The Correlation Between Disney Movies and Poor Body Image in Young Women Essay Example
Disney was named the world's second top media company in the US for the year 2004. They have produced over 44 “classics” and are one of the most recognized names in animated film (Peterson).We expose young girls to these animated films at a very young age, yet doing so does not seem to be good for these children. Disney’s movies are littered with a virtually unattainable image of what a woman should look like and feeding such images to girls at a young age is wrong and causes low self esteem and poor body image.
The term body image refers to a person's sense of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the physical appearance of his or her body (“Body Image”). Girls are susceptible to influences telling them what they should look like even at a young age. According to a study published in the journal BMC Public Health, children as young as seven and eight-years-old already have notions about the ideal body. An analysis of more than 4,000 students from Nova Scotia revealed that young girls' happiness with their bodies is directly linked to how thin they are (Sharples). Backing up these notions is the media that these young girls are faced with. For example, in all of Disney’s movies the lead female role is portrayed by a stick thin, yet voluptuous woman.
These women are often portrayed wearing very revealing clothes. Whether they are under the sea, in the middle of a forest, or in an Arabian desert, plunging necklines and revealed midriff are common among the Disney Princesses’ wardrobes. Ariel, the sixteen year old mermaid in Disney’s movie “The Little Mermaid”, wears nothing other than two strategically placed clam shells for the first portion of the movie. In the “Official Princess Poster”, released in 2000, all of the princesses are depicted in flirtatious positions and their low cut tops are showing cleavage.
Two years later, in January 2002 Disney marketed their new “Princesses” line. They grouped together Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Ariel,
The term body image refers to a person's sense of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the physical appearance of his or her body (“Body Image”). Girls are susceptible to influences telling them what they should look like even at a young age. According to a study published in the journal BMC Public Health, children as young as seven and eight-years-old already have notions about the ideal body. An analysis of more than 4,000 students from Nova Scotia revealed that young girls' happiness with their bodies is directly linked to how thin they are (Sharples). Backing up these notions is the media that these young girls are faced with. For example, in all of Disney’s movies the lead female role is portrayed by a stick thin, yet voluptuous woman.
These women are often portrayed wearing very revealing clothes. Whether they are under the sea, in the middle of a forest, or in an Arabian desert, plunging necklines and revealed midriff are common among the Disney Princesses’ wardrobes. Ariel, the sixteen year old mermaid in Disney’s movie “The Little Mermaid”, wears nothing other than two strategically placed clam shells for the first portion of the movie. In the “Official Princess Poster”, released in 2000, all of the princesses are depicted in flirtatious positions and their low cut tops are showing cleavage.
Two years later, in January 2002 Disney marketed their new “Princesses” line. They grouped together Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Ariel,