Gender Stereotypes in Moana (2016): a Film Analysis of the Main Character
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Passage 2019, 7(1), 1-24 Gender stereotypes in Moana (2016): A film analysis of the main character Yogi Zanualdy Ramadhan English Language and Literature Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia ABSTRACT Gender stereotyping is a common phenomenon shown in films. Many films, such as those produced by Disney, often portray their male and female characters stereotypically. One of Disney’s recent children movies is Moana (2016). This research aims to analyze how the main character in Moana (2016) is portrayed and seeks to answer whether the portrayal conform to or goes against gender stereotypes. To analyze the gender stereotypes embedded in the film, the study draws on Evans and Davies’ (2009) framework as well as those of Copenhaver’s (2002) and Brannon’s (2016). Meanwhile, Boggs and Petrie’s (2008) characterization in films has been adopted to unravel the character of Moana. The analysis shows that Moana is portrayed as a character who possesses both masculine and feminine traits; the masculine traits, however, are more dominant that the feminine ones. This indicates that the film tends to go against gender stereotyping by portraying a complexity of traits within the main character. Keywords: Disney’s Movie, Gender Stereotypes. 188 Yogi Zanualdy Ramadhan Gender stereotypes in Moana (2016): A film analysis of the main character INTRODUCTION Beauty (1959), have weak, Films play an important role in dependent, and passive female main affecting people’s lives, especially characters, films after 2000, such as children. Children films may have Frozen (2013), Brave (2012), and characters that children viewers treat Moana (2016), tend to have a main as their role models. For example, the female character that is strong, cartoon series Crayon Shinchan has a independent and brave. These shifting character named Shinchan who is traits of female characters in Disney funny and entertaining to watch. films appear to reflect the shifting However, Shinchan has also been perceptions of women in real life. criticized as displaying bad manners This shows how gender stereotypes toward parents, friends, and others can change over time. around him. This example, therefore, Gender stereotyping is one of shows that it can be problematic if the undeniable facts of life. Gender children blindly imitate something in stereotyping in films is worth the film. analyzing, since films can have a One of the most popular significant impact towards the children film’s production house is audiences. Gender stereotypes shown Disney. One of the most famous in a film can influence and shape the works by Disney is their princess attitudes of those who watch the film. films. For quite a long time, Disney’s For example, some children who princess films have told fairy-tale watch Cinderella (1950) or Sleeping romance stories of weak princesses Beauty (1959) might be affected by and strong princes. However, the appearance of the princesses they presently, Disney’s stories as well as see in the films and start to imitate its characters seem to have shifted and how they look, while some boys reflected the present reality more. might want to be strong and heroic While most of Disney’s princess like the prince. Even though gender films before 2000, such as Snow stereotypes can change over time, White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), most films portray their male and Cinderella (1950), and Sleeping female characters in line with the 189 Passage 2019, 7(1), 1-24 traditional gender stereotypes. Brannon (2016). The three Traditionally, men are portrayed as frameworks have been drawn on someone who is strong, brave, because they complement each other: adventurous and independent, while Copenhaver’s (2002) framework women are generally portrayed as provides feminine and masculine powerless, dependent, and emotional. traits classification to analyze Moana, These stereotypes, too, have often Evans and Davies’s (2009) provides a been found in Disney’s princess clear explanation of those traits, and films. Brannon’s (2016) framework provide Moana (2016), however, is The Cult of True Womanhood as the different because some of the traits traditional female gender stereotypes. attached to the main character do not Meanwhile, Boggs and Petrie’s seem conform to the traditional (2008) characterization in films serve gender stereotypes. This makes the as a methodological tool to analyze character, Moana, worth analyzing. the main character of Moana. Since the film has only been released in 2016, there are only, to the best of THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK my knowledge, few studies on Moana This part consists of a discussion of (Khairunnisa, 2017; Streiff and the theoretical framework related to Dundes, 2017). However, these the research. Itis divided into three research studies did not focus major parts: (1) film studies, (2) specifically on examining gender gender stereotypes, and (3) stereotypes in the film. Therefore, to characterization in Films. contribute to research on Moana, this study aims to analyze how the main Film Studies character is portrayed in the film and Films have been part of many explores the gender stereotypes people’s lives. However, there is no attached to her. To analyze the gender clear definition of what a film is. Even stereotypes, the study uses Evans and though Arnheim (1957) believes that Davies’s (2009) framework as well as film is similar to literature, painting, those of Copenhaver’s (2002) and music, in a way that it is used to 190 Yogi Zanualdy Ramadhan Gender stereotypes in Moana (2016): A film analysis of the main character produce artistic results, Kolker (2000) making, but also how itaffects the emphasizes that is hard to define film audience as well since films seem to have become a taken-for-granted part of most Gender Stereotypes in Film people’s lives. He points out that that Gender stereotypes can be film is just film; film is just there to defined as beliefs about be enjoyed. characteristics associated with, and Even though Kolker (2000) the activities appropriate to, men or believes that film can be considered women (Brannon, 2016). In the as an art, since it is actually a text just literature, this term has often been like other art forms, he argues that contrasted with the term sex. film is different in some ways. A text, However according to Stoller (1990) according to Kolker (2002), is an sex refers to the physical differences understandable structure of meanings between men and women, while which consist of complex related gender refers to the behavior and events in a context. Moreover, Kolker cultural practices of men and women. (2002) added the differences between Gender stereotypes can also be text in films and in any other arts lie defined as the characteristics of on their physical (photographic genders which draw differences images), narrative (experience by between typical “masculine” and watching the film), economic and “feminine” in society (Krahn, 2015). cultural (the production, distribution, According to Brannon (2016), and consumption) features. gender stereotypes have four different Furthermore, Wardaningsih aspects: physical characteristics, (2017) states that the purposes of film occupations, traits and behavior. studies are to disclose and also First, physical characteristics refer to explain the techniques which one’s appearance physically. Second, distinguish film and any other literary occupation is associated with one’s works. In addition to this, Nelmes job. Third, traits is someone’s (2012) argues that film studies is not distinguishable features personality- only about the mechanics of film 191 Passage 2019, 7(1), 1-24 wise, and last, behavior is one’s action toward something. Table 1. Brannon’s (2016) elements of stereotyping of women and men “The Cult of True Womanhood” “Male Sex Role Identity” Piety No Sissy Stuff Purity The Big Wheel Submissiveness The Sturdy Oak Domesticity Give ‘Em Hell The elements of stereotyping a real man is. This concept consists of women and men above have been four major elements that contain the synthesized by Brannon (2016) from following ideas: No Sissy Stuff (no many sources. Traditionally, feminine characteristics such as stereotypes attached to women have nurturing, submissiveness, and been conceptualized as “Cult of True patience), The Big Wheel (being Womanhood” (p. 161), which successful), The Sturdy Oak consists of four aspects: piety (toughness, confidence, and self- (naturally religious), purity (sexually reliance), and Give ‘Em Hell (aura of uninterested), submissiveness (weak, aggression, daring, and violence). dependent, and timid), domesticity Brannon (2016) also emphasizes the (their domain was in the home). binary opposition within the gender According to Brannon (2016) women stereotypes by providing the who have these characteristics will opposites of the stereotypes attached; gain happiness and power since for example, women were expected to without these characteristics be weak, while men were expected to women’s lives have no real meaning. be strong. Stereotypes attached to men, on the In addition to Brannon’s other hand, have been conceptualized framework, Copenhaver (2002) has as “Male Sex Role Identity” (p. 162). conceptualized feminine and In Brannon’s view, this defines what masculine traits as follows: 192 Yogi Zanualdy Ramadhan Gender stereotypes in Moana (2016): A film analysis of the main character Table 2. Gender Traits by Copenhaver (2002, p. 83-84) Masculine Feminine Non-emotional / Non-excitable Emotional / Excitable Objective Subjective Competitive Non-competitive