Femininity and Masculinity

For the past few decades, Disney Channel has converted disney princesses into a figure of femininity and humbleness. They are portrayed as flawless figures presenting great splendor and magnificance not just physically but characteristically. For example, Bell from the "Beauty and the Beast," Jasmine in "Aladdin," and Cinderella, portray beauty, grace, and perfection. In all these movies, each one of them present a stereotypical perspective from which one can tell that since they are women, they are weak emotionally and physically. Their "prince charming" saves them in the nick of time from their conflicted lives. With Belle's humble personality, she endures the beast's aggressive behavior towards her and because of her lovely features the beast gives in to her grace and modesty. Jasmine is saved from Jafar (the evil villain who attempts to capture Jasmine and force her to marry him)by Aladdin who is possessed by Jasmine's exotic beauty. He comes to her rescue in time to annihilate Jafar and acquire Jasmine as his. It is typical to think that men are known as masculine type; that they should acquire toughness and aggression. Alice Eagerly and Valerie Steffen from the Purdue University on "Gender and Agressive Behavior" state that "Psychologists and popular writers who have analyzed the male gender role have claimed that men are expected to be tough, violent, and aggressive...people expect men to be aggressive(Eagerly & Steffen). This broadens the idea that masculinity is stereotypical in these Disney fairy tales where the princes come to the rescue of their princesses, and the princessess are portrayed as the weak figures.

Eagly, Alice H. & Steffen, Valerie J. "Gender and Aggressive Behavior." The American Psychological Association, Inc. 1986.

"Enough"

Knowledge is Power

Foucault's notion of knowledge and power is revealed in this scene of a movie titled "Enough." Jennifer Lopez is being trained by a professional self-defense trainer who helps her connect with her inner self to gain the knowledge of power then apply that to her physical strength. In this clip of the movie she is seen to close her eyes as if in a trance of some sort to attach herself to her strength inside, and, at the same time, disconnect from the outside world. When she closes her eyes she is connecting to her inner power of strength and at the same time gaining the knowledge of self-defense. In order to gain knowledge, it is the power one must contain within themselves or even find in oneself to apply that to their physical strength. This scene is based upon the idea that Foucault's theoretical approach of knowledge is power depends upon whether or not one has that sense of self to determine that. Power is anonymous, therefore, it depends upon what type of power will be let loose to determine that knowledge of power.
For example, a child's knowledge is developed from the people around that child. His or her family shapes the child's knowledge and without them the child will not know anything but what is perhaps communicated by the parents, sibling, etc. Another example would be where everyone of us have different ways of communicating and what we say shapes who we are. That power that we have within ourselves that we have the ability to talk is determined by others of how much knowledge we contain.
Even though in this scene of "Enough," Jennifer Lopez is opening her mind to the knowledge of self-defense to gain physical power, she is yet training to pertain to violence whether or not that may be irrational and violence is another Foucaultian substance - although that is another story. "In Foucault's worldview there is no absolute morality. Morality is created through the exercise of power"(Foucault). What this means ultimately is that if one were to think that something is immoral, it may not be immoral in the least. However one determines power, since it is an anonymous factor of life, may be expressed in different ways and how they present their power in general, therefore, knowledge is power.

Steven, Brian. "Power/Knowledge." Selected Interviews. 1972-1977.