Is the Mouse Sensitive?

A Study of Race, Gender, and Social Vulnerability in Disney Animated Films

Vincent E. Faherty
University of Southern Maine ABSTRACT This study is a quantitative content analysis of characters appearing in the 19 most successful and most recent Disney animated movies. The focus is on the variables of diversity (including gender, race/ethnicity, and age), assigned roles within the films, and social vulnerability, defined as any life situation or condition that makes one susceptible to being hurt or disadvantaged in some manner, either physically, emotionally, or economically. Results are mixed. There are several positive outcomes for which the Disney Corporation should be applauded, but there are also a number of serious lapses. The impact that the Disney Corporation has exerted on domains as varied as entertainment, leisure, aesthetics, education, business management, technology, and even regional land development can only be characterized as stunning. Disneys animated characters, songs, story themes and trinkets are true cultural icons, venerated across the world by staunch believers, adults as well as children, who live in massive urban centers and in tiny rural hamlets. In academia, Disneys development strategies, land acquisition practices, and marketing techniques are legendary case studies often presented and critically discussed in Schools of Business, Urban Planning, and Media Studies. Despite this phenomenal success, or perhaps because of it, controversy haunts the Magic Kingdom. Detractors from both the ideological left and right assail the Disney Corporation for its alleged cruel and damaging impact on children, families, society, and, indeed, on the very fabric of modern culture itself. This study is an attempt to isolate one component of the Disney phenomenon a sample of Disney animated lms and to systematically analyze the portrayed character images with respect to issues of gender, race/ethnicity, and social vulnerability. These are issues which daily confront the child welfare professional as he/she relates to: children living in complicated, and sometimes precarious, family units; children who are labeled as different because they have lost a parent to death or separation; children who are adopted or in foster care; multicultural children; and children who have a physical or emotional disability of some kind. Literature Review Using similes derived from classic Disney images, it is clear that what has been written about the Disney Corporation in the past 60 years is as broad as the smile on the face of Alices Cheshire cat and as varied as the colors oating through Pocahontas wind. From that broad perspective, literature means the columns of media critics distributed in our nations Sunday newspapers, the thoughts of leading intellectuals in the op-ed pages of literary magazines, as well as the dissertations, chapters, books, and articles published in professional journals in a range of academic disciplines. Viewed pragmatically, these published analyses of the Disney phenomenon tend to divide into one of three categories: unqualied support; cautious neutrality; or intense criticism. The following literature review focuses solely on professional books, articles, and dissertations. An attempt is made to create a balanced summary of the research that was reported within these three categories regarding the impact of the Disney Corporation on modern society. There exists a moderate amount of literature that is decidedly positive in its orientation towards the Disney Corporation. Much of this category can be considered in-house, since the works are produced by Disney employees, close associates, or are published by Hyperion Press, a Disney corporate afliate. Despite their overt subjectivity, however, these sources do fulll a vital role by providing rich anthologies
Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education, Volume 1, Issue 3 (August 2001), 1 8 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.3.001

and histories that are based on archival materials from within the Disney Corporation. Works such as the Encyclopedia of Walt Disneys Animated Characters by Grant (1998) and The Disney Villain by Johnson and Thomas (1993), for example, are invaluable for any researcher needing factual data and historical time lines. There is also a broad school of research that can be viewed as more neutral and balanced in its approach. As a general observation, this body of work tends to use qualitative research methods. The most common research technique employed is close textual and contextual analysis of a selected number of Disney lms, theme parks, and/or merchandise. Koenigs (1997) frank behind the scenes study of Disneys animated lms and theme parks reveals the extent of public criticism of the racial and ethnic stereotyping evident in Song of the South, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Pocahontas. Several other authors provide genuinely balanced treatments of controversies that have doggedly trailed Disney on the issues of race, gender, sexuality, morality, and traditional cultural values (Edgerton & Jackson, 1996; Grifn, 1998; Hastings & Waller, 1996; OBoyle, 1996; Self, 1999; Swan, 1999; Ward, 1996, 1997). Religious conservatives have charged Disney with embedding subliminal sexual images and phrases in animated lms such as Aladdin, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and The Lion King. Indeed, these accusations have assumed the status of urban legends in some quarters. Ostman (1996) offers plausible, even innocent, explanations for these phenomena, and reminds the reader that the Walt Disney Company has shown a continuing willingness to respond to public concerns ( p. 86). The core position of this neutral assessment of Disney images is openly championed by Allan (1999): Aesthetic, cultural, socio-political and feminist attacks upon all aspects of Disney proliferate, but the lms continue to be popular, their layered richness proclaiming their classical status as the twentieth century draws to a close ( p. xv). Finally, the professional literature contains material that is clearly antagonistic towards the Disney Corporation. It emanates from both the ideological left and right. Some of the commentary approaches a level that can best be described as shrill. Hiaasen (1998), for example, charges that . . . success after success has turned Team Rodent into a ravenous, fearless beast ( p. 20). Similarly, from an opposite perspective, Ferraiuolo (1995) laments Disneys desecration of Judeo-Christian religious institutions by promoting in Pocahontas . . . a new environmental spiritualism [in which] Mother Earth is to be worshiped ( p. 143). Other critics indict Disney for discriminating against women and motherhood (Fox, 1987; Hass, 1995; Reed, 1995; Urtheil, 1998); for being culturally insensitive and even racist (Gagnon, 1994; Gooding-Williams, 1995); for appearing unconcerned about social problems and community needs (Flower, 1991; Franz & Collins, 1999; Ross, 1999); and for serving as the standard bearer of a dehumanizing capitalist agenda for corporate America (Giroux, 1995). Giroux (1999), cautioning the reader that . . . recognition of the pleasure that Disney provides should not blind us to the realization that Disney is about more than entertainment ( p. 5), declares that What we dont need is a culture industry that increasingly produces stories that turn childrens desires and dreams into fodder for the Disney imagineers and into prots for the Disney Stores and power-lunch brokers ( p. 12). Based on this literature review, it is apparent that there remains much skepticism some moderate, some intense concerning Disneys impact on children, families, and society itself. In addition, virtually all the research on Disney reported to date has been qualitative in nature and therefore open to varying interpretations based on the researchers subjective approach to text, context, and image. In order to go beyond qualitative approaches, the following study examines the Disney phenomenon using quantitative methods. The major and minor characters in a selected number of Disney animated lms were systematically analyzed for manifest content indicators of gender, race and ethnicity, and social vulnerability. Methodology This is an exploratory study, which sought to answer the following research questions. First, do the major Disney animated lms reect the polyglot diversity of modern life in their portrayal of males
Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education, Volume 1, Issue 3 (August 2001), 1 8 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.3.001

and females, people of color, and people from ethnic backgrounds? Second, what can be discovered about the status of a character (i.e., major or minor) and the assigned role of a character (i.e., hero/ heroine or villain) in each lm? Finally, do Disney lm characters express social vulnerability so that they are not mere two-dimensional gures, but real-life representations of the major problems and issues facing children and families today? For this study, social vulnerability was dened as any life situation or condition that makes a person susceptible to being hurt or disadvantaged in some manner, whether physically, emotionally, or economically. Data were collected using a systematic, quantitative content analysis of a purposive sample of 19 Disney animated lms. The rst 15 lms are those listed in The Walt Disney Companys 1998 Fact Book (1998) as the most popular Disney videos based on unit sales for home entertainment in the United States ( p. 4). Four post-1998 animated Disney lms were added to the lists to maintain currency. The 19 lms are: The Lion King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin, Cinderella, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Bambi, Pocahontas, The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmations, The Fox and the Hound, Pinocchio, Lady and the Tramp, Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), and Tarzan (1999). A number of variables for each Disney animated character were identied visually and then quantitatively analyzed for descriptive and inferential meanings. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for all statistical computations. Table 1 contains a listing of the variables and their coding categories.

Results There were 334 distinct characters portrayed in the 19 Disney lms. Males comprised 63% (212) and females 28% (93) of the total, while the gender of 9% (29) of the characters could not be determined visually. In the age category, characters were portrayed as adults 45% (150) of the time, as young adults 17% (56) of the time, as young children 7% (24) of the time, and as seniors 9% (30) of the time. 76% (255) of the 334 characters appeared in a minor role in contrast to the 24% (79) who emerged from the story lines as major characters. Villains and their supporters were not very dominant in these Disney classics, appearing as evildoers only 22% (75) of the time. Heroes, heroines, and their friends appeared 69% (230) of the time. Data indicating the race and ethnicity of the 334 characters are presented in Table 2. This variable was measured by close analysis of each characters body features, clothing, name, and any vocal accent, if present. For obvious reasons, this variable has most relevance for the human characters, in contrast to the non-human (i.e., animal or object) characters. Taken together, European and EuropeanAmerican characters are the most dominant group, with Asian, Arabic, and American Indian characters lagging far behind. Europeans and European-Americans account for 47.6% of the depicted characters, while Asians appear at a rate of only 5.1%. Taken together, characters depicted as African-Americans, Arabic, Hispanic, or American Indian appear only 5.7% of the time. The high percentage of European and European-American characters may be due to the fact that many of the Disney classic lms are based on Western European folk tales. Similarly, the high percentage of
Table 1. Variables and coding categories used Gender Male, female, undetermined Age Infant, young child, adolescent, young adult, adult, senior Character status Major, minor Film role Hero or heroine, hero or heroine supporter, villain, villain supporter, neutral Race/Ethnicity African, African-American, American Indian, Asian, European, European American, Hispanic, Arabic, Animal or object, undetermined Social vulnerability Present, none Social vulnerability Physical disability, speech impediment, low intelligence, poverty, absent-minded, parent specied missing or killed, single parent, widow or widower, overweight, killed, prisoner, eccentric

Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education, Volume 1, Issue 3 (August 2001), 1 8 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.3.001

Table 2. Race/ethnicity of disney animated characters African-American American Indian Arabic Asian European European-American Hispanic Animal/object Undetermined

1 (0.03%) 9 (2.7%) 8 (2.4%) 17 (5.1%) 126 (37.7%) 33 (9.9%) 1 (0.03%) 135 (40.4%) 4 (1.2%)

the Animal/Object category reects the many images of humanized animals and objects found in typical folk tales. There were 135 examples of overt social vulnerabilities expressed by the characters. Table 3 lists the frequency and percentage of these social vulnerabilities. By far the most common social vulnerability was a missing or deceased parent (29.6%), followed by a group of three social vulnerabilities: physical disability (15.6%); low intelligence (14.8%); and overweight (14.1%). Characters who are killed or taken prisoner constitute 8.1% and 6.7%, respectively, of the total social vulnerabilities present. In statistics, a chi-square test of association analyzes if any relationship exists between two variables at the nominal level of measurement. For this study, a series of chi-square tests of association were computed between various combinations of variables to gauge whether statistically signicant relationships existed or not. A summary of the results of these tests, together with a statement of what the results mean in plain English, is presented in Table 4. Men are presented as villains much more than would be statistically expected. Female characters are portrayed as adolescents or young adults more than would be statistically expected. In addition, there is no statistically signicant difference between male and female characters with respect to socially vulnerability. Discussion At the outset, the limitations of this study should be identied. First, the animated lms selected for study are a purposive sample of all Disney lms, not a scientically selected random sample. Thus, any results discussed should not be generalized to all the creative output of the Disney studios. The results relate solely to the identied listing of 19 Disney lms. Second, only a very limited number of variables were examined, and even those were probed at a fairly overt level. Thus, for example, only the assigned role in the lm was coded, and no attempt was made to determine if that role was stereotypical in terms of gender, age, or race/ethnicity. Finally, there is no report of any inter-rater reliability commonly found in content analysis studies. Viewing both the descriptive as well as the inferential data presented above, it is important to note several positive ndings. The Disney animated lms do document several critical areas of social
Table 3. Social vulnerabilities present Parent missing or killed Physical disability Low intelligence Overweight Killed Prisoner Absent-minded Speech impediment Eccentric Single parent Poor Widow or widower

40 (29.6%) 21 (15.6%) 20 (14.8%) 19 (14.1%) 11 (8.1%) 9 (6.7%) 5 (3.7%) 3 (2.2%) 2 (1.5%) 2 (1.5%) 2 (1.5%) 1 (0.7%)

Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education, Volume 1, Issue 3 (August 2001), 1 8 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.3.001

Table 4. Chi-square tests of association Variables Statistical signicance Gender & social x 2.74, df 2, p ..05 (n.s.) vulnerability Gender & lm role x 21.86, df 4, p ,.001 Film role & social x 6.34, df 2, p ,.05 vulnerability Gender & age x 81.3, df 8, p ,.001 Age & lm role Age & character status x 37.66, df 8, p ,.001 x 39.53, df 4, p ,.001

Meaning Male and female characters are equally social vulnerable Villains are much male much more than female Villains express some social vulnerability much more than heroes or heroines Female characters are adolescent and young adults more than expected Villains and their supporters are adult more than expected Adolescents and young adults played a major role more than expected

vulnerability which need to be raised to a level of public consciousness, given that they do affect so many children and families. Disney should be applauded for presenting in human terms what it is like to be an orphan or a foster child; to have lost a parent to death; to have a stepmother and be a member of a blended family; to cope with a physical or emotional disability; to be poor; to be discriminated against; or, to be simply different from ones peers in some visible manner. These are uncomfortable issues, particularly for young children, but they have, indeed, been introduced with a dose of creativity known also as the Disney magic. Positive reinforcement for these activities and encouragement for future endeavors seems to be in order. Viewed quantitatively, female characters do not appear to be disadvantaged or to suffer negative consequences, as some critics have charged. In these 19 Disney lms, at least, women are not more likely than men to experience a social vulnerability, and women tend to be placed less often in villainous roles. On the negative side of the ledger, however, other ndings deserve serious attention. The virtual absence of minorities of color and of Hispanic ancestry in Disney lms is troubling. This is particularly incomprehensible, given the fact that Walt Disney himself was sensitive to public criticism of racism that was leveled at the 1950s Song of the South. Furthermore, Disney produced a series of animated lms after World War II in which the locale, along with the characters, was exclusively Hispanic. One wonders why Hispanic characters were never portrayed again. Finally, there arises the obvious question: how could the Disney Corporation produce two recent lms based in Africa (i.e., The Lion King and Tarzan) and not portray any human characters of African descent? On the issue of gender, the predominance of male characters in Disney animated lms is equally nonreective of modern society. Even in light of strong female character roles portrayed by Pocahontas and Mulan in recent lms, the quantitative disproportion of male characters needs to be addressed if we expect children to be able to relate to appropriate role models. Similarly, the preponderance of males in a villainous role should be analyzed for its potential negative impact on children and their relationships with caring male adults. The accusations that Disney animated lms portray very few mothers or two-parent families are supported by the data in this study. As shown in Table 3, the social vulnerability category parent missing or killed contains the highest number of occurrences. Furthermore, since females in the Disney lms tended to be adolescents and young adults to a statistically signicant degree, one would not expect many mothers to appear, since mothers would likely be adults or seniors. There also appears in these lms an unfortunate stereotype of the stupid sidekick that faithful companion who is the butt of jokes and falls prey to all sorts of accidents and predicaments. As indicated in Table 3, 14.8% of the social vulnerabilities were categorized as low intelligence. All of these characters were in minor supporting roles to the heroes, heroines, or villains. At times, the dialogue and plot context suggested that the character was even borderline mentally retarded. A similar concern about stereotyping arises in the social vulnerability category of overweight. This category also reported a

Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education, Volume 1, Issue 3 (August 2001), 1 8 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.3.001

moderately high incidence rate (14.1%), and characters appearing overweight were often awkward and inept in social situations. Conclusion The mixed ndings of this study stand as a forceful argument for further research on the topic of what has been called the Disneycation of culture, history, and behavior. Whether one views a Disney animation as exempt from material, historical, and political inuences . . . pure entertainment somehow centrifuged from ideological forces (Bell, Hass & Sells, 1995, p. 4); or as a modern Trojan horse brimming with racism, sexism and materialism; or somewhere in between at least further study can be agreed upon as a common goal. I hope that some of this continuing research will be quantitative in nature so that a dened breadth of data can be collected and broad generalizations can be achieved. This suggestion is not intended to disparage in any way the wealth of qualitative research that has been conducted and reported to date. It is, however, intended to remind all researchers of the need for balance, given the inherent strengths and weaknesses of all empirical research, whether qualitative or quantitative in structure. Buckingham (1997), alluding to the narrow textual analysis method, laments that some qualitative researchers fail to consider other possible readings of the texts they analyze, particularly on the part of those who are their primary audience; and in this respect their critical discourse seems to replicate the authoritarianism of which Disney himself is routinely accused ( p. 290). In addition to a call for continuing research, this study urges that a broader and more diverse array of individuals join in these systematic efforts to observe and explore the issues raised here. Indeed, if the Disney Corporation, or any other corporate entity, has even the slightest ability to impact the very structure and processes of society, then their activities must be scrutinized rigorously and objectively. That oversight task seems too unwieldy for academic researchers alone, particularly since most research thus far has been conducted in the humanities and the social sciences. Giroux (1999), highly critical of Disneys attempts at cultural dominance, urges individuals in all walks of life to mount the ramparts and stand rm against the Disney onslaughts. His challenge is simple and forthright: Artists, lawyers, social workers and others need to acknowledge their role as public intellectuals engaged in a pedagogy that offers them an opportunity to join with other cultural workers to expand the noncommodoed public space ( p. 169). If those public intellectuals answer that call and pursue their task responsibly and vigorously, society stands to benet. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Rethinking Disney: Private Control and Public Dimensions Conference at Florida Atlantic University in November 2000. COLUMBIA ONLINE CITATION: HUMANITIES STYLE Faherty, Vincent E. Is the mouse sensitive? A study of race, gender, and social vulnerability in Disney animated lms.Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education 1.3 (2001). http://www.utpjournals.com/simile (insert access date here). COLUMBIA ONLINE CITATION: SCIENTIFIC STYLE Faherty, V.E. (2001). Is the mouse sensitive? A study of race, gender, and social vulnerability in Disney animated lms. Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education, 1(3). http://www.utpjournals.com/simile (insert access date here). BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Vincent Faherty is a professor of social work at the University of Southern Maine, where he teaches Introduction to Social Welfare and Research Methods courses. He received his MSW from Fordham University in 1970 and his DSW from the University of Utah in 1976. Dr. Faherty also earned an MBA degree in 1984 from the International Management Institute of the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education, Volume 1, Issue 3 (August 2001), 1 8 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.3.001

He has taught at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Northern Iowa. He served as Chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of Southern Maine from 1988-1998. He has published and presented papers in the areas of child welfare, social work administration, and social work education, and has received several federal and state grants in public child welfare. In 1984, he received a Fulbright award for study in Perugia, Italy.

AUTHOR CONTACT INFORMATION Vincent E. Faherty Professor Department of Social Work University of Southern Maine PO Box 9300 Portland, Maine 04104 Voice: 207-780-4227 Fax: 207-780-4902 E-mail: faherty@usm.maine.edu References
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Studies in Media & Information Literacy Education, Volume 1, Issue 3 (August 2001), 1 8 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.3.001