Female Portrayal in Disney Movies
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Female Portrayal in Disney Movies Andrea Earnest, Jade Osowski, Nicole Krage, & Roslyn Summerville
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Reason/Importance
Examine potential evolution of female portrayal
Media influences its audience
Disney targets children
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Coding Scheme
Year
Love interest
Physical appearance
Hair length
Wardrobe appearance
Weapon usage
Movie role
Parents
Intelligence
Social life
Dominance
Age
In control of life
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Results
Organized based on year (before or after 1970) and by movie role (good or evil)
Became more dominant and in control of their lives over the years
Good people = good qualities
Evil people = bad qualities
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Movie Role & Year
Most female characters today are good
Before 1970: female vs. female
Today: more male villains?
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Movie Role & Physical Appearance
More likely to dislike unattractive characters
More likely to relate to attractive characters
Characters designed to appeal to aesthetics of general public
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Movie Role & Dominance
Evil characters intended to have dominance over good characters
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Movie Role & In Control of Life
Good characters are “damsels in distress”
Villains: correlation with 80% having no parents?
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Movie Role & Love Interest
Evil characters are unappealing
Rise of feminism caused less of a need for love interest
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Movie Role & Hair Length
Good characters: correlation between long hair and attractiveness
87.5% deemed attractive
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Movie Role & Parents
Evil characters more likely to have absent parents
In order to have control of their lives, must have no parents/unknown whereabouts
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Movie Role & Social Life
Kept to themselves
Had one companion that was with them
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Movie Role & Age
Evil characters: correlation with all being unattractive
Not applicable for good characters
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Year & Physical Appearance
Drop in evil characters
Attractive good characters are more prevalent
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Year & Intelligence
Modern characters are much more intelligent
Shift could be caused by the rise of modern feminism
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Year & Dominance
Assertiveness and intelligence are correlated
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Year & Love Interest
A complete flip in the numbers
Less evil characters means more good characters with love interests
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Year & Hair Length
Long hair associated with attractiveness
Decline in evil characters
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Year & Weapon Usage
Characters who used weapons nearly doubled
Assertive characters and weapon usage correlates
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Year & Parents
No characters had living fathers before 1970
Majority of characters had no living parents
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Year & Social Life
Characters don’t have companions
Modern characters seem to be gaining companions
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Year & Age
Majority of characters are 19+
17-18 year old characters became more popular
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Conclusion
With the rise of modern feminism, today’s female Disney characters correlate with today’s modern women
Characters are assertive, intelligent and in control of their lives
Female Portrayal in Disney Movies Andrea Earnest, Jade Osowski, Nicole Krage, & Roslyn Summerville
+
Reason/Importance
Examine potential evolution of female portrayal
Media influences its audience
Disney targets children
+
Coding Scheme
Year
Love interest
Physical appearance
Hair length
Wardrobe appearance
Weapon usage
Movie role
Parents
Intelligence
Social life
Dominance
Age
In control of life
+
Results
Organized based on year (before or after 1970) and by movie role (good or evil)
Became more dominant and in control of their lives over the years
Good people = good qualities
Evil people = bad qualities
+
Movie Role & Year
Most female characters today are good
Before 1970: female vs. female
Today: more male villains?
+
Movie Role & Physical Appearance
More likely to dislike unattractive characters
More likely to relate to attractive characters
Characters designed to appeal to aesthetics of general public
+
Movie Role & Dominance
Evil characters intended to have dominance over good characters
+
Movie Role & In Control of Life
Good characters are “damsels in distress”
Villains: correlation with 80% having no parents?
+
Movie Role & Love Interest
Evil characters are unappealing
Rise of feminism caused less of a need for love interest
+
Movie Role & Hair Length
Good characters: correlation between long hair and attractiveness
87.5% deemed attractive
+
Movie Role & Parents
Evil characters more likely to have absent parents
In order to have control of their lives, must have no parents/unknown whereabouts
+
Movie Role & Social Life
Kept to themselves
Had one companion that was with them
+
Movie Role & Age
Evil characters: correlation with all being unattractive
Not applicable for good characters
+
Year & Physical Appearance
Drop in evil characters
Attractive good characters are more prevalent
+
Year & Intelligence
Modern characters are much more intelligent
Shift could be caused by the rise of modern feminism
+
Year & Dominance
Assertiveness and intelligence are correlated
+
Year & Love Interest
A complete flip in the numbers
Less evil characters means more good characters with love interests
+
Year & Hair Length
Long hair associated with attractiveness
Decline in evil characters
+
Year & Weapon Usage
Characters who used weapons nearly doubled
Assertive characters and weapon usage correlates
+
Year & Parents
No characters had living fathers before 1970
Majority of characters had no living parents
+
Year & Social Life
Characters don’t have companions
Modern characters seem to be gaining companions
+
Year & Age
Majority of characters are 19+
17-18 year old characters became more popular
+
Conclusion
With the rise of modern feminism, today’s female Disney characters correlate with today’s modern women
Characters are assertive, intelligent and in control of their lives
