This is the third episode in a special eight-part series about millennial women and the Disney Renaissance. Rachel interviewed 34 millennial women to learn how the movies of the Disney Renaissance influenced them, including their beliefs around gender. Female characters like Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991), Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996), and Mulan (Mulan, 1998) represented a new type of Disney princess character: one who was active, courageous, and strong. These characters still experienced gendered oppression, however, and the movies of the Renaissance offered important lessons to young girls about what it means to be a woman.
This is the third episode in a special eight-part series about millennial women and the Disney Renaissance. Rachel interviewed 34 millennial women to learn how the movies of the Disney Renaissance influenced them, including their beliefs around gender. Female characters like Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991), Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996), and Mulan (Mulan, 1998) represented a new type of Disney princess character: one who was active, courageous, and strong. These characters still experienced gendered oppression, however, and the movies of the Renaissance offered important lessons to young girls about what it means to be a woman.
Thanks to Grace Brenner, Chris Casey, Erin Casey, and the University of Southern Maine. Research protocols were approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Southern Maine (IRB#2024-192). Audio clips of research interviews have been shared with consent from participants. Audio clips from existing media have been used in accordance with fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. This podcast is not associated with or endorsed by the Walt Disney Company.
Cover art by Melanie Kim (@mellyckim).
Sources:
Bancroft, T., & Cook, B. (Directors). (1998). Mulan [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Clements, R., & Musker, J. (Directors). (1989). The Little Mermaid [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Clements, R., & Musker, J. (Directors). (1992). Aladdin. Walt Disney Pictures.
Clements, R., & Musker, J. (Directors). (1997). Hercules [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Goldberg, E., & Gabriel, M. (1995). Pocahontas [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Lima, K., & Buck, C. (Directors). (1999). Tarzan [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Minkoff, R., & Allers, R. (Directors). (1994). The Lion King [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Muir, R. (2023). The Disney princess phenomenon: A feminist analysis. Bristol University Press.
Trousdale, G., & Wise, K. (Directors). (1991). Beauty and the Beast [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.
Trousdale, G., & Wise, K. (Directors). (1996). The Hunchback of Notre Dame [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.