PRINCESSES
“The majority of what we read, listen to, and watch is owned by a cartel of five giant media conglomerates: Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch’s News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany, and Viacom”
(Stack and Kelly, pg. 8).
(Stack and Kelly, pg. 8).
As stated in the above quote, a lot of what we watch, read and listen to comes from Disney. For years now, “America’s younger generations have been taught to think and act according to their favourite princesses and/or princes; ultimately learning social cues as they imitate their favourite animated movies” (Garabedian, pg. 23). This quote speaks volume because it emphasizes the impact popular culture has on individuals of our society.
Disney’s princesses have continuously represented women as dependent beings, in need of saving from a male being. Wohlwend (2006) notes, “femininity is a subordinated discourse to hegemonic masculinity that stresses gender differences and legitimates the construction of girls as objects of display and boys of subjects of power (pg. 65). Aside from the most recent princesses, the stories have all revolved around the prince and portraying the prince as the hero, who saves the princess. To emphasize my point, Snow White is portrayed as a naïve princess who depends on her seven male friends and her prince charming for survival. In addition, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty also require a male prince to come and save them from their disheartening lives. Through exposure to these narratives, children are beginning to learn social cues at an early age. It becomes embedded within young girls that they will need to find a prince charming one day as well. “When children reach age five, they transition from acting to empathizing with their characters, meaning that when they emulate their favorite prince or princess, they pretend to embody their characteristics” (Garabedian, pg. 24). They will believe that in order to obtain a happy ever after, they will need a male hero to come and save them.
As Stack and Kelly note, “the media are a pivotal vehicle through which the social is continually recreated, maintained and sometimes challenged” (pg. 10). This is important because the Disney princess series have embedded the ideology of women as dependent beings along with the notion of heterosexuality. “It appears most of us do not want to admit that media influences the way we come to know ourselves and others” (Stack and Kelly, pg. 9). At a young age, both boys and girls are led to believe that females are in need of males for survival. These ideologies become embedded within us, and influence the way we live our lives and view the lives’ of others.
Since June 2012, Disney has finally released princesses who have broken the traditional princess pattern. Brave and Frozen have both broken the pattern of a princesses’ fairytales depending on a man for a happily ever after. Having said this, educators could use this form of popular culture to teach critical literacy to students. As Morrell notes, critical literacy “can illuminate the power relationships in society and teach those who are critically literate to participate in and use literacy to change dominant power structures” (pg. 241). Through a critical analysis of the Disney princesses, students will begin to understand feminism, through popular culture.
Disney’s princesses have continuously represented women as dependent beings, in need of saving from a male being. Wohlwend (2006) notes, “femininity is a subordinated discourse to hegemonic masculinity that stresses gender differences and legitimates the construction of girls as objects of display and boys of subjects of power (pg. 65). Aside from the most recent princesses, the stories have all revolved around the prince and portraying the prince as the hero, who saves the princess. To emphasize my point, Snow White is portrayed as a naïve princess who depends on her seven male friends and her prince charming for survival. In addition, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty also require a male prince to come and save them from their disheartening lives. Through exposure to these narratives, children are beginning to learn social cues at an early age. It becomes embedded within young girls that they will need to find a prince charming one day as well. “When children reach age five, they transition from acting to empathizing with their characters, meaning that when they emulate their favorite prince or princess, they pretend to embody their characteristics” (Garabedian, pg. 24). They will believe that in order to obtain a happy ever after, they will need a male hero to come and save them.
As Stack and Kelly note, “the media are a pivotal vehicle through which the social is continually recreated, maintained and sometimes challenged” (pg. 10). This is important because the Disney princess series have embedded the ideology of women as dependent beings along with the notion of heterosexuality. “It appears most of us do not want to admit that media influences the way we come to know ourselves and others” (Stack and Kelly, pg. 9). At a young age, both boys and girls are led to believe that females are in need of males for survival. These ideologies become embedded within us, and influence the way we live our lives and view the lives’ of others.
Since June 2012, Disney has finally released princesses who have broken the traditional princess pattern. Brave and Frozen have both broken the pattern of a princesses’ fairytales depending on a man for a happily ever after. Having said this, educators could use this form of popular culture to teach critical literacy to students. As Morrell notes, critical literacy “can illuminate the power relationships in society and teach those who are critically literate to participate in and use literacy to change dominant power structures” (pg. 241). Through a critical analysis of the Disney princesses, students will begin to understand feminism, through popular culture.
References:
Garabedian, Juliana (2015). Animating Gender Roles: How Disney is Redefining the Modern Princess. James Madison
Undergraduate Research Journal, 2(1).
Morell. E. (2007). Critical Literacy and Popular Culture in Urban Education: Toward a Pedagogy of Access and Dissent.
Stack, M., & Kelly, D.M. (2006). Popular Media, Education, and Resistance. Canadian Journal
of Education, 29(1), 5-26.
Wohlwend, Karen E. (2009). Damsels in Discourse: Girls Consuming and Producing Identity
Texts through Disney Princess Play. Reading Research Quarterly, 44, 1, p. 57-83.
Garabedian, Juliana (2015). Animating Gender Roles: How Disney is Redefining the Modern Princess. James Madison
Undergraduate Research Journal, 2(1).
Morell. E. (2007). Critical Literacy and Popular Culture in Urban Education: Toward a Pedagogy of Access and Dissent.
Stack, M., & Kelly, D.M. (2006). Popular Media, Education, and Resistance. Canadian Journal
of Education, 29(1), 5-26.
Wohlwend, Karen E. (2009). Damsels in Discourse: Girls Consuming and Producing Identity
Texts through Disney Princess Play. Reading Research Quarterly, 44, 1, p. 57-83.