Disney as an Example of Foucault's Social Norms

Fond memories of my childhood often include animated Disney films like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and the like. These movies appeal to young children with the relatively simplistic plot lines, triumph of good over evil, and ultimately, the numerous love stories. Although I am still fond of the films in a nostalgic sort of way, Disney movies have one major glaring contradiction. The female leads in the Disney animated classics, like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and the eponymous character from Mulan, are often independent and clever; however, at the end of the movies, these strong female leads end up with their respective male love interests. While this tickles the fancies of young children, it also sends the message that even girls who are intelligent, self-reliant individuals need to be tethered to males for their lives to be complete. This, in turn, appears to reinforce Foucault’s concept of social norms—females need to marry males for fulfillment, or even that girls who do not participate in this princess-filled fantasy dreamland are irregular while young boys who display preference for these “girly” movies are unusual.