From Tarzan to Tears: Redefining Masculinity in Animation [Character Locomotion - Academic Writing Assignment - Blog Post 2]

From Tarzan to Tears
Redefining Masculinity in Animation

The depiction of masculinity and male characters in animation is constantly progressing and the idea of what it means to be a ‘man’ in modern society is everchanging (Reichert & Lambiase, 2002). The masculine identity is interpreted differently amongst society reflecting a diverse range of perspectives on what it means to be a man (Aboim and Vasconcelos, 2022). Whilst there is a wealth of feminist studies that challenge historical feminine constructs there is generally less exploring masculinity (Feasey, 2008). Society has historically defined masculinity as the opposition to femininity (Davis, 2014; Feasey, 2008), therefore when studying masculinity, it is impossible to not also study femininity. This research compares the depiction of masculinity in Tarzan (1999) and Elemental (2023) to show how animated films are evolving to showcase a diverse representation of gender.

Hegemonic masculinity refers to the historical interpretation of masculinity where men are viewed as physically strong individuals that dominate society (Feasey, 2008). This concept is traditionally positioned as the ‘normal’ understanding of masculinity (Birthisel, 2014). Tarzan (1999) features representations of hegemonic masculinity, such as the physically strong depiction of the leading protagonist Tarzan and antagonist Clayton. This engrains the stereotype that to be masculine you must be physically strong (Reichert & Lambiase, 2002; Primo, 2018) and is reinforced by visual comparison to Jane who depicted weaker. This is seen where Jane struggles to move through the bamboo forest (Tarzan, 1999, 32:06) and where she is chased by baboons and in need of rescue from Tarzan (Tarzan, 1999, 35:20). This establishes a divide between genders and impacts the audience’s understanding of their expected physique (Birthsel, 2014).

Figure 1. Screenshot from Tarzan (1999, 49:18) showing Tarzan and Clayton comparing masculine physiques in contrast to Jane’s petite physique.

Elemental (2023) takes a contrasting approach with gender representation. Wade is depicted as an emotionally sensitive individual with a curvy, jiggly physique and regularly cries throughout the film; an uncommon representation for leading male characters. This promotes a more realistic representation of the common male physique that exerts less pressure on audiences and societal expectations of their gender (Birthisel, 2014; Davis, 2014). This concept is parodied where Wade is introduced with a muscular physique before identifying he is ‘out of shape’, a phrase commonly attributed to chubbier bodies, and happily returns to his rounded physique (Elemental, 2023, 16:45). This supports body positivity through acceptance of his physique to breakdown historical societal pressures of ‘ideal’ masculine appearances (Primo, 2018) that Tarzan (1999) promotes and Elemental (2023) challenges.

Figure 2. Screenshot from Elemental (2023, 16:51) showing Wade sporting a muscular physique before returning to his regular curvy body.

Another antiquated gender construct is the expectation that women give up their life to become a mother when they marry (Davis, 2014). This reinforces the hegemonic masculine construct by limiting potential for female success, beyond motherhood, and reinforces the idea that men are the breadwinner. Tarzan (1999) perpetuates this construct in a variety of ways. Firstly, the male gorilla family leader, Kerchak grants Kala, his female gorilla partner, permission, after initial resistance, to keep baby Tarzan (Tarzan¸1999, 10:15). This highlights hegemonic masculinity through the requirement that females must seek acceptance from males on important life decisions. Secondly, Jane ultimately gives up her career and life in England to live in the jungle with Tarzan when he assumes Kerchak’s leadership role as king of the jungle (Davis, 2014). These examples glorify hegemonic masculinity through a masculine driven plot resolution that favours the male character’s interests through the female character’s sacrifice (Griffin, Harding and Learmonth, 2017). Furthermore, these concepts are common in numerous other films (Davis, 2014) and reinforce stereotypical gender roles that impact audience perception of their expected gender-bound roles in society.

Figure 3. Screenshot from Tarzan (1999, 57:30) showing Terk wearing Jane’s dress in a comical fashion.

Elemental (2023) challenges stereotypical gender roles by offering a plot that revolves around the lead character Ember, identified as female, who is struggling with her destiny. She has conflicting emotions driven by her father’s vision for her to take over the family business and her realisation that she instead wants to become a glassmaker. Wade plays a supporting role and love interest who helps her recognise and follow her dreams. It could be argued that this plot is still male-centric (Wannamaker & Abate, 2012), however, Ember’s character is driven by her desire to be a good daughter and when she realises her parents simply want her to be happy, she decides to follow her dreams (Elemental, 2023, 1:25:30), rendering the plot female-centric. This draws a contrast with Tarzan (1999), where Jane stays with Tarzan to support his destiny, while Wade leaves with Ember to support hers. This representation of gender roles challenges hegemonic masculinity (Feasey, 2008) and offers a fresh portrayal of gender dynamics through leading females and supportive males, which promotes a more balanced perspective of gender in modern society.

Figure 4. Screenshot from Elemental (2023, 1:30:01) illustrating Wade crying as he is about to depart with Ember to support her dreams of becoming a glassmaker.

Wade’s portrayal in Elemental (2023) as a male in touch with his emotions challenges the past perspective that masculinity is the opposite of femininity (Davis, 2014; Feasey, 2008). Tarzan (1999) constantly drives opposition in gender representation, particularly by the antagonist Clayton. He delivers statements such as “Women, how typical” (Tarzan, 1999, 55:50) in a derogatory tone and regularly refers to what it means to be a man. Whilst research shows Disney portrays characters who embody this kind of historical gender stereotyping as fools (Davis, 2014), the mere inclusion of these views still grants them some power, reinforcing their influence on the audience despite their absurdity. Furthermore, Terk, a female character that expresses masculine traits, is comically animated to reluctantly wear Jane’s clothes (Tarzan, 1999, 57:20). This scene shows fluidity in gender with a tomboyish character, however, ridicules their masculine traits through the comical inclusion of female clothing. This drives gender division through the idea that men are afraid of being emasculated (Birthisel, 2014) and thereby defines what is and isn’t masculine by presenting feminine traits as a joke when assigned to a masculine identity.

In conclusion, this analysis has investigated the difference between the depiction of gender in Tarzan (1999) and Elemental (2023), concentrating mostly on masculinity. The influence of films on global culture and understanding of gender roles (Feasey, 2008) should not be underestimated, therefore it is important that there is a diverse representation of gender that continues to evolve as society progresses. Tarzan (1999) promotes various hegemonic masculine ideologies, which is significant because as Birthisel (2014, p.343) states “… a truth that undoubtedly has power in shaping children's perception of themselves and others.” Tarzan (1999) is arguably constrained by the source material (Burroughs, 1912), however, the outdated views of gender it portrays will still influence modern audiences (Davis, 2014). In contrast, Elemental (2023) showcases a modern depiction of gender by challenging stereotypical gender constructs and disassembles hegemonic masculinity. This redefines masculinity as a blend between traditional masculine and feminine traits (Reichert & Lambiase, 2002) to contest what masculinity means today.

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Reference List

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