The movie ‘Beauty and the Beast’ by Disney introduces us in a subtle, but effective way, lots of stereotypes and prejudices existing in our culture.
At first, it can be possible to think of Belle as an independent woman, different from the other Disney’s princesses, as she likes reading and ‘wants so much more than this provincial life’ of her hometown. However, she is just another lost romantic who dreams about living in a fairytale: she looks forward to marrying a perfect prince and living ‘happily ever after’. Moreover, during the story, she is not able to do anything by herself: the only time she decides to leave the castle where she had been made prisoner, she gets into trouble and is rescued by the Beast – a man, of course.
Belle fits a modern standard of beauty: she is young, beautiful, thin, white and sexy, which makes her blessed – she will make a good marriage (the biggest dream a woman could ever have) and won’t have to worry about studying or working to survive. It can be noticed also in the three bimbettes, who are sexually attractive, but vacuous. And, after getting married, Belle will become like the rest of the women in town: old, fat, with lots of children to take care, a house to clean and a womanizer husband to tolerate for the rest of their lives – because, after all, any man is better than no man at all.
The Beast represents the violent man who changes: Belle taught us that a kind, patient and beautiful woman has the power to turn a rude man into a prince.
Gaston, the strong hunter, represents the ‘macho man’ stereotype: he never cries, never shows his weaknesses, has wide shoulders and huge muscles covered with hair. All his problems are solved with shouts and violence – therefore he is praised and admired by everyone in town. His biggest fan, Le Fou, lives to praise him, despite being constantly mistreated by Gaston.
Other stereotypes that can be seen in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ are: the crazy inventor (Maurice, Belle’s father), the responsible servant (Cogsworth, who is always giving and receiving orders), the casanova (the charming Lumière, who has an affair with the Featherduster) and the loving mother (Mrs. Potts, who lives to take care of her son).
These dangerous messages can be easily absorbed by children, who are not able to distinguish fiction from reality yet, and turn them into prejudiced adults, sexist men and naïve women, so frustrated for waiting a prince who will never come along. Children get fascinated by the beauty of the colors and the songs of the movie, but never wonder what comes after the ‘happily ever after’.
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