Masculinity And Femininity In 'Beauty And Trolls'

It is easy to understand the idea of masculinity and femininity even as a young child. It is very clear that the media we consume contributes to and is a reflection of how we think and function as a society. What is interesting about children’s movies is that there truly is such a wide variety of films; different genres, characters, and morals/themes. The majority of these films have subtle lines or details that convey themes masculinity or femininity. Some films are more subtle than others, some being not subtle at all as they are clearly targeted at boys or at girls. But the films that appear gender neutral still show off characters with specific elements of femininity or masculinity. Based on the content in the two films Beauty and …show more content…
They do this because Bergens believe that eating trolls is the only way to be happy. The movie stars a troll names Princess Poppy, who is on her way to becoming queen after the 20 year anniversary of escaping the town where the Bergens live. After being discovered by the head chef of the Prince of Bergen Town, Princess Poppy goes on an adventure to save her friends from being eaten by Bergens. This movie’s concept is very original and does not involve human beings, but still portrays elements of masculinity and femininity. Princess Poppy is a troll who’s entire body and hair is pink. She wears a dress and a headband with butterflies in it. We first meet Poppy when she reads to a group a children a storybook. She is peppy, loves hugs, her friends, singing, and dancing. She is everything positive about femininity right down to the color pink. Alongside Princess Poppy is her acquaintance Branch. Branch is grey and pessimistic and wears overalls. He is tough and doesn’t believe that Poppy can stop the Bergens. Overall, this movie is very progressive as it showcases a female protagonist who is the hero, takes on leadership, doesn’t give up, and fights for what she believes in. The archetypes Poppy and Branch represent says a lot about societies current views about masculinity and femininity. Even though Branch’s behavior is the …show more content…
Children learn that we can all be like Poppy and support and love our friends and be heroes, and Branch teaches us that it’s okay to be vulnerable and save the day. At the macro-meso level, we see that these institutions are not set in stone, and we can change our societies thinking as a whole if we start with the people closest to us. It teaches kids that femininity and masculinity are attributes of