PROPOSAL DRAFT

1) write a 500‐word draft of your core problem and proposed solution. This should propel you toward writing a full draft in the next two weeks. Draw on our design thinking exercises to identify the end‐users and describe the problem from their perspective, perhaps reframing it as an opportunity. In describing your solution, focus on the benefits and future impact rather than where the idea came from (you can do that in another section).

Background of my Paper:

In 2014, I researched cultivation theory in media, specifically how Disney portrayed women in Disney’s animated movies and how watching these movies as children correlate with women’s self-esteem as college students.

The Problem:

Women in Disney movies are drawn too unrealistically, creating a higher standard of beauty for even children. Their bodies are drawn unrealistically. Their hair is too perfect. Their makeup never comes off. Of course they are cartoons, but they still portray an unrealistic version of women. Additionally, some of the storylines are sexist and don’t show women in positive lights. Even with the addition of movies such as Frozen, which shows two powerful women who do not need men to save them, the women are still beautiful and not your average 18 and 21-year-olds.

Through my study of interviewing over 200 women, I found that in my study, evidence supports those women who watched and enjoyed Disney animated movies as children are more critical of their appearance today as a college-aged woman.

The Solution:

Who I am:

I would be my own animation studio-including storylines and art. My job would be to take current Disney stories and remix them!

What should happen?:

Disney should look into changing their characters to reflect real women, in order to tell the story that any woman can have a happily ever after, despite their physical appearance.

What Will I Do:

Create a new Disney Princess-one with a kick-ass story line and who also looks more relatable. In the project, I could start out with drawing a new Disney princess and create a more inspiring storyline.

OR, I could take a few of the princesses now and re-draw them to look more like your average teenager. I would then change their storylines and take out the sexist parts. For example, I could draw Ariel from The Little Mermaid with a waist that fits her body, hair that doesn’t look perfect underwater, etc. It’s important to keep the cartoon aspect of the princesses, as yes it is fantasy (i.e. keep the big eyes of cartoons). But, you can still change it to make it look more relatable to young girls and young women.

After re-drawing her, I would make changes in her storyline through a mini-storyline that I would create. For example, I wouldn’t make her loose her voice for a man.

Benefits and Future Impact:

This project could benefit many young women. It could be a catalyst to change the way women are portrayed in media, starting with cartoons. Disney takes in over $37.8 billion dollars of revenue each year, which controls quite a lot of the market. 25,000 Princess products are produced each year with images of this unrealistic version of women on them- which can lead to a preoccupation with body and beauty in young girls.

If we can go one step further after changing how these women look in cartoons and change their storylines as well, we can set a great example to young girls.