Disney Influence: Walt Disney
Animation Studios’ Films and
their Impact on Childhood
Social Learning.
Ashley Johnson
Fall 2014
Walt Disney Animation Studios, today known as Walt Disney Feature Animations, is
highly considered to be one of the most popular and successful animation companies of all time.
The studio was opened on October 16, 1923 by brothers Walt and Roy Disney in hopes of
creating short animated films to distribute to a public audience (Toma 1) (Walt Disney Studios
1). Later, desire for innovation moved the brothers toward creating the first full length feature
film known as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was completed and released in 1937,
fourteen years after the opening of the company (Toma 1) ( Walt Disney Studios 1) Since then,
Walt Disney Animated Studios has created a variety of captivating movies representing all walks
of life derived from fairytales, history, and myth. Their popularity has fluctuated through the
years but since the 1980’s has kept a steady following among many Americans. The frequency
and quality of the films have made them something of a household name, commonly being found
in homes and stores alike. In recent years, adaptations of the movies such as the creations of toys
and creations into different medias have made the popularity soar even further. With this, more
child are having the joy of Disney films accompany them through the stages of growing up and
through their social learning providing stories that one cannot help but love.
The term social learning refers to the way which children cultivate their personalities and
expectation through the experiences they have encountered with other people in their society.
Through example, children will understand characteristics that are associated with social
expectation based on what their guardian or other influential figures condone as such through
their own actions and vocalizations. These examples range from basic motor skills all the way to
psychological functions such development of morality and behavioral characteristics
(Frankenburg 1967, 1992). Social learning is affected in two major ways: through the use of
imitation and operant conditioning (Kalat). A child developing social characteristics will follow
the action or suggestions of many living things around them, whether human or animals. The
beginning stages of social learning are centered on imitation of the parents or other adults due to
consistent exposure to their actions for a steady amount of time (Frankenburg 1992) (Kalat).
Imitation is the branch of learning that is directly based on knowledge through observation.
Infants and toddlers rely strongly on imitation to develop basic skill sets such as walking,
talking, and expression of basic emotions (Frankenburg 1992). This development helps forms
self-sufficiency, creating the foundation for integration into a more social environment outside of
the family. Children’s imitation can even extend to developing ways to handle situations
involving other people. Once a child has developed basic skills through imitation, the
advancement in intelligence causes them to face other social challenges such as interacting with
other people outside of family and the ability to communicate effectively (Frankenburg 1992)
(Kalat). Children’s interactions with others help define how the child develops personally in
several manners based on the role in which the child feels that they hold in society and how they
express this idea. The development of the interactions specifically focuses on how the individual
looks at them self in a physical and emotional manner, as well as how they use that to build
social and romantic relationships.
Social learning through operant conditioning is development through reinforcement and
punishment. Operant conditioning is a psychological term related to the shaping of social
behavior which is a more direct form of developing both personal and social characteristics of a
person (Kalat). Reinforcement and punishment set a standard for behavior rather than an imitated
example of right and wrong that is gathered through observation. To affectively produce a
reaction through operant conditioning, the individual trying to do the conditioning must give or
take away something due to an action that is either performed or not by the individual who is
being conditioned. This sets both a physically and verbally established rule that is meant to be
learned in order to comply with social expectations which can include anything from interaction
between children and adults, to standards of success. These conditioning methods are typically
frequented with toddlers and older children due to the necessity of language and understanding
for what is trying to be taught.
Both operant conditioning and imitation combined are essential in social development
because together they construct a model that the child will follow from birth forward. However,
because language is not a solid faculty for communication in younger children, a lack of
thorough understanding of language and context may make operant conditioning less effective.
Modeling through imitation creates a more efficient method because the actions do not need
understanding on a verbal level but through emotions and the visible outcome. The physical
imitation also provides a more consistent and long term example rather than a harsh abrupt
example, providing its own form of reinforcement without direct action. That stability creates a
firm foundation for handling multiple situations due to the reiteration of examples and situations.
Because this focus on imitating figures is so important in multiple stages of child development
and social learning, characters from favorite movies can supplement the role of the imitator when
the parent is not around. In our modern day and age, it is quite common for parents to use movies
as a way to distract or entertain the kids. Therefore, instead of the focus constantly being on the
parent, it is temporarily shifted on the character and situation which the parent is deciding to
expose their children to. The lights, sounds, and colorful adaptations of life through the lens of a
Disney film are often captivating for a child. However, parents choosing to present Disney
animated films to their children may be introducing bad examples of social expectations. Many
Disney animated films follow a similar social construct that is projected to all of the children
who watch them. Often do we see a princess falling in love with a prince and getting their
happily ever after, subsequently once the characters overcome a series of challenges that are
usually social. Though Disney animated films verbally construe a positive message about
overcoming hindrances in life, the concepts about gender that can be gathered through imitation
are not so. Disney animated films provide a negative influence on children’s social development
due to the films consistent reinforcement of gender stereotypes and creation of expectations
regarding male and female relationships. Disney does this by establishing impossible standards
of beauty for men and woman, and upholding gender stereotypes by insinuating a preference of
heterosexuality, creating the high standards for male attractiveness and an emphasis of a desired
patriarchal society through the life goals and choices of the female characters.
The most consistent influence that Disney has on social development of children is the
reiteration of the importance of physical attractiveness. Though Disney movies do not verbally
state this as a matter of significance, the repetition of a stock physical form for both protagonists
and antagonists indicates physical attractiveness is relatable to social worth. The term social
worth in this context exactly references the personality of a character and whether they are
categorized as good or evil, like or disliked. A standard for physical form is more apparent with
characters, both male and female, that are considered likeable or in good social standing. These
characters are represented with bigger chests, small wastes, and perfectly symmetrical features,
having only specific details such as eye shape and color, hair style and color, and skin tone as the
factors that vary (Disney Princess 1). The female leads of each movie, the majority of which are
or become higher is social status, follow this structure exactly. Characters such as Ariel from The
Little Mermaid, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and Jasmine from Aladdin all hold identical
features in regard to body shape. The torso as a point of focus is always smallest around the
waste and extends out both above and below this midpoint. The top part of the torso is square in
shape, more noticeable when the characters are facing to the side, and much larger in size than
the waist. The lower half of the torso is drawn into bigger hip area which is either accurate to
form or implied through the shaping of clothes. In essence, Disney draws all of their female
characters with an exaggerated hourglass figure as the standard form for a lady. Though having
an hour glass shape being used as the shape of the female characters is not wrong it is
disconcerting that the hour glass shape is, in fact, the only body type used for female
protagonists. Another point of concern regarding body shape for females is the chests of the
characters and their proportions. The majority of the female protagonists have wide chests with
breast that are outlines clearly and drawn distinctively smaller than the outline of the thoracic
section of the torso. Having their breasts visibly smaller than the width of the chest accentuates
tightness of the skin, outlining the rib cage and insinuating a lack of fat or muscle in that area.
Ariel from The Little Mermaid, is a prime example of this because her torso area is unclothed
throughout the majority of the movie. There are several points where Ariel gasps or breaths in to
speak and when her chest rises the area that is expected to be the ribcage is more square and
much wider than the waist. That with the accentuation of the breasts leads one to assume that the
rib cage is distinguishable and can be an identifier of skinny and underweight women. This
creates dimensions of the body that are completely illogical as well as impossible to healthily
obtain.
Similar concepts occur with male characters in the films and are also drawn to resemble a
stock body shape that resembles more masculine features. While the women characters tend to
have an exaggerated hour glass shape that is focused on the waist, the focus on men’s shape is in
the chest and shoulder area. All of the male characters have broad shoulders with and equally
wide thoracic section of the torso. The pectoral muscles are exaggerates and defined to
emphasize muscularity to which the torso then extends downward to a small waist and onward to
bigger thighs. Though the men may not have a copious amount of muscle mass among the
various characters, the definition of muscle is outwardly present in all of the male protagonists.
In comparison, Hercules and Aladdin are two characters from their self-titled movies who
express the variation of the muscle mass and shape without a loss of significance in the
characters but emphasis on their masculinity. Hercules is significantly larger in size than
Aladdin, namely because he is a god but the two resemble each other in terms of body shape.
Hercules is considered a more masculine character specifically because of his title as a god
therefore is shows more manly characteristics such as more muscle definition and an
accentuation of the abdominals and quadriceps. While it is noticeable that Aladdin is equipped
with both and holds the same general shape as Hercules, he lacks in comparison height and
definition of muscles.
In contrast the same concept applies to the villains or the antagonists. Repeatedly,
characters that do not follow this standard that Disney has created they are considered
unimportant, treated as though they are of lesser value, or serve as the antagonist. The
characteristics that are presents with these types of characters are usually over accentuation
features, darker colors in regards to skin color and eyes, and either noticeably larger or smaller
than the standard set for the protagonists. The one undeniable feature that seems to distinguish
the protagonists from the antagonists is the body size. While the protagonists or people
considered in “good” have standard size and shape, the antagonists or villains seem to be under
or over weight in comparison. Ursula from The Little Mermaid and Cruella De Vil from 101
Dalmatians are both female villains who exemplify this statement, being categorized as ugly
both physically and mentally. Like the female protagonists, Ursula’s body also has a midpoint
that is focused on the waist, but instead of having a small waist she is portrayed as not having
one at all. Ursula is drawn as obese with big arms, a double chin, and small breasts. This is a
completely opposite figure from the stock protagonist forcibly associating looks with social
intent. Cruella De Vil is similar to Ursula in relation to the opposition to the stock physical form.
Cruella on the other hand is opposite from Ursula and is projected as overly skinny, having a
droopy face and sharp characteristics to stress bony features. Both also have a darker complexion
both with skin color and apparel choice; Ursula’s colors being purple and black and Cruella’s
color being red, white, and black. With men antagonists, the focus seems to be not only with
weight but a lack of muscle definition that was described with the male protagonists. Two
examples of this would be with Jafar from Aladdin and Archdeacon Frollo from The Hunchback
of Notre Dame. Both of these characters differ from the body standard created for men with a
lack of muscle definition as well a significant decrease in weight. Both Jafar and Frollo divert
away from the typical male standard by being drawn scrawnier than usual, drawn with a flat
body shape and sharp features similar to those of Cruella
With the establishment of these stock body forms, an extension can be made to discuss
the way in which Disney identifies masculine and feminine qualities in relation to the physicality
and personalities of the different characters. It is not a shock to hear that Disney Animated
features are extremely bent on the production of heterosexual relationships in films. This can be
seen through the relentless inclusion of the “boy meets girl” plot that frames any Disney story
whether or not it is completely relevant to the major conflict. With the establishment of a proheterosexuality view, a standard for gender characteristics is created to support male masculinity
and female femininity (Putnam 148). This directly means that the films echo gender stereotypes
that specifically isolate women and men to act in ways that are deemed socially appropriate
based on their sex. To highlight this idea, Disney animated films use the physicality of the
villains to express the negative qualities of transgender behavior in comparison to the positive
repercussions of the protagonists who follow the gender preference. This can be exemplified
through characters such as Scar from The Lion King, Jafar from Aladdin, and Ursula from The
Little Mermaid. Both Jafar and Scar are villainous characters that have subtly feminine attributes
that coincide with their differentiated body shape that is established by animators (Putnam 149).
Despite Scar being an animal character the shape of his body closely resembled the standard
established for the female protagonists at the beginning of this paper. He has a larger chest, a
small waist and an accentuation of the rib cage the almost directly mimics that of the other
female characters. A characteristic that directly associates his personality as feminine is the use
of dainty physical movements such as limpness in his wrists when he speaks, the extending of
his pinky, and his slow, graceful movements. Jafar hold similar attributes in regard to being
oddly feminine in his movement as well as the way he speaks. He also has a shape this is similar
to the female standard but in addition to that, he is the only male character wearing clothing that
resembles a dress. The outfit coupled with his thin physique further emphasizes a feminine
figure. Ursula is a female character that does almost the complete opposite by mimicking
stereotypical male qualities. Not only way Ursula designed after a drag queen, she also has a
really deep voice and sloppy gate. Being overweight emphasizes a difficulty in movement to
which Ursula lacks the gracefulness that is associated with females in the world of Disney
animation.
Continuing further on to the idea regarding gender stereotypes, Disney Animated films
depict heterosexual relationships by emphasizing necessary qualities that are considered
desirable for both men and women. For men, the movies illustrate characteristics that are
considered to desirable in order to be worthy of the attention of a woman. An essence of
manliness is created that set a standard for what it takes to get a girl. Typically these qualities
include a charming personality, a good moral compass, good looks, and a high social status. For
a love interest in the eyes of a female protagonist in a Disney Animated film, the man must have
some if not all of these traits. If a character must choose between two love interests, the character
that has the most is the one that is chosen because he is considered the better candidate. This idea
creates a strict expectation for what is considered attractive in a male that extends even the
superficial factors. You see the importance of these traits with movies such as The Hunchback of
Notre Dame and Hercules where comparison of relationships made or had by the female
protagonists solidify the importance of obtaining these traits in a mate. In The Hunchback of
Notre Dame, there are two lead, male characters Captain Phoebus and Quasimodo both of whom
are trying to win the heart of Esmerelda. From the very beginning of the movie Esmerelda is
presented with two men she builds relationships with and whom the audience considers to be her
suitors during the course of the action in the movie. She meets both Quasimodo and Phoebus
during the Festival of Fools and later in the story encounters them separately where each of their
relationships and levels of trust develop beyond the construct of acquaintances. Quasimodo is
one of the few characters in a Disney film who breaks the stock body figure that was established
earlier, having unattractive physical features such has a hunched back and an asymmetrical face
shape despite being the protagonist of the story. The nature of Quasimodo’s look breaks decorum
simply because of the origin of the character, which comes from the identically titled book by
Victor Hugo. Though Quasimodo is generally understood to be a gruesomely ugly character
based on the novel’s description, Disney made a great effort to characterize the animation from
the book but still make him palatable enough for Disney standards (Norden 167). Captain
Phoebus on the other hand has no problem sticking to the stock body of Disney expectations as
well as obtaining the other qualities that are considered necessary to be an attractive man. To
compare Quasimodo and Captain Phoebus, we identify that the two major differences based of
the qualities determined as ones necessary for a mate are their social status and the previously
established factor of physical appearance. During the development in the action of the movie we
see that Quasimodo has romantic feelings for Esmerelda and has a lack of confidence that she
feels the same because of the way he looks. Though she believes that Quasimodo is a great
hearted person Esmerelda strongly emphasizes that he is just considered a friend. She instead
develops a more romantic relationship with Captain Phoebus after he defends her sanctuary from
Archdeacon Frollo and his men. Phoebus as a character is evidently created with all of the
desirable traits, specifically being more physically attractive and having a better social status
than that of Quasimodo. One can’t help but wonder why Esmerelda chooses the man who is least
like her versus the person who most identify with her based on the similar constriction of their
ability to partake in society as an equal; someone who she can relate to emotionally. Both
Quasimodo and Phoebus hold a strong moral compass, showing disdain for inequality and death
and both have a charming personality that Esmerelda seems to enjoy. Both men interact with
Esmerelda is a similar fashion, saving her at multiple points in the plot as well as holding
heartfelt discussions about personal views and beliefs. That being said, there is no real reason
why she chooses Phoebus over Quasimodo other than the fact that his only differences stem from
his physical features and social status (Norden 168). Furthermore, the novel by Victor Hugo does
not have the same ending as the Disney film, which instead ends with all of the characters dying
off the characters with no development of a relationship that ends on a positive note (Norden
174). Therefore, the outcome of the relationship that is developed is completely constructed by
the Disney animators and it can be declared that Esmerelda’s reasons for choosing Phoebus over
Quasimodo stems from the superior qualities that he possesses over Quasimodo.
In Hercules we see a similar exchange occur between Hercules and Megara. Though
Hercules does not have direct competition like Quasimodo does, Hercules has to battle Megara’s
past relationships rather than compete for her love against a current suitor. Throughout a decent
portion of the film, Megara states multiple times and even sings about the fact that she has given
up on love or refuses to open her heart up to men. As an audience member, you are introduced to
her past relationship through a conversations she has with Hades and it is determined that the
man she loved before left her for someone else. Though we do not know the details beyond this
fact, it can be said that the previous man did not obtain a good moral compass. Megara withholds
a sarcastic and negative view about love during the course of the movie, making it seem like
Hercules will never win her heart. However, it takes a god with a good moral compass to change
her views. Hercules is different from most because he is the hero, the good looking guy, and
most definitely has the highest social status of them all. He holds all of the necessary attributes to
make him the perfect candidate for Megara thus being more worthy due to the addition of a good
moral compass which contrasts the unidentified man previously mentioned. You see her enamor
with Hercules through her dialogue and facial expressions, repeatedly saying “way to go wonder
boy” or “you really are something else”, and smiling in the process (Hercules 1995). Though
sarcastic to keep up her mask, Megara shows that she recognizes his differences and
extraordinary values ultimately making her fall in love with him.
Disney’s creation of the male gender stereotype and what is means to be a desirable male
pushes the expectation of social relationships through the roof. Having a great body, a high
social status, and essentially being perfect makes someone the prime candidate for a woman and
her love. These four characteristics that seem to etch out the ideal male create such a high bar for
male expectation because the plots of the stories make it seem that if you do not obtain all of
these qualities than you are considered undesirable. Though many people follow similar
standards when choosing who they want to be with in the real world, the stories seem to justify
turning someone down simply based on the fact that they aren’t as good looking as the other
choice. Instead of considering emotional connection or attraction solely based on personality,
Disney specifically includes social status and looks as factors that are undeniable causes for
certain characters to be chosen as mates over others. This creates a superficial and high standard
for both girls and boys who witness this social exchange through the actions of their favorite
characters.
The consistent repetition of the stock body in comparison to the villains’ bodies to
emphasize the morality or social worth of a character allows for children to make inferences in
regard the shape of one’s body. Physically identifying a character based on his motives and
personality creates a false relationship between body image and a person’s self-worth. The
exposure to these contrasts between good and evil through the representation of body formation
act specifically as a form of operant condition and imitation, defining the way the child views
body shape through the actions of the characters who hold certain traits. The plot itself creates a
situation of positive reinforcement and negative punishment among the protagonist and
antagonist. The person with the desirable traits, such as a good body, will get what they want
because they looks a certain way; they are considered good based on the way they look. Similar
occurs with the bad characters and because they are bad, they have undesirable traits and
therefore will not accomplish the goals that they set out to achieve. The relationship between the
characters and their motive in the stories creates a simple example of an operant conditioning
situation that solidifies the “if, then” concept of that form of social learning. However, because
the child is not directly receiving the conditioning they learn the mindset through the consistent
exposure of these “if, then” situations that reinforces the body image issue through the characters
themselves. They see the character that they identify as the protagonist succeed and therefore
desire to imitate what they see based on the outcome of the characters actions. Kids will start to
associate looks with personality creating a desire for beauty in order to be happy with
themselves. This idea transfers to every issue that has been mentioned in this paper. The different
standards that are established regarding these gender stereotypes in relation to body and
physicality are reiterated to the extent that the actions become influential. If all the child sees if
are images of heroic characters with good looks getting the girl and getting married then it will
create a sense of normalcy and acceptance for those actions. Disney in turn creates a negative
influence by establishing an outrageous social standard that causes pressure to attain the standard
and feel unworthy if unable.
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