Recent posts

Dahlberg-Dodd (2020) Voices of the hero

Examines the presentation of hegemonic masculinity in anime aimed at adolescent boys and its change over time. The study looks at the use of pronouns and the phonetic performance of protagonists and how these respectively relate to gender performance. This paper would be useful for those interested in the relationship between linguistic content and phonetic … Continue reading Dahlberg-Dodd (2020) Voices of the hero

Davis (2005) The ‘dark prince’ and dream women

Covers the attitudes of Walt Disney toward several minority groups (especially women), as well as his personality, beliefs, and practices when running his studio. This article will be useful if you are interested in gaining a fuller understanding of Walt Disney as a person and how this might relate to the output of his studio. … Continue reading Davis (2005) The ‘dark prince’ and dream women

Davis (2007) Good girls and wicked witches

Covers the depictions of human female protagonists and antagonists in Disney’s animated feature films released between 1937 and 2005. Along with providing background information on animation, Disney (the studio and the person) and constructions of femininity in American popular culture, a fairly large number of specific films are examined in depth. These analyses will be … Continue reading Davis (2007) Good girls and wicked witches

Davis (2014) Handsome heroes and vile villains

Covers the depictions of human male protagonists and antagonists in Disney’s animated feature films from 1937 to 2012. A fairly large number of films are each examined in detail, with three chapters on the protagonists (covering heroes in childhood or adolescence, non-aristocratic adults, and royals) and one on the villains. This book will be useful … Continue reading Davis (2014) Handsome heroes and vile villains

Davis (2019) Discussing Disney

Covers a wide range of topics relating to Disney’s history, studio practices, constructions of gender and the ways Disney is discussed in wider society. This book will be useful if you are interested in gaining a greater background knowledge of Disney, and the section on gender (particularly chapters seven, eight and ten, relating to cosmetic … Continue reading Davis (2019) Discussing Disney

El Chami (2020) Gender and race representation in Disney

Takes an intersectional approach through content analysis of three Disney princess films from 2009-2016 featuring female leads of different races. Examines stereotypical women’s language forms (specifically empty adjectives, super polite forms and interruptions) seen in cross-sex interactions between female leads and male characters. Examples from scripts are provided. Results also consider the racial differences between … Continue reading El Chami (2020) Gender and race representation in Disney

Fadina (2016) Fairytale women

Explores how constructions of femininity can be manipulated through the reshaping of the Russian national past i.e. folklore, using a mixture of qualitative and empirical analysis. Focuses on stereotypes of female characters and the normalization of domestic abuse. Covers the history and ideology behind Russian/post-soviet animation, with a focus on women’s place in it. Analyses … Continue reading Fadina (2016) Fairytale women

Finley (2023) Defamiliarizied Gender in the Works of Hayao Miyazaki

Argues that Miyazaki’s films portray unconventionally strong female protagonists through defamiliarization, stating that the films Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service borrow from and rejects elements of Japanese culture to create characters and settings that evoke the defamiliarization of gender, e.g. in genderbent references to folklore and historical figures. Contains close analysis of the original … Continue reading Finley (2023) Defamiliarizied Gender in the Works of Hayao Miyazaki