Thinking about the idea discussed in the lecture on Gaze & Media, I couldn't help but notice that the idea of women as ornaments in film while men drive the plot is particularly pertinent to a number of early Disney animations.
Perhaps the epitome of the passive woman is Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, who despite being the eponymous character (she doesn't exactly qualify as a heroine) spends most of the film asleep, and does little to move the plot along. Although more active in their own stories, Snow White and Cinderella are similarly ineffective in defining their own outcomes, each relying on the handsome prince to protect and or rescue them.
Yet Prince Philip himself is hardly a strong male figure, continually being tricked and imprisoned by evil fairy Maleficent, and guided in his quest by the three good fairies. Without the help and assistance it is uncertain whether he'd be successful in rescuing the helpless Princess. The questionable message conveyed is that for a woman to be strong and self reliant is ultimately wicked and undesirable, while what is desirable and 'good' is to be a subservient 'damsel in distress'.
The situation had seemingly improved by the time of The Little Mermaid. Ariel is more proactive; she doesn't automatically obey her father, she dreams of forging her own future, is adventurous, and even takes on the role of the rescuer when Prince Eric is in peril. Yet once she falls in love, some of the old inequalities rear their heads; she is willing to give up her home, family and intrinsically change who she is in order to be with the prince. And while she is a better developed character than her earlier counterparts, she arguably pales into the background against the vivacious and imposing Ursula, who in her villainy is so powerful and intelligent she is able to usurp the almighty Triton.
Although it does seem that the situation has improved over time, with Pixar recently creating their first female lead with the fiery and independent Merida in Brave (whose story revolves around her relationship with her mother rather than a prince), it seems that sexism in the media is stubbornly hanging on, as the below email to ITV demonstrates.
Perhaps the epitome of the passive woman is Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, who despite being the eponymous character (she doesn't exactly qualify as a heroine) spends most of the film asleep, and does little to move the plot along. Although more active in their own stories, Snow White and Cinderella are similarly ineffective in defining their own outcomes, each relying on the handsome prince to protect and or rescue them.
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| Without Philip, Aurora would never be released from her trance. |
The situation had seemingly improved by the time of The Little Mermaid. Ariel is more proactive; she doesn't automatically obey her father, she dreams of forging her own future, is adventurous, and even takes on the role of the rescuer when Prince Eric is in peril. Yet once she falls in love, some of the old inequalities rear their heads; she is willing to give up her home, family and intrinsically change who she is in order to be with the prince. And while she is a better developed character than her earlier counterparts, she arguably pales into the background against the vivacious and imposing Ursula, who in her villainy is so powerful and intelligent she is able to usurp the almighty Triton.
Although it does seem that the situation has improved over time, with Pixar recently creating their first female lead with the fiery and independent Merida in Brave (whose story revolves around her relationship with her mother rather than a prince), it seems that sexism in the media is stubbornly hanging on, as the below email to ITV demonstrates.
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