Question

The Little Mermaid

Beauty and the Beast

Maleficent

1. All three of the films this week have been called "feminist" by some people. What do you think makes a film feminist? What criteria would be needed? Do you think any or all of these films are feminist? Why or why not?

2. Take the time to do a Google image search of “Divine” and see if you see similarities between her and Ursula. What do you see? Remember, Divine identified as a Drag Queen, which is different than Transgender, which is different than many other words. Do a search for LGBTQ terms and see what you learn, post some of that info here. Also respond to the reading “Mean Ladies: Transgendered Villains in Disney Films”.

Answer 1

• 1. A truly “feminist” film is consciously made and intends to get the audience thinking about equal rights for women and how women move through the world on a day-to-day basis. A lack of sexism or misogyny does not automatically amount to feminism.
• To label films this way merely because they feature a female lead isn’t just incorrect – it’s lazy, and it gives credit where credit is not due. A film isn’t feminist just because its leading lady can go toe-to-toe with the men and take care of business, or because she chooses to end up alone in the end or doesn’t need a romantic partner to lean on. It’s feminist because it means to be.
• Even I’ve called films and television shows “feminist” purely because they featured positive female representation. Kill Bill is not feminist just because its protagonist seeks revenge on the men who wronged her. Having a female ensemble cast does not make Pitch Perfect a feminist film.
• A film with a female director is not automatically feminist, even if it helps to have a woman’s story told through a woman’s eyes. The truth, however, is that simply putting a woman front and center on screen does not a feminist film make.
• Instead, a feminist film is one with an agenda, a political work intended to spark thought and conversation about women’s social status and the female experience. It utilizes the female gaze and explores notions of femininity, sexuality, and feminist theory.
• To be feminist, a movie has to have the express purpose of educating its audience about social inequality between men and women. Not just portray women in a non-misogynistic light.
• There’s a difference between feminism and equal female representation, and one doesn’t necessarily outweigh the other. When we call a work “feminist”, the reasoning behind it should be clear; not because the female lead is empowered or because she avoids a romantic storyline, but because it is expressly and intentionally feminist. To use this label for anything else only diminishes its valuable meaning, and hurts women in the long run.
• I do believe films are kind of feminist,they all are independent strong women characters,who ofcourse have an emotional side that does make them take a sacrificing decisions like how Ariel did.But barring that they all stand up for their beliefs and take their own decisions,they are stubborn and fight back,dont give up.Its ok to be unique and have different experiences like a normal human being.
• Due to time limit remaining can be asked as another question,they will be answered,thankyou for your cooperation