Abstract

Disney’s depiction of princesses has been criticized for idealizing certain archetypes of femininity (e.g., the damsel in distress), while little attention has been paid to Disney’s male romantic interests and the stereotypes they may exemplify. This project will fill that gap by analyzing Disney Princes in their feature length animated cinematic releases. We analyze the men’s character traits that are meant to appeal to the female protagonist(s) according to the amount of screen time each particular trait is given, the intensity of the portrayal, and the reaction these traits receive. Compiling this information will enable us to draw inferences about the “ideal” Disney Prince and his traits, and how this has changed over time. This study may inspire others to further explore characters that have been overlooked in Disney films.