Balancing Gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules Fails to Go the Distance
Disney’s <i>Hercules</i> (1997) includes multiple examples of gender tropes throughout the film that provide a hodgepodge of portrayals of traditional conceptions of masculinity and femininity. Hercules’ phenomenal strength and idealized masculine body, coupled with h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/7/11/240 |
| _version_ | 1819297519591489536 |
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| author | Cassandra Primo |
| author_facet | Cassandra Primo |
| author_sort | Cassandra Primo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Disney’s <i>Hercules</i> (1997) includes multiple examples of gender tropes throughout the film that provide a hodgepodge of portrayals of traditional conceptions of masculinity and femininity. Hercules’ phenomenal strength and idealized masculine body, coupled with his decision to relinquish power at the end of the film, may have resulted in a character lacking resonance because of a hybridization of stereotypically male and female traits. The film pivots from hypermasculinity to a noncohesive male identity that valorizes the traditionally-feminine trait of selflessness. This incongruous mixture of traits that comprise masculinity and femininity conflicts with stereotypical gender traits that characterize most Disney princes and princesses. As a result of the mixed messages pertaining to gender, <i>Hercules</i> does not appear to have spurred more progressive portrayals of masculinity in subsequent Disney movies, showing the complexity underlying gender stereotypes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T05:15:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d87b02d5762453c84b0c4582d101ab8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T05:15:18Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d87b02d5762453c84b0c4582d101ab82022-12-21T17:13:34ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602018-11-0171124010.3390/socsci7110240socsci7110240Balancing Gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules Fails to Go the DistanceCassandra Primo0Departments of Business and Sociology, McDaniel College, Westminster, MD 21157, USADisney’s <i>Hercules</i> (1997) includes multiple examples of gender tropes throughout the film that provide a hodgepodge of portrayals of traditional conceptions of masculinity and femininity. Hercules’ phenomenal strength and idealized masculine body, coupled with his decision to relinquish power at the end of the film, may have resulted in a character lacking resonance because of a hybridization of stereotypically male and female traits. The film pivots from hypermasculinity to a noncohesive male identity that valorizes the traditionally-feminine trait of selflessness. This incongruous mixture of traits that comprise masculinity and femininity conflicts with stereotypical gender traits that characterize most Disney princes and princesses. As a result of the mixed messages pertaining to gender, <i>Hercules</i> does not appear to have spurred more progressive portrayals of masculinity in subsequent Disney movies, showing the complexity underlying gender stereotypes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/7/11/240gender stereotypessexualityheroismhypermasculinityselflessnessHerculesZeusMegara |
| spellingShingle | Cassandra Primo Balancing Gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules Fails to Go the Distance Social Sciences gender stereotypes sexuality heroism hypermasculinity selflessness Hercules Zeus Megara |
| title | Balancing Gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules Fails to Go the Distance |
| title_full | Balancing Gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules Fails to Go the Distance |
| title_fullStr | Balancing Gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules Fails to Go the Distance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Balancing Gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules Fails to Go the Distance |
| title_short | Balancing Gender and Power: How Disney’s Hercules Fails to Go the Distance |
| title_sort | balancing gender and power how disney s hercules fails to go the distance |
| topic | gender stereotypes sexuality heroism hypermasculinity selflessness Hercules Zeus Megara |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/7/11/240 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cassandraprimo balancinggenderandpowerhowdisneysherculesfailstogothedistance |