Monday, 20 April 2009
Disney scandal
http://www.videosift.com/video/Disney-Steals-From-Disney?fromdupe=Disney-s-Animation-Clones
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
First Draft Of Essay
To what extent does 'Enchanted' problematise the stereotypical representation of women in Disney films?
Drastic alterations in women’s positions have taken place over the last fifty years which have also been projected in the media. The traditional domestic Goddess as been replaced by a sexy independent type of female- with laws on censorship becoming lenient the female semi- nude and nude body has been plastered across the media, making women far more sexualised. However, Disney has remained conventional in its portrayal of women often liken them to children, with an aura of innocence. Moreover, females continue to be portrayed as damsels in distress yearning to be rescued by her prince despite historical events attempting to emancipate women from patriarchal stereotypes, for instance the suffragette movement. According to some feminists the media creates female roles and justifies them through the way these positions are glamorised. Women then feel that it is their duty to conform to these roles rather than a natural instinct but because these roles are so often reinforced by the media women believe it is a natural way to behave without questioning it. 'A woman is made, not born' (Simone De Beauvoir) therefore women are made to feel they have a certain role but in reality women can behave as they wish. In continuation, Enchanted (2007) also enforces the old cliché of the tradition motherly nurturing position, akin to her predecessor Giselle embraces it. Thus women are moulded to fit in with patriarchal ideology and serve men’s needs.
First and foremost, the early 1940’s and 1950’s was a definitive period of history for women events such as World War II triggered an immense change in their societal positions. This change meant it became socially acceptable for women to take on traditional ‘male’ roles which empowered them. Similarly, Disney has adapted the films to incorporate these changes but despite being apparent they are extremely subtle, for instance Snow White (1937) appears to be housebound whereas Giselle (the protagonist) in Enchanted is portrayed as being far more liberated, yet she voluntarily decides to be a dutiful housewife. Clearly, it may be argued that Disney is implicitly suggesting that a woman’s desire is to be a housewife. Additional changes include recognition and awareness of the dark side of the family and relationships that were once considered social taboos i.e. domestic violence and neglect. This change in attitudes is demonstrated in Disney films; Beauty and the Beast (1991) directly highlights the physical and mental abuse that Belle endures from the beast. Yet, critics argue that disturbingly despite the violence she suffers Belle stills sees his rage as merely a bad temper without addressing the seriousness of his violence, suggesting that domestic violence is acceptable as a tame ‘prince’ lay behind the monster.
Correspondingly, the media alongside with religion, the family, education and healthcare are considered important in terms of socialisation but as society is becoming more reliant on technology the media is arguably the most influential agent. However, many accuse the media of reinforcing stereotypes and feminist feel it encourages patriarchy by 'teaching children in particular their appropriate sex roles...It is thought the media perpetuate sex role stereotypes because they reflect dominant social values' (hegemony). Therefore, as the media is largely owned by white males which has remained the same throughout history the portrayal of women has largely remained the same, for example in Disney films Snow white (1937) was the archetypical woman of the 1930’s, demonstrated through her attire and style she wore a dress which was common for everyday women. However, Giselle still wears a dress even when she is fulfilling domestic duties but unlike Snow White (1937) her dresses are overly flamboyant which could be indicative of the satirical nature of the film.
The position of women in the media has also changed dramatic in recent history with the presence of women increasing dramatically. However, even as recent as the 1990’s patriarchy was still prevalent with as many as 89% of television voiceovers for television advertisements were males- probably because males still represented ‘authority’. Similar to this despite the young female target audience the Enchanted (2007) trailer uses a male voiceover. Hence, a deep male voice continues to represent authority and this power is being imposed on young girls. However, Enchanted (2007) is a parody of traditional Disney films so in order to subvert stereotypes of women they need to be illustrated.
Although women are becoming increasingly sexualised and audiences are becoming desensitized to this making it acceptable for women to only serve as ‘eye candy’ but Disney seemingly creates a non-sexual image of women. In contrast to this, it has been argued that in actuality Disney’s flawless outstandingly beautiful female characters exemplify the objectification of women. Therefore women’s only contribution to the narrative is their beauty in Snow White the evil witch’s motive for killing Snow is because she is the “fairest one of all” and her life is spared by the hunter because she is to beautiful to be killed. This suggests that beauty is the key to success and teaches young children to associate ‘ugly’ (usually long noses and warts) with evil this can be harmful message to inflict upon young children. Nonetheless, Disney has maintained the same image of beauty from Snow White to Cinderella to Belle (Beauty and the Beast) to Giselle in Enchanted all of them are large busted, small waists and are curvaceous but arguably with issues such as anorexia and obesity rapidly increasing Disney’s image of women is irrelevant. Yet, Haralambos and Holborn (2004) believe that the representation of women remaining the same is inevitable and will never disappear because old programmes are recycled on satellite and cable.
A simple maiden transformed into Princesses is assumed to be “every girls dream” according to Disney films. Cinderella was miserable and discontent with her life until she had a make-over and married the rich prince. Women appear to be materialistic and strive for affluent lifestyle. Through the hypodermic needle model children the idea of consumerism is being injected into children, in particular girls. In addition to this, girls are taught that through marriage they can gain status and Enchanted indirectly tackles social status but opposes the traditional narrative because Giselle comes from a rich background, looking down on Robert saying ‘you’re not my prince’ to end up in a middle-class environment. As young girls are begin exposed to this money- orientated lifestyle they want to purchase the merchandise that Disney sells. On the contrary some observers believe children can challenge texts and realise that women are stronger mentally. Overall, the increase in celebrity culture with people like Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham becoming more prominent in the media the correlation between females and consumerism is arguably present.
Moreover, Disneyfication is a term coined by critics in reference to the way folktales/ stories are neutralised by Disney in order to be deemed suitable for family viewing. In contradiction to this, many believe that Disney’s adaptations of the traditional tales are harmful as it seems that Disney “capitalizes on the worst part of fairytales” (Maria Tatar). Comparably, Prince charming never did kiss Snow White to wake her, the Beast was neither angry nor violent and Mulan never fell in love with her general in the original stories. Therefore suggesting that Disney’s interpretation of the stories has portrayed women as being damsels in distress and teaches young audiences that males are superior, implying that Disney has an overall sexist agenda. In spite of this, akin to any business Disney is mainly concerned with profits and their interpretations of stories creates large profits- since opening their princess line in 2000 and in just one year they reached $300 million in sales, after three years their sales reached $2.5 billion (Healy). Thus, Disney has maintained the same image of women as it continues to be popular and generate profit.
Nowadays however, Disney recognise the absurdity of the traditional role in society and in Enchanted Giselle’s character continually pokes fun at this, for instance in the scene that parodies Snow White draws attention to the impracticalities of animals cleaning the house in a satirical manner. Additionally, traditional Giselle is juxtaposed with the modern Nancy which further demonstrates the lack of meaning the protagonists portrayal has in contemporary society. Unusually not all female characters are depicts as weak and passive there is an evident Binary opposition between Giselle and the bus driver. Despite being a woman, the black bus driver stands her ground as 'nobody stabs [her] bus'- her strength and larger frame show that she embodies male characteristics. Therefore, the depiction of women is determined by race and according to Disney white women are inferior and weaker than men.
Furthermore, femininity is represented as an attractive quality and all Disney female protagonists are represented as ‘feminine’- but Amelia (Princess Diaries) is very clumsy and unkempt at the beginning of the film inevitably in the end she becomes ‘feminine’ which leads to her success. The initial message being perpetuated by Princess Diaries is “in our fairy stories, the little girl's first lessons in romance: a kitchen girl, she learns, can only win a prince if she has a comprehensive make-over and some glamorous new clothes" (Leroy 262). Equally, Giselle epitomises femininity and her dainty persona and delicate mannerisms coincide with her girly image. She often bursts into song and her gentle voice even attracts the animals- akin to all mainstream Disney films the catchy theatrical songs in Enchanted are part of the audience interaction, in the scene where Giselle is in New York park she appears to lead the crowds of people to sing; this can be perceived as Giselle being strong with leadership skills and is in control. In terms of uses and gratification theory it perpetuates a personal relationship with the audience. This relationship has intensified with the shift from hand drawn images to computer generated images to the total abandonment of animation in the early 2000’s. Significantly, this change has meant that young audiences consider the Princesses as touchable so aspiring to these princesses is far more attainable. Thus, bringing the patriarchal ideologies that some feel Disney reflect closer to the audience, showing that they are applicable to everyday life and that the passive representation of women is achievable, making it relevant to modern times.
On the other hand, Pixar is another institution with the same audience demographic as Disney but in 2006 they were taken over by Disney. Nevertheless they are responsible for many original classics prior to 2006 such as Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc and Toys Story. It has been suggested that the underlying message is just damaging to children and akin to Disney projects the idea that girls are inferior to boys. Shockingly, to date Pixar cease to produce a film that has a clear female protagonist- often women are placed as sidekicks to their male counterparts. However, it is difficult to claim that Disney films are sexist and Susie Kopecky noted in her article Disney is NOT sexist that:
“All of the highest grossing classic Disney movies are about women, and generally women who are significantly disadvantaged. The women of these stories are clever, and somehow manage to overcome great odds, sometimes with a little help from friends, and often with their own cunning. Therefore Disney is not a suppressive tool for women but it enables them to succeed in society which is said to be the main focus of the films.”
Moving on, the Disney cooperation owns large sector of the media ranging from television channels to magazines which enables their ideologies to dominate critics feel that Disney has a monopoly over children’s lives. In relation to this, Jean Baudrillard compares the Disney co-operations power to “Big Brother” as it has immense control which they misuse and ‘believe[s] that behind the smiling eyes there lurks a cold, ferocious beast fearfully stalking us." Similarly, some people have even compared Disney to a religion by “exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site. Unfortunately another issue related to Disney’s ownership like the majority of the media it is owned by white males and therefore the messages being portrayed are mostly from one groups, painting an incomplete picture of reality. Thus, an inaccurate representation of women is being publicized.
Contrastingly, Disney films are very ethno-centric- Americanism and nationalism is reinforced in the films with America being likened to a promise land. Often this is over-exaggerated clearly proving that they are fantasies which means that Disney openly show that it is unreal. Akin to this, life appears simplistic and the films ignore the complexity of living and naive Giselle find it difficult to comprehend that people are unfriendly and Snow White cannot believe somebody hates. Serious issues such as money struggles are also unaddressed in Enchanted (2007) characters purchase objects without considering the cost. Lastly, the stories are usually about talking animal and fictional character (fairies, angels etc) and consequently it could be inferred that the representation of women is obviously far removed and inaccurate as the films are purely fantasies.
Similar to Enchanted (2007) Princess Diaries (2001) also uses real life as an alternative to animation. Amelia is depicted as weak in the scene where she is helplessly crying in the rain. She appears to be a damsel in distress that needs rescuing and in the end she is saved by Joseph; which means women are reliant on men. But Amelia does embody intellectual strength as she is an activist for Greenpeace and fights for her rights. Arguably, unlike Giselle Amelia appears to be extremely authoritative and take control of the situation she is in. At first Amelia is reluctant to be a princess so she is unwilling to participate in Royal training. Her tenacity and persistence highlights her strength. Giselle on the other hand appears to be helpless and is disjointed with the reality of the world. Although Amelia appears to be innocent, as she is a victim of bullying, Giselle is portrayed as simply minded.
Ella Enchanted (2004) and Penelope (2006) are non-Disney production however they convey similar if not, the same, messages. In Ella Enchanted (2004) the submissive Ella is so weak that a spell is put upon her making her obedient ‘which is a curse because she do everything she is asked even if it is bad’. This reinforces the passive nature of women but her love for the Prince breaks the spell, reemphasising the notion that conquers all. Penelope (2006) also puts forward the idea that beauty equals success and the curse that meant she had a pig-nose means she became housebound. Nonetheless, when she faces the public everybody is extremely accepting of her deformity and Max falls in love with her personality, but disappointed she becomes conventionally beautiful. Both have powerful messages and both Ella and Penelope break the curse but only with the help of their male counterparts.
Conventionally, in every mainstream Disney film the narratives are driven by love but it is usually on the man’s terms, meaning he chooses his ideal princess that he must fight through obstacles in order to win his prize. Cinderella is a prime example of this and the Prince stops at no length to find the one he wants, his ‘prize’. However, despite vaguely exploring love in Pixar films it is not significant to the narrative and is often based on equal love. In relation to Prop, Disney follows the traditional characters and Enchanted corresponds to this: Robert is the Proppian hero who rescues Giselle the Proppian princess from the Proppian witch Queen Narissa and the false hero Prince Edward- their pure love overrides evil. Yet the Proppian father is not prevalent which could be indicative of the modern twist. Unfortunately, this constant promotion of heterosexual ideology ignores contemporary diversity such as homosexuality but also the idea that not all women desire to be loved, implicitly proving that the portrayal of love and women is outdated.
However, it can be argued that Enchanted does explore the complexities of love and relationships. Giselle is torn between Prince Edward and Robert but Robert is confused about whether he should pursue a relationship with Giselle or Nancy. It is a realistic portrayal of the difficulty of love; they both have to decide if they should follow their hearts or their heads. After love comes marriage which results in the characters living ‘happily ever after’ in Disney films. Unlike Disney films DreamWorks Shrek highlights the difficulties of marriage such as child rearing and arguments; and unconventionally it does not depict marriage in a blissful light. Ultimately, though marriage is shown to best solution in many films appealing to young children. Thus teaching naive children the very conservative message that marriage is the ideal life choice, yet according to the Office of National Statistics, the number of weddings in England and Wales in 2006 was 236,980, the lowest figure since 1895, proving that marriage does not hold significance anymore. Enchanted unlike its predecessors does portray other relationship, for example Nancy and Robert’s co-habiting relationship and the reconstituted family with Giselle, Robert and Morgan. This exemplifies that Disney has adapted it’s ideologies in order to fit in with the times. In spite of this, the crucial sense is the final wedding scene Nancy and Edward return to the animation world Andalasia just before they are about to kiss to at the wedding her mobile phone rings but she throws it away- a shift from modernity to tradition values. Nevertheless, Giselle and Roberts wedding is a mixture of a traditional wedding with animals helping her but it has a modern twist. Both weddings are related to modern society because most women have a combination of old-fashioned and modern values.
In conclusion, Disney definitely portrays women as the physically weaker sex but mentally their strength enables to confront all the challenges they face. Nevertheless Disney recognises that the notion of Princesses and “happily ever afters” is one that is popular amongst young children and as a business it is in their interest to make a profit. However, Disney’s message that women are incomplete without men is echoed throughout the media and in future Disney should incorporate different types of females rather than typecasting them. Therefore this create a realistic more up to date representation of women as Disney is becoming outdated in the way females are perceived.
Drastic alterations in women’s positions have taken place over the last fifty years which have also been projected in the media. The traditional domestic Goddess as been replaced by a sexy independent type of female- with laws on censorship becoming lenient the female semi- nude and nude body has been plastered across the media, making women far more sexualised. However, Disney has remained conventional in its portrayal of women often liken them to children, with an aura of innocence. Moreover, females continue to be portrayed as damsels in distress yearning to be rescued by her prince despite historical events attempting to emancipate women from patriarchal stereotypes, for instance the suffragette movement. According to some feminists the media creates female roles and justifies them through the way these positions are glamorised. Women then feel that it is their duty to conform to these roles rather than a natural instinct but because these roles are so often reinforced by the media women believe it is a natural way to behave without questioning it. 'A woman is made, not born' (Simone De Beauvoir) therefore women are made to feel they have a certain role but in reality women can behave as they wish. In continuation, Enchanted (2007) also enforces the old cliché of the tradition motherly nurturing position, akin to her predecessor Giselle embraces it. Thus women are moulded to fit in with patriarchal ideology and serve men’s needs.
First and foremost, the early 1940’s and 1950’s was a definitive period of history for women events such as World War II triggered an immense change in their societal positions. This change meant it became socially acceptable for women to take on traditional ‘male’ roles which empowered them. Similarly, Disney has adapted the films to incorporate these changes but despite being apparent they are extremely subtle, for instance Snow White (1937) appears to be housebound whereas Giselle (the protagonist) in Enchanted is portrayed as being far more liberated, yet she voluntarily decides to be a dutiful housewife. Clearly, it may be argued that Disney is implicitly suggesting that a woman’s desire is to be a housewife. Additional changes include recognition and awareness of the dark side of the family and relationships that were once considered social taboos i.e. domestic violence and neglect. This change in attitudes is demonstrated in Disney films; Beauty and the Beast (1991) directly highlights the physical and mental abuse that Belle endures from the beast. Yet, critics argue that disturbingly despite the violence she suffers Belle stills sees his rage as merely a bad temper without addressing the seriousness of his violence, suggesting that domestic violence is acceptable as a tame ‘prince’ lay behind the monster.
Correspondingly, the media alongside with religion, the family, education and healthcare are considered important in terms of socialisation but as society is becoming more reliant on technology the media is arguably the most influential agent. However, many accuse the media of reinforcing stereotypes and feminist feel it encourages patriarchy by 'teaching children in particular their appropriate sex roles...It is thought the media perpetuate sex role stereotypes because they reflect dominant social values' (hegemony). Therefore, as the media is largely owned by white males which has remained the same throughout history the portrayal of women has largely remained the same, for example in Disney films Snow white (1937) was the archetypical woman of the 1930’s, demonstrated through her attire and style she wore a dress which was common for everyday women. However, Giselle still wears a dress even when she is fulfilling domestic duties but unlike Snow White (1937) her dresses are overly flamboyant which could be indicative of the satirical nature of the film.
The position of women in the media has also changed dramatic in recent history with the presence of women increasing dramatically. However, even as recent as the 1990’s patriarchy was still prevalent with as many as 89% of television voiceovers for television advertisements were males- probably because males still represented ‘authority’. Similar to this despite the young female target audience the Enchanted (2007) trailer uses a male voiceover. Hence, a deep male voice continues to represent authority and this power is being imposed on young girls. However, Enchanted (2007) is a parody of traditional Disney films so in order to subvert stereotypes of women they need to be illustrated.
Although women are becoming increasingly sexualised and audiences are becoming desensitized to this making it acceptable for women to only serve as ‘eye candy’ but Disney seemingly creates a non-sexual image of women. In contrast to this, it has been argued that in actuality Disney’s flawless outstandingly beautiful female characters exemplify the objectification of women. Therefore women’s only contribution to the narrative is their beauty in Snow White the evil witch’s motive for killing Snow is because she is the “fairest one of all” and her life is spared by the hunter because she is to beautiful to be killed. This suggests that beauty is the key to success and teaches young children to associate ‘ugly’ (usually long noses and warts) with evil this can be harmful message to inflict upon young children. Nonetheless, Disney has maintained the same image of beauty from Snow White to Cinderella to Belle (Beauty and the Beast) to Giselle in Enchanted all of them are large busted, small waists and are curvaceous but arguably with issues such as anorexia and obesity rapidly increasing Disney’s image of women is irrelevant. Yet, Haralambos and Holborn (2004) believe that the representation of women remaining the same is inevitable and will never disappear because old programmes are recycled on satellite and cable.
A simple maiden transformed into Princesses is assumed to be “every girls dream” according to Disney films. Cinderella was miserable and discontent with her life until she had a make-over and married the rich prince. Women appear to be materialistic and strive for affluent lifestyle. Through the hypodermic needle model children the idea of consumerism is being injected into children, in particular girls. In addition to this, girls are taught that through marriage they can gain status and Enchanted indirectly tackles social status but opposes the traditional narrative because Giselle comes from a rich background, looking down on Robert saying ‘you’re not my prince’ to end up in a middle-class environment. As young girls are begin exposed to this money- orientated lifestyle they want to purchase the merchandise that Disney sells. On the contrary some observers believe children can challenge texts and realise that women are stronger mentally. Overall, the increase in celebrity culture with people like Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham becoming more prominent in the media the correlation between females and consumerism is arguably present.
Moreover, Disneyfication is a term coined by critics in reference to the way folktales/ stories are neutralised by Disney in order to be deemed suitable for family viewing. In contradiction to this, many believe that Disney’s adaptations of the traditional tales are harmful as it seems that Disney “capitalizes on the worst part of fairytales” (Maria Tatar). Comparably, Prince charming never did kiss Snow White to wake her, the Beast was neither angry nor violent and Mulan never fell in love with her general in the original stories. Therefore suggesting that Disney’s interpretation of the stories has portrayed women as being damsels in distress and teaches young audiences that males are superior, implying that Disney has an overall sexist agenda. In spite of this, akin to any business Disney is mainly concerned with profits and their interpretations of stories creates large profits- since opening their princess line in 2000 and in just one year they reached $300 million in sales, after three years their sales reached $2.5 billion (Healy). Thus, Disney has maintained the same image of women as it continues to be popular and generate profit.
Nowadays however, Disney recognise the absurdity of the traditional role in society and in Enchanted Giselle’s character continually pokes fun at this, for instance in the scene that parodies Snow White draws attention to the impracticalities of animals cleaning the house in a satirical manner. Additionally, traditional Giselle is juxtaposed with the modern Nancy which further demonstrates the lack of meaning the protagonists portrayal has in contemporary society. Unusually not all female characters are depicts as weak and passive there is an evident Binary opposition between Giselle and the bus driver. Despite being a woman, the black bus driver stands her ground as 'nobody stabs [her] bus'- her strength and larger frame show that she embodies male characteristics. Therefore, the depiction of women is determined by race and according to Disney white women are inferior and weaker than men.
Furthermore, femininity is represented as an attractive quality and all Disney female protagonists are represented as ‘feminine’- but Amelia (Princess Diaries) is very clumsy and unkempt at the beginning of the film inevitably in the end she becomes ‘feminine’ which leads to her success. The initial message being perpetuated by Princess Diaries is “in our fairy stories, the little girl's first lessons in romance: a kitchen girl, she learns, can only win a prince if she has a comprehensive make-over and some glamorous new clothes" (Leroy 262). Equally, Giselle epitomises femininity and her dainty persona and delicate mannerisms coincide with her girly image. She often bursts into song and her gentle voice even attracts the animals- akin to all mainstream Disney films the catchy theatrical songs in Enchanted are part of the audience interaction, in the scene where Giselle is in New York park she appears to lead the crowds of people to sing; this can be perceived as Giselle being strong with leadership skills and is in control. In terms of uses and gratification theory it perpetuates a personal relationship with the audience. This relationship has intensified with the shift from hand drawn images to computer generated images to the total abandonment of animation in the early 2000’s. Significantly, this change has meant that young audiences consider the Princesses as touchable so aspiring to these princesses is far more attainable. Thus, bringing the patriarchal ideologies that some feel Disney reflect closer to the audience, showing that they are applicable to everyday life and that the passive representation of women is achievable, making it relevant to modern times.
On the other hand, Pixar is another institution with the same audience demographic as Disney but in 2006 they were taken over by Disney. Nevertheless they are responsible for many original classics prior to 2006 such as Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc and Toys Story. It has been suggested that the underlying message is just damaging to children and akin to Disney projects the idea that girls are inferior to boys. Shockingly, to date Pixar cease to produce a film that has a clear female protagonist- often women are placed as sidekicks to their male counterparts. However, it is difficult to claim that Disney films are sexist and Susie Kopecky noted in her article Disney is NOT sexist that:
“All of the highest grossing classic Disney movies are about women, and generally women who are significantly disadvantaged. The women of these stories are clever, and somehow manage to overcome great odds, sometimes with a little help from friends, and often with their own cunning. Therefore Disney is not a suppressive tool for women but it enables them to succeed in society which is said to be the main focus of the films.”
Moving on, the Disney cooperation owns large sector of the media ranging from television channels to magazines which enables their ideologies to dominate critics feel that Disney has a monopoly over children’s lives. In relation to this, Jean Baudrillard compares the Disney co-operations power to “Big Brother” as it has immense control which they misuse and ‘believe[s] that behind the smiling eyes there lurks a cold, ferocious beast fearfully stalking us." Similarly, some people have even compared Disney to a religion by “exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site. Unfortunately another issue related to Disney’s ownership like the majority of the media it is owned by white males and therefore the messages being portrayed are mostly from one groups, painting an incomplete picture of reality. Thus, an inaccurate representation of women is being publicized.
Contrastingly, Disney films are very ethno-centric- Americanism and nationalism is reinforced in the films with America being likened to a promise land. Often this is over-exaggerated clearly proving that they are fantasies which means that Disney openly show that it is unreal. Akin to this, life appears simplistic and the films ignore the complexity of living and naive Giselle find it difficult to comprehend that people are unfriendly and Snow White cannot believe somebody hates. Serious issues such as money struggles are also unaddressed in Enchanted (2007) characters purchase objects without considering the cost. Lastly, the stories are usually about talking animal and fictional character (fairies, angels etc) and consequently it could be inferred that the representation of women is obviously far removed and inaccurate as the films are purely fantasies.
Similar to Enchanted (2007) Princess Diaries (2001) also uses real life as an alternative to animation. Amelia is depicted as weak in the scene where she is helplessly crying in the rain. She appears to be a damsel in distress that needs rescuing and in the end she is saved by Joseph; which means women are reliant on men. But Amelia does embody intellectual strength as she is an activist for Greenpeace and fights for her rights. Arguably, unlike Giselle Amelia appears to be extremely authoritative and take control of the situation she is in. At first Amelia is reluctant to be a princess so she is unwilling to participate in Royal training. Her tenacity and persistence highlights her strength. Giselle on the other hand appears to be helpless and is disjointed with the reality of the world. Although Amelia appears to be innocent, as she is a victim of bullying, Giselle is portrayed as simply minded.
Ella Enchanted (2004) and Penelope (2006) are non-Disney production however they convey similar if not, the same, messages. In Ella Enchanted (2004) the submissive Ella is so weak that a spell is put upon her making her obedient ‘which is a curse because she do everything she is asked even if it is bad’. This reinforces the passive nature of women but her love for the Prince breaks the spell, reemphasising the notion that conquers all. Penelope (2006) also puts forward the idea that beauty equals success and the curse that meant she had a pig-nose means she became housebound. Nonetheless, when she faces the public everybody is extremely accepting of her deformity and Max falls in love with her personality, but disappointed she becomes conventionally beautiful. Both have powerful messages and both Ella and Penelope break the curse but only with the help of their male counterparts.
Conventionally, in every mainstream Disney film the narratives are driven by love but it is usually on the man’s terms, meaning he chooses his ideal princess that he must fight through obstacles in order to win his prize. Cinderella is a prime example of this and the Prince stops at no length to find the one he wants, his ‘prize’. However, despite vaguely exploring love in Pixar films it is not significant to the narrative and is often based on equal love. In relation to Prop, Disney follows the traditional characters and Enchanted corresponds to this: Robert is the Proppian hero who rescues Giselle the Proppian princess from the Proppian witch Queen Narissa and the false hero Prince Edward- their pure love overrides evil. Yet the Proppian father is not prevalent which could be indicative of the modern twist. Unfortunately, this constant promotion of heterosexual ideology ignores contemporary diversity such as homosexuality but also the idea that not all women desire to be loved, implicitly proving that the portrayal of love and women is outdated.
However, it can be argued that Enchanted does explore the complexities of love and relationships. Giselle is torn between Prince Edward and Robert but Robert is confused about whether he should pursue a relationship with Giselle or Nancy. It is a realistic portrayal of the difficulty of love; they both have to decide if they should follow their hearts or their heads. After love comes marriage which results in the characters living ‘happily ever after’ in Disney films. Unlike Disney films DreamWorks Shrek highlights the difficulties of marriage such as child rearing and arguments; and unconventionally it does not depict marriage in a blissful light. Ultimately, though marriage is shown to best solution in many films appealing to young children. Thus teaching naive children the very conservative message that marriage is the ideal life choice, yet according to the Office of National Statistics, the number of weddings in England and Wales in 2006 was 236,980, the lowest figure since 1895, proving that marriage does not hold significance anymore. Enchanted unlike its predecessors does portray other relationship, for example Nancy and Robert’s co-habiting relationship and the reconstituted family with Giselle, Robert and Morgan. This exemplifies that Disney has adapted it’s ideologies in order to fit in with the times. In spite of this, the crucial sense is the final wedding scene Nancy and Edward return to the animation world Andalasia just before they are about to kiss to at the wedding her mobile phone rings but she throws it away- a shift from modernity to tradition values. Nevertheless, Giselle and Roberts wedding is a mixture of a traditional wedding with animals helping her but it has a modern twist. Both weddings are related to modern society because most women have a combination of old-fashioned and modern values.
In conclusion, Disney definitely portrays women as the physically weaker sex but mentally their strength enables to confront all the challenges they face. Nevertheless Disney recognises that the notion of Princesses and “happily ever afters” is one that is popular amongst young children and as a business it is in their interest to make a profit. However, Disney’s message that women are incomplete without men is echoed throughout the media and in future Disney should incorporate different types of females rather than typecasting them. Therefore this create a realistic more up to date representation of women as Disney is becoming outdated in the way females are perceived.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Historical context
Snow White depicts the life of a young girl who runs away from her evil stepmother and finds refuge in a small cottage where she meets seven dwarfs that will do anything in their power to rescue here from danger. Unfortunately Snow falls into the wicked trap set up by her stepmother and eats the tainted apple only to be rescued by her princess.
Snow white very much represented as the archetypical woman of the 1930s- demonstrated through her attire. She is wearing a dress which was common for everyday women and unlike Giselle is not glamorised but appealed to normal women at the time. This film was created before the Second World War therefore the change in the definition of femininity was completely different. Despite the Dwarfs being physically impaired it is they who rescue snow white, proving that a women will always need a man to save her even if she is physically more able.
Monday, 5 January 2009
Essay plan
Title
To what extent does 'Enchanted' problematise the stereotypical representation of women in Disney films?
Hypothesis
Despite the alteration of female roles in society, Walt Disney films have remained conventional in the representation of women. The idea of a damsel in distress is prevalent in ‘Enchanted’; Disney films depict women as passive.
My independent study focuses on the representation of women in Disney films; however Enchanted (2007) is my main text of reference because it highlights that despite the alterations in female positions- mostly triggered by Feminist movement- Disney constantly project women as merely searching for her prince charming and once rescued she depends on him for support financially and emotionally. The protagonist, Giselle, is an archetypal Disney female character and similar to her predecessors is in search for ‘the one’, but it results in Giselle choosing Edward instead. This element of choice is vital as it make the film more relevant because many films now portray the notion ‘of being stuck between two lovers’, yet Disney continues to suggest that women need a man and ignore modern concepts such as homosexuality and female independence. Disney remains traditional but raises the question: has the role of women altered that much? Or has their role just become modernised i.e. they have careers in addition to taking care of domestic duties? Regardless if the representation of women in Disney films is outdated it is exposed to children on such a grand scale that they emulate the gender stereotypes and from a young age children are begin taught that it is a true reflection of society.
Important texts in relation to my research are Snow White and the seven dwarfs (1937), Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Cinderella (1950) as they are regularly eluded in the film and are relate to Enchanted (2007) in terms of historical context. Toys story (1995) and Ratatouille (2006) are also topical as they enable me to compare the representation of women across the animation spectrum. Lastly Princess Diaries (2001) is also a Disney film evolving around a real life (as oppose to animated) princess, therefore it encompasses similar ideologies meaning a new Disney parody genre has arisen but the underlying message remains the same.
Introduction paragraph: Drastic alterations in women positions have taken place over the last fifty years. However as censorship has decreased women’s nude body have been thrust in the media, seemingly women are being objectified. The traditional domestic Goddess as been replaced by a sexy independent type of female; yet Disney has remained conventional in its portrayal of women often liken them to children, with an ore of innocence. Moreover, females continue to be portrayed as damsels in distress yearning to be rescued by her prince despite historical events attempting to emancipate women from patriarchal stereotypes, for instance the suffragette movement.
The change in women’s positions:
•Feminist movement- it occurred whilst Disney was at its peak, fighting for women’s rights in society. Nevertheless, despite feminist progression Disney continue to have a major influence over children and yet perpetuate the same female stereotypes.
•Divorce- both men and women are now allowed to get divorced this has given women far more freedom and in contrast to housebound snow white Giselle appears to have far more liberation, yet she voluntarily decides to be a dutiful housewife.
•WWII- women had to take on male jobs which lead to them acquire more manual skills and the perception of femininity changed, it become social acceptable for women to smoke.
•Change in social attitude- the dark-side of the family is no longer a social taboo; issues such as domestic violence and neglect are openly acknowledged in society. Yet disturbingly the beast in beauty in the beast physically and mentally abuses Belle but she sees his rage as merely a bad temper without addressing the seriousness of his violence. It is simply suggesting that domestic violence is acceptable and encouraging girl to stay with violent partner because inside the monster is a ‘prince’.
•Binary opposition- contradiction between modern working Nancy - knowledgeable, wise whereas traditional Giselle is extremely naive, air-headed with a sense of innocence- but both of them strive for marriage.
The change in female representation in the media:
•Censorship- over the year’s censorship has been less restrictive so women’s nude bodies are legally allowed to be displayed. Therefore women are becoming more sexualized. Although women are not presented as overly sexualized objects they are merely for the males gratification and are expected to look immaculate for their partners; women are simply ‘eye candy’.
•Haralambos and Holborn (2004) suggest that the representation of women has remained the same and these portrayals will never disappear because old programmes are recycled on satellite and cable.
•Mulvey’s male gaze- the theory suggests that audiences are forced to view texts from the perspective a heterosexual male, films constantly focus on women’s curves and events that happen to them are portrayed at a male angle.
•This opposes Mulvey’s theory and has implied that certain texts can be seen through the females gaze rather than the males. Gamman and Marshment feel that patriarch can be challenged sometimes and a female gaze can be possible. They describe the media 'as a site where meanings are contested and dominant ideologies can be disturbed’. Therefore, it is not necessarily true that all media are created through the male gaze
•In the 1990’s 89% of television voiceovers for television advertisements were males- probably because males represented ‘authority’. However, it clearly shows that patriarchy is covertly still existent as women are simply ignores.
Disney’s changes to origin stories
•Maria Tatar, Harvard folklorist, also sees harm in the movies since “[Disney] capitalizes on the worst part of fairytales”.
•Prince charming did not kiss Snow White to wake her. Ariel never really loved Eric. The Beast was not angry and violent. Mulan never fell in love with her general. At least not in the original versions of the stories; all these changes were added by Disney to make a more interesting movie, or to forward a sexist agenda- Ali Wachutka
•Disneyfication is a term used by critics of the Disney style to describe the way in which a story is sanitised by the removal of controversial sexual, morally ambivalent, or violence content in order to make it suitable for family viewing. Disneyfication also involves the neutralising of cultural differences and variations, either through the creation of safe ethnic stereotypes or their elimination from the narrative. For example Pocahontas (Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg, 1995), a pro-colonial; narrative with stereotyped ethnicity and patriarchal values. The genocidal behaviour of early white settlers in their conduct towards Native Americans is conveniently sanitised.
Representation of women early Disney films compared to current Disney films
•Explore the move from simple 2-D (two-dimensional) animation to realistic 3-D animation and/or real life non-animation i.e. from Cinderella to Princess Diaries- Relevance to female’s i.e. curvaceous animations. This is significant as the women are now touchable/ realistic so girls feel that aspiring to these princesses is far more attainable.
Love and marriage
•Love is a concept that is explored in every mainstream Disney film and is presented as an emotion that is the root of all happiness. However, love is usually on the man’s terms meaning he chooses his ideal princess that he must fight through obstacles (usually a wicked witch) to win his prize (corresponding to Proppian character).
•Love is also considered the solution to a difficult problem and a woman’s ultimate desire is to be wanted and loved by a man (heterosexual ideology).
•After finding the ‘perfect’ the all get married and ‘live happily ever after’ in Disney films. However unlike Disney films Dreamworks Sherk explores the difficulties of marriage such as child rearing and arguments; and unconventionally it does not depict marriage in a blissful light. Ultimately marriage is the best solution in films appealing to young children. Thus, teaching naive children marriage it is the ideal life choice.
Gender stereotypes
•Males are portrayed as the superior sex in comparison to their weak dependent female counterparts. Clearly there are segregated gender roles- women are housewives and the males are the breadwinners.
•Disney still portrays women as the weaker sex although over time female Disney characters rebel against male authoritative figures in the end they succumb to their commands. Females are often large busted, small waisted curvaceous, white with long waist length hair and these stereotypical images have been prevalent in early Disney films.
•But Wilmott and Young feel that domestic duties are becoming symmetrical and an increase in domestic equality.
•'The media act as socialization agents...teaching children in particular their appropriate sex roles...It is thought the media perpetuate sex role stereotypes because they reflect dominant social values” Van Zoonen, quoted in D. Strinati, An Introduction to the Theories of Popular Culture.
•'A woman is made, not born' (Simone De Beauvoir) - women are socialised to conform to societies expectations of how they should behave.
Comparing Pixar and Disney’s representation of women
•Pixar are responsible for producing many original fun family films such as Finding Nemo, Ratatouille and Toys story. However, it has been suggested that the ultimate message has damaging message on children and akin to Disney projects the harmful message that girls are inferior to boys. Shockingly, to date Pixar cease to produce a film that has a clear female protagonist- often women are placed as sidekicks to their male counterparts.
•All of the classic Disney movies that we all grew up on, like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, are character-driven stories. And more than that, they are uniquely female character-driven.
•All of the highest grossing classic Disney movies are about women, and generally women who are significantly disadvantaged. The women of these stories are clever, and somehow manage to overcome great odds, sometimes with a little help from friends, and often with their own cunning. Therefore Disney is not a suppressive tool for women but it enables them to succeed in society which is said to be the main focus of the films.
Disney’s power- large scale
•Children cannot escape Disney’s influence (especially in America) as Disney cooperation owns a large sector of the media, ranging from television channels to magazines. Therefore the only messages being shown to children are from an old white male’s perspective which is the reason Disney film paint an incomplete picture of reality.
•Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the corporation of "exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site.
Disney controversy (Racism, subliminal messages)
•According to the documentary Mickey Mouse Monopoly racism is also prevalent in Disney films with racial generalisations being put forward in them. It is disguised through the use of animal characters such as the cats in Lady and the Tramp as they embody characteristics associated with Chinese people like slanted eyes. Yet it is so careful constructed that often it goes unnoticed, subtle racial stereotypes empower the white man like Tarzan who is the white heroic saviour whereas ethnic minorities are portrayed as strange or unpleasant. Automatically children learn that non-white citizens are corrupt individuals which is an outdated perception as it embraces the white saviours.
•Artist Joe Grant, who is also Jewish, agrees. "Walt was not anti-Semitic," Grant told an interviewer. "Some of the most influential people at the studio were Jewish.
•Floyd Norman, an African-American story artist, also rejects the racism accusation. “Personally, I never felt any prejudice from Walt."
•It can be argued that subconsciously Disney is corrupting children and teaching them incorrect values. Critics of Disney believe that the films encourage the ideology of patriarchy as women are depicted as dependant on their male love interest.
Conclusion- summarise key points, refer to question (does Enchanted (2007) portray women in the same light as previous Disney films) - conclude how true this statement is.
Bibliography:
Daily Telegraph: Bishops deliver damning verdict on Britain under Labour rule, 28th December 2008.
Giroux, Henry A (2001): The mouse that roared Disney and the End of Innocence
To what extent does 'Enchanted' problematise the stereotypical representation of women in Disney films?
Hypothesis
Despite the alteration of female roles in society, Walt Disney films have remained conventional in the representation of women. The idea of a damsel in distress is prevalent in ‘Enchanted’; Disney films depict women as passive.
My independent study focuses on the representation of women in Disney films; however Enchanted (2007) is my main text of reference because it highlights that despite the alterations in female positions- mostly triggered by Feminist movement- Disney constantly project women as merely searching for her prince charming and once rescued she depends on him for support financially and emotionally. The protagonist, Giselle, is an archetypal Disney female character and similar to her predecessors is in search for ‘the one’, but it results in Giselle choosing Edward instead. This element of choice is vital as it make the film more relevant because many films now portray the notion ‘of being stuck between two lovers’, yet Disney continues to suggest that women need a man and ignore modern concepts such as homosexuality and female independence. Disney remains traditional but raises the question: has the role of women altered that much? Or has their role just become modernised i.e. they have careers in addition to taking care of domestic duties? Regardless if the representation of women in Disney films is outdated it is exposed to children on such a grand scale that they emulate the gender stereotypes and from a young age children are begin taught that it is a true reflection of society.
Important texts in relation to my research are Snow White and the seven dwarfs (1937), Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Cinderella (1950) as they are regularly eluded in the film and are relate to Enchanted (2007) in terms of historical context. Toys story (1995) and Ratatouille (2006) are also topical as they enable me to compare the representation of women across the animation spectrum. Lastly Princess Diaries (2001) is also a Disney film evolving around a real life (as oppose to animated) princess, therefore it encompasses similar ideologies meaning a new Disney parody genre has arisen but the underlying message remains the same.
Introduction paragraph: Drastic alterations in women positions have taken place over the last fifty years. However as censorship has decreased women’s nude body have been thrust in the media, seemingly women are being objectified. The traditional domestic Goddess as been replaced by a sexy independent type of female; yet Disney has remained conventional in its portrayal of women often liken them to children, with an ore of innocence. Moreover, females continue to be portrayed as damsels in distress yearning to be rescued by her prince despite historical events attempting to emancipate women from patriarchal stereotypes, for instance the suffragette movement.
The change in women’s positions:
•Feminist movement- it occurred whilst Disney was at its peak, fighting for women’s rights in society. Nevertheless, despite feminist progression Disney continue to have a major influence over children and yet perpetuate the same female stereotypes.
•Divorce- both men and women are now allowed to get divorced this has given women far more freedom and in contrast to housebound snow white Giselle appears to have far more liberation, yet she voluntarily decides to be a dutiful housewife.
•WWII- women had to take on male jobs which lead to them acquire more manual skills and the perception of femininity changed, it become social acceptable for women to smoke.
•Change in social attitude- the dark-side of the family is no longer a social taboo; issues such as domestic violence and neglect are openly acknowledged in society. Yet disturbingly the beast in beauty in the beast physically and mentally abuses Belle but she sees his rage as merely a bad temper without addressing the seriousness of his violence. It is simply suggesting that domestic violence is acceptable and encouraging girl to stay with violent partner because inside the monster is a ‘prince’.
•Binary opposition- contradiction between modern working Nancy - knowledgeable, wise whereas traditional Giselle is extremely naive, air-headed with a sense of innocence- but both of them strive for marriage.
The change in female representation in the media:
•Censorship- over the year’s censorship has been less restrictive so women’s nude bodies are legally allowed to be displayed. Therefore women are becoming more sexualized. Although women are not presented as overly sexualized objects they are merely for the males gratification and are expected to look immaculate for their partners; women are simply ‘eye candy’.
•Haralambos and Holborn (2004) suggest that the representation of women has remained the same and these portrayals will never disappear because old programmes are recycled on satellite and cable.
•Mulvey’s male gaze- the theory suggests that audiences are forced to view texts from the perspective a heterosexual male, films constantly focus on women’s curves and events that happen to them are portrayed at a male angle.
•This opposes Mulvey’s theory and has implied that certain texts can be seen through the females gaze rather than the males. Gamman and Marshment feel that patriarch can be challenged sometimes and a female gaze can be possible. They describe the media 'as a site where meanings are contested and dominant ideologies can be disturbed’. Therefore, it is not necessarily true that all media are created through the male gaze
•In the 1990’s 89% of television voiceovers for television advertisements were males- probably because males represented ‘authority’. However, it clearly shows that patriarchy is covertly still existent as women are simply ignores.
Disney’s changes to origin stories
•Maria Tatar, Harvard folklorist, also sees harm in the movies since “[Disney] capitalizes on the worst part of fairytales”.
•Prince charming did not kiss Snow White to wake her. Ariel never really loved Eric. The Beast was not angry and violent. Mulan never fell in love with her general. At least not in the original versions of the stories; all these changes were added by Disney to make a more interesting movie, or to forward a sexist agenda- Ali Wachutka
•Disneyfication is a term used by critics of the Disney style to describe the way in which a story is sanitised by the removal of controversial sexual, morally ambivalent, or violence content in order to make it suitable for family viewing. Disneyfication also involves the neutralising of cultural differences and variations, either through the creation of safe ethnic stereotypes or their elimination from the narrative. For example Pocahontas (Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg, 1995), a pro-colonial; narrative with stereotyped ethnicity and patriarchal values. The genocidal behaviour of early white settlers in their conduct towards Native Americans is conveniently sanitised.
Representation of women early Disney films compared to current Disney films
•Explore the move from simple 2-D (two-dimensional) animation to realistic 3-D animation and/or real life non-animation i.e. from Cinderella to Princess Diaries- Relevance to female’s i.e. curvaceous animations. This is significant as the women are now touchable/ realistic so girls feel that aspiring to these princesses is far more attainable.
Love and marriage
•Love is a concept that is explored in every mainstream Disney film and is presented as an emotion that is the root of all happiness. However, love is usually on the man’s terms meaning he chooses his ideal princess that he must fight through obstacles (usually a wicked witch) to win his prize (corresponding to Proppian character).
•Love is also considered the solution to a difficult problem and a woman’s ultimate desire is to be wanted and loved by a man (heterosexual ideology).
•After finding the ‘perfect’ the all get married and ‘live happily ever after’ in Disney films. However unlike Disney films Dreamworks Sherk explores the difficulties of marriage such as child rearing and arguments; and unconventionally it does not depict marriage in a blissful light. Ultimately marriage is the best solution in films appealing to young children. Thus, teaching naive children marriage it is the ideal life choice.
Gender stereotypes
•Males are portrayed as the superior sex in comparison to their weak dependent female counterparts. Clearly there are segregated gender roles- women are housewives and the males are the breadwinners.
•Disney still portrays women as the weaker sex although over time female Disney characters rebel against male authoritative figures in the end they succumb to their commands. Females are often large busted, small waisted curvaceous, white with long waist length hair and these stereotypical images have been prevalent in early Disney films.
•But Wilmott and Young feel that domestic duties are becoming symmetrical and an increase in domestic equality.
•'The media act as socialization agents...teaching children in particular their appropriate sex roles...It is thought the media perpetuate sex role stereotypes because they reflect dominant social values” Van Zoonen, quoted in D. Strinati, An Introduction to the Theories of Popular Culture.
•'A woman is made, not born' (Simone De Beauvoir) - women are socialised to conform to societies expectations of how they should behave.
Comparing Pixar and Disney’s representation of women
•Pixar are responsible for producing many original fun family films such as Finding Nemo, Ratatouille and Toys story. However, it has been suggested that the ultimate message has damaging message on children and akin to Disney projects the harmful message that girls are inferior to boys. Shockingly, to date Pixar cease to produce a film that has a clear female protagonist- often women are placed as sidekicks to their male counterparts.
•All of the classic Disney movies that we all grew up on, like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, are character-driven stories. And more than that, they are uniquely female character-driven.
•All of the highest grossing classic Disney movies are about women, and generally women who are significantly disadvantaged. The women of these stories are clever, and somehow manage to overcome great odds, sometimes with a little help from friends, and often with their own cunning. Therefore Disney is not a suppressive tool for women but it enables them to succeed in society which is said to be the main focus of the films.
Disney’s power- large scale
•Children cannot escape Disney’s influence (especially in America) as Disney cooperation owns a large sector of the media, ranging from television channels to magazines. Therefore the only messages being shown to children are from an old white male’s perspective which is the reason Disney film paint an incomplete picture of reality.
•Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth in West Sussex, has accused the corporation of "exploiting spirituality" to sell its products and of turning Disneyland into a modern day pilgrimage site.
Disney controversy (Racism, subliminal messages)
•According to the documentary Mickey Mouse Monopoly racism is also prevalent in Disney films with racial generalisations being put forward in them. It is disguised through the use of animal characters such as the cats in Lady and the Tramp as they embody characteristics associated with Chinese people like slanted eyes. Yet it is so careful constructed that often it goes unnoticed, subtle racial stereotypes empower the white man like Tarzan who is the white heroic saviour whereas ethnic minorities are portrayed as strange or unpleasant. Automatically children learn that non-white citizens are corrupt individuals which is an outdated perception as it embraces the white saviours.
•Artist Joe Grant, who is also Jewish, agrees. "Walt was not anti-Semitic," Grant told an interviewer. "Some of the most influential people at the studio were Jewish.
•Floyd Norman, an African-American story artist, also rejects the racism accusation. “Personally, I never felt any prejudice from Walt."
•It can be argued that subconsciously Disney is corrupting children and teaching them incorrect values. Critics of Disney believe that the films encourage the ideology of patriarchy as women are depicted as dependant on their male love interest.
Conclusion- summarise key points, refer to question (does Enchanted (2007) portray women in the same light as previous Disney films) - conclude how true this statement is.
Bibliography:
Daily Telegraph: Bishops deliver damning verdict on Britain under Labour rule, 28th December 2008.
Giroux, Henry A (2001): The mouse that roared Disney and the End of Innocence
Monday, 15 December 2008
subvertising
This subvertisement highlights the way that females are depicted as stupid and Aswariya Rai plays up to the stereotype which is conveyed through her ditzy expression. Typically, the central focus her face which in turn ignores her intellegence. Therefore she becomes an aspiration for the target audience and she has a large appeal because of cultural background.
However, this advert demonstrates the different way men andwomen think and the image further illustrates that women are simply sexual objects.
This image positions women as 'eye candy' and her sole purpose is to serve as entertainment for men.
Female directors
Sanaa Hamri
Born in Tangier, Morocco. Sanaa immigrated at the age of 17 to America where she study theatre at the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She is most famous for her music video directing; however in 2005 she began to direct films and series.
She studied theatre at the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Shortly after receiving her degree, Hamri learned that legendary music video cinematographer Malik Sayeed was looking for an assistant to oversee his post-production company, Salaam Inc. . Hamri landed the job at Salaam Inc., where her duties primarily consisted of, as she describes it, “sitting in the office waiting for deliveries and answering phones.” But Hamri, a self-confessed workaholic, explored the machinery - “I had no editing skills when I started--nothing,” she recalls.
Her videos include but are not limited to Jadakiss's "U Make Me Wanna", Prince's "Musicology" and Mariah Carey's "Crybaby", Bringing On The Heartbreak, "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)", and Mariah Carey's unreleased video for "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life."
With a distinguished roster of high-profile artists including Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child, Dr. Dre, Prince, Jay Z and India Arie, Hamri has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with—accomplishing this in just 3 years!
Mariah Carey was so impressed with Hamri’s work that she asked Hamri to direct her “Thank God I Found You” remix, since she has helmed several clips for Carey including her video for “Don’t Stop” featuring Mystikal and her video for “Cry Baby” featuring Snoop Dogg. Hamri also directed Carey’s “Oh Holy Night” clip, a special Christmas video to benefit children in need These projects were soon followed by videos for Bilal featuring Jadakiss “Fast Lane”, Destiny’s Child “8 Days of Christmas” and “Nasty Girl”, Solange “Feelin’ You”, Common featuring Mary J. Blige “Come Close to Me”, Kelly Rowland “Stole”, India.Arie “Little Things”, Heather Headley “He Is” and Jay Z “Song Cry”.
The films and episodes Sanaa directed include:
· The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
· "Men in Trees" (1 episode, 2007) - The Indecent Proposal (2007) TV episode
· "Desperate Housewives" (1 episode, 2007) - No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds (2007) TV episode
· The Adventures of Mimi (2007) (V)
· Something New (2006/I)
· Prince: The Art of Musicology (2004) (TV)
· Prince Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas (2003) (V)
Jamie Babbit
Jamie Babbit was born 16th November 1970, Ohio. She is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She studied West African Studies at Barnard College (graduating in 1993) and began taking film classes at New York University during her summer vacations. Babbit's partner is producer Andrea Sperling[4] with whom she has collaborated on several projects.
After graduating from Barnard in 1993, Babbit's first job was as a production assistant for Martin Scorsese on The Age of Innocence. After that she worked as a production assistant on John Sayles's The Secret of Roan Inish where she worked with fellow aspiring filmmakers Karyn Kusama and Jasmine Kosovic.
She directed the films But I'm a Cheerleader, The Quiet and Itty Bitty Titty Committee. She has also directed episodes of television programs including Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, Nip/Tuck and The L Word. She is involved with film production company POWER UP.
But I'm a Cheerleader
In 1999, Babbit directed her first feature film, But I'm a Cheerleader. Starring Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall, it is a romantic comedy about a high school cheerleader who is sent to a so-called "reparative therapy" camp when her parents suspect she is a lesbian. The film was inspired by an article that Babbit read about a man who had been sent to a similar camp. The camp in the film was partly based on a halfway house for young people with drug and alcohol problems run by her mother. In 2000, the film won the Audience Award and the Graine de Cinéphage Award at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival, an annual French festival which showcases the work of female directors.
The Quiet
Babbit's second film was 2005 thriller film The Quiet. Starring Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle, the plot revolves around a deaf girl who, when sent to live with her godparents, discovers some dark secrets about the family.
Television
Babbit has directed episodes of several television programs including Undressed, Popular, Maybe It's Me, The Bernie Mac Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Miss Match, Nip/Tuck, Gilmore Girls, Alias, Ugly Betty, Dirty Sexy Money and The L Word. She enjoys working in television because it helps her to "keep her skills up". She says that because television directors have less overall responsibility than film directors, she is able to concentrate on working with actors. Television work also enables her to earn money while pursuing her long term goals of making feature films.
POWER UP
Babbit is on the board of directors of non-profit organization and film production company POWER UP. Founded in 2000 by Stacy Codikow and Amy Shomer, POWER UP promotes the visibility of lesbians in entertainment and the media.Two of Babbit's films, Stuck and Itty Bitty Titty Committee were produced by POWER UP. She has also been involved with feminist group Guerrilla Girls and pro-choice groups.
Lucy walker
Lucy Walker (born in London, United Kingdom) is a film director, mostly of theatrical feature documentaries.
Lucy was born in London, United Kingdom, read English Language and Literature at New College, Oxford receiving first-class honors. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the graduate film program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she won a contest to direct a video for Cowboy Junkies, directed three award-winning short films and received an MFA.
Lucy's directing credits include Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues, for which she was twice nominated for Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Directing, and Devil's Playground - Amish Teenagers in the Modern World, a feature-length documentary about the struggles of Amish teenagers during the period of rumspringa. Financed by HBO, Wellspring and Channel 4, Devil's Playground premiered at Sundance Film Festival and went on to many accolades and awards, including winning Sony-AFI digital Best Documentary Award as well as overall Best Film Award, a Special Jury mention at Karlovy-Vary Film Festival, Audience Award at Sarasota International Film Festival, and nominations for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary, and for three Emmys (for Best Documentary, Best Directing, and Best Editing). She was named one of the "Top 25 New Faces In Independent Film" by Filmmaker Magazine.
Films directed by Lucy include:
Devil's Playground (2002) "Blue's Clues" (1996) TV series (unknown episodes, 1998-2001) Blue's Birthday (1998) (V) Samira Makhmalbaf
Samira Makhmalbaf was born February 15, 1977, Tehran and is an internationally acclaimed Iranian (Persian) filmmaker and script writer. She is the daughter of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the film director and writer. Samira Makhmalbaf belongs to New wave movement of Iranian cinema. At the age of 20 Samira studied Psychology and Law at Roehampton University in London.
At the age of seven, she acted in Mohsen Makhmalbaf's film The Bicyclist. She left high school when she was 14, to learn cinema in the Makhmalbaf Film House for 5 years. At the age of 17, after directing two video productions, she went on to direct the movie The Apple. One year later, the 18 year old director went on to become the youngest director in the world participating in the official section of the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. The Apple has been invited to more than 100 international film festivals in a period of two years, while going to the screen in more than 30 countries.
In 1999, Samira made her second feature film, entitled The Blackboard and for the second time participated in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival as the youngest director in the world, in 2000, this time winning the jury prize.
Samira Makhmalbaf has been the winner and nominee of numerous awards; winning a total of 15 awards for her works. Some of her achievements:
“Sutherland Trophy”, London Film Festival 1998, UK.
“International Critics prize”, Locarno Film Festival 1998, Switzerland.
“Jury’s Special prize”, Thessalonica Film Festival 1998, Greece.
“Jury’s Special prize”, São Paulo Film Festival 1998, Brazil.
Filmography
The Apple (Language: Persian)
The Blackboard (Language: Kurdish)
God, Construction and Destruction as part of 11'9''01 September 11 (Language: Persian)
At Five in the Afternoon (Language: Persian)
Two-Legged Horse
Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron (born May 19, 1941) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and blogger.
She is best known for her romantic comedies and is a triple nominee for the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay; for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in Seattle. She sometimes writes with her sister, Delia Ephron.
Ephron was born in New York, New York, eldest of four daughters in a Jewish family and grew up in Beverly Hills; her parents, Henry and Phoebe Ephron, were both East Coast-born and raised screenwriters. Ephron's parents based Sandra Dee's character in the play and then Jimmy Stewart film Take Her, She's Mine on their 22-year-old daughter Nora and her letters to them from college. Ephron graduated from Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California in 1959.
Ephron graduated from Wellesley College and was briefly an intern in the White House of President John F. Kennedy.
Ephron got a job at the New York Post, where she stayed as a reporter for five years, after a satire she wrote lampooning the Post caught the editor's eye. Upon becoming a successful writer, she wrote a column on women's issues for Esquire. In this position, Ephron made a name for herself by taking on subjects as wide-ranging as Dorothy Schiff, her former boss and owner of the Post, Betty Friedan, whom she chastised for pursuing a feud with Gloria Steinem, and her alma mater Wellesley, which she said had turned out a generation of "docile" women. A 1968 send-up of Women's Wear Daily in Cosmopolitan resulted in threats of a lawsuit from WWD.
Some of the films include:
Producer, director, and screenwriter
(1996) Michael
(1998) You've Got Mail
(2005) Bewitched
(2009) Julie & Julia
Director and screenwriter
(1992) This Is My Life
(1993) Sleepless in Seattle
(1994) Mixed Nuts
Producer and screenwriter
(2000) Hanging Up
(1990) My Blue Heaven
Producer and director(2000) Lucky Numbers
The number of female directors can increase if:
· More females take an interest in this forte by exploring media and realising they can achieve these goals
· They are well balanced and manage family life by not letting interfere with their work
· Work with prestigious people or mingle with people who can enhance their skills
Born in Tangier, Morocco. Sanaa immigrated at the age of 17 to America where she study theatre at the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She is most famous for her music video directing; however in 2005 she began to direct films and series.
She studied theatre at the prestigious Sarah Lawrence College in New York. Shortly after receiving her degree, Hamri learned that legendary music video cinematographer Malik Sayeed was looking for an assistant to oversee his post-production company, Salaam Inc. . Hamri landed the job at Salaam Inc., where her duties primarily consisted of, as she describes it, “sitting in the office waiting for deliveries and answering phones.” But Hamri, a self-confessed workaholic, explored the machinery - “I had no editing skills when I started--nothing,” she recalls.
Her videos include but are not limited to Jadakiss's "U Make Me Wanna", Prince's "Musicology" and Mariah Carey's "Crybaby", Bringing On The Heartbreak, "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)", and Mariah Carey's unreleased video for "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life."
With a distinguished roster of high-profile artists including Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child, Dr. Dre, Prince, Jay Z and India Arie, Hamri has proven that she is a force to be reckoned with—accomplishing this in just 3 years!
Mariah Carey was so impressed with Hamri’s work that she asked Hamri to direct her “Thank God I Found You” remix, since she has helmed several clips for Carey including her video for “Don’t Stop” featuring Mystikal and her video for “Cry Baby” featuring Snoop Dogg. Hamri also directed Carey’s “Oh Holy Night” clip, a special Christmas video to benefit children in need These projects were soon followed by videos for Bilal featuring Jadakiss “Fast Lane”, Destiny’s Child “8 Days of Christmas” and “Nasty Girl”, Solange “Feelin’ You”, Common featuring Mary J. Blige “Come Close to Me”, Kelly Rowland “Stole”, India.Arie “Little Things”, Heather Headley “He Is” and Jay Z “Song Cry”.
The films and episodes Sanaa directed include:
· The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
· "Men in Trees" (1 episode, 2007) - The Indecent Proposal (2007) TV episode
· "Desperate Housewives" (1 episode, 2007) - No Fits, No Fights, No Feuds (2007) TV episode
· The Adventures of Mimi (2007) (V)
· Something New (2006/I)
· Prince: The Art of Musicology (2004) (TV)
· Prince Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas (2003) (V)
Jamie Babbit
Jamie Babbit was born 16th November 1970, Ohio. She is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. She studied West African Studies at Barnard College (graduating in 1993) and began taking film classes at New York University during her summer vacations. Babbit's partner is producer Andrea Sperling[4] with whom she has collaborated on several projects.
After graduating from Barnard in 1993, Babbit's first job was as a production assistant for Martin Scorsese on The Age of Innocence. After that she worked as a production assistant on John Sayles's The Secret of Roan Inish where she worked with fellow aspiring filmmakers Karyn Kusama and Jasmine Kosovic.
She directed the films But I'm a Cheerleader, The Quiet and Itty Bitty Titty Committee. She has also directed episodes of television programs including Gilmore Girls, Malcolm in the Middle, Nip/Tuck and The L Word. She is involved with film production company POWER UP.
But I'm a Cheerleader
In 1999, Babbit directed her first feature film, But I'm a Cheerleader. Starring Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall, it is a romantic comedy about a high school cheerleader who is sent to a so-called "reparative therapy" camp when her parents suspect she is a lesbian. The film was inspired by an article that Babbit read about a man who had been sent to a similar camp. The camp in the film was partly based on a halfway house for young people with drug and alcohol problems run by her mother. In 2000, the film won the Audience Award and the Graine de Cinéphage Award at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival, an annual French festival which showcases the work of female directors.
The Quiet
Babbit's second film was 2005 thriller film The Quiet. Starring Elisha Cuthbert and Camilla Belle, the plot revolves around a deaf girl who, when sent to live with her godparents, discovers some dark secrets about the family.
Television
Babbit has directed episodes of several television programs including Undressed, Popular, Maybe It's Me, The Bernie Mac Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Miss Match, Nip/Tuck, Gilmore Girls, Alias, Ugly Betty, Dirty Sexy Money and The L Word. She enjoys working in television because it helps her to "keep her skills up". She says that because television directors have less overall responsibility than film directors, she is able to concentrate on working with actors. Television work also enables her to earn money while pursuing her long term goals of making feature films.
POWER UP
Babbit is on the board of directors of non-profit organization and film production company POWER UP. Founded in 2000 by Stacy Codikow and Amy Shomer, POWER UP promotes the visibility of lesbians in entertainment and the media.Two of Babbit's films, Stuck and Itty Bitty Titty Committee were produced by POWER UP. She has also been involved with feminist group Guerrilla Girls and pro-choice groups.
Lucy walker
Lucy Walker (born in London, United Kingdom) is a film director, mostly of theatrical feature documentaries.
Lucy was born in London, United Kingdom, read English Language and Literature at New College, Oxford receiving first-class honors. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the graduate film program at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she won a contest to direct a video for Cowboy Junkies, directed three award-winning short films and received an MFA.
Lucy's directing credits include Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues, for which she was twice nominated for Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Directing, and Devil's Playground - Amish Teenagers in the Modern World, a feature-length documentary about the struggles of Amish teenagers during the period of rumspringa. Financed by HBO, Wellspring and Channel 4, Devil's Playground premiered at Sundance Film Festival and went on to many accolades and awards, including winning Sony-AFI digital Best Documentary Award as well as overall Best Film Award, a Special Jury mention at Karlovy-Vary Film Festival, Audience Award at Sarasota International Film Festival, and nominations for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary, and for three Emmys (for Best Documentary, Best Directing, and Best Editing). She was named one of the "Top 25 New Faces In Independent Film" by Filmmaker Magazine.
Films directed by Lucy include:
Samira Makhmalbaf was born February 15, 1977, Tehran and is an internationally acclaimed Iranian (Persian) filmmaker and script writer. She is the daughter of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the film director and writer. Samira Makhmalbaf belongs to New wave movement of Iranian cinema. At the age of 20 Samira studied Psychology and Law at Roehampton University in London.
At the age of seven, she acted in Mohsen Makhmalbaf's film The Bicyclist. She left high school when she was 14, to learn cinema in the Makhmalbaf Film House for 5 years. At the age of 17, after directing two video productions, she went on to direct the movie The Apple. One year later, the 18 year old director went on to become the youngest director in the world participating in the official section of the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. The Apple has been invited to more than 100 international film festivals in a period of two years, while going to the screen in more than 30 countries.
In 1999, Samira made her second feature film, entitled The Blackboard and for the second time participated in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival as the youngest director in the world, in 2000, this time winning the jury prize.
Samira Makhmalbaf has been the winner and nominee of numerous awards; winning a total of 15 awards for her works. Some of her achievements:
“Sutherland Trophy”, London Film Festival 1998, UK.
“International Critics prize”, Locarno Film Festival 1998, Switzerland.
“Jury’s Special prize”, Thessalonica Film Festival 1998, Greece.
“Jury’s Special prize”, São Paulo Film Festival 1998, Brazil.
Filmography
The Apple (Language: Persian)
The Blackboard (Language: Kurdish)
God, Construction and Destruction as part of 11'9''01 September 11 (Language: Persian)
At Five in the Afternoon (Language: Persian)
Two-Legged Horse
Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron (born May 19, 1941) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and blogger.
She is best known for her romantic comedies and is a triple nominee for the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay; for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in Seattle. She sometimes writes with her sister, Delia Ephron.
Ephron was born in New York, New York, eldest of four daughters in a Jewish family and grew up in Beverly Hills; her parents, Henry and Phoebe Ephron, were both East Coast-born and raised screenwriters. Ephron's parents based Sandra Dee's character in the play and then Jimmy Stewart film Take Her, She's Mine on their 22-year-old daughter Nora and her letters to them from college. Ephron graduated from Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California in 1959.
Ephron graduated from Wellesley College and was briefly an intern in the White House of President John F. Kennedy.
Ephron got a job at the New York Post, where she stayed as a reporter for five years, after a satire she wrote lampooning the Post caught the editor's eye. Upon becoming a successful writer, she wrote a column on women's issues for Esquire. In this position, Ephron made a name for herself by taking on subjects as wide-ranging as Dorothy Schiff, her former boss and owner of the Post, Betty Friedan, whom she chastised for pursuing a feud with Gloria Steinem, and her alma mater Wellesley, which she said had turned out a generation of "docile" women. A 1968 send-up of Women's Wear Daily in Cosmopolitan resulted in threats of a lawsuit from WWD.
Some of the films include:
Producer, director, and screenwriter
(1996) Michael
(1998) You've Got Mail
(2005) Bewitched
(2009) Julie & Julia
Director and screenwriter
(1992) This Is My Life
(1993) Sleepless in Seattle
(1994) Mixed Nuts
Producer and screenwriter
(2000) Hanging Up
(1990) My Blue Heaven
Producer and director(2000) Lucky Numbers
The number of female directors can increase if:
· More females take an interest in this forte by exploring media and realising they can achieve these goals
· They are well balanced and manage family life by not letting interfere with their work
· Work with prestigious people or mingle with people who can enhance their skills
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