In Todays Lesson.

Today I read though some of the articles I found on the internet and I took notes of what I had read and what evidence I could use, I then began to look more on the internet at look at the Disney website and their Disney Princess page.

http://disney.go.com/princess/

Criticism of Disney Princess

On December 24, 2006, Peggy Orenstein published, “What’s Wrong With Cinderella?” in the New York Times. In her article, Orenstein discussed her concerns about the effects of princess figures on young girls. Orenstein used the Disney Princesses specifically to present many of her points. Orenstein also noted the pervasive nature of Princess merchandise and that every facet of play has its princess equivalent.
Other sources have also voiced concern that the franchise could give young girls the wrong message. However, other parents say that young girls would eventually grow out of this phase.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/magazine/24princess.t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Internet Research

After reading the essay I last posted I decieded to look at two of the articles she mentions in her essay.

http://www.frederica.com/writings/the-women-of-disney.html

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/articles/gender_portrayal/break_mold.cfm

Internet Research

http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=122745
Female Disney heroines are traditionally placed in one of three positions: that of an idealised teenage heroine, wicked middle-aged beauty or nurturing post-menopausal woman. These are the main stereotypes. Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel and Belle are examples of teenage heroines. Cruella Deville (101 Dalmatians), Ursula (The little Mermaid) and the wicked Queen (Snow White and the seven dwarfs) are classical examples of middle-aged villains. They have been called Disney's femme fatales (powerful woman defined by their sexuality). Disney's older women are always godmothers, fairies and servants. Their appearance is also common in the fairy tale genre. Because they are post-menopausal, they are not threatened as middle-aged heroines. There are many heroines with a cliché profile. Ariel, the heroine of the Little Mermaid, has a similar character profile (common housewife) except that she is shown wearing a bikini made out of shells (she is shown to be more attractive). However, her role is still male dominated. She will do anything to make the prince fall in love with her; even give up her voice. In the end, she does get her voice back and she also marries the prince (all Disney movies have happy endings). But just for romance, she loses everything else including her underwater home, her father and all her friends. In my opinion, all Disney heroines are in a shell and it takes a handsome young man to free them from the shell and give them a new life.

Sarah Underwood says in her article 'Changing the Way We Feel About Women' that "it is the way women are treated that affects children and adults globally. Women are not only mistreated in the workplace, but on the silver screen as well." I totally agree with Sarah Underwood and I strongly feel that if women are not "mistreated" on silver screen, then they might prove to be stronger role models for young women today.

Susan Riley has written an article in a Canadian magazine 'Media Awareness' telling us that there are few animated women in the Disney 'mould'. She says, "Even though the latest Disney films have toned down the sexism somewhat, they continue to exhibit insulting stereotypes."

Frederica Matthews-Green argues in her article 'The Women of Disney' that if a heroine has big eyes and hair she has to be Jasmine. If she has an attitude, she has to be Ariel. If she has a 'coupla extra pounds' she has to be Snow White and if she has mice she has to be Cinderella. If she has books she has to be Belle. I think that Frederica has brilliantly "sorted" Disney's heroines into classes according to their similarities.

The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog was the first Disney film to have a Black Princess.

The Plot.
In New Orleans, a young girl named Tiana and her mother are visiting the La Bouff family, where Tiana's mother is crafting a dress for the family's daughter named Charlotte. Charlotte is a lover of fairy tales, and Tiana's mother reads the two the story of "The Frog Prince." While Charlotte is enamored with kissing a frog that becomes a prince, Tiana finds the thought disgusting.Upon returning home, Tiana helps her Father prepare gumbo. As the meal is finished, her Father tells of his dream to one day open his own restaurant. When Tiana eagerly chimes in that she wants to help, her Father claims they'll call it Tiana's Place. Upon seeing the North Star outside her window, Tiana makes a wish, to which her Father explains that wishing can only go so far, and that she has to help that wish along.As time passes, holds onto the dream, even after her Father has passed away. Working two different jobs, Tiana spends almost all of her time working and saving for a place, with little time for friends or fun. One morning, she runs into Charlotte and her father. Charlotte's father, 'Big Daddy' La Bouff, has been named King of the Mardi Gras (for the 5th year in a row), but Charlotte is tickled pink that a visiting Prince named Naveen is in New Orleans. As Naveen is single, Charlotte hopes to fulfill her wish of marrying a Prince and living Happily Ever After, and has invited him to attend a social function at the family mansion.Knowing of Tiana's cooking skills, Charlotte pays her friend a large sum of money to cater the event. Tiana is pleased, as the money is just enough to allow her to purchase the place to start her restaurant. Tiana contacts the building's owners and shows the place to her Mother. While her Mother is pleased, she is worried that Tiana seems to have no time for herself, with her one-mindedness regarding the restaurant.At the La Bouff mansion, Tiana shows up to cater the event, and soon, Prince Naveen arrives. Charlotte eagerly goes to him for a dance. However, as Tiana watches her friend, the realtors of the property have also attended the function. Tiana eagerly tells of her wish to sign the papers to the building as soon as possible, but the two men explain that someone else has offered a larger sum, and are planning to deny her the property. Upset and heartbroken, Tiana accidentally makes a mess of her outfit. Charlotte, seeing her friend in need, allows her to change out of the outfit, into a blue gown with tiara. While in Charlotte's room, she sees the star shining in the sky, and wishes for help regarding her restaurant. As she looks down, she finds a frog sitting near her, that suddenly starts to talk!

Mulan

Mulan 1998

The Plot
The Huns, led by the ruthless Shan Yu (Miguel Ferrer), invade Han China, forcing the Chinese emperor (Pat Morita) to command a general mobilization. Each family is given a conscription notice, requiring one man from each family to join the Chinese army. When Fa Mulan (Ming-Na) hears that her elderly father Fa Zhou (Soon-Tek Oh), the only man in their family, is forced to join the army, she decides to stand in his place, disguising herself as a young man named "Ping". Fa Zhou learns that Mulan has taken his place and prays to his family's ancestors, who order their "Great Stone Dragon" to protect her. The ancestors are unaware that Mushu (Eddie Murphy), a small dragon, takes the Dragon's place, and accompanies Mulan.
Mulan is initially misguided by Mushu in how to behave like a man, and starts a ruckus at the training camp. However, under command of Li Shang (B. D. Wong), she and her new friends at the camp, Yao (Harvey Fierstein), Ling (Gedde Watanabe), and Chien-Po (Jerry Tondo), become skilled warriors. Mushu, desiring to see Mulan succeed, creates a fake order from Li Shang's father, General Li (James Shigeta), ordering Li Shang to follow them into the mountains. They arrive at a burnt-out village and discover that General Li and his forces have been wiped out by the Huns. As they solemnly leave the mountains, they are ambushed by the Huns, but quick-thinking by Mulan buries most of the force in an avalanche. Mulan is hurt during the battle, and she is forced to reveal her deception. Li Shang abandons Mulan on the mountain while they make their way to the Imperial City to report the news of the Huns demise. However, Mulan catches sight of Shan Yu and a handful of his men making their way to the City intent on capturing the Emperor.
In the Imperial City, Mulan attempts to warn Li Shang about Shan Yu, but he refuses to listen. The Huns appear and capture the Emperor, locking themselves inside the palace. With Mulan's help, Li Shang, Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po pose as concubines and are able to enter the palace and defeat Shan Yu's men. Mulan lures Shan Yu into the path of a fireworks rocket, apparently killing him. Mulan is praised by the Emperor and the people of China, and while she accepts the Emperor's crest and Shan Yu's sword as gifts, she politely declines his offer to be his assistant and asks to return to her family. She returns home and presents these gifts to her father, but he is more overjoyed to have his daughter back safely. Li Shang, who has become enamored with Mulan, soon arrives under the guise of returning her helmet, but accepts the family's invitation for dinner. Mushu is granted a position as the Mulan family guardian by the ancestors amid a returning celebration.

Little Mermaid

Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name.

The Plot.
Ariel, a sixteen-year-old mermaid princess, is dissatisfied with life under the sea and curious about the human world. With her best fish friend Flounder, Ariel collects human artifacts and goes to the surface of the ocean to visit Scuttle the seagull, who offers very inaccurate and comical knowledge of human culture. Ignoring the warnings of her father (King Triton) and court musician (Sebastian, the crab) that contact between merpeople and humans is forbidden (the sea's primary contact with humans involve fishermen, so King Triton considers humans as nothing more than mere predators), Ariel still longs to be part of the human world; to this end she has filled a secret grotto with all the human artifacts she has found. ("Part of Your World") Sebastian, who is assigned to watch over Ariel and be sure she does not visit the surface again, tries to convince her that its better to live under the sea than in the human world ("Under the Sea").
One night, Ariel, Flounder and an unwilling Sebastian travel to the ocean surface to watch a celebration for the birthday of Prince Eric, with whom Ariel falls in love. A sudden storm hits, during which everyone manages to escape in a lifeboat—except for Eric who goes back to rescue his dog Max. He almost drowns saving Max but is saved by Ariel, who drags him to the beach. Although said by Scuttle to not have a pulse, Ariel notices that Eric is breathing. She sings to him but dives underwater when Max returns to Eric. Upon waking, Eric has a vague impression that he was rescued by a girl with a beautiful voice; he vows to find her, and Ariel vows to find a way to join Eric. ("Part of Your World (reprise)")
Triton and his daughters notice a change in Ariel, who is openly lovesick. Triton questions Sebastian about Ariel's behavior, during which Sebastian accidentally reveals the incident with Eric. Triton furiously confronts Ariel in her grotto, using his trident to destroy her collection of human treasures. After Triton leaves, a pair of eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, convince a crying Ariel that she must visit Ursula the sea witch, if she wants all of her dreams to come true.
Ursula makes a deal with Ariel to transform her into a human for three days ("Poor, Unfortunate Souls"). Within these three days, Ariel must receive the 'kiss of true love' from Eric; otherwise, she will transform back into a mermaid on the third day and belong to Ursula. As payment for legs, Ariel has to give up her voice, which Ursula takes by magically removing the energy from Ariel's vocal chords and storing it in a nautilus shell. Ariel's tail is transformed into legs and Sebastian and Flounder drag her to the surface. Meanwhile, Triton discovers Ariel and Sebastian's disappearance and, wracked with guilt over his behavior, orders a search for them.
Eric and Max find Ariel on the beach. He initially suspects that she is the one who saved his life, but when he learns that she cannot speak, he discards that notion, to the frustration of both Ariel and Max (who knows the truth). He helps her to the palace, where the servants think she is a survivor of a shipwreck. Ariel spends time with Eric, and at the end of the second day, they almost kiss ("Kiss the Girl") but are thwarted by Flotsam and Jetsam. Angered at their narrow escape, Ursula takes the disguise of a beautiful young woman named "Vanessa" and appears onshore singing with Ariel's voice. Eric recognizes the song and, in her disguise, Vanessa/Ursula casts a hypnotic enchantment on Eric to make him forget about Ariel.
The next day, Ariel finds out that Eric will be married to the disguised Ursula on a ship. She cries and is left behind when the wedding barge departs. Scuttle discovers that Vanessa is Ursula in disguise, and informs Ariel. As Ariel and Flounder chase the wedding barge, Sebastian informs Triton, and Scuttle is assigned to literally "stall the wedding." With the help of various animals, the nautilus shell around Ursula's neck is broken, restoring Ariel's voice and breaking Ursula's enchantment over Eric. Realizing that Ariel was the girl who saved his life, Eric rushes to kiss her, but the sun sets and Ariel transforms back into a mermaid. Ursula reverts to her true form and kidnaps Ariel.
Triton appears and confronts Ursula, but cannot destroy Ursula's contract with Ariel. Ursula claims that the only option he can about the deal is to take Ariel's place by being a polyp in exchange for his daughter's freedom. Meanwhile, Eric furiously chases after them, not wanting to lose Ariel once more. Triton ultimately agrees and is sacrificed into a polyp while also losing his royal status. Ursula then achieves her long awaited plan as she takes Triton's crown and trident and declares herself as queen. Ariel, angered at her father's fall, lunges at Ursula but is then seized and threatened by the angered sea witch. A harpoon then lashes at Ursula arm's, upon noticing that it was thrown deliberately by Eric. She then orders Flotsam and Jetsam to drown him, only to be intervened by Sebastian and Flounder afterwards, having the human released. Ursula then prepares to destroy Eric by firing a deadly shot with her trident. Knowingly, Ariel manages to foil by pulling her hair as the shot then accidentally shoots Flotsam and Jetsam, killing them. Ursula shortly mourns at her minions' loss before turning her attention at Ariel and Eric, furiously growing.
The pair then meet up on the surface just before Ursula towers upon them. She then has full control of the ocean, creating a storm that tears Ariel and Eric apart and forming a maelstorm that summons up shipwrecks to the surface, one of which Eric commandeers as Ursula attempts to destory Ariel, trapped in the eye of the whirlpool. Just as she laughingly prepares to finish her, Eric turns the wheel hard to port and runs Ursula through the abdomen with the ship's splintered bowsprit, mortally wounding and destoying her With her last breaths, Ursula pulls the ship down with her, but Eric escapes to shore in time.
As she is dead, Ursula's power breaks, causing all the polyps in Ursula's garden, including Triton, to revert back into the old merpeople. Later, after seeing that Ariel really loves Eric and that Eric also saved her and the ocean in the process, Triton willingly changes her from a mermaid into a human using his trident. She runs into Eric's arms, and the two finally kiss.
In the final scene, an unspecified amount of time later, Ariel marries Eric in a wedding where both humans and merpeople attend.

Snow White.

Snow White was the first film to be produced by Walt Disney in 1937, the fairytale is based on the German fairytale Snow White by the Brothers Grimm.

The Plot.
Snow White is a Princess living with her stepmother a vain and wicked witch known only as the Queen. Fearing Snow White's beauty, the Queen forced her to work as a scullery maid and would daily ask her Magic Mirror "who is the fairest one of all". The mirror would always answer that the Queen was, pleasing her. At the film's opening, the Magic Mirror informs the Queen that Snow White is now the fairest in the land. The jealous Queen orders her huntsman to take Snow White into the woods and kill her, demanding that he bring her the dead girl's heart in a jeweled box as proof of the deed. The huntsman, unwilling to harm Snow White, instead spares her life, and urges her to flee into the woods and never come back, bringing back a pig's heart instead. the princess is befriended by woodland creatures who lead her to a cottage deep in the woods. Finding seven small chairs in the cottage's dining room, Snow White assumes the cottage is the untidy home of seven orphaned children. It soon becomes apparent that the cottage belongs instead to seven adult dwarfs, Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey, who work in a nearby mine. Returning home, they are alarmed to find their cottage clean and surmise that an intruder has invaded their home. The Queen eventually discovers that Snow White is still alive when the mirror again answers that Snow White is the fairest in the land. Using magic to create a drink that will disguise herself as an old hag, the Queen goes to the cottage while the dwarfs are away and tricks Snow White into biting into a poisoned (magic wishing) apple that sends her into a deep sleep, which can only be broken by love's first kiss. As Snow White falls asleep the Queen exclaims "Now I'll be fairest in the land!" The vengeful dwarfs, alerted by the woodland animals who recognized the Queen, chase the Queen up a cliff and trap her. She tries to roll a boulder over them but lightning strikes the cliff she is standing on and she falls to her death. The dwarfs return to their cottage and find Snow White seemingly dead. Unwilling to bury her body out of sight in the ground, they instead place her in a glass coffin trimmed with gold in a clearing in the forest. Together with the woodland creatures, they keep watch over her body through the seasons in an "eternal vigil". After several seasons pass, a Prince who had previously met and fallen in love with Snow White, learns of her plight and visits her coffin. Captivated by her beauty, he kisses her, which breaks the spell and awakens her. The dwarfs and animals all rejoice as Snow White and the prince ride off to the Prince's castle.

Women's Movement

In the website I looked at it mentioned the Women's Movement and that disney didnt listen to them, I decided to look more into this to help with my investiagation.




The feminist movement (also known as the Women's Movement, Women's Liberation, or Women's Lib) refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, voting rights, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. The goals of the movement vary from country to country, e.g. opposition to female genital cutting in Sudan, or to the glass ceiling in Western countries.

The movement's history has gone through three waves, beginning in the 18th century. The first wave was oriented around the station of middle or upper-class white women, and involved suffrage and political equality. Second-wave feminism attempted to further combat social and cultural inequalities. Third-Wave feminism starting in 1980-to early 1990s.

The Women's Movement dissagreed with the repesentation that walt disney showed in snow white, although disney didn't listen to the voices of women he kept on protraying women in his films.

Internet Research

I have been searching the internet to find out information to help me with this project, I found this website http://www.newint.org/easier-english/Disney/diswomen.html.

Snow White: Snow White is young, pretty, virginal, sweet-natured and obedient. She doesn't mind housework because she is sure that a rich young man will soon come and take her away.

Little Mermaid: Ariel is the same as the earlier Disney heroines, except that she is somewhat sexy and wears a bikini made from shells. And the answer to all her dreams is to get her man. Ariel will do anything to make the prince fall in love with her. She even gives up her voice so that she can have legs.

Mulan: Disney has done it again. Brave, kick-boxing Mulan does not look like Snow White but, in fact, the life of a Disney heroine has not changed very much. Men still have power over them (Shang quite literally decides whether Mulan will live or die); and the best thing that can happen to them is to marry the hero and live "happily ever after."