For several decades, Disney Princess Films have been a major part of modern culture. They played a significant role in the childhood of many people, including my own. As I became older, I realized that some of the Disney films, specifically the films of Classic and Renaissance eras, were sending the wrong message to viewers, especially young girls. These messages can have a negative effect on people’s perception of themselves and some aspects of their lives. Children can unconsciously absorb the behavior patterns depicted in these movies, which continue influencing them in their adult life. Disney culture is characterized by gender imbalance as, in many films, female characters are depicted as male dependent, domestic, and submissive. Only in my teen years, the films of the Revival era came up, where women were represented as more strong and independent.
Various studies discuss gender imbalance in Disney movies and their influence on viewers. To track changes in women’s representation in different eras, GutiĂ©rrez (2017) distinguishes three types of female characters in Disney, including traditional, complex, and non-traditional female figures. The author notes the positive tendency as non-traditional women, represented in recent Disney films, are more independent and self-determined. Itmeizeh and Ma’ayeh (2017) also talk about significant changes in women’s representation, analyzing differences between Snow White and Merida, characters having a gap of 75 years. Some studies, however, do not find such a significant shift in modern films. Hughes (2016) discusses women’s Disney songs, pointing out that, despite some changes in Revival-era movies, there are still some features of traditional views on gender roles. Some researchers also analyze characters’ language that is often used as another tool for sexist representation of females. Bertović (2019) investigates quantitative and qualitative data regarding the speech characteristics of male and female Disney characters. The author finds some sexist features in women’s language, however, pointing out to the positive shift to less stereotypical characteristics of female’s speech in more recent films.
Researchers also pay attention to the messages that Disney movies carry to the audience. Sandlin and Garlen (2017) consider that Disney films have a great impact on the formation of values and worldviews in people. Maity (2014) discusses unhealthy messages that traditional Disney princesses send to the viewers, focusing on what dangers they may cause for young girls’ self-perception. According to Zhang (2017), films of Classic and Renaissance eras greatly influence women’s perception of relationships, reinforcing their views on traditional gender roles, and causing much distress in their adult life.
Several studies identify the need for further investigation of gender imbalance in Disney movies. For instance, Hine et al. (2018) analyze characters’ images in the Modern Disney era, pointing out that there are relatively few studies of women’s and men’s representations in films released after 2003. Hughes’s study (2016) also calls for further investigation of gender role portrayals in Disney films, pointing out that females’ songs are not discussed as deeply as other aspects of Disney movies.
Thus, few studies examine gender imbalance in different eras of Disney films. My research is intended to help to address the gap in the literature. The study is aimed at tracking changes in women’s representation in Disney movies with the help of quantitative analysis of characters and their dialogue, and discussion of male and female portrayals. For my research project, I will examine gender imbalance in three distinct eras of Disney Princess films. The eras and respective films are as follows: the Classic era from 1930-1960 (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty), the Renaissance era from 1989-1999 (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, and Mulan), and the Revival era from 2009-present (The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Brave, Frozen, and Moana). I will watch each film and note the presence of female and male speaking characters, the percentage of screen dialogue (number of lines spoken) for both female and male characters. I will also focus on rescuing behaviors demonstrated by female and male characters, acts of heroism displayed by female characters, and the portrayal of male and female protagonists.
The research states the following hypotheses regarding gender imbalance in three Disney eras:
- Revival-era films will have the highest number of female speaking characters, followed by Renaissance-era films, followed by Classic-era films.
- Revival-era films will have the highest percentage of female dialogue, followed by Renaissance-era films, followed by Classic-era films.
- Revival-era films will have the most instances in which a female character rescues a male character, followed by Renaissance-era films, followed by Classic-era films.
- The number of male and female speaking characters, their lines spoken or sung, and instances of rescuing behavior will be proportionate in Revival-era films, but not in Renaissance or Classic-era films.
- In the Revival era, female figures will be more independent, self-sufficient, and less likely to follow stereotypical roles. They will also possess similar characteristics to those of their male counterparts.
Methods
I selected twelve Disney Princess films and categorized them in accordance with the eras that were already distinguished by researchers. I watched the films using television and Amazon Fire Stick with installed Disney Plus streaming application. For data recording, I was using a pencil, paper, and Google Spreadsheets. I created a twelve-days schedule and watched every film twice in one day. Final data were entered into a Google spreadsheet with two data tables.
The first was a summary table to record the following data: year of release, length of the film, the era, the number of characters with speaking and/or singing role, the number of lines spoken and/or sung by characters. Further, the table had instances in which a male character rescued a female character and vice versa. The table also included answers to the questions whether the princess is considered a hero by other characters and whether heroines, other than the princess, present in the film. In the last two columns, the general portrayals of male and female protagonists were represented. The second was a table to record the total number of characters with speaking and/or singing roles, lines spoken and/or sung by characters. It also included the total number of instances in which a male rescued a female and vice versa.
During the first viewing, I wrote down the names and genders of characters with speaking roles. Characters without names were recorded with the help of descriptors (e.g., Woman #1, Guard #1). Speaking characters were considered those who speak or sing at some point during the film, including characters who have just a few words but excluding characters who make only sound effects. I observed the presence of female heroines other than the princess, the number of instances a male rescued a female and vice versa. I recognized whether the princess was considered as a hero by other characters in the movie and analyzed the portrayals of male and female protagonists throughout the film. The recorded data were transferred into the Google spreadsheet I created.
During the second viewing, I recorded the number of lines spoken by each gender throughout the film. For easier recording, I used the piece of paper divided into two columns (male and female) and tally marks (in sets of five). One line was considered one sentence; some lines were as short as one word. Sound effects or noises made by characters were not included in the line count. To determine the beginning and the end of the line, I listened for cues in the characters’ voices, pausing the film if necessary to catch up on tallying. Then I converted tally marks into numbers and transferred the received data into my Google spreadsheet.
Results
Classic-era films do not show a great imbalance in the number of speaking characters, with the exception of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs having seven male and just two female speaking figures. Movies of the Renaissance era, except for The Little Mermaid, represent a significant gap: the number of male speaking characters is at least twice as large as the number of female ones. Unexpectedly, this tendency becomes even stronger in the films of the Revival era. Only Brave shows a small gap, having three female and five male speaking characters. According to the total results, Renaissance-era films have the highest number of female speaking characters (48), followed by the Revival era (34), followed by the Classic era (15). If we look at the total percentage of female speaking characters, we will see a negative shift: 38 percent in the Classic era, 31 percent in the Renaissance era, 27 percent in the Revival era. In general, Disney Princess films have more male than female speaking figures, with the exception of Cinderella and The Little Mermaid.
Female characters of the Classic era have a larger or almost the same number of replicas compared to the number of male lines. Sleeping Beauty has the greatest gap, with 70 percent of female dialogue. All Renaissance films, analyzed in the research, have a significant imbalance regarding male and female lines. Men have from 66 to 71 percent replicas in Renaissance movies. The Revival era, in comparison with Renaissance films, is characterized by a shift towards a higher percentage of female lines, with the exception of Princess and the Frog (41 percent of female dialogue). Tangled, Frozen, and Moana have from 52 to 53 percent of female replicas; Brave is in a leading position with 72 percent. Thus, Classic-era films have the highest percentage of female dialogue (60 percent), followed by the Revival era (51 percent), followed by the Renaissance era (32 percent). However, as for the total number of lines spoken by females, the Revival era ranks first (2953 female lines), followed by the Classic era (1418), followed by the Renaissance era (1312).
According to the findings, Revival-era films have the most instances in which a female character rescues a male character (eight instances), followed by Renaissance-era films (seven instances), followed by Classic-era films (two instances). No princess in the Classic era was considered a hero by other characters. All princesses of analyzed Renaissance and Revival movies, in contract, are recognized as heroes by others. Films of all eras have heroines other than the princess. However, among Renaissance films, it refers only to the movie Pocahontas.
The number of lines spoken by male and female characters are fairly proportionate in Revival-era films if we look at the total percentage (51 percent of female lines and 49 percent of male lines). This era also has the most proportionate number of rescuing behaviors (in total, eight instances when females rescue males and six instances when males rescue females). A greater imbalance, in turn, characterizes Renaissance and Classic films. Renaissance-era movies have 32 percent of female dialogue and 68 percent of male lines. Women rescued men seven times, and men rescued women four times in Renaissance films. The Classic era is characterized by 60 percent of female replicas and 40 percent of male dialogue. Rescuing behavior is more typical for men (six instances) than for women (two instances).
Female characters of the Classic era have a more stereotypical portrayal. Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty are all domestic, naive, and innocent. Renaissance films are characterized by a more diverse representation of women, starting to recede from the traditional image. Some characters may be called adventurous (Ariel, Pocahontas), bold (Belle), brave, and strong-minded (Mulan). However, there are also some stereotypical features in female figures and they are still somewhat dependent on males. For instance, Ariel is naive at times; Belle is self-sacrificing and accepting. Revival era films represent a greater shift toward more independent and strong women. Rapunzel, for instance, is adventurous, Tiana is motivated and self-sufficient. Merida, Anna, and Moana are shown as fearless and strong. The Revival era also more frequently depicts females as leaders and protectors. Portrayal of male characters is fairly consistent throughout the three eras. However, it is worth noting that men of the Revival era are more often represented as caring, in contrast to male characters of previous eras. In general, Revival and Renaissance films show less gendered characteristics, behaviors, and tasks in comparison with the Classic era.
Discussion
It is important to discuss the limitations of the research methods. There was no randomization in the movie selection process, as I decided to choose my favorite Disney Princess films. This selection criterion resulted in an unequal number of films in each era: three films of the Classic era, four of the Renaissance era, five of the Revival era. An unequal number of films could lead to a larger gap in the number of speaking characters when comparing different eras. For instance, Classic-era films have the smallest cast size among all eras, which could affect the total number of speaking characters and, in this regard, the total number of female speaking characters. In addition, full cast was not represented for each film and era, as I was focusing only on characters with speaking roles. An unequal number of films could also affect the number of lines spoken and sung and instances of rescuing behavior.
The number of speaking characters and their lines could be affected by the inclusion and exclusion criteria I decided to use. Characters with as few as one line were included in the character count, while characters making just sound effects were excluded. Replicas were also recorded when there were actual words, but not sound effects. The number of lines could be under- or overestimated, as I listened for natural pauses/cues for the beginning and the end of a sentence spoken or sung. In addition, the number of lines could be affected by different lengths of films. For a deeper analysis of each era, the total numbers and percentages were distinguished, which could mask imbalances in certain films. When analyzing rescuing behavior, I did not count instances in which a female rescued a female, only male to female and vice versa. Using these criteria, I could underestimate each gender’s heroic capabilities, especially females.
Discussing the results, it is possible to conclude that, in its modern films, Disney managed to create more independent and self-sufficient female characters who do not follow stereotypical gender roles. Women are more likely to become heroes and save a man, they are no longer submissive and obedient, and they speak as frequently as males. However, it is also possible to agree that gender equality is still to be achieved, taking into account the number of male and female speaking characters in Disney movies of the Revival era.
Some of the proposed hypotheses were not confirmed by the research results, in particular regarding the number of female speaking characters and their dialogue. It leads to the conclusion that gender imbalance in Disney films is a deeper phenomenon that reflects not so much in individual details as in the overall picture. For instance, if we have a look at Cinderella, we can see that the number of characters and their lines does not draw to the conclusion that there is a great gender imbalance. The number of male and female speaking characters is equal, and women speak more frequently than men. With 65 percent of female replicas and 35 percent of male lines, basing only on this fact, it is even possible to conclude that gender imbalance shifts towards more negative men’s representation.
However, if we look at the whole picture, we can see that the prince is depicted as a leader, protector, and hero, while the princess is domestic, submissive, and innocent. These characteristics fully correlate with traditional gender roles. The plot also represents the idea that the main goal of any woman is to find her prince and live with him happily ever after. In this regard, it is possible to agree that Cinderella presents gender imbalance, depicting women as dependent on men and sending unhealthy messages to the audience.
Of course, the number of female speaking characters and their lines is also very important for a well-balanced representation of genders. If, for instance, Mulan would speak more frequently, I consider it would support her image of a brave and strong-minded woman. Besides, a greater gap in the number of male and female speaking characters in many Disney films of all eras has a bigger implication than just a difference in numbers. It may imply that Disney has a narrow understanding of the types of activities that women can perform. Females are usually represented as princesses, queens, maids, mothers, or fairies. The expansion of the framework of women’s roles and professions would allow to include more female characters and make their number more proportionate to males. Thus, a higher number of women characters could add variety to female images and contribute to the balance in gender representation in Disney films.
In addition to quantitative data regarding lines spoken by characters, it also seems important to investigate the features of men’s and women’s language in Disney movies. Males’ and females’ speech can also reflect some personal features and motivation for their behavior. In this regard, speech may include stereotypical aspects of men’s and women’s representation. These issues may be discussed in further studies of gender imbalance in Disney Princess films of different eras.
References
Bertović, M. (2019). Gender differences in Disney princess movies: A linguistic study of six movies in 66 years [Master’s thesis, University of Zagreb]. Web.
GutiĂ©rrez, B. P. (2017). Breaking the glass slipper: Analyzing female figures’ roles in Disney animated cinema from 1950-2013 [Honors thesis, Union College]. Web.
Hine, B., England, D., Lopreore, K., Skora Horgan, E., & Hartwell, L. (2018). The rise of the androgynous princess: Examining representations of gender in prince and princess characters of Disney movies released 2009–2016. Social Sciences, 7(12), 245.
Hughes, L. (2016). Someday my prince will come: How are gender roles enabled and constrained in Disney music, during Classic Disney, the Disney Renaissance, and Modern Disney? [Honors thesis, University of Mississippi]. Web.
Itmeizeh, M. J., & Ma’ayeh, S. (2017). The evolution of gender roles and women’s linguistic features in the language of Disney. Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics, 36, 29-38.
Maity, N. (2014). Damsels in distress: A textual analysis of gender roles in Disney princess films. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19(10), 28-31.
Sandlin, J. A., & Garlen, J. C. (2017). Magic everywhere: Mapping the Disney curriculum. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 39(2), 190-219.
Zhang, S. (2017). Investigating the possible effects of Disney princess culture on young women: Approach, ideals, and gender roles within intimate relationships [Master’s thesis, City University of Seattle]. Web.