The Issue of Masculinity in Disney Princes

Growing up, I’d always love watching “Mulan,” not just because the soundtrack was incredibly addicting to sing along with, but also because there was finally a movie with people of my race. But I never felt much of a connection between myself and the male lead, Li Shang, a tall, handsome military leader who trains soldiers; I am a short kid who can barely get through Ms. Rosenthal’s laps around the gym.

Another one of my favorite films was “Hercules,” but again, I was never really able to relate to Hercules. Slaying the Hydra, fighting titans, and saving Meg—all awe-inspiring feats and surely nothing I could do. How could I, a mere scrawny mortal, see myself in the shoes of such a strong, muscular, and celebrated hero?

Over time, Disney’s princesses have progressively become more developed and independent, breaking away from the original “damsel-in-distress” trope. The classic Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty,” who is asleep for the majority of the film and is only saved by her Prince Philip, seems more like a supporting character and plot device in her own film; a more recent character, Moana, saves her tribe and encourages them to become more adventurous while never depending on a man. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, most of Disney’s princes have remained the same “heroes-to-the-rescue,” from Li Shang to Aladdin to John Smith. Despite having their fair share of more gentle and romantic moments, such as Aladdin’s talk with Genie about his crush on Jasmine or John Smith being taught by Pocahontas about the wonders of nature, these characters ultimately remain the macho men.

The problem with this two-dimensionality in male characters is that many boys feel that the only suitable role they can fit is the dependable buff guy who has a weak girl depending on him. For example, in one of the songs from “Mulan,” “A Girl Worth Fighting For,” the soldiers sing about their ideal women. When Mulan says she would prefer women to be smart and outspoken, she is rejected by the other men, who sing about beautiful girls who would admire them for their strength, which influences younger audiences into believing that the only girls worth loving are the beautiful ones, and the only way to attract them is by showing off sheer dominance and masculinity—the exact opposite message Disney is trying to teach.

In addition, those few male characters with passive personalities or more effeminate appearances tend to be minor comical characters or villains, such as Merida’s boisterous father from “Brave” or the tall and slender Jafar from “Aladdin.” As a result, boys are not taught that it is okay to be themselves if they are just kind-hearted or fun-loving, but rather, to be stoic men whose worth are defined by muscle size. They are only taught to suppress their emotions, to make women depend on them, and to “man up.”

The origins of this issue stem from commonly defined gender roles in which men are expected to be the dominant, assertive voice and head of the household, whereas women are expected to be more submissive and simply do housework. For instance, in certain conservative sects of Christianity, women are still expected to not work, be obedient to their husbands, and are prohibited from serving as priests, popes, etc. Although the gender division in modern society has recently been blurred, men and women are still not equal.

Fortunately, some of the most recent Disney princes have strayed from the stereotypical “tough guy” image. Take Prince Naveen from “The Princess and the Frog.” While he is still an average, handsome romantic, he also depicts less masculine traits, such as naivete and clumsiness, causing his female counterpart Tiana to arguably be the more dominant character of the two. And despite not technically being considered a “Disney prince,” Kristoff from “Frozen” also demonstrates his kind-hearted, sensitive nature, and he ultimately does not play the “hero-to-the-rescue” as many of his predecessors have. Most recently, Maui from “Moana” plays the role of Moana’s friend and sidekick rather than Moana’s savior over the course of the film. As a result, young boys who watch future Disney movies will hopefully have a larger variety of role models who should inspire them to be less macho and more caring.