When the women did so, they were more polite than the men. In Aladdin, female characters have just 10% of the dialogue.Ĭarmen Fought and Karen Eisenhauer, the linguists at North Carolina State University whose analysis produced these figures, also found male characters in the same films tended to boss the female characters around far more than vice versa. Despite being the title characters, women speak just 32% of the time in The Little Mermaid, while they have just 24% of lines in Pocahontas and 23% in Mulan. The Little Mermaid and the five subsequent films also show another trend – the female characters start to speak less.
“ To win the love of the prince, she must forfeit her thoughts and intellect, her independence and identity.”Īlthough the story was originally written by Hans Christian Andersen, the researchers say it provides an apt metaphor for many of Disney’s heroines – “no one listens to their words”. “The symbolism here is powerful,” wrote Mia Adessa Towbin and her colleagues at the family studies department of Colorado State University in one study. But Ariel also sacrifices her voice in order to be with the man she loves.
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During this period, Disney’s women seemed to gain a more independent streak, striving to free themselves from the bonds of society. Then came the rebellious, new-age phase of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, Pocahontas and Mulan. First came the domestic era, when female characters like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella were portrayed as homemakers, often cleaning and in need of rescue by a man. Some researchers divide the corporation’s portrayal of women into distinct eras. The opening song Arabian Nights in Aladdin, for example, contained the line “where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face” when it was released in 1993. Perhaps the most common criticism is the way these have portrayed gender, racial and cultural stereotypes in the past. If they were doing this from a young age it is bound to have an impact.”Īt face value, these cartoons are harmless entertainment, but some researchers have raised concerns about the subliminal lessons Disney’s films contain. “Home videos exposed kids over and over again to the ideas in Disney films. "Disney is quite pervasive within our modern culture,” says Martyn Griffin, an expert on the cultural perceptions of work and organisation at Durham University in the UK.
They were the perfect “electronic babysitter”.īut has Disney’s cocktail of morality, stereotypes and a sprinkling of magic had any lasting impact on this generation of adults who, once upon a time, devoured these films as children? And could it be influencing how your colleagues behave in the workplace or even your future career? DVDs didn’t need rewinding and were less susceptible to going wonky after being repeatedly watched.
Disney’s first animated DVD was a re-release of The Little Mermaid in 1999. The films that followed through the 1990s – including Beauty and the Beast, then Aladdin, the Lion King, Pocahontas and the first two Toy Story movies – also came out on video around a year after their cinema release.Īnd then came DVDs. This was a significant break for Disney, who usually waited several years before releasing movies on VHS. The Little Mermaid first came out 30 years ago and less than six months later was released on home video.
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