Princesses and princes in Disney films (1937-2013). A femininity and masculinity modulation analysis

Abstract

In the last decades, representations of masculinity and femininity in Disney have tended to more egalitarian practices, trying to reject the traditional discourses of feminine submission and masculine heroification. Nevertheless, these tendencies coexist with the persistence of some characteristics related to classical archetypes, including romantic heterosexual love as a key component which organizes gender relationality. The main purpose of this paper is to present a synthetic approach to the transformations that Disney Company, since its foundation in the twenties, has made to its cinema representations of gender archetypes in fairy tales: the princess and prince charming. Thereby, three chronological periods will be differentiated, which will put in relation gender representations to the waves of feminist movement and socio-political context.