Femininity and Masculinity: Understanding Gender Roles

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Analysis of the Sources: Moana Disney Movie
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

The understanding of how gender roles are portrayed in the media and the general perception of the expected behavior for men and women communicated non-verbally in the society is the basis on which children build their gender identities. Hence, it is essential to recognize the biases and confront the historical stereotypes, such as females having to care for their families while men having to work and earn money is vital for advancing society. This paper will analyze three sources, Moana Disney Movie, a Ted Talk by Justin Baldoni, and an article by Sonja Livingston titled Mad Love: The Ballad of Fred and Allie, to address the definitions of femininity and masculinity.

Analysis of the Sources: Moana Disney Movie

In Moana Disney Movie, the portrayal of the main character, Moana, confronts the way that Disney traditionally creates their female characters. Usually, females in Disney motion pictures are consistent with the traditional notion of femininity, and typically the main characters are princesses. As such, they wear long dresses and do not engage in activities that would show their courage and strength, which is what is expected from women in todays society.

Moana, on the other hand, is shown as a brave female character who is willing to go on a sea journey and fight in order to save her home island. Her character traits are not consistent with the historical and societal perception of a female since she is courageous and not agreeable. For instance, when confronted with the God of Men, who refuses to sail with Moana, she defends her right to stay on the canoe. Moreover, in line with combating the gender stereotypes, the character of the demigod Maui also confronts the stereotypical portrayal of male characters. Maui often demonstrates his upbeat personality; he is usually not serious and jokes around. Moreover, in the plot of this film, he causes the crisis that requires Moana and him to embark on the journey. Hence, both these characters demonstrate the positive traits of the males and females that go against the social stereotype of how men and women should behave.

Ted Talk by Justin Baldoni

Baldonis Ted Talk is titled When Im Done Trying to be Men Enough, and in it, he discusses the pressure that men feel due to the stereotypical behaviors and traits that society has labeled men with. For example, he shows the photos from his work as an actor, where he is typically portrayed shirtless, showing his body. The implication of this exhibit is that men are expected to be fit, while on the other hand, fit, good-looking, and confident males are often stereotyped as rapists. This inconsistency does not allow individuals to choose how they want to look due to the expectations that men have to work out in a gym and be strong. On the other hand, the males who look this way are labeled as rapists and therefore regarded as dangerous. Baldoni states that the majority of his characters are the portrayal of machismo, charisma, and power; however, this is not the way the actor perceives himself.

The inconsistency that Baldoni discusses is the result of how men have been viewed historically. He states that the feminine features have been perceived as the opposite to the masculine, and therefore, a man had to reject everything that would hint at him being vulnerable or weak. To be accepted in society and by other men, one would have to act as strong and charismatic. However, in reality, men, similarly to women, feel an array of emotions and do not always feel strong, which is why it is important to reexamine the stereotypes surrounding both genders.

Mad Love: The Ballad of Fred and Allie by Sonja Livingston

Livingstons story shows a stereotypical portrayal of a female and the traits and behaviors expected from women. For example, when describing Frederica, Livingston writes that she had brown eyes and a body like a new branch in spring, thin but coming together with new growth (para. 1). Moreover, this girl would laugh and sign, always having a good and cheerful mood. However, it is important to understand that, in reality, women do not always have these character traits, and some of them are serious and do not enjoy signing. Since this short story was staged in 1890, the portrayal of Fred shows how women were stereotyped historically.

Conclusion

In summary, this paper is the analysis of the definition of masculinity and femininity based on the three sources: Moana Disney Movie, a Ted Talk by Justin Baldoni, and an article by Sonja Livingston titled Mad Love: The Ballad of Fred and Allie. These resources can help understand what it means to be a man and a woman in todays society since Moanas character confronts the stereotype about women being weak. Freds character from Mad Love: The Ballad of Fred and Allie shows that women historically were expected to be cheerful and charming. Moreover, these stereotypes affect men as well because Baldoni states that he has always felt the pressure to be strong and charismatic. However, since in todays society, there are discussions about the damaging images of men and women, people can feel more freedom when their character traits and behaviors do not correspond with the stereotypical features.

Works Cited

Baldoni, Justin. When Im Done Trying to be Men Enough,TED, Web.

Livingston, Sonja. Mad Love: The Ballad of Fred & Allie, Creative Nonfiction, Web.

Moana. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, Disney, 2016.

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Femininity and Masculinity: Understanding Gender Roles

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