Disney Elevates Heterosexuality To Magical Heights

[Principessa]

Disney Elevates Heterosexuality To Powerful, Magical Heights

ScienceDaily (June 22, 2009) — In the world of Disney, falling in heterosexual love can break a spell, save Christmas, change laws, stop wars and even, in the case of The Little Mermaid, cause an individual to give up her personal identity. While such dramatic plot twists may keep kids glued to television and movie theater screens, they send a memorable message to impressionable young viewers that heterosexual love is not only the norm, but that it is also exceptional, powerful, transformative and magical, concludes a new analysis of top-grossing G-rated children's films. The findings, published in a paper in the latest issue of Gender & Society, challenge the notion that such movies are without sexual content. The determinations could even help to explain why multiple prior ethnographic studies suggest children understand the normativity of heterosexuality by the time they enter elementary school, relegating homosexuality to the abnormal, unusual and unexpected, necessitating explanation.

According to co-authors Karin Martin and Emily Kazyak, "The media are an important avenue of children's sexual socialization because young children are immersed in media-rich worlds." The University of Michigan sociologists point to other studies that show thirty percent of children under the age of three, and forty-three percent of four-to six-year-olds, have a television in their bedrooms, with many also owning a VCR/DVD player. For the new study, Martin and Kazyak analyzed all G-rated movies released, or rereleased, between 1990 and 2005 that grossed more than $100 million in the United States (see Supplemental Materials). Three trained research assistants extracted story lines, images, scenes, songs and dialogue that addressed anything about sexuality, including depictions of bodies, kissing, jokes, romance, weddings, dating, love, where babies come from, and pregnancy. The text describing this material was inductively coded using a qualitative software program. The analysis found the films "depict a rich and pervasive heterosexual landscape," despite the assumption that children's media are free of sexual content. The movies repeatedly mark relationships between opposite sex lead characters as special and magical. "Characters in love are surrounded by music, flowers, candles, magic, fire, balloons, fancy dresses, dim lights, dancing and elaborate dinners," the researchers observed. "Fireflies, butterflies, sunsets, wind and the beauty and power of nature often provide the setting for—and a link to the naturalness of—hetero-romantic love." The analysis of the films further determined heterosexuality is construed through depictions of overtly feminized women and masculine males, with the male characters spending much of their time longingly gazing at the former. Toys and other products tied to the films later reinforce the images. Such heavily gendered depictions and glorified portrayals of heterosexual relationships appear to maintain old ideals presented in 19th century Brothers Grimm fairy tales, many of which inspired Disney films.

Sheesh! No wonder so many women think, it's not just okay; but normal to morph into whatever the man wants. :irked: And gay kids watching Disney movies must be doubly conflicted. :frown1: What if you're a little girl who longs to ride astride a horse in breeches like Prince Charming, instead of side saddle.

I hate to admit it, but other than mild annoyance at the millions made by marketing and merchandising fairytales to children. I rarely think about the harm movies like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty to can do to their psyche or sexuality. :redface:

 

[jakeatolla]

Just look at what the movie Pretty Woman did to little girls
attitudes.

 

[Principessa]

Just look at what the movie Pretty Woman did to little girls attitudes.

I was old enough to be pissed off about how that movie ended when it came out. I seem to recall the messge being, a woman had to be a hooker with a heart of gold to get a decent, professional man. :irked:

 

[Wish-4-8]

So how else do you tell stories? Now every story has to be politically correct? Dont get me started on all the inaccuracies in Pocahantes. (how ever the fuck you spell it)

What about Finding Nemo? The handicapped kid trying to prove himself to overprotective parents.

 

[Snozzle]

So how else do you tell stories? Now every story has to be politically correct?

That's a straw argument. Don't you think that in 70 years of making movies (or even in the 30 years since Stonewall), Disney could once have had a same-sex romantic attachment, complete with magic dust? (It needn't even be between humans, or even living things - if flowers can dance, why can't rocks or clouds fall in love?)

Actually I've been disgusted with Disney's syrupy heteronormativity since I saw hearts floating round Lady and Tramp. (They're DOGS, remember.) It almost put me off romantic love. But then I met my man....

 

[B_doc23cm]

If people are so pissed off about it, how about they find some gay fairy tales and make their own movies?

 

[D_Hepsibah Salmonbreath]

they are movies yall. they are for entertainment and they do a good job of it when you think of the target group. why must we break it down to the "fragile pyskie" and political corectness. think about this, only in this last couple of years/decaids was be ing gay out in the open not somthing that would get you hurt or killed. in only the last 5 years has it been widly accepted. it will happen sooner or later. disney has just had its first black princess. why not just thank them for that and just wait for the man/man or girl/girl love story to hit.

 

[Wish-4-8]

That's a straw argument. Don't you think that in 70 years of making movies (or even in the 30 years since Stonewall), Disney could once have had a same-sex romantic attachment, complete with magic dust? (It needn't even be between humans, or even living things - if flowers can dance, why can't rocks or clouds fall in love?)

Actually I've been disgusted with Disney's syrupy heteronormativity since I saw hearts floating round Lady and Tramp. (They're DOGS, remember.) It almost put me off romantic love. But then I met my man....

Everything Disney does is so sanitiezed. They even change the original story to give it its Disney stamp. The Little Mermaid did not have a happy ending in the original story. They are not going to push the envelope.

Can you give some suggestions on stories that use same sex relationships?

BTW, the most "sex" you get in these movies is a kiss.

I think the closest Disney got to this was in the movie Mulan. The leader is intriged by the new, small, recruit that uses wit to accomplish a task as opposed to brute strength. He is definetly checking "him" out. Then when the leader finds out its is female, all the sudden he falls in love? To me, that whole thing is blurry.