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An interesting observation about popular contemporary hit Disney animated films...there has never been a true shy/introverted romantic main character couple featured in any film, where *both* the male and female protagonists are shy/introverted
Since "The Little Mermaid"'s debut in the late 1980's, the only truly shy / introverted Disney animated film main characters that I can think of, IMO, are Hercules (from "Hercules") and Ariel (from "The Little Mermaid"). And these were not even characters in the same feature film. All the rest of the popular animated films in modern memory have featured either extroverted / extroverted or introverted / extroverted couples.
For example, IMO (my apologies if I have inadvertently left any major ones out):
(NOTE: excluding "Hunchback of Notre Dame", as there was no main character power couple there I believe -- as Quasimodo did not have g/f correct? Also excluding "The Lion King", as the main characters were animals rather than humans.)
1. Ariel + Eric ("The Little Mermaid") = introverted + extroverted
2. Belle + Beast ("Beauty and the Beast") = extroverted + extroverted
3. Aladdin + Jasmine ("Aladdin") = extroverted + extroverted
4. Hercules + Megara = introverted + extroverted
5. Pocahontas + John Smith ("Pocahontas") = extroverted + extroverted
6. Tarzan + Jane ("Tarzan") = extroverted + extroverted
7. Mulan + Li Shang ("Mulan") = extroverted + extroverted
8. Rapunzel + Flynn Rider ("Tangled") = extroverted + extroverted
Is it my imagination, or does Disney simply not like shy / introverted romantic feature couples, and especially shy / introverted male character leads (with the notable exception of "Hercules")? ETA: And does this also possibly bias or skew the perception of opposite gender norms, among the young girls and boys who watch these films? I have honestly wondered for a while, about this...
It seems like Beast, Li Shang, and Jasmine are more introverted than extroverted to me. I don't think it's not that they don't like shy or introverted males or females.
It's just a reflection of the ideals of our current popular culture. You notice all the "princesses" are independant, strong willed, able to fight with swords or frying pans or whatever, yet are still very feminine and emotionally in touch with the world.
Imagine how well "Snow White" would have sold if it was released today: a completely helpless little maid who loves to cook and clean and needs a man (or in this case 7 dwarves and one prince) to keep her safe from the "bad" woman (who is strong willed, independent and able to fight with magic)
It seems like Beast, Li Shang, and Jasmine are more introverted than extroverted to me. I don't think it's not that they don't like shy or introverted males or females.
Interesting...you have a good point there. I guess the main reason I had originally classified Beast and Jasmine as extroverted rather than introverted, is b/c while they may be introverted per se, they were not exactly both "introverted" and "shy". (Maybe they were "introverted" and "confident / assertive"?) For example, both Beast and Jasmine were not inhibited when expressing emotions, whether positive or negative (i.e., friendliness and anger / irritation both). If they had been shy, I would have thought they would have been a little bit more tentative about expressing themselves so overtly, and in particular, emotions such as anger. By introverted, I had assumed "shy introversion", rather than "non-shy introversion". For example, contrast Beast and Hercules...big difference in temperaments right? But I see what you mean though...
Yes, now that I look back on it, Li Shang could indeed have been introverted -- admittedly, it's been quite a few years, since I last saw "Mulan"
Last edited by Phoenix2017; 07-06-2011 at 12:18 PM..
Reason: Corrected typos
It's just a reflection of the ideals of our current popular culture. You notice all the "princesses" are independant, strong willed, able to fight with swords or frying pans or whatever, yet are still very feminine and emotionally in touch with the world.
Very true -- and that's actually why I listed Ariel as "introverted", rather than "extroverted". She just seemed to me to be much closer to Sleeping Beauty and Snow White than say, Rapunzel. True, Ariel does save Eric's life, but you don't see her about swinging swords or frying pans, if I remember correctly Ariel seemed to me to the most overly feminine with the most non-masculine traits, among the whole modern Disney female bunch of heroines. She also seemed, in MHO opinion anyway, to have the overall most mellow female personality, and the slowest to become angry or irritated (as opposed to say Belle or Jasmine, who could get irritated rather easily).
Quote:
Imagine how well "Snow White" would have sold if it was released today: a completely helpless little maid who loves to cook and clean and needs a man (or in this case 7 dwarves and one prince) to keep her safe from the "bad" woman (who is strong willed, independent and able to fight with magic)
Interesting...you have a good point there. I guess the main reason I had originally classified Beast and Jasmine as extroverted rather than introverted, is b/c while they may be introverted per se, they were not exactly both "introverted" and "shy". (Maybe they were "introverted" and "confident / assertive"?) For example, both Beast and Jasmine were not inhibited when expressing emotions, whether positive or negative (i.e., friendliness and anger / irritation both). If they had been shy, I would have thought they would have been a little bit more tentative about expressing themselves so overtly, and in particular, emotions such as anger. By introverted, I had assumed "shy introversion", rather than "non-shy introversion". For example, contrast Beast and Hercules...big difference in temperaments right? But I see what you mean though...
Yes, now that I look back on it, Li Shang could indeed have been introverted -- admittedly, it's been quite a few years, since I last saw "Mulan"
I think you could be right about being introverted and confident at the same time. They don't need to be shy to be consider "introverted" but as a private/reserved person which I believe they are all (based on their character). Beast doesn't like when Beauty tries to get to know him or gets in his business because he gets mad (well he had anger issue anyway ). Li Shang seems to be more of the observant type (despite the fact that he was a leader), and if you compare him to his soldiers, they're all crazy and are always in each other's business. Jasmine, the way she carries herself when she's with Aladdin. She's always in the palace (well she was a princess who had limitation so maybe not so much).
I think you could be right about being introverted and confident at the same time. They don't need to be shy to be consider "introverted" but as a private/reserved person which I believe they are all (based on their character). Beast doesn't like when Beauty tries to get to know him or gets in his business because he gets mad (well he had anger issue anyway ). Li Shang seems to be more of the observant type (despite the fact that he was a leader), and if you compare him to his soldiers, they're all crazy and are always in each other's business. Jasmine, the way she carries herself when she's with Aladdin. She's always in the palace (well she was a princess who had limitation so maybe not so much).
Again thx for your thoughts, my friend! I think you're right on-target, in your analysis above. Very true; I agree
how are you defining introverted? introverted doesn't automatically equal shy. I find that, when it comes to kid flicks, characters aren't shy unless it's part of the plot point as an obstacle to overcome (i.e., Violet from The Incredibles)
how are you defining introverted? introverted doesn't automatically equal shy. I find that, when it comes to kid flicks, characters aren't shy unless it's part of the plot point as an obstacle to overcome (i.e., Violet from The Incredibles)
In my own measure in the original post, I was equating the combination of shyness and introversion as "introversion". So by that measure, someone who could be described as introverted, but also simultaneously confident and assertive and *not* shy, would not count for the purposes of the thread as envisioned in the examples provided.
On your other point: yes, agreed that shyness as portrayed above, is not usually conveyed in child animated movies and TV shows. But I think that does children a disservice, in that it implicitly discourages shy introversion as bad, and green-lights extroversion as the strongly preferred personality characteristic. For example, would society be moe-undersntaning or more tolerant of shy introversion, if it were depicted more often, on-screen?
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