Sexism in Disney Movies: the Little Mermaid, Princess and the Frog, and Snow White

Taking a look into the Disney fairy-tales there are strong sexist themes that are silently represented throughout the company's stories. In the Little Mermaid, the main character Ariel gives up her voice for a man which she fell in love within seconds of seeing him to get him to notice her. In Snow White, the main character Snow White is a passive female who does not exert any goals throughout the movie. Lastly in the movie Princess and the Frog, the main female character Tiana is a head strong, hard working, girl however in  she does share some passive qualities and does live in masculine control environment. The Little Mermaid, Princess and the Frog, and Snow White contain strong sexist themes that are represented throughout the movies.

Firstly taking a look into the Little Mermaid, there a lot of sexist qualities represented throughout this movie. Besides the fact of the main female character having a bra made out of seashells, one of the examples of a sexist theme is that she oppressed by the men in this movie, one being her father. The oppression of her father's rules on Ariel is so great she then resorts to rebellion, and he was one of the reasons Ariel had gone to Ursula. Another example of sexism in the Little Mermaid was the scene when Ursula was basically telling Ariel that women don't have to use words, when she wanted Eric to notice her, because that wasn't what men noticed in a women. Not only is Ursula putting on makeup, symbolizing that women have to look good every five seconds, she is also saying that all you have to do is use body language to get the man, and then proceeds to sing a whole song about it. The Little Mermaid not only has men as powerful figures but also states that women are only good for their looks.

In Snow White, there are also some sexist theme popping up. Snow white represents almost all the princesses by being passive and not having any real ambition at the start of the movie. One example of an underlying sexist theme is the fact the in the first few seconds of seeing this prince, which she flees from at the sight of him at first, she falls in love with him. Her falling in love in the few seconds of being with him makes a comment that all girls are just as foolish as her falling head over heel in love with a man without knowing who he is. Another example of a sexist theme is the Queen herself. The Queen is obsessed with being the most beautiful of them all, and not the most intellectual or the one who has the best personality. She also is so bent up about it she disguises herself as an old women to be the most beautiful. The Queen of this movie is basically saying women are desperate and should focus on the outside beauty.

Unlike Snow White, the Princess and the Frog's Tiana is a head strong women who has a purpose at the beginning of the story. However the Princess and the Frog still has some sexist qualities to it as well, one being the environment. One example is a supporting character Charlotte La Bouf, who is desperate to have a prince for her own. She defies everything a women should be, that being she is dependent on her father even after she is grown, has everything on a silver platter for her, and also she believes that wishing on a star can solve her problems. Another example is that even though Tiana is a working women and has goals of running her won restaurant, she still throws them away for her to be able to be with Naveen, the man she is in love with.

All  movies deal with sexist themes while looking at them through the feminist looking glass. All the main female characters, even though very different, share the same qualities when there are men and the image of what society gives women are involved. In the Little Mermaid, the fact that she couldn't speak for herself and the that message that it doesn't matter what women think was given shows sexist themes. In Snow White, the message that only outside beauty matters also is provided along with a meek and ambition-less female main character. Even in Princess and the Frog there are sexist themes by also showing another female character throwing her life away for a man. The Little Mermaid, Princess and the Frog, and Snow White contain strong sexist themes that are represented throughout the movies.

Little Mermaid, Triton being strict on Ariel, who is not allowed to do anything.

Snow White, the Evil Queen with her mirror being obsessed with being the most beautiful.

 

Princess and the Frog, the Character Charlotte La Bouf.

Analyzing Teen Angst films

Analyzing Rebel Without a Cause, The Breakfast Club, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower they all have teen angst caused by stress of reputation, school, peers, parents, etc. and the characters all deal with it by helping each other. In all three of these movies it focuses on the troubles of common things teenagers all go through. In Rebel Without a Cause it had angst dealing with parent-teen relationships, along with the characters trying to fit in or keep up a reputation. In The Breakfast Club there was also parent-teen troubles, meanwhile all the kids were also stressed about reputations and expectations. In Perks of Being a Wallflower shows a teenager who goes through the stress of being in a new environment and adolescence, along with the similar causes of angst of the other movies. However in each movie, all the teen characters deal with their causes of angst by healing each other. In Rebel Without a Cause, The Breakfast Club, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower they all have teen angst caused by stress of reputation, school, peers, parents, etc. and they all deal with it by helping each other.

One common cause the teens in these movies all have is the stress given by parents. In Rebel Without A Cause the teenagers cause of stress is, without a doubt, parents. Jim stark the main teenage character of this movie has issues with his parents; the stress being from his dad not being much of a man. Jim has stress because he needs a male figure in his life however his parents, specifically his dad, are not giving him what he needs. The support female character Judy also deals with parent-teen troubles. In the beginning of the movie, we can she her at the police station acting out because she wants her father to give her attention. Like Jim, she also has problems pertaining her father, however her stress caused by her parents is not enough attention. Another character, Plato, also is suffered from having no attention, like Judy. Plato's parents split up, their only appearance in the movie was via a support check, and deals with issues of not ever having real parents who love him. Rebel Without a Cause, although having many other stress causes, the number one cause of this movie is the role of parents in the teenagers' lives.

The main cause of stress in The Breakfast Club, besides the large amount of stress given by each of the teens' parents, is the stress of reputation. The Rebel Without A Cause also dealt with the stress of reputation,by Jim having prove not being chicken to his peers, however The Breakfast Club is a better example. Each teen in this movie has their character set in stone for them by society. The examples given in the movie were the jock, the princess, the freak, the nerd, and the gangster. In the beginning of the movie, where they are in detention, they all try to protect the visage their known to have. An excellent example is the  character John Bender, or the bad guy. Even though John had problems of being lonely because he was hated by every because of his exterior, he still kept his bad guy reputation by making fun of others. Another example was when they were all in a circle when they were talking about when Monday came would they say hello to one another. The character Claire stated that she wouldn't say hello because she would be ridiculed by her friends and would lose her reputation, as would John and Andrew's friends would do as well. Besides the many other causes of stress, The Breakfast Club's biggest cause would be the stress of upholding reputations.

Lastly the movie Perks of being a Wallflower deals with the pressures of peer, specifically school and it's peers. The main character Charlie, a teen transitioning to high school after the death of his friend, deals with the pressures of being new and also being different. In the beginning of the movie he is isolated and also slightly made fun of his peers. However he met seniors who helps him out in dealing with his stress, like he does with them as well. Friends helping each other also occurred in Rebel Without A Cause, where Jack, Judy, and Plato comforted each other as they also had similar parent problems. As did this occur in The Breakfast Club, where the kids helped each other be themselves only if it was for that memorable day in detention. In Rebel Without a Cause, The Breakfast Club, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower they all have teen angst caused by stress of reputation, school, peers, parents, etc. and they all deal with it by helping each other.
   

Rebel Without A Cause, where Jim is trying to tell his father to man up.

Breakfast Club, when they are talking about their reputations.

Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie being isolated.

   In Bonnie and Cylde and Thelma and Louise each pair's reason for going out on the road and committing crimes compare by both wanting to be free of the restrictions society has set for them.

Bonnie and Cylde and Thelma and louise are stories about a tag team of two running from the law and committing crimes. Bonnie and Cylde is a story with a male and female dynamic where Bonnie is fancitanted with Cylde's outlaw nature. She then tags along with him committing crimes to be free from a society oppressed by banks. Thelma and Louise is about two females, Louise and Themla that live in a sexist society and go for a weekend get away that turns awry. They then begin to commit crimes however, as they continue they become grow free from the sexist society. In Bonnie and Cylde and Thelma and Louise each pair's reason for going out on the road and committing crimes compare by both wanting to be free of the restrictions society has set for them.

In Bonnie and Clyde the pair's reason for being on the road and committing crimes is that they want to be free of the restrictions society has set for them. They are restricted by the bank and also the set roles of behavior that they have to abide by. In this story the bank is scene as the bad guy by repesising people's home and 'stealing' the people's money, almost as if they are controlling society itself. In turn one of the reasons why they commit crimes by robbing banks is to rebel and stand up to the controlling banks to become free of their reining oppression. Another reason for going on the road and committing crimes to escape for the behavior's they would have to follow set by society. For example, in the beginning Bonnie is almost trapped because she is stuck being a waitress and having to deal with men hitting on her. However once she meets Clyde and goes on the road she becomes free off having to deal with hiding her emotions of what she wants like society encourages. In all, Bonnie and Cylde's reason's for going on the road and committing crimes to be free of the restrictions banks and society held on them.

In Thelma and Louise the female pair's reason for being on the road and committing crimes is to escape from their sexist society. In the story women are treated with a bias stance, of women are suppose to be passive and conform to the women stereotype  One way Thelma shows that she became free of her sexist society is how she changed from passive to aggressive throughout the story. In the beginning she lets her husband control her, however by the end she starts to control her own life and not living by women stereotype. Another example of how Thelma and Louise shows the two women escaping from their sexist society by Louise throwing out her jewelry. Jewelry is a very definitive character of the stereotypical woman and as she is throwing away her jewelry she releasing herself from the women stereotype her society has. Overall, Thelma and  Louise's reasons for going on the road and committing crimes to be free of the restrictions their sexist society held on them.

Both Thelma and Louise and Bonnie and Cylde have two people running away from society restrictions. Bonnie and Cylde running away from the bank's reign on society is parallel to Thelma and Lousie running away from sexism that is enforced on society, because both pairs are running away from the restrictions formed by society. Also Bonnie running away from society opressing her true emotions is like Thelma and lousie running away from sexism because they are all running away to be able to do what they want; to be free. In Bonnie and Cylde and Thelma and Louise each pair's reason for going out on the road and committing crimes compare by both wanting to be free of the restrictions society has set for them.

Bonnie and Clyde, before Bonnie went on the road, she was trapped in her boring life.

Bonnie and Clyde, shows both Characters being free from society's restrictions.

Thelma and Louise, shows Thelma being aggressive not passive like in the beginning.

Thelma and Louise, shows them before jumping off cliff, holding hands, and being free.

Mise-en-scene in Caligari and Edward Scissorhands

Mise-en-scene in Caligari and Edward Scissorhands

The French phrase, Mise-en-scene, is the staging of a scene and is the overall feel of the movie. It reveals distinct styles and themes. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a story told through the eyes mental unstable man, has a very distinct Mise-en-scene. It has abstract objects and the style, composition, and design that are eerie. Similarly, the movie Edward Scissorhands also has a very distint style, composition, design, and similar characters to Caligari. Both movies have similar settings, characters, and themes. Both The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Edward Scissorhands share similar Mise-en-scenes by have similar settings, characters, and themes.

In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and in Edward Scissorhands they share the same kind of settings. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari there are obscure objects and distorted furniture, and even the shadows are odd. The similar Mise-en-scene is in Edward's castle. In Edward Scissorhands, the castle where Edward lives also has obscure objects and the castle itself is distorted much like Caligari. Another example of Mise-en-scene, is the similarity of characters in both movies. In Edward Scissorhands, Edward has the features of tall, dark, and pale and in Caligari, the character Cesare shares the same features. However,  the psychical features are not the only thing they have in common, in both stories they are put up to bad deeds. Edward was put up to stealing by using his hands to pick a lock and Cesare was used to murder by Caligari. Lastly, both Edward Scissorhands and Caligari look at society. In Caligari it could be said that Caligari represents the corrupt part of society where he abuses his power to get out of his crime of murdering and in Edward Scissorhands, it shows how society is a conformity, and if there is a difference then it should be shunned.

The importance of the setting and look of each film is that they relay meanings of society and brings you closer to understanding the stories plot and message. In The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari the setting portrays an unbalance. This unbalance of the setting can represent the mental state of Francis, however it can represent the unbalance of power Dr. Caligari has where in this case he abuses his power to get away with murder. Also in Edward Scissorhands the setting tells us about Edward and how his appearance sets him about from the rest of the town, which is bland. The setting in Edward Scissorhands  also relays the commentary of society and it's conformity. In the end, the Mise-en-scene is important in a film by the effects it has on the viewer. 

Cesare & Edward Comparison

Cesare

Edward Scissorhands

Obscure Setting Comparison

The wacky angles of Dr. Caligari's setting.

Inside look of Edward's house.

Commentaries of Society

Where Dr. Caligari Abuses his power, and uses Cesare to Murder while getting away with it.

Here shows the conformity of the town in Edward Scissorhands