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.