Representations of Men and Masculinity
Just like Disney's representation of female characters, their male characters also share a number of character traits that can be observed throughout their films. These traits generally adhere to the conventional, 20th century ideas of what males should be and how they should behave, including physical strength, dominance, womanizing, saving the damsel in distress, and violence. As demonstrated in The Lion King (1994), "males rule, males combat evil, males triumph" and "females can be killers, but never equal helpmates" (Adilman, 1994). This is demonstrated in the film when the female lionesses do not put up any fight when Scar takes over the pride, or when Simba returns to battle Scar for the kingdom. Instead, the females are "simpering and lying low" in the "background," while the males fight for dominance (Adilman, 1994).
The following video is an interesting analysis of Disney's male characters. The creator, Sanjay Newton, asserts Disney's male characters are fixated on the physical appearance of females and see women as objects of pleasure. He also says boys who view these films will feel the need to have a bodybuilder type body because that is how all of Disney's heroes are portrayed. Finally, he states Disney's male characters always have to fight to prove their dominance, and that the climax of most Disney movies is a battle between two male characters, either for a woman or status.
The following video is an interesting analysis of Disney's male characters. The creator, Sanjay Newton, asserts Disney's male characters are fixated on the physical appearance of females and see women as objects of pleasure. He also says boys who view these films will feel the need to have a bodybuilder type body because that is how all of Disney's heroes are portrayed. Finally, he states Disney's male characters always have to fight to prove their dominance, and that the climax of most Disney movies is a battle between two male characters, either for a woman or status.
An interesting character to observe is from Disney's film Mulan (1998). The title character is a woman who joins the army pretending to be a man to protect her ailing father from being conscripted. Although she is a woman, she must demonstrate the "courage, ingenuity, and selflessness that is associated with Disney's male heroes" (Dudeck, 1998). Mulan "simply becomes one of the boys" and proves that "she can perform as well as any male" (Giroux, 1999). This change is temporary however, because as soon as she is found out to be a girl, she is treated in the same manner as Disney's other female characters. Mulan is no longer listened to, despite her ideas being valued before, and she ends up marrying the male hero, despite having already saved his life.
The following video is a song from the film and is basically a manual for how to be a man in the context of this film, and other Disney movies.
The following video is a song from the film and is basically a manual for how to be a man in the context of this film, and other Disney movies.
"(Be a man)
We must be swift as the coursing river
(Be a man)
With all the force of a great typhoon
(Be a man)
With all the strength of a raging fire
Mysterious as the dark side of the moon..."
These lyrics from the song clearly demonstrate that what is needed to be a man in the film is force, strength, speed, and mystery. A man is made up of his physical ability and success in battle, and there does not seem to be room for much else.