How Does Disney Influence The Social Construction Of Girlhood?
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The influence that Disney has on the social construction of girlhood is often underestimated. Being a conglomerate whose messaging penetrates almost every aspect of daily life, it is important to question whether or not Disney’s depiction of the society is the same one we want our girls to understand and abide by. With the varying definitions of what girlhood is all about, it is essential to question if Disney’s definition is aligned with one that treats girls as generative, rather than as objects or subjects. (Pomerantz, 2009, p. 148) With particular focus on the film “Beauty and The Beast” I intend to demonstrate Disney is selling more than just innocuous films but more so the ideology that reinforces the pre-existing notions of beauty, gender and violence which legitimizes the definition of ‘girls as objects.’…show more content… The concept of ‘girl as object’ implies that “as an object, girls lack agency, is viewed as a cultural dupe, and is in need of adult surveillance for her ‘own good.’” (Pomerantz, 2009, p.148), This notion allows us to look at girls as absorbers of mass media and the messages deliver, and thus gives companies like Disney the ability to create content which bolsters the ideology which they intend to put forward. Knowing that Disney himself was known for his conservative and family values, it is important, “to insert Disney’s scripted views of childhood and society within a critical dialogue regarding the meanings it produces, the roles it legitimates and the narratives it uses to define… life.” (Giroux, 2011, pg.