Essay 1: Analytical Response to a Text Final Draft

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Feminist Figures or Damsels in Distress? The Media’s Gendered Misrepresentation of Disney Princesses Isabelle Gill | University of Central Florida

A gender bias seems to exist when discussing Disney princesses in entertainment media that could have significant consequences for girls who admire these heroines. Prior research and my own extensions have shown that modern princesses display almost equal amounts of masculine and feminine qualities; how- ever, my research on film reviews shows an inaccurate representation of these qualities. These media perpetuate sexist ideals for women in society by including traditionally feminine vocabulary, degrading physical descriptions, and inaccuracies about the films, as well as syntax and critiques that trivialize the heroines’ accomplishments and suggest the characters are not empowered enough. The reviews also encourage unhealthy competition between the princesses and devote significantly more words to these negative trends than to positive discussions. These patterns result in the depiction of the princesses as more stereotypically feminine and weak than is indicated by the films themselves, which hinders the cre- ation of role models for girls.

Despite significant strides women have made toward combatting sexism in American society, news and entertainment media rep- resentations of women continue to be one of the many obstacles left before reaching equality. Numerous studies have identified gender bias in the ways media represent women (Fink and Kensicki; Niven and Zilber; Shacar; Wood). Media tend to favor representations of women who are “tradi- tionally feminine” as well as not “too able, too powerful, or too confident,” over more complex representations (Wood 33). For example, research by Janet Fink and Linda Jean Kensicki shows that when media aimed at both men and women discuss female ath- letes, their focus is on sex appeal, fashion, and family rather than athletic accomplish- ment. Female scientists as well as female members of Congress also fall victim to this

trend. Interviews with male scientists often portray them as primarily professionals while interviews with female scientists tend to reference their professionalism while high- lighting domesticity and family life (Shacar). Similarly, media descriptions of the female members of Congress focus on domestic issues even though the congresswomen por- tray themselves as having diverse interests (Niven and Zilber). In sum, biased, gendered representations of women are common in various forms of media.

Media misrepresentation of women in these ways can lead to significant social consequences, such as reinforcing anti- quated gender roles and diminishing the perception of women’s impact on society (England, Descartes, and Collier-Meek; Fink and Kensicki; Graves; Niven and Zilber; Shacar; Wood). Since media are

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likely one of the most powerful and perva- sive influences on how society views men and women, their misrepresentation of gen- der has the potential to impact what is viewed as normal or appropriate for men and women in society (Wood 31-2). Media’s influence on children is especially import- ant to examine since “consistently portrayed gender role images may be interpreted as ‘normal’ by children and become connected with their concepts of socially acceptable behavior and morality” (England et al. 557). As such, the development of children’s gen- der role perceptions is of great importance, as it impacts how children view themselves and society.

Disney movies remain some of the most influential sources of gender role images for children, given their popularity, and these films, especially their portrayal of princesses, have been heavily analyzed for their gen- dered content (England et al. 555). Overall, researchers do not agree on the progressive- ness of Disney princesses; some suggest the princesses are passive and promote strict gen- der roles, while others see them as balanced role models embodying both feminine and masculine qualities (Bell, Haas, and Sells; De Rozario; England et al.; Rorich; Steedman; Warner; Watsko; Westland). Many traditional feminist texts have “con- demned… familiar fairy stories for encoding and therefore encouraging passive female behavior” and “reinforcing… restrictive images of girlhood and womanhood” (Westland 237). These critiques suggest that fairytales imply women must be innocent, beautiful, and passive, and as such, many are hesitant to see Disney princess movies as pos- itive for children (Steedman 141). However, other analysis of the first eight Disney prin- cesses (Snow White through Mulan) has discovered that the princess often holds

power in her film and that any passivity is more in response to “the ambitions of the femme fatale” (De Rozario 42). For example, any fear or passivity shown by Snow White is directed toward the Evil Queen, another woman; similarly, the princesses Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Ariel all face female vil- lains. Analysis has also found that the princesses are often the ones making choices that drive the plot and outcome of the movie (De Rozario 41). These findings as well as recent work by Dawn England, Lara Descartes, and Melissa Collier-Meek (2011) suggest that Disney princesses do not con- form to the standard male dominance/ female submissiveness pattern common in antiquated fairy tales. England et al. code the princes’ and princess’ actions and expres- sions of traits in their films as traditionally masculine or feminine to find that although the original three princesses (Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty) represent more traditional feminine ideals, the newer princesses are extremely close to portraying equal amounts of masculine and feminine characteristics. Why, then, does the percep- tion that Disney princesses only represent sexist ideals for women persist when the newer heroines portray both feminine and masculine characteristics?

After studying media portrayals of the Disney princesses by examining film reviews from prominent publications for the Disney princess movies, I contend that entertainment media reinforce traditional gender roles for the princesses, much as news media do with female athletes, scien- tists, and politicians. I further contend that negative portrayals of Disney princesses in film reviews have the potential to impact the creation of positive role models for young girls by misrepresenting the charac- ters that children often admire and emulate.

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While Disney is often criticized for produc- ing stereotypical female heroines who do not embody the concept of strong feminist role models, my own research on film reviews paired with existing scholarship on the movies demonstrates that, in fact, enter- tainment media through film reviews, rather than the movies themselves, might primarily create and contribute to this per- ception. By including traditionally feminine vocabulary, degrading physical descriptions, and inaccuracies about the films, film reviews emphasize stereotypically female attributes of the characters and ignore their more masculine strengths. Additionally, even when acknowledging the princesses’ talents or empowered nature, film reviews include syntax and critiques that serve to trivialize any accomplishments and sug- gest the characters are not fully empowered. Furthermore, film reviews consistently compare the princesses to one another, con- tributing to the devaluing of the individual female characters and creating the implica- tion that only one kind of woman can be an example of success.

Methods To conduct my research, I first expanded on the work of England, Descartes, and Collier-Meek. They studied gender portray- als of both the princes and princesses in the first nine Disney princess movies (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan, and The Princess and the Frog) using a coded content analysis approach. To do so, they documented all instances of a prince or princess performing a stereotypically “male” trait (such as athleticism, bravery, or inde- pendence) as well as any time a prince or princess performed a “female” trait (such as

nurturing, showing emotion, or being submis- sive). In all, they coded fourteen expressions of traits as male characteristics and seventeen as female characteristics (see Table 1).

Masculine Feminine

Physically strong Assertive Athletic Curious Unemotional Gives advice Inspires fear Brave Leader Rescues Intellectual activity Explores Independent Handsome

Affectionate Shows emotion Fearful Troublesome Tends to appearance Helpful Nurturing Submissive Sensitive Collapse crying Pretty Asks for help Physically weak Ashamed Victim Gets rescued Tentative

Table 1. England, Descartes, and Collier-Meek’s Coding of Masculine/Feminine Characteristics

While this study provides an excellent basis of comparison from which to critique film reviews, it was completed before the release of Tangled, Brave, and Frozen. As such, I re-coded two films England et al. had already coded (Beauty and the Beast and Mulan) to ensure my interpretation of the coding procedure was sufficiently similar. I then replicated their coding procedure for Tangled, Brave, and Frozen. These results show my re-coding to be sufficiently similar to England et al.’s coding, and the overall percentages show the more recent princesses display almost equal amounts of masculine and feminine characteristics (see Table 2).

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Princess Masculine Feminine

Snow White 8.67% 91.3%

Cinderella 18.3% 81.7%

Aurora 11.6% 88.4%

Ariel 38.5% 61.5%

Belle 47% / 51.2* 53% / 48.8*

Jasmine 39.4% 60.6%

Pocahontas 44.7% 55.3%

Mulan 42.3% / 49.5* 57.7% / 50.5*

Tiana 46.6% 53.4%

Merida 54.5%* 45.4%*

Rapunzel 50.7%* 49.2%*

Anna 47.8%* 52.2%*

Elsa 48.8%* 51.2%*

Table 2. Coding of Masculine/Feminine Characteristics by Princess.

*My coding results.

After completing the coding of the films, I collected film reviews that were published at the time of each movie’s premiere. I sought three to five reviews per film from presti- gious or popular publications, such as national newspapers, as these would be more likely to reach a wide audience and have a greater impact. Sources of reviews included The New York Times, Variety, Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and The Los Angeles Times. I also included reviews by Roger Ebert, often pro- claimed as the nation’s most influential film critic, posted to his website. In total, I stud- ied 38 film reviews: four each for Pocahontas, Mulan, Tangled, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Princess and the Frog, and three each for The Little Mermaid, Frozen, and Brave. Only two acceptable reviews could be found for Cinderella and Snow White and one for Sleeping Beauty; however, analysis of these films was not critical to my study, as they are older films and analyzing current media

representations of female characters requires investigation of newer film reviews.

After finding the reviews, I analyzed their diction, syntax, and content and discovered six prominent patterns: 1) traditionally fem- inine vocabulary, 2) degrading physical descriptions, 3) inaccuracies about the films, 4) syntax and critiques that serve to trivial- ize accomplishments, 5) suggestions the characters are not fully empowered, and 6) comparisons between the princesses. I then reread the film reviews, noting every term used to describe the princesses and collect- ing all quotes found in the film reviews. I sorted the vocabulary terms used to describe the princesses into the categories of masculine and feminine based on England et al.’s coding procedure. However, I added to their coding a third category—neutral— to describe phrases and words that did not fit clearly into the masculine and feminine categories because they served as weakened versions of traditionally male terms. For example, the use of the phrase “using quick thinking” would be categorized as neutral, as it embodies an attempt to describe the male trait of intelligence yet represents a deliberate choice on the part of the reviewer to avoid using such strong language. I found this reluctance to use strong mascu- line words when describing the princesses to be significant and wanted it reflected in my analysis. I also performed a quantitative analysis by recording the total word count as well as the number of words used to describe the princesses in a positive manner (depicting them or acknowledging their accomplishments in a manner not indica- tive of the six negative trends) and number of words used to describe the princesses in a manner illustrating the six negative trends.

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Findings & Discussion Analysis of the diction, syntax, and content of film reviews for the Disney princess movies suggests it is entertainment news media, rather than Disney, which character- ize the heroines primarily in terms of their traditionally feminine traits. Through my analysis of the film reviews, I noticed six recurring patterns that contribute to these inaccurate and problematic media portrayals of the Disney princesses—traditionally fem- inine vocabulary, degrading physical descriptions, inaccuracies about the films, syntax and critiques that serve to trivialize accomplishments, suggestions that the characters are not fully empowered, and comparisons between the princesses. These trends, as I demonstrate below, emphasize stereotypically negative female attributes of the characters and ignore their more stereo- typical masculine strengths while belittling the characters in ways that suggest they are not fit to be role models for young girls. Overall, I coded 95 instances of feminine vocabulary, 32 instances of masculine vocab- ulary, and 54 instances of neutral vocabulary; 22 instances of degrading physical descrip- tions, 17 instances of film inaccuracies, 26 instances of problematic syntax, 23 critiques that the princesses are not fully empowered, and 8 instances of reviews creating competi- tion between the princesses (see Table 3).

Discourse Pattern Coded Instances

Vocabulary 95 female, 32 male, 54 neutral

Physical description 22

Inaccuracies 17

Syntax 26

Not fully empowered 23

Competition 8

Table 3. Results Summary

Vocabulary One way film reviews construct inaccurate representations of the princesses is with the use of gendered vocabulary. Although England et al.’s and my own analysis of the films identify the contemporary princesses as exhibiting almost as many masculine qualities as feminine characteristics, the vocabulary used to describe the princesses in reviews focuses on what would be considered stereotypically feminine attri- butes—for example, “beautiful,” “flirty,”

“sweet,” and “kind.” The diction used in the reviews is also often demeaning, such as

“little princess,” “wee lass,” or “little nymph.” While some masculine terms are used, such as “independent,” “brave,” and “bold,” these are included much more sparingly and generally only appeared in one or two reviews per film. If the reviews accurately represent the princesses in the films, almost half of the vocabulary used to describe the heroines should have been masculine in nature; instead, 92 adjectives used are stereotypically feminine and only 32 are ste- reotypically masculine.

Additionally, there are 54 coded instances of reviewers choosing to include neutral terms that could be considered weakened versions of masculine language—for exam- ple, using “plucky” rather than “brave” when adjectives like “courageous,” “gutsy,”

“heroic,” or “valiant” could have been chosen. In another example, “spunky” and “feisty” are used over “courageous,” “energetic,” or

“fearless.” And in one final example, “intelli- gent” is often replaced with more modest phrases, such as reviews of Mulan that applaud her for “using quick thinking” and “using her wits” (Ebert, Gleiberman). Similarly, rather than clearly describing Belle’s intellect and love of reading, reviews mention that she is “a bookworm” or “lived

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in the world of her favorite library books” (Gleiberman, Ebert). Thus, the reviews tend toward weaker language when describing any princesses’ strength that did not fit into sexist ideals for women. The fact that the reviewers seem to recognize masculine traits in the princesses but still portray them in a weaker light suggests that either reviewers are reluctant to acknowledge these charac- teristics, they purposefully choose to emphasize the feminine traits, or they are unable to recognize strong traits in women.

Analysis of word count reinforces this tendency toward negative characteriza- tions—out of the 38 film reviews analyzed, only nine devote more words to positive descriptions of the characters than negative ones. The reviews include an average of 4.12 percent of words based on positive descrip- tions but an average of 11.72 percent of words for negative descriptions. Overall,

the reviews include much lengthier negative descriptions of the princesses or descriptions that are indicative of the six problematic trends mentioned earlier. Thus, the diction in the film reviews contributes to the misrep- resentation of the princesses and exemplifies the tendency to depict the characters in a more stereotypically feminine and nega- tive manner.

Physical Descriptions The inclusion of demeaning physical descrip- tions of the princesses also serves to weaken their characters and perpetuate sexist ideals for women. About 20 percent of the reviews studied focus solely on the heroines’ appear- ances rather than their personalities and do so in a way that is more demeaning than complementary—for example, “sexy little honey bunch,” “Bambi with curves,” “a babe,” and “real housewife” (see Table 4).

Princess Physical Descriptions

Ariel “She's a sexy little honey-bunch with a double-scallop-shell bra and a mane of red hair tossed in tumble-out-of-bed Southern California salon style. She has no gills, but, when she smiles, she shows an acre of Farrah Fawcett teeth.” (Wilmington)

Belle “Provincial beauty Belle (Bambi with curves)” (Howe)

Pocahontas “Pocahontas is a babe. She's the first Disney animated heroine since Tinker Bell with great legs—maybe with any legs. She wears form-fitting, off-the-shoulder buckskin that would be as much at home in Beverly Hills as in 17th-century Jamestown. She's got sloe eyes, a rosebud mouth, billowing black hair and terrific muscle tone.” (Maslin)

“A strapping, high-cheekboned update of the usual Disney princess—she’s an aerobicized Native American superbabe, with long, muscular brown legs, regal shoulder blades, and silky black hair flowing down to her waist. With her vacuous Asian doll eyes, she looks ready to host Pocahontas’ House of Style.” (Gleiberman)

Merida “A nice girl in a pretty green dress.” (Schwarzbaum)

Elsa “Her flashy physical transformation from prim princess to ice queen does make her resemble a real housewife of some sort, however.)” (Lemire)

Table 4. Examples of Physical Descriptions of the Princesses

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These descriptions are often lengthy and constitute most of the depictions of the heroine. For example, Gleiberman’s review describes Pocahontas as “a strapping, high-cheekboned update of the usual Disney princess—she’s an aerobicized Native American superbabe, with long, muscular brown legs, regal shoulder blades, and silky black hair flowing down to her waist,” but includes no attempts to characterize her per- sonality. Not only does he focus exclusively on Pocahontas’s physical appearance, but he does so in an extremely sexual way. This is evident in a second review for Pocahontas as well, which describes Pocahontas as “a babe” and “the first Disney animated heroine since Tinker Bell with great legs—maybe with any legs” (Maslin). The fact that several different reviews describe Pocahontas in this manner demonstrates a consistent problem with the sexualization of this Disney Princess. In another example, Elsa is described as looking like a “real housewife of some sort,” which is degrading in a different sense—once again, the reviewer focuses on her physical appear- ance, but this time the implication is that she is not intelligent, the commonly held stereo- type toward the “Real Housewives” (Lemire). Portrayals such as these undermine the prin- cesses as role models or authority figures by implying that their physical appearances are more important than anything else. Moreover, the highly sexualized nature of many of these descriptions is even more degrading as it perpetuates the view of women as little more than sexual objects for men.

The nature of the descriptions is actually more sexist and degrading for the 1990’s princesses than for the older princesses, showing a lack of progress. Whereas the reviews for Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty never say more than “beauti- ful,” “doll-faced,” or “voluptuous,” the

newer reviews use phrases like “sexy little honey bunch” (Crowther; Nugent; Flinn; Wilmington). This trend is not represented in the reviews for Mulan or Tiana, most likely because Mulan spends the film dressed as a man and Tiana in the form of a frog. The lack of any physical descriptions of Mulan’s male alter ego or Tiana’s trans- formed state suggests reviewers do not find physical descriptions to be relevant to under- standing the film, showing the prior descriptions to be not simply degrading but unnecessary as well.

Film Inaccuracies In addition to focusing on their physical descriptions, film reviewers sometimes mis- represent the princesses by including inaccuracies or erroneous descriptions of the events in the movies. The inclusion of film inaccuracies is a consistent trend, with 17 coded instances of inaccuracies out of the 38 reviews studied (see Table 5).

Reviews often contain small errors or mis- judgments about the plot that slightly distort the events in the film. While it could be pos- sible that the film reviews simplify the plots or make such mistakes because they are attempting to avoid revealing too much about the films, the descriptions of male sec- ondary characters (the genie in Aladdin or Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, for example) are accurate and detailed. When describing the princesses, however, inaccuracies are abundant, and in almost every case, the mis- representation is one that makes the princess seem more stereotypically feminine. For example, two different reviews suggest Elsa and Anna “became estranged” due to the fact that a prince fell in love with Anna when their issues actually predated this event. This inaccuracy makes Elsa seem jeal- ous and trivializes their relationship.

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Gleiberman’s review states Elsa is banished after a “wintry tantrum,” a flawed and nega- tive interpretation of the actual events of the film; rather than being banished, Elsa chose to exile herself after mistakenly revealing her powers and endangering her kingdom.

These inaccuracies can be small errors, such as explaining, “Belle becomes [the Beast’s] captive” (Gleiberman). Though it may seem insignificant, the phrasing of this review implies Belle passively submits to the Beast, when instead she actively and know- ingly sacrifices herself for her father. Occasionally, however, the descriptions include ideas that are alarmingly inaccurate and completely misrepresent the character— for example, saying “Jasmine’s main concern is deciding whom she will marry” when the film clearly shows Jasmine does not want to

be betrothed in such a manner, as early in the film she protests “I am not a prize to be won!” (Maslin). Similar to the way the reviews include stereotypically feminine vocabulary, this pattern distorts the charac- ters and their films in ways that suggest the princesses are more stereotypically feminine (passive, shallow, etc.) than the films indicate.

Problematic Syntax The reviews also use syntax that devalues any strengths or accomplishments made by the princesses in their films. Instead of solely including a positive message about the heroine, there are 26 coded instances of reviews juxta- posing commendations with criticism about the character or film, effectively undermining positive portrayals of the women (see Table 6).

In one striking example, rather than just

Princess Innacuraacies/Misrepresentations

Ariel “Although there is a primal power to this story that most recent Disney cartoons lack—a sense of desperate striving, the pain of worlds out of reach, life-or-death determination—it still sometimes seems nothing vital is at stake here: just hunk dreamboat Prince Eric.” (Wilmington)

Jasmine “Jasmine’s main concern is deciding whom she will marry.” “Distraught, she flees from the palace.” (Maslin)

Pocahontas “The dramatic challenge in the movie… is that her father disapproves of the man she loves, because he belongs to a different race.” (Ebert)

“When her intended is shot dead by a young British soldier and Smith is taken prison- er, her immediate thought is, 'I’ll never see John Smith again!' So much for any lingering regrets over the dead fiancé.” (Ebert)

Anna & Esla “But a run-in with an amorous, visiting prince who sets his sights on Anna triggers Elsa's ire, and she inadvertently plunges the sunny, idyllic kingdom into perpetual winter.” (Lemire)

“The sisters become estranged when Anna falls in love at first sight with Hans (Santino Fontana)… and Elsa forbids them to marry.” (Holden)

“Until a wintry tantrum gets her banished from the kingdom” (Gleiberman)

Table 5. Examples of Inaccuracies or Misrepresentations in Film Reviews

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saying Pocahontas teaches John Smith import- ant moral lessons, one reviewer trivializes her character by suggesting that “since these les- sons are taught by an Indian maiden with a waist-length mane of black hair, an hourglass figure and a Playmate face, John Smith’s heart finds it easy to listen” (Ebert). By using this juxtaposition, this reviewer suggests that Pocahontas’ impact on John is dependent on her sex appeal rather than her intellectual con- tributions. In another example, a reviewer describes Belle in the following manner: “‘I want so much more than they've got planned,’ she sings with dippy yearning. The prince she wants, of course, is captured inside the Beast”’ (Howe). This passage lessens the significance and positive message of Belle’s line about wanting more than society has in store for her by suggesting that the dream she’s yearning for

is a prince rather than “adventure in the great wide somewhere” as the movie explains. This inaccuracy makes Belle seem lovesick and friv- olous rather than inquisitive and adventurous, a more accurate description of her character. In a final example, a review for Mulan states,

“The message here is standard feminist empow- erment: Defy the matchmaker, dress as a boy, and choose your own career. But ‘Mulan’ has it both ways, since inevitably Mulan’s heart goes pitty-pat over Shang” (Ebert). By discuss- ing Mulan in this manner, the reviewer acknowledges the theme of the movie is empowerment, but then implies the aforemen- tioned theme is irrelevant considering she falls in love anyway, a problematic message that puts restrictions on women who wish to be empowered. This pattern of juxtaposing posi- tive messages about the princesses with

Princess Problematic Syntax

Belle “I want so much more than they've got planned,” she sings with dippy yearning. The prince she wants, of course, is captured inside the Beast. When the monster cap- tures Belle’s father for wandering onto his property, an encounter is ensured.” (Howe)

Pocahontas “Since these lessons are taught by an Indian maiden with a waist-length mane of black hair, an hourglass figure and a Playmate face, John Smith’s heart finds it easy to listen.” (Ebert)

Mulan “The movie breaks with the tradition in which the male hero rescues the heroine, but is still totally sold on the Western idea of romantic love.” (Ebert)

“But the story’s obvious feminist themes don’t overload or swamp the picture.” (Wilmington)

Tiana “Hard work, though, also makes the adult Tiana something of a drudge and a bore.” (Dargis)

Merida “Merida ends up with a quest too, but because she’s female and to the throne born, she also comes with some tricky princess baggage, notably the queen.” (Dargis)

Anna & Elsa “It encourages young women to support and stay loyal to each other—a crucial message when mean girls seem so prevalent—as long as some hunky potential suitors and adorable, wise-cracking creatures also are around to complete them.” (Lemire)

Table 6. Examples of Problematic Syntax in the Film Reviews

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Princess “Not Fully Empowered” Critiques

Jasmine “Uses words like “fabulous” and “amazing” to express unremarkable thoughts.” (Maslin)

Pocahontas “Only by aging the brave and precocious Pocahontas from 12 or 13 into the flirty, full- grown vixen she becomes here, and by making her so concerned with finding Mr. Right, does the film send any regrettable message.” (Maslin)

Mulan “The message here is standard feminist empowerment: Defy the matchmaker, dress as a boy, and choose your own career. But “Mulan” has it both ways, since inevi- tably Mulan’s heart goes pitty-pat over Shang.” (Ebert) “Sign me up for the next war!” exclaims the heroine’s grandmother, in a show of what does not precisely qualify as progress for women.” (Maslin) “For all of Mulan’s courage and independence in rebelling against the matchmakers, this is still enough of a fairy tale to need Mr. Right.” (Maslin)

Tiana “What she does have, like most Disney heroines, is a prince charming, Naveen” (Dargis)

“The prince, disappointingly if not surprisingly, becomes not only Tiana’s salvation but also that of the movie” (Dargis)

Merida “Merida doesn’t dream that her prince will come; she doesn’t have to because… the alternative is comically unthinkable. It’s no great surprise that she wins the struggle to de- termine her fate. But hers is a contingent freedom won with smiles, acquiescence and a literal needle and thread with which she neatly sews up the story, repairing a world where girls and women know exactly where they stand.” (Dargis)

Anna & Elsa “Flustered and fearful, Elsa dashes away in a fit of self-imposed exile—which significantly weakens “Frozen,” since she’s the film’s most complicated and compelling figure. (Lemire)

Table 7. Examples of Critiques that Princesses are Not Fully Empowered

negative critiques not only identifies an exist- ing prejudice toward strong females but also contributes to the problematic portrayal of the princesses by undervaluing the characters’ achievements and implying they are not fit to be role models.

Not Fully Empowered Despite these consistent tendencies to portray strong heroines as weaker, more traditionally feminine characters, the reviews also regularly include criticisms suggesting the princesses are not empowered enough to qualify as role mod- els—this pattern is recorded 23 times through- out analysis of the 38 reviews (see Table 7).

These critiques are usually misrepresenta- tions of the film or suggest that a princess’s promotion of feminist values is irrelevant if

she falls in love. This not only suggests that the princesses shouldn’t be role models but also seems to imply a woman is less of a fem- inist if she falls in love. For example, one review mentions, “For all of Mulan’s cour- age and independence in rebelling against the matchmakers, this is still enough of a fairy tale to need Mr. Right” (Maslin). This comment suggests that the fact that Mulan meets her “Mr. Right” somehow detracts from the “courage and independence” the reviewer previously acknowledges. Another review includes the passage, “Flustered and fearful, Elsa dashes away in a fit of self-im- posed exile—which significantly weakens Frozen, since she’s the film’s most compli- cated and compelling figure” (Lemire). This description suggests that Elsa is less

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compelling since she experiences fear, a fem- inine trait under England et al.’s coding system—which in turn suggests that Elsa’s display of fear weakens her character and the film by implying women cannot be afraid and still portray feminist values, a problematic message that could lead young girls to believe displaying any feminine qualities detracts from their potential.

Compared to the other patterns of attempting to portray the characters in a more traditionally feminine light, this trend may seem contradictory. The other patterns seem to perpetuate stereotypical values for women, whereas critiques saying the prin- cesses are not empowered enough would lead readers to assume the reviewers do not wish these stereotypical values to be perpet- uated. Nonetheless, it is an example of another way to prevent the creation of posi- tive role models for girls by implying none of the existing princesses are truly empowered.

Creating Competition Finally, the reviews create a sort of competi- tion for the princesses to be the smartest, bravest, or most empowered, a pattern found in eight of the 38 reviews studied. This trend

not only weakens the perception of all the princesses individually but also leads to the idea that only one princess can be a role model instead of offering young girls a vari- ety of women to serve as good examples (see Table 8).

In one example, instead of complimenting Mulan on her intelligence, the review quali- fies her intelligence by comparing it to others—“Far more than Beauty and the Beast or the stolidly virtuous Pocahontas, Mulan showcases a girl who gets to use her wits” (Gleiberman). This example highlights the fact that the reviews tend to use the inclusion of positive remarks about the princesses as opportunities to criticize the other princesses rather than praise the princess being dis- cussed. In another example, Anna and Elsa are commended by saying “they are a little more psychologically complex than their Disney forerunners,” and the film Brave is admired because it “applauds the heroics of a female person for a change” (Holden, Schwarzbaum). Rather than outright prais- ing the newer princesses, the reviews use these “compliments” as chances to belittle the previous princesses, a pattern detrimen- tal to all princesses involved. Unfortunately,

Princess Competition

Ariel “The heroine, a mermaid named Ariel, is even capable of wit, which is more than could ever be said of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella.” (Maslin)

Jasmine “Princess Jasmine is the most full-bodied (in every sense) of the new Disney heroines.” (Burr)

Mulan “Far more than Beauty and the Beast or the stolidly virtuous Pocahontas, Mulan showcases a girl who gets to use her wits.” (Gleiberman)

Merida “Makes headlines first of all because the movie applauds the heroics of a female person for a change.” (Schwarzbaum)

Anna & Elsa “But they are a little more psychologically complex than their Disney forerun- ners.” (Holden)

Table 8: Examples of Creating Competition Between Princesses

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rather than demonstrating positive qualities of the princesses, this pattern only serves to criticize the other princesses and likely encourages the opinion that no princess is qualified to be a role model.

Conclusions and Implications Although Disney is often criticized for the stereotypically feminine nature of its prin- cesses, my analysis along with England et al.’s demonstrates that entertainment media film reviews contributes to this mispercep- tion. Misrepresentation of these heroines is a continuation of the aforementioned pat- tern wherein media use gender bias when discussing women, as identified in studies on media representations of female athletes, scientists, and politicians (Fink and Kensicki; Niven and Zilber; Shacar; Wood). Just as “journalists commonly work with gendered frames to simplify… events when covering women and men in public life” (Niven and Zilber 155), it would seem that these gendered frames apply to film reviews and entertainment media’s presentations of Disney princesses as well. The result of these gendered frames is an inaccurate por- trayal of women that serves to “perpetuate unrealistic, stereotypical, and limiting per- ceptions” of women (Wood 31). These perceptions, it seems, can lead to internal biases when examining the films and even could be a contributing factor to the dis- agreements regarding whether princesses are feminist figures or damsels in distress. It is possible that these gendered media repre- sentations of the princesses contribute to researchers’ perceptions and could explain why some remain adamant that the prin- cesses are negative influences for girls even when faced with evidence to the contrary.

Whether or not Disney heroines should be idols for young girls will most likely remain

open to debate; however, researchers and the public cannot ignore gendered media mis- representations of the princesses in film reviews, and should consider the ways in which this influences internal biases or preju- dices against the princesses. It is especially important that media influence is recognized because their distortions of Disney prin- cesses likely have an important impact on young girls and society. As Julia Wood explains, “Because media pervade our lives, the ways they misrepresent genders may dis- tort how we see ourselves and what we perceive as normal and desirable for men and women” (32). By taking characters that are often depicted as strong women and describ- ing them as weak and only portraying stereotypical feminine qualities, these media distort the public’s perception of these women, which possibly even “diminishes the pipeline of women’s leadership” (Devitt 12). By subtly influencing society’s views of Disney princesses in a way that implies they are stereotypically feminine, these media weaken the perception of the princess’s strengths and commendable qualities and focus instead on traits such as beauty and domesticity. These patterns could potentially impact the creation of positive role models for young girls by misrepresenting the char- acters children admire.

As children are likely to look up to Disney characters for years to come, it is critical that media tendencies to inaccurately portray princesses be further studied. This research could be extended to analyze the portrayal of other female characters in Disney movies as well as media representations of female char- acters in other kinds of movies. Moreover, future research could examine children’s per- ceptions of the Disney princesses at various age levels in order to determine whether or not adults are more likely to subscribe to

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these inaccurate portrayals than children. Regardless of what future research may dis- cover, this analysis of entertainment news media misrepresentations of Disney

princesses contributes to the ongoing research on gender in media and identifies remaining disparities in gender equality.

Acknowledgements I would like to thank my composition professor, Dr. Angela Rounsaville, whose invaluable guidance and critiques helped shape my paper from start to finish. I would also like to thank the advising team at Young Scholars in Writing, particularly Drs. Heather Bastian and Doug Downs, whose editing expertise and knowledge of writing and rhetoric helped me craft my work into the final paper it is today.

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