One thing that Grimm’s and Disney definitely have in common is sexism. Disney’s acts of sexism are definitely not as violent as Grimm’s, but Disney’s sexism is prevalent throughout all of their movies. Most of the female leading characters are supposed to be in their mid to late teens. However, they are dressed very racy. The sexism in Grimm’s is much more violent – and I have to say that reading the Grimm’s version and doing research into the origins have kind of ruined fairy tales for me. Then again, it doesn’t seem like they were really meant for children in the first place.
The violent tendencies in Grimm’s are completely unnecessary to the stories. The story of Sleeping Beauty involves the King (her father) raping her while she’s asleep. She awakes when one of the children that she has had while asleep sucks the piece of flax out of her finger that was keeping her asleep. In The Frog Prince, there is an extreme amount of sexism displayed towards the Kings daughter. For example, anytime the princess wants to tell the frog prince no, he threatens to tell her father because the King will make her do it. So the princess gives in to what the frog prince asks of her (even sleeping in her bed), and marries him even though she doesn’t want to. I can understand that Grimm’s has a lot of sexism in their stories because they’re so outdated, but I cannot fathom why the raping is included in that story. I wouldn’t expect such blatant sexism in Disney because some of the movies are more modern, but alas, there it is, right in your face!
Disney’s sexism involves dressing their young female characters in tight-fitting and small clothes. For example – Ariel in the Little Mermaid is only supposed to be sixteen years old. Yet she is wearing a sea shell bra thing that barley covers her breasts – and even produces cleavage! She even gets married at the end (a sixteen year old!) to a twenty something year old captain. Even if the characters seem to be covered more (i.e. Snow White), they still seem to draw some cleavage in there. The male characters in Disney's films are big, burly, scary men. There are countless times that Gaston corners Belle when trying to win her over. The men also seem to be shallow. Take Disney's The Emperor's New Groove - in the beginning, the emperor goes down a line of women and tells them each and everything that is wrong with them. It made me sick to my stomach to see.
Disney has an effect on little boys as well. This is a subject that I didn't even think of - I guess because I have little sisters, and mostly focus on what these movies are saying to them. Never once did I think about what Disney teaches little boys. It seems that Disney teaches little boys that women are objects of pleasure (you can use Gaston again here as an example). There is also a common theme of the main male character having to fight for their woman. This somehow makes them more of a man. Another thing that Disney seems to teach boys is that kindness doesn't win you anything. Almost always, the man that is the "hero" that rescues the "heroine" ends up physically fighting for the woman - and almost always the other person ends up dying. It seems so ridiculous.
The sexism in both Disney and Grimm’s would make me steer clear of either version. There is way too much sexism in Grimm’s, but at the same time I wouldn’t want my child to think that it was okay for young women to dress in belly shirts and tight clothes. I also wouldn’t want my child thinking that marriage would produce a “happily-ever-after” type lifestyle. At this point I’m running out of good things to say about either version!
I understand why you feel that way about the Disney movies as well as the Grimms, however the Disney movie are still somewhat based off the original,therefore the sexist things you pointed out aren't that surprising.Also the endings-the girls always getting married- seem religious to me..many religions 'require' a couple to get married to have that 'happily-ever-after'..and last but not least, blame society for the way are children are taught to view each other;growing up little girls are taught they need a guy to be happy and boys are taught girls are mainly good for sex, and if they cry their weak..you don't need to go to a Disney movie to see it, its EVERYWHERE around us: movies, books, magazines, commercials etc etc
ReplyDeleteNO OFFENSE BUT SURELY YOU MUST AGREE THAT WHEN THE GRIMMS WROTE THE STORIES IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME..... THERE STORIES WHERE DARK IN NATURE ITS WAS THEIR SIGNATURE......
ReplyDeleteI don't have time to counter each and every one of your misguided examples so I'll just stick to your analysis of Beauty and the Beast because it is a relatively modern movie, it is extremely popular and you offer the most wrong information about it. I'm confused how you don't see that the villain acting like a sexist jerk is used to illustrate he was a bad man. He is used to show that looks are deceiving, the beast is ugly on the outside but it is Gaston who is truly ugly. Gaston's attitude toward women isn't celebrated in any form during the movie, in fact he is made a fool of repeatedly and his narcissism is his downfall. The things he said that you find offensive are supposed to make you feel that way. Without the villain doing villainous things there wouldn't be much conflict and the story would be nonexistent.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Belle is concerned I find her to be a strong female character, from her intelligence and her courage. The climactic scene there is a fight but it isn't about winning belle or even protecting her. The Beast's castle is under attack, she isn't even there when it begins. He doesn't even fight out of self preservation, it's only when he sees Belle returns that he has the will to defend himself. At no point is He fights so that he can live to be with her. She is in no way subservient to the Beast, in fact it is for mutual love that she returns.
Check your facts and don't go in to these movies with a preconceived notion. The most dangerous thing is a little bit of knowledge out of context. It seems to me you have convinced yourself of the sexism even before you watched the movie.
A few other notes since it is also apparent that you have a certain idea that all men are pigs. I am married, have been with my wife for 15 years from dating to married life. Is it happily ever after? It's pretty damn close. I love her, respect her, treat her as my equal or better.
ReplyDeleteI have a daughter who is 3 and she loves her princesses. Should I worry? I don't at all. Jasmine, belly showing and all, is a strong woman. Girls who dress slutty and abide men treating them like objects are probably more influenced by whores like Katy Perry who proclaim to be strong women yet propose that the teenage dream is "going all the way tonight". In fact with what the mass media saturates our homes with watching a Disney film is a relief.
I'm sure this argument will fall on deaf ears. You proclaimed a hatred of Disney before you even did a shred of research for your class. If you are still part of academia my advice to you is to approach your research from as neutral a standpoint as possible lest you face arguments you can't defend and ultimately bad grades.
^ Where is the "Like" button?
ReplyDeleteKe7inHeads has completely blown your arguments out of the water... You need to stop hating so much on Disney because of some "sexist" ideas. In fact, a lot of those classic fairy tales were a lightened version of the classics, but have you seen some of their newer works?
The Princess and the Frog, for example, had the main character dream of opening her own restaurant, and it was the prince who stopped being a douche-wad and swooned over her. He ended up getting her the restaurant of her dreams. Happy ending.
I don't think what Ariel is wearing is sexist its just a typical "mermaid" outfit, in the hans version of the little mermaid she had no top on at all!
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to just say Ke7inHeads hit the nail on the head! I get a little sick of people because it seems like many people target Disney, I don't see the issue myself.
'Ke7inHeads' ...likelikelike.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Honestly, Disney made my childhood. It opened up my imagination greatly. So because I watched every Disney movie there was does that make me weak and completely dependent on a man? Not at all, I would say that I am actually a very independent woman. Disney movies are fun and very engaging for a child. Just because there is a fighting scene doesn’t make it sexist in the male sense? If you really think this then you should targeting a wider range of children’s movies and not just Disney. I grew up also watching ninja turtles, power rangers etc... Those all contained scenes where there was violence, girls were even included in the fighting, but that didn’t make me feel like I needed to act in violence in order to make a situation right. It's pure entertainment and actually taught me many things quite the opposite of what you think they teach. My boyfriend also grew up watching all sorts of Disney movies, he has 2 older sisters so he also sat through and watched all the Disney princess movies as well, he is also very comfortable in his own skin and I haven’t seen him resort to violence in any way at all! Nor is he demanding or sexist towards me in any way, shape or form... he is the kindest and most caring person I know... I think these values that you’re targeting more-so come from a child's home. A child is going to be influenced by violence if their father is abusive, not a Disney movie. That’s just ridiculous to even state that the small amount of violence seen in Disney movies are enough to make a man completely dominant over a woman. Most of the time, the fight doesn’t solely have to do with the female heroine that is present in the movie anyways. In any case... I hope my children grow up loving Disney movies just as much as I did, I loved them then and I still love them to this day.
Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how I happened upon your article, but am glad that I did. I have a 4-year old daughter who is not allowed to watch Disney princess movies - at all. The music is great in many, and parts of the stories are often harmless and entertaining, but the overwhelming message in each is that marriage is the ultimate achievement for every young woman, and that no sacrifice in its persuit is too great. That Ariel in The Little Mermaid surrenders her lovely singing voice in pursuit of a man SHE'S NEVER MET is a tragedy, and certainly one that I'd rather my daughter not witness. I admire your voice, and I hope you keep pushing this issue. You certainly aren't alone!
Congratulations Lindsay! You can depict the bitter negativity out of all the fairy tales.
ReplyDeleteLets not give a on a one sided opinion now..
The key to an evaluation it sum up both sides and then conquer the internet with your opinion.
You are entitled to an opinion. However not all people agree that the sexism is an issue in a classic Disney fairy tale same with Grimm.
Disney didn't ruin my life, loved the fairy tales, me and my brother both.
It is called having an imagination, ever heard of that? Because by the sounds of this, you have none.
So what, if The Little Mermaid wore a shell bra, because last time I checked, sixteen year olds wore next to nothing at the beach anyway. That is logic. And throwing her self at a guy you haven't met? Well hello isn't that what happens in the real world? Disney has metaphors, as does Grimm.. Disney can actually teach children lessons. Beauty and the Beast, taught me and my brother, that looks don't matter as long as there are beauty on the inside.
So Dear haters of the fairy tales
Your own imagination must suck!
Go on hating.
But you don't have a novel coming to a shelf near me so don't be a critic, especially of the classics.
Kids love Disney, deal with it!
Sincerely, Me
I must say that I agree with every one. I neither hate nor love disney. I did grow up watching disney and reruns of the original Mickey Mouse Club. I can see the pros and cons of Disney's take of those fairy tales. My daughter who is now 11 loved watching those movies when she was younger. The only thing I can disagree with Lindsay on is this. Grimm's never meant for those stories as actual children stories. There was a lot of sexism in them, because at that time and before that time, women didn't have a lot of power or rights. I would assume that if you could read back then or have the stories read to you, you would have been in your teens. At that time you would have been considered more of an adult than child. It was a way to warn young ladies to be careful. I believe it has been proved that society wasn't as white washed, death and violence was more common.
ReplyDeleteDear Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read any history? Ever hear of WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Iran, or go back to the Peloponnesian War and forward to the Roman Legions. Men have always been fighting, mainly to keep their wives and children from being taken into slavery, and their food supply from being taken. As for sexism, your hatred of men and marriage has caused me to reconsider what I felt was a non-existent idea, foisted off on ignorant people, like the idea of political correctness; yes, free speech in America is dead. And government by the "consent of the governed" is rapidly disappearing-just consider Obamacare. Young girls, when they reach the age of 12-13 years old, or thereabouts, are going to show as much of their bodies as they can get away with. Last year, California, of all places, banned the wearing of low-rise jeans to school. So now the fashion world has come out with NO-RISE jeans. Google it. You really should get a book about the Roman Coliseum; the behavior of women in the seating area would astonish you. If the thin veneer of civilization disappears, you better hope there is a man willing to fight to protect you. As I surf the web, I am amazed at how many websites there are which tell you how to feminize your son or how to raise a feminine son. You do not like masculinity or dominance, unless it is being exhibited by a female. Well, the world is what it is, and I see bad times ahead. Grimm brothers wrote about the real world OF THEIR TIME. Yes, I know my post skips all over the place, but I'm just writing as thoughts occur. You must do your own reading; I haven't the time or patience to educate you. And please read something other than the books recommended by Women's Studies. I suggest the Bible, but you'd never finish the first five chapters, and having a modern education, you wouldn't understand what you had read. Yes, I'm very old. By the eighth grade you knew English, and in the ninth grade you took two semesters of Latin. I returned to college in the mid 1990s and was astonished that BASIC English was being taught! BTW, who told you that anyone ever lived "happily ever after", married or not? You seem to think you have a right to live "happily ever after"-however did you get this idea? Why are you wasting your time with a nonsense course like "American Mass & Popular Cultures"? t got you to read the Brothers Grimm-what did you think of "Hansel and Gretel? Did you catch onto the fact that there was usually bit of truth in their stories? Ys, people did take their children into the woods and abandon them; no, I don't approve. But you should not hide from the truth. Why don't you take a course in math, biology, nursing-something that will actually be of use in the real world? Requires too much actual study, eh? Really difficult courses-oh goodness! Chemistry requires that both sides of the equation balance!! Do they think I'm Einstein?
Your explanation sucks! Really? Fairy tales have good in them it's not the f!@#$%@ fairy tales that make children bad. It's the whole d!@# world! That's it and all! Your welcome.
ReplyDeletewhats kinda dumb about these examples the guy gave is not being sexist its there culture or religion. kings married off there daughters around around 15 or 16 because back then they didnt live longer and 16 is around the time a girl was recognized as a woman. little mermaid she has a seashell bra because she lived under the sea, do you expect her to be naked or wearing a flowing dress or something. Aladdins jasmine is not wearing a revealing dress because there being sexist, its because thats the style of clothes girls in india wear. the frog prince thing a princess was told what to do and didnt really have the freedom to do exactly what she wanted not because its sexism but because thats how the culture was back then. now and days yea it could be sexist to some but to others its part of there religion.
ReplyDelete