As we're getting down to the details of our presentation, I was looking at Disney movies and the songs in them. Mulan is one of my favorites, and is pretty good for young girls, in my opinion. The hero is a young woman who is very independent and brave. Not like the dainty princesses of most Disney films. But when I was looking for gender stereotypes, it hit me that even in this film, which seems to support the adventurous spirits of young girls, there are some serious drawbacks to being a girl.
She has to hide her gender, her sexuality. As a kid watching the movie, it never really bothered me. But now looking back, it seems to teach girls that there are some things you can't be simultaneously. You can't be a girl and be brave; you can't be a girl and fight for what you believe in; you can't be a girl and break social rules.
There's also the songs in the movie. Some of the ones that jump out at me are "I'll Make a Man Out of You" and "A Girl Worth Fighting For". There's also the whole scene at the match maker's... there's a song there too but I don't remember what it's called. Look over the lyrics and see the immense amount of proof of what girls can and can't be, what they can and can't do, and even how boys/men are supposed to be. It's crazy.
