Films and Gender

Gender representations have fluctuated drastically throughout the years, especially when seen in the media. For example, historically, men have always been represented as strong, and the better half of the two genders, whereas women have been presented as submissive or weak.  This phenomenon is especially apparent in Disney/Pixar films; looking at such films helps demonstrate the inaccurate representations that prevalently occur in the media. 

            Near the beginning of the 1900s, Disney started releasing princess films.  The plotline, while different in content, possessed the same overarching themes: the princess finds herself at a tough place in life, and ends up being saved by a prince, thereby living out her days happily ever after.  The prince is strong and is able to give the princess everything their heart desires.  For an extensive amount of time, this is how women in Disney films were mainly portrayed, as being unable to make a path in their own life, but rather having to be rescued by a male character.  These are the kind of films that young, impressionable girls would watch; consequently, these thematic ideas may have been stirring in their own minds, leading them to believe that women are weak and unable to provide a life for themselves.  For example, in Gloria Anzaldua’s book Borderlands she discusses how women within her hometown were made to feel of lesser importance in comparison to men.  These timeworn films have manifested themselves into real-life dialogue.

            Recently, however, Disney has adopted a more progressive post feminist way of approaching the making of their movies.  Rather than depicting women as weak, they show them being able to take control of their own lives (i.e. Moana and Princess and the Frog.)  Furthermore, they are beginning to abandon the traditional notions of depicting men as strong and lacking emotion.  For example, in recent Disney/Pixar films, such as Cars, Toy Story, ad The Incredibles, the male protagonists go through an evolutionary character development throughout the film in which at the beginning of the movie, they are tough and out of touch with their emotions, but by the end of the film, they acknowledge that they have flaws, and need help in certain aspects of their lives.  For example, in The Incredibles, the main character, Mr. Incredible, is insistent upon reliving his glory days and being as strong as he once was.  He goes as far as living a double life, with one of them allowing him to pursue his macho endeavors.  However, at the conclusion of the film, he realizes that he cannot act on his own any longer, even using the exact words, “I’m not strong enough.”  The Incredibles, as well as several other recent Disney/Pixar films, challenges traditional hegemonic ways of thinking in regards to gender.

            Even though these films were highly inaccurate in depicting gender in past circumstances, Disney has made strides towards representing gender in a reasonable manner.  Hopefully this representation will benefit audiences, and challenge them to see gender from a new perspective as well.