions of gender (thanks Prof Marshall for teaching that class!), but I admit my exploration of Disney's impact on masculinity hasn't been that thorough.

This video lays it all out quite simply, and makes it very clear: the message is harmful! They portray a ridiculous and harmful - to both boys and girls - version of masculinity.

The only thing I'm not entirely sure I agree with is Newton's focus on Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Gaston was certainly supposed to represent an idealized masculinity, a point I'm sure was not lost on boys, but he was also the "bad guy" and some of Gaston's overt masculinity seemed like a parody. I don't think the critique of Gaston is, therefore, as strong some of the protagonists.

That being said, even the protagonists strongly convey the idea that their is a preferred, masculine body type - complete with huge muscles, a big chest, and abs (I remember the chest on an Aladdin doll I bought at Disney being insanely huge). Also, as the youtube video notes, the climax of every Disney movie is a fight between two male characters. This fact was completely lost on me before! And I find it really troubling. I think it is dangerous for one's masculinity to depend on an altercation or physical fight (as is the case in every Disney movie). Moreover, by structuring their plot lines this way, Disney conveys the message that masculinity is something that needs to be fought for, won, and earned through aggression and confrontation. You're not a real man until you've proven yourself physically.

Understanding Disney's plot lines this way also has implications for how we think about Disney's constructions of femininity. I think one of the reasons I never realized that the climax of a Disney movie was the altercation between two men is because for me, as a little girl, the climax was the happily ever after of the prince and princess that came afterward. This marriage-based climax is problematic in and of itself, but Disney doesn't even make that the climax! The climax is the fight, and the marriage to the princess is just a bonus for winning. It is just a status symbol, and the woman is little more than a shiny trophy to show that the prince is a "real" man.

And that isn't a message I want little boys or little girls to grow up with. 

Video via Sociological Images.