Sexy Disney..?

      I'm currently in an awesome Soc class called Sex and Modern Love and its seriously the bomb. We read a lot of fun articles that I find interesting and we read one on the "sexiness" and heteronormaty of Disney. It obviously got me thinking. Rather than cite everything after I type it, I'll just tell you the title of the article and the whole sha-bang. (I don't think you can get public access to it, but you can read the abstract!)

Hetero-Romantic Love and Heterosexiness in Children's G-Rated Film

Gender & Society June 2009 23: 315-336

Karin A. Martin & Emily Kazyak

       So, this article was written in 2009, therefore they didn't have the outlook of movies like Up and Brave. Two movies which I love because they're adorable. I have a two year old little sister who is seriously the love of my life and I'm obsessed. As I have been more exposed to how our minds are socially constructed I get more and more worried about how she's going to grow up. Especially as a girl. There are few things that she loves more than princesses... which at first made me a little sad. Princesses are the epitome of a bad role model. I'd honestly have my sister looking at Miley at this point. But I will not stop her from the fun fairy tales and songs!

        Don't get me wrong, I love Disney. I like they do some things very well and bring up really good ideas that are important like friendship and relationship with parents. But the expectations that they set for both men and women from a young age. The obvious expectation is the expectation of beauty. Most of the princesses are white, skinny, and pure. Lets all think about this: how can someone's waist be THAT small? Skinny bitches. If they veer off the "white" standard, then they are exotic and sexual. Hence Jasmine (above). Even though she is theoretically dressed in traditional clothing, she still has more sexual movement and body language, this also goes for Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Norte Dame who was a sexy gypsy. If she wasn't white, she couldn't possibly be as pure.
       It also goes to show that a woman should have to do everything for a man. I mean... Ariel actually loses her voice in order to get closer to her man. Lets be honest: that's a little fucked up. She's completely removed from her identity, her voice. Just to be able to get her beautiful prince. It shows little girls that all relationships consist of a woman doing everything they can to get the man, even if that means losing herself. I won't even get into the fact that it implies that every woman needs a man, that a woman can only be fully a "princess" or "complete" when she has a prince at her side.

             Don't get me wrong, I feel almost as bad for men. All these princes are also white (excluding Prince Naveen, who was none the less a square-jawed beauty) and handsome. If you want to be a Disney Prince, you need to be charming and strong. Screw vulnerability, that doesn't exist in men. Little boys assume that they will always have to be strong and mighty to be able to attract a member of the opposite sex (or even same sex). And girls see that they have to wait around for the right guy, taking initiative is for girls who aren't good enough to attract a man themselves. Essentially, it sets such high standards of beauty, independence (or lack there of), and relationships that could seriously hinder children's social development.

        A question I am forever interested in is, what is the right happy medium? It would be foolish to just say: kids, no more Disney, because Disney is awesome. But also, how do we make children aware that this is not real? There are so many wonderful new movies that have come out that value friendship and relationships with parents. But, as proven with the sexualization of Brave, we are still not far enough. 

PS: I added a question tab, mostly because I know there are many questions that people may have about sex, or anything else I write about. I don't want readers to be pressured to ask questions with their name on it, so it is a chance for anonymous questions that I will answer through posts. 

Thanks for reading!