(Grand)Fathers and Sons
Finding Nemo
A favorite of Disney fans since it premiered in 2003, Finding Nemo has succeeded in maintaining popularity so that only three years ago, its sequel, Finding Dory, was released. Finding Nemo is a Pixar and Disney studios collective effort that continues to present a fresh take on parenthood and father-son relationships; this may lend support to why it is so beloved. It is no secret that Disney and Pixar films are watched and appreciated by people of all ages and backgrounds. Finding Nemo is no exception. After being out for over a decade, it has been appreciated by thousands of people from all backgrounds. With this extensive reach and diverse audience, its characters, story, and themes have no doubt had an influence on the way people think about family and interpersonal relationships. Finding Nemo sets itself apart within these themes of family by its focus on the father-son dynamic in particular. It presents the audience with a relationship that is complex and relatable, and in making those connections it conveys different types of masculinity to observe and potentially learn from.
For those who haven’t seen the movie, time for a quick summary: Finding Nemo is the story of Marlin, a clownfish and single dad living off the coast of Australia with his only son, Nemo. Nemo gets captured by a human diver while on a class fieldtrip, so Marlin and his new friend, Dory, go on an adventure to bring him home. Along the way they encounter sharks, sea turtles, and many other creatures who help guide them. From an analytical standpoint, it seems like the writers matched different theories of masculinity with the movie’s characters, intentionally or otherwise.
Beginning with the hegemonic theory of masculinity proposed by Connell, Bruce the shark stands as both a representation of hegemonic expectations and the fallout of negative traits associated with hegemonic masculinity, particularly as it relates to fatherhood. He is large and imposing physically. His voice is that of a man and he identifies with ‘he’ pronouns. [It’s important to note, since this is a movie about fish, physical appearance is only analyzed for its connection to masculinity based on how it relates to the other animals] In the context of the story, he is a strong leader of the other sharks and therefore holds power. In his leadership position, he maintains that ‘fish are friends, not food’ and proceeds to lead a meeting that closely parallels an addiction recovery group-therapy session. After hearing Marlin’s story of searching for Nemo, Bruce breaks down and says, “I never knew my father!” As a character who holds many traits of hegemonic masculinity, it is no wonder that his relationship with his father is understood to be a negative, absent one; according to hegemonic masculinity, fathers are providers and mothers are the nurturers, so an absentee father-figure is not unusual. This small, sad line has a significant impact on what happens next. As he turns violent towards Marlin and Dory, the audience sees violent tendencies (via addiction parallel) which are closely connected to Bruce’s negative history with his father. The other sharks desperately try to protect Marlin and Dory from Bruce’s attack while also managing to provide Bruce with a rational and steady support system. His expression of vulnerability and sadness regarding his father and his reliance on the other male sharks to be his moral, social support system are both examples of hybrid masculinity. With these actions, even the most hegemonic among the characters mixes his masculinity with the vulnerability and traits of subordinated masculinities. The result is a sort of ‘soft-boiled’ masculinity, which is as Heath explains it, “a type of masculinity that provides space for men to be more emotionally connected with one another and to express themselves in a manner that can challenge the norms of hegemonic masculinity.” (Heath, Exploring Masculinities, p.160)
Another host of hybrid masculinity is Marlin, one of our protagonists. He does this primarily by embodying both the roles of mother and father to little Nemo. Nemo’s mother dies with his brothers and sisters in the first five minutes of the movie, leaving only Marlin to mourn and care for Nemo. This tragedy is likely a big component in Marlin’s excessive anxiety and overprotective nature as a parent. In his strong connection to his emotions, his overprotectiveness toward his son, his platonic friendship with a female character, and his nurturing attitude, Marlin fulfills the script of a mother figure. By his position as protector, as provider, and his willingness to go to great physical lengths despite being small and relatively powerless, he plays out the script of father. And not to get too meta, but the story of Finding Nemo as a whole is also an example of hybrid masculinity because it utilizes the plot of a typical rescue mission, but it’s not a damsel in distress who requires rescuing by true love. Instead, it is a father off to save his son. (5 Pixar Movies That Help Teach Boys Healthy Masculinity”) It is an example of the extent to which a father is capable of expressing love for his child.
Compensatory masculinity is seen among the new friends Nemo makes after he is taken. It turns out that the diver who kidnaps Nemo is actually a dentist from Sydney who has a tank of other saltwater fish, only one of whom is also from the ocean. When Nemo first meets this group, it becomes almost immediately clear that they all have something to set them off slightly from the norm: the yellow fish has an obsession with bubbles, the blue and white fish is delusional, the purple fish has compulsive cleaning habits, etc. Gill, the leader of this fish tank group, is the only fish apart from Nemo who is from the ocean; they both also share a physical disability because each has a messed-up fin. Gill is masculine and fits other hegemonic traits of stoicism and strength, provider figure, but his lack of freedom and disability seem to compromise his identity and therefore his masculinity. It follows then that in order to reassert a sense of control, he forms a type of gang with the other fish in the tank. When it comes time for Nemo to do his part and join the gang, he must submit to participating in a rite of passage.
The rite of passage Nemo experiences is not a particularly dangerous one. More than anything, it is a test of his courage and determination to be one of this new group, to grow up, and to embrace his new, matured identity as “Shark Bait.” The physicality of the test, the connotations of going through ‘fire’ to transform, and the reward of a name are all very typical components of a traditional rite of passage.
Coco
This better way of masculinity is based on a close connection to family and the importance placed around working through conflict in a family setting. As a film, it is incredibly family focused and shows multiple examples of male relatives bonding and caring for one another. Miguel, his father, his grandfather, uncles, and Hector all explicitly acknowledge the value of family. In fact, the Rivera family is a great example of hybrid masculinity in the movie. Look at the hierarchy of power within the family context- it’s hybrid because the women of the family rule the roost. The grandmothers are in strong, aggressive leadership positions and determine how the family responds to Miguel and Hector’s passion for music. And though hegemonic forms of parent-child dynamics often put fathers into the role of disciplinarian and cast mothers as the support system, these roles are switched in the Rivera family. Mama Imelda is especially noteworthy here since her influence and traditions have lasted multiple generations into the future; she was also thrown into the role of protector and provider when her husband, Hector, left and she filled the role fiercely. At the end of the movie, she plays a crucial role in bringing down the villain; she capitalizes on the movie’s theme of music/musical talent as power (and therefore, masculinity) by singing a song while saving the day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ukp_EFEDOl4 She is the only woman in the movie to get a solo. Even with strong female characters, the film’s primary conflict revolves around a man’s absence from his familial expectations, further supporting this film’s label as hybrid masculinity.
That’s not all though because compensatory masculinity is also present when the film reveals De la Cruz as the villain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEDV_WCF4FA
Assuming that music within the movie’s context and the relationships of male characters is true power and therefore increases influence over others, it is intrinsically tied to masculinity. It logically follows that Hector is a threat to De la Cruz. Originally, Hector has the support of his family, the love of women, musical talent, and experience in the industry. De la Cruz uses Hector to reinforce his own power and masculinity by working with him, so when Hector plans to leave for home, De la Cruz’s masculinity and career are threatened. He compensates for this by being emotionally closed off, calculating and aggressive to the point of violence. He kills Hector to compensate for his inability to fulfill his idealized expectations of masculinity.
On a lighter note, Hector is still able to exercise his masculine, musical ability by his guidance of Miguel in the Land of the Dead. It is established in the beginning of the film that performing in front of an audience constitutes as a rite of passage for becoming a real musician. Hector leads Miguel to fulfilling this rite and even offers him emotional and practical support. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUBdHcoupJY
Disney on Fathers and Sons
In Finding Nemo (Disney/Pixar, 2003), Marlin and Nemo’s journey emphasizes the importance of the father-son relationship involving care, communication, and boundaries which poses an example to the families watching it. In Coco (Disney/Pixar, 2017), the representations of masculinity highlight the importance of family and the value of working through conflict, the potential role of father figures, and that masculine role models can come in all shapes and sizes. By providing these as examples for families, especially fathers and sons to watch, Disney is sending a message that masculinity and those we look to as models of masculinity is actively changing. (Gillam and Wooden, 2008) These films demonstrate an awareness of masculinity’s fluidity and cultural dependence. By using these to build father-son/grandfather-son relationships, they are exploring what it now means to be a father and what traits are required by the role for current audiences. No longer is the stoic, strongman, provider figure of hegemonic masculinity the feasible or acceptable version of fathering. Based on Disney’s films, fatherhood requires incorporating many types of masculinities to navigate life and relationships in a healthy way and to impart lessons about the value of family, emotion and communication to children.
---------- Part done by: Madison Burt ----------
Brothers
The analysis of masculinity between brothers in the Disney movies The Lion King and Brother Bear highlights several masculinity theories. The four specific theories in these two films are hegemonic, rites of passage, hybrid, and compensatory. There is a circular progression throughout the films that show how these brother relationship trend from one to the other - sometimes to create a better brother relationship, sometimes not.
The Lion King
The Lion King holds one of the most intense brother relationships in Disney films. King Mufasa and his brother Scar have had a very complicated and unhealthy relationship - to the point of Scar murdering Mufasa in an attempt to be king of pride rock. Scar’s insecurities are from comparing himself to his brother. Scar is not as strong, powerful, courageous, or kind as Mufasa.
Though Scar desperately wants to be king, his masculinity is best described as hybrid. There is a lot of controversy about Scar being portrayed as a homosexual character. Scar never takes a mate once he is king. When young Simba calls him “weird” he responds with “you have no idea”. The reference to Scar being homosexual makes him quite different than his brother Mufasa and creates tension between them due to most lions desire to move away and reproduce. A lion who does not reproduce doesn’t aid the ‘Circle of Life’. Scar possessing a hybrid masculinity is apart of the conflict in the lion pride.
Due to Scar having a hybrid personality and Mufasa having a hegemonic personality; it creates conflict in their lion pride. Lion prides have a specific hierarchy and Scar’s attempt to take on more hegemonic characteristics is not able to happen with Mufasa alive. This conflict is demonstrated in the power structure between Scar and Mufasa. In one of his first appearances, Scar attempts to demonstrate hegemonic characteristics by showing his higher class to Zazu - Mufasa’s advisor - by trying to eat him; then is quickly stopped by Mufasa scolding Scar - demonstrating his king power over Scar. The constant need to dominate the other creates imbalance in the masculinity of their lion community.
This imbalance stems from the lack of rite of passage Scar had in his life. Lions complete the lion rite of passage by becoming a king when they are young. Rite of passage is a pivotal part of a lion’s life. The are allowed to stay in the pride until they are 2 years old and are then cast out to either die or create a pride. However, Mufasa allows his brother to stay with the pride into adulthood. Their relationship is then strained due Scar never following a proper rite of passage like Mufasa - causing issues in their relationship.
The strain in this relationship causes Scar to fulfill the characteristics of compensatory masculinity. Scar overcompensates because of his insecurities of having a hybrid personality -resulting in the plot to kill King Mufasa. Scar bands together evil hyenas to lure Mufasa into a cavern that would quickly be flooded with antelope that trample Mufasa to death. Ironically, the circle of life for Mufasa was based on the circular progression of the unhealthy progression of the four masculine theories used to describe their relationship.
Brother Bear
Brother Bear is a story about a young man, Kenai, who loathes bears. One of his brothers, Denahi, is killed by a bear; enticing an anger filled Kenai to kill the beast. Upon killing the bear, Kenai is transformed into a bear himself. Quickly Bear Kenai unknowingly befriends a little bear and they spend their time trying to turn him back into a human. As if there wasn’t enough drama going on, Kenai’s oldest brother has vowed to kill the bear - which is actually Kenai.
The opening scene of Brother Bear demonstrates hegemonic masculinity. Kenai and his two brothers are play fighting. Kenai ,being the youngest, is held down and spit on by Dehani, the middle brother, but the oldest brother, Sitka, steps in and puts them both in a headlock. This is an example of how structure plays in hegemonic masculinity.
Kenai is about to go through a ceremony/rite of passage that makes him a man. He says, “It’s okay Sitka, after today he won’t treat me like that anymore.” in reference of the “Big manhood ceremony” His tribe considers this a pivotal moment in every man’s life - his brothers won’t respect him until going through this ceremony.
After Kenai is transformed into a bear and mets the little cub - a bond is starting to grow between the little cub and Kenai. However, Kenai is very opposed / uncomfortable with the brother relationship that is forming and is irrationally mean to the cub. Keani over compensates his masculine/unemotional qualities to drive the little cub away - demonstrating the compensatory masculinity theory.
During the rite of passage ceremony Kenai received the totem of ‘Love’ in a bear pendant. He never displays the hybrid masculinity insinuated by the totem until the very end of the movie. It is only when he accepts his brother love of the little cub does he show his sensitive side. The little cub is almost killed by Dehani and Keani protects him with his love - demonstrating both masculine and un-masculine qualities.
These two movies demonstrate how masculinity is not singular. No man - or lion and bear - can abide by the rules of one masculinity. It is a constant rotation of trying on new parts of masculinity to find who they are at the end of the day.
---------- Part done by: Maggie Rabren ----------
Co-Sex Friendships
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| Moana |
In Moana, A girl named Moana has a desire to go out into the ocean, but her father forbids it. When Moana’s people are in danger of starving, she goes out on a mission to save her people. On that mission, she meets a demigod named Maui. Maui helps Moana become a master wayfinder. Along the way, Moana finds her identity while also fulfilling the ancient quest of her ancestors.
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| Judy & Nick working on the case |
Zootopia is a film about a metropolis where all animals live and thrive together. Judy Hopps becomes the first rabbit to join the police force and she quickly realizes how tough the job is. To prove herself, she tries to solve a mysterious case of animals going “savage” but unfortunately she has to work with a fox named Nick Wilde who makes her job harder.
Zootopia and Moana both have multiple examples of each of the masculinity theories being discussed. The first theory that both films have is the hegemonic theory. In Zootopia, predators are considered the dominant ones. As a bunny, Judy is prey. She is pushed to do a smaller job like parking duty because that’s what she is expected to do in society. They don’t expect a bunny to protect the large city. Moana has a similar scene. When Maui gets his hook back, he gets his transformation back. He gets cocky and starts showing off his shapeshifting. Both of these go with what society thinks, which is very hegemonic.
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| One of Maui's transformations |
Both movies have rites of passage as well. Moana’s rite of passage is to find Maui, take him across the oceans and restore the heart that is destroying the world. The rites of passage isn’t so obvious in Zootopia like it is in Moana and there are two. Throughout the entire film of Zootopia, Nick is trying to be accepted in the community. He finally gets that acceptance when he becomes a police officer. Another rite of passage is the scene where Judy is going through police academy. She is working very hard to become a police officer and it finally pays off when she graduates police academy.
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| Maui and his hook |
Lastly, both Nick and Maui try to compensate for their masculinity. In one scene, Maui exclaims that without his hook, he is nothing. Earlier in the movie, he told Moana a story about how he was thrown away as a child and getting the hook, helping people, and becoming a demigod made up for it. He compensates for his demasculinization of being thrown away as a child with his hook. Nick compensates for his demasculinization from being bullied by deciding he was going to by the sly fox that everyone expected him to be.
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| Sly fox... dumb "puppy." |
“Changes occurring in society suggest that structural opportunities for cross-sex friendship formation are increasing and will continue todo so as we move further into the 21st century” (Monsour 1). This quote comes from a book by Michael Monsour called Women and Men As Friends: Relationships Across The Life Spain In The 21st Century. Like Monsour said in the quote, friendships between men and women are changing. This book relates to the friendships of Judy and Nick as well as Moana and Maui. Part of the change that is happening in society that Monsour was talking about is that men are becoming friends with women to show off their masculinity. Whether it be to compare themselves to each other or just for men to ask for help from women to not show their vulnerability to male friends. Zootopia and Moana both express this. Nick, a fox, becomes unlikely friends with a bunny to become accepted in the community. Maui asks for help from Moana to get his hook back that he needs to compensate for his masculinity. These films, as well as the others mentioned in this blog, help explain masculinity in Disney films and how they all relate to each other that also connects to different kinds of relationships.
---------- Part done by: Ashe Cornelius ----------
Professional
Masculinity is ubiquitous and can be a changing thing. Based on what a certain individual will view as masculine, there can also be so many different meanings. What I mean by this is that one person may think that someone recycling is masculine because they are saving the earth whereas someone else could say it's feminine. The concept of masculinity is challenging but our group decided to dissect masculinity within four theories: hybrid, hegemonic, compensatory, and rites of passage which we have discussed in depth in class numerous amounts of times. The Disney movies proved to be an excellent area to focus on masculinity in. In particular, Peter Pan and Trolls were the ideal films that could help me show professionalism in masculinity.
Peter Pan
To the left you can see the two most widely known characters when speaking about this movie: Captain Hook and Peter Pan. Although they both are the same sex, they both exemplify different forms of masculinity. Take a look at Captain Hook. With his facial hair and the fact he is a pirate, he shows hegemonic masculinity. This means that he shows the most stereotypical masculine traits. Now take a look at Peter Pan. He is merely a boy yet still manages to defeat the most masculine character in the movie which is what we call hybrid masculinity. Rites of passage in this movie are nonexistent which is odd because, for us humans, the ability to grow up and go from child to teenager to adult is a huge deal. This film reminds me of the reading in class about fraternities because they are antiparallel. Fraternities tend to come off as mainly hegemonic masculine filled men along with a lot of rites of passage whereas, in this film, hybrid masculinity is the majority with Peter and the lost boys being children forever and the lack of rites of passage. Some people may even question Peter's sexuality of straightness because of the way he acts. This is why he is the epitome of hybrid masculinity. This film does a good job of relating to professionalism because of the different ways hegemonic and hybrid masculinity act as leaders. Captain Hook has his crew of swashbuckling pirates to lead and Peter has his lost boys. Obviously, the lost boys are "softer" than Captain Hook's crew but the way Peter leads them is more effective. Peter shows them respect and kindness which in the end helps defeat Captain Hook, whereas Captain Hook treats his crew as inferior and bosses them around.
Trolls
To the right you can see characters from the two main groups in this Disney movie called the Trolls. On the left, you see a hideous king who is the ruler of the Bergens. On the right, you see two adorable trolls who are just part of the small trolls community. The Bergens are known for eating the trolls so there is a sort of hierarchy where the Bergens are superior. The picture is not to scale but the Bergens are so much larger than the tiny trolls. In this film as well, the four theories can be shown. Hybrid masculinity is shown through the female troll which is the pink troll above because she ends up saving her entire population of trolls from being eaten by the Bergens. Typically in movies, the females are the ones who are being rescued not the other way around. Hegemonic masculinity can be seen through the king of the Bergens. He is an old, evil ruler who was the one who started the ritual of eating trolls. The entire Bergen population respects his rule greatly. Compensatory can be seen through Branch who is the blue troll above. Branch lost his family because they were eaten by Bergens. Instead of sobbing and being depressed he has held his feelings in and displayed himself as a grumpy and mad individual instead. This film can be related to the very first reading we did about Hylton's cousin. Hylton's cousin was very masculine and always was ready to fight and drink. It is possible that he did all of this in order to mask things that occurred in his childhood that would cause him to be emotional just how Branch was trying to mask his parents' death. This film relates to professionalism because of the way that King Gristle of the Bergens rules over his group and how King Peppy rules over the trolls. King Peppy is a very professional man who initially broke the trolls out of captivity from the Bergens out and started a new way of life that was fear-free. This resulted in the trolls cherishing him and celebrating every day in awe of their new freedom. All the trolls are known for being especially happy. In contrast, King Gristle rules over the Bergens in more of a tyranny. What he says goes and it is unacceptable to contradict it. He also started the tradition of eating the Bergens and yells at his son, (heir to the throne), for being so soft.
Professionalism
This topic is important in starting intriguing plots in films. By creating a professional way the characters can interact with each other, conflict can form between two groups who show different types of professionalism. Just like how the trolls and Bergens go about professionalism, the differences caused a conflict and hierarchy which lead to a good film. If all characters lead by the same professionalism, there would be no plot, no difference among characters, and no difference in movies. Without professionalism in general, all the film would just be childish rubbish that would reduce audience sizes whereas by having professionalism in the characters right now, Disney can appeal to audiences of all ages.
---------- Part Done By: Nikhil Pallem ----------
Mentorship
Hercules
Throughout his journey he demonstrates hegemonic, hybrid, rites of passage and compensatory masculinity in different ways throughout the film. Right off the bat the film shows how Hercules became Hercules but he doesn’t know his past yet. He works for his adoptive dad and helps him around the town. In one of the first scene we can see hegemonic masculinity when he wants to hang out with the other boys his age. During his time growing up he always had trouble controlling his strength, and the other kids see that as weird and out of place of the rest of the kids. After he asks them to hang out they make up an excuse and brush him off because they think he’s weird and different. This is showing hegemonic masculinity because the boys are trying to show their dominance over Hercules by excluding him. The second way we can see masculinity portrayed in this film is through hybrid masculinity. During his training he always rescues a damsel in distress for practice but during his first day after training he finds a damsel in distress to rescue. When he originally sees her he’s very worried for her safety. After a good fight he finally rescues her and feels a sense of relief and power. This is demonstrating hybrid masculinity because he is trying to assert dominance in a way and protect her by being her hero.
In the next form of masculinity it changes his mind a little. Rites of passage is a big thing to Phil, Hercules mentor because he wants to make sure Hercules is ready for anything that comes his way. After Hercules begs Phil to train him to be a god, Phil eventually decides to train Hercules, and he must go through a huge training process to look and feel more like a hero. Phil believes his rite of passage comes from saving a town. After he defeats a Hydra he has the town on his side and is accepted by them as their hero. This shows his rite of passage by completing a difficult task that makes him into something official not just a boy. The last and final way that Hercules demonstrates masculinity is through compensatory masculinity. After Phil finds out the girl Hercules likes is on the bad side Hercules is a little heart broken, but tries not to show he cares. Hercules doesn’t feel the same after he doesn’t have a girl on his side to impress. He is a little heartbroken but just pushes himself because he still has his town people who like him and have his back, so he will be ok with those followers. He also has to work out just to feel better about himself and hype himself up.
The Incredibles
The Incredibles demonstrates plenty of masculinity but strongly focuses on rotes of passage, hybrid, compensatory, and hegemonic masculinity. The most prominent theory that goes along with this film is hegemonic masculinity. The first one that the film demonstrates is hybrid, after the super heroes are forced to go into hiding Mr. Incredible must find a regular person job to provide for the family. When he gets the job and Mrs. Incredible stays at home because she has to take care of the kids it shows the hybrid because he wanted to make sure he was providing for the family and she stayed at home to watch the kids as regular roles. He hates working but has to because he wants to be the male figure in the children’s life and support his wife. The second way that this film shows masculinity is though rites of passage. In the Incredibles the kids, Dash and Violet, know they have powers but don’t know that their dad is in some trouble with his new secret super hero job. Edna ends up making the whole family new suits since she already made Mr. Incredible one. When they get new suits their mother tries to hide it from them because she doesn’t want them to think they are in any danger. She also doesn’t want them to know that because she doesn’t want them to be using their powers since its forbid right now. But then Dash and Violet end up saving their mother and themselves while using their powers and wearing their new suits after sneaking on the trip with their mom. Along with the suits the masks have a very important role because they discover who they are.
The strongest theory of masculinity that fits with this film is hegemonic. Hegemonic is shown throughout the film in many different ways like when Mr. Incredible starts to work out again, or when he’s all flirty and lovey with his wife right before he leave for work. The most dominant one is when Mr. Incredible and Elastic girl first meet. Right off the bat when they meet he acts very macho and like a big time hero. In the moment she needed no help but he was trying to give her it. The last theory of masculinity that the Incredibles showed was compensatory masculinity. In the Incredibles the villain’s name is Syndrome and he actually looked up to Mr. Incredible at one point, but was hurt after Mr. Incredible told him “I work alone” which really hurt him at the time. At one point Mr. Incredible finds out Syndrome has been secretly trying to kill Mr. Incredible and has him locked up in a type of chain. Mr. Incredible is so mad at this point he tries to kill Mirage who is currently Syndromes girlfriend. To save his children and wife to seem stronger than Syndrome Mr. Incredible tries to strangle Mirage but when Syndrome figures out his weakness by threatening to kill his family he lets her go. This is demonstrating compensatory masculinity because Mr. Incredible is trying to compensate that he is at a weak point by trying to kill Mirage which he would never to in real life because she is technically innocent.
Mentorship
A hegemony is that children’s mentors must be their mothers or fathers and the same sex. In both the films there are not only opposite sex mentors but also mentors that aren’t just their parents. In Incredibles we can see that Dash and Violet don’t really know that their father is secretly working as a superhero again and once they get their new suits start to follow and copy what their mother is doing. Dash has his mother to mentor him and show him the ropes of being a superhero and his masculinity isn’t tarnished. In Hercules, he doesn’t know his real father is a God until much later in his life so he is very used to his foster dad and mentors after everything he does. He also has a personal mentor which is half animal half human. Phil helps him become a hero and mentors him into adulthood. Hercules’ mentor was his father originally but also ended up being Phil who trained him through everything. A child’s mentor sometimes determines their masculinity and as we see in both the films they have different ways of demonstrating it. Even though we see today most mentors are still parents, they don’t have to be the same sex parent to keep or gain masculinity. You also don’t have to have your parents as mentors because people can still hold their masculinity through other forms of mentors.
---------- Part Done By: Charlotte Albright ----------
Romantic
For romantic heterosexual relationships in Disney, the two movies that I selected were Tangled (2010) and Beauty and the Beast (2017). I chose these films because they are great examples of the way that Disney portrays more complex and flexible masculinities in heterosexual relationships rather than displaying male characters as hegemonic all the time. Additionally, these movies also embody the theme of ‘rites of passage,’ where a journey or event marks a significant transitional stage in a character’s life.
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is your classic Disney princess story: a young, selfish prince and his servants are cursed by an enchantress, doomed to live as a big scary beast and his servants as household objects until he can love and be loved—before the last rose petal falls, of course. Just from the description, you might assume that the Beast would embody hegemonic masculinity because of his dominant traits of being large, tough, and scary. However, he is actually much more complex. Once Belle begins to warm up to him, we see that he enjoys things society considers traditionally feminine, such as romance novels, ballroom dancing, and seeking a loving relationship. Even though he looks scary on the outside, he is incredibly vulnerable and passionate on the inside. Nevertheless, he does not disclose this, and chooses to emphasize his more masculine and hegemonic traits; because he still benefits from his dominant characteristics, I believe that the Beast is an example of hybrid masculinity.
So if the Beast isn’t hegemonic, who is? The answer might be fairly obvious: Gaston! As soon as his character is introduced, it is clear from the beginning that Gaston is the top dog of the village. A handsome and charismatic ex-soldier, he has girls fawning over him and men respecting him wherever he goes. He is the manliest guy for miles, and has an entire musical number dedicated to how perfect he is. Yet regardless of his impressive display, he can’t quite attract the attention of Belle, the only girl he deems worthy enough to be in a relationship with him. Samantha Benson with The Odyssey says “He views Belle more as an object than a woman and wants to wife her. He assumes that Belle will tend to his every need and desire. Gaston can be compared to the stereotypical guy in today's society because guys are viewed as the one in a relationship who is in charge.”
Every great man needs a sidekick, and that’s where LeFou comes in. LeFou, another ex-soldier, is Gaston’s right-hand man. Yet unlike Gaston, he is much less athletic, charming, and handsome. In this version of the film, he is even quite flamboyant, and viewers have speculated whether or not his character might be homosexual. Because of his inferior and less masculine traits, LeFou compensates for it by hanging out with Gaston, displaying compensatory masculinity. His masculinity is boosted simply by the association of someone as powerful as Gaston, and LeFou therefore reaps the benefits of his dominance.
Eventually, Belle softens the Beast’s cold heart, and they begin to fall in love. Even as harsh as he is, he manages to make Belle love him back right as the last rose petal falls. The curse breaks and the Beast and all his servants are transformed back into humans by the enchantress. Through this process, the Beast had to undergo a personality shift—he had to take down his walls and open his heart to the vulnerability of love. He entered the threshold of breaking the curse once he took Belle into his castle, and in the end, he came out successfully returned to a human prince with the love of his life. This change in heart was his rite of passage, his transitional period into being human once more.
Tangled
Tangled is an interesting twist on the classic tale of Rapunzel. While she is trapped in the tower for her whole life, it would be easy to assume that a hero who portrays hegemonic masculinity would come save the damsel in distress. But Disney surprises us yet again, choosing instead to switch up the masculinity of Rapunzel’s future love. Flynn Rider isn’t your stereotypical rugged and handsome savior—he is actually a lowly thief seeking to earn wealth by stealing the princess’s crown from the castle. He only runs into Rapunzel when he hides in her tower from the Royal Guards, so he definitely was not looking to rescue her. Because he has no money, he heavily emphasizes his good looks and charismatic personality, usually using them to win over the ladies. He even went as far as changing his name from Eugene Fitzherbert to Flynn Rider to sound cooler. Because he relies on his dominant masculine traits to impress others, Flynn exemplifies compensatory masculinity.
Though he doesn’t start out in hegemonic masculinity, Flynn manages to achieve it by the end of the movie. As a compensatory thief, the main aspect he is missing is class status. He has no wealth—and in a world where wealth equals power, that’s a pretty big deal. But everything changes at the end of the movie because he marries Rapunzel; now the prince of the kingdom, he has all the money and power he could ever want. On top of his newly acquired status, he is married to a beautiful princess and still maintains his good looks and charisma, ultimately achieving hegemonic masculinity.
There’s no way to mention masculinity in the movie Tangled and not bring up the Snuggly Duckling Pub scene. When Rapunzel and Flynn stumble into a bar full of large, tough, scary men, they fear for the worst. As it turns out, these men are not what they seem: they all have different hobbies and passions associated with femininity. They enjoy knitting, baking, miming, playing the piano, and even collecting ceramic unicorns. Even though they like feminine things, they maintain the benefits of their tough outer appearance, forming hybrid masculinity.
In the movie, Rapunzel leaves her tower and learns the truth about her family: that her parents are the King and Queen, and her ‘mother’ Gothel has only been using her for her hair’s youth-giving abilities. As she is out exploring the world with Flynn as her guide, she is in the threshold of her rite of passage journey, on her way to discovering her mother’s secret. Once Rapunzel realizes what’s going on, she attempts to run away but is halted by Gothel injuring Flynn. This results in Flynn cutting her long blonde hair in the final step of her passage, leaving it short, brown, and unable to maintain its healing abilities. Shortly after, Rapunzel goes on to reunite with her family and marry Flynn, emerging successfully on the other side of her journey.
Romantic Relationships
Both Beauty and the Beast and Tangled contribute to the discussion of masculinity in Disney films by showing audiences unique types of masculinity in romantic heterosexual relationships. Disney does not immediately position the male as the hegemonic dominant in the relationship, but instead uses different forms of masculinity to reveal the complexities of equality within the relationships, similar to the complexities of masculine equality in the other forms of relationships on this blog.
---------- Part Done By: Cassidy Flatt ----------
References
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