A Spirited 15 Rounds ...

[Cesar R M]

Disney literally has a whole channel aimed at boys with empowering themes. It's called Disney XD.

The author of this article is an idiot with an agenda. I'm sure she's also written pieces about why there's no White History Month

hu.. that DisneyXD that is filled with teenage live action drama series that are tailored to female teenagers?

 

[AEfx]

I suggest asking a young male tween about Disney and actually listening to the answer. It will be instructive

But that's the very crux of the point - when did "tween" boys ever show a preference to animated Disney musicals?

 

[lazyboy97o]

Isn’t it rather beta to leach off the popularity of others to shout your nonsense that no one would otherwise notice?

 

[Disneyhead'71]

But that's the very crux of the point - when did "tween" boys ever show a preference to animated Disney musicals?

All the tween boys who were in my social group were. But we're extra fabulous, so there's that.

"You play Tevye, I'll play Golde."

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

hu.. that DisneyXD that is filled with teenage live action drama series that are tailored to female teenagers?

You're thinking of Freeform.

 

[AEfx]

All the tween boys who were in my social group were. But we're extra fabulous, so there's that.

"You play Tevye, I'll play Golde."

Well, I think that goes without saying. As a member of the same larger "social group", that certainly can be the case, LOL.

But I think that illustrates the point I have been whistling around. That this is a "conservative" talking point is what makes it really funny. Aside from the basic fact that @the.dreamfinder pointed out (that the character being male or female shouldn't mean they are only role models for their respective genders), in general, I've seen people claim everything from "tween" to "young adult" males are just missing this Disney animated musical itch that used to be scratched. Which doesn't make sense because in general, 8-20ish year old straight males aren't typically fans of animated musical extravaganzas.

That's why, sure, I'd love for them to make a "Princess" movie with a young man as the lead, running around singing about his love of books, or how some day his Prince will come...

...oh wait, that isn't what they want, either. But ironically, it's basically what they are asking for. But it would make all us little (and not so little) gay boys really happy!

 

[brb1006]

hu.. that DisneyXD that is filled with teenage live action drama series that are tailored to female teenagers?

Are you forgetting about their animated shows?

 

[Pixieish]

Well, I think that goes without saying. As a member of the same larger "social group", that certainly can be the case, LOL.

But I think that illustrates the point I have been whistling around. That this is a "conservative" talking point is what makes it really funny. Aside from the basic fact that @the.dreamfinder pointed out (that the character being male or female shouldn't mean they are only role models for their respective genders), in general, I've seen people claim everything from "tween" to "young adult" males are just missing this Disney animated musical itch that used to be scratched. Which doesn't make sense because in general, 8-20ish year old straight males aren't typically fans of animated musical extravaganzas.

That's why, sure, I'd love for them to make a "Princess" movie with a young man as the lead, running around singing about his love of books, or how some day his Prince will come...

...oh wait, that isn't what they want, either. But ironically, it's basically what they are asking for. But it would make all us little (and not so little) gay boys really happy!

We ALL need a Disney equivalent to Grease.

 

[MisterPenguin]

We ALL need a Disney equivalent to Grease.

 

[Cesar R M]

Same. The movie wasn't bad, by any means, unlike Maleficent, but it wasn't good either.

I honestly felt The Jungle book as a technological marvel than a full entertaining movie ( like Avatar)

 

[Pixieish]

I honestly felt The Jungle book as a technological marvel than a full entertaining movie ( like Avatar)

Same here, but I've been an artist my whole life, so this kind of thing impresses the heck out of me. The story is basically the same, but the visuals were beyond amazing.

 

[ford91exploder]

But that's the very crux of the point - when did "tween" boys ever show a preference to animated Disney musicals?

Years back Lion King was pretty popular with boys, Yes Nala kicked Simba's behind but Simba needed that whuppin to remember who he really was.

Disney back in the 'Nine Old Men' days had the balance pretty well done, There were characters that both boys and girls could identify with in roughly equal measure, Not all of them were the best role models (Mr Toad I'm looking at you...) but now it's princesses as far as the eye can see.

 

[Cesar R M]

One of my overriding thoughts during Moana was, 'this should've been a male lead'!

It is much more difficult to develop a palatable male than female Disney lead. When the Disney guy is too soft, he lacks street credibility. When he is a bit less polished, the character feels easily forced, or reeks of Disney trying too hard.

Moana is fine, but also just Merida with black curls. Instead I could totally see a Polynesian surfer guy, slightly inept but one with the waves, with tribal tattoos (the one occasion Disney can get away with a bare chested tattooed male lead!), rebellious, a natural born rugby player (rugby, not Tiki or gods or surfing is the South Seas' religion), doing a mean haka. That is more useful than princess 'filling in the blank demographic spots' #127.

Your description sort of reminds me of the love interest of Lilos's sister in LILO & STITCH.

 

[Jones14]

Years back Lion King was pretty popular with boys, Yes Nala kicked Simba's behind but Simba needed that whuppin to remember who he really was.

Disney back in the 'Nine Old Men' days had the balance pretty well done, There were characters that both boys and girls could identify with in roughly equal measure, Not all of them were the best role models (Mr Toad I'm looking at you...) but now it's princesses as far as the eye can see.

The last ten films made by WDAS are as follows:

Meet the Robinsons
Bolt
The Princess and the Frog
Tangled
Winnie the Pooh
Wreck it Ralph
Frozen
Big Hero 6
Zootopia
Moana

That’s only four princess films, but you know, princesses as far as the eye can see. That’s even ignoring that before then they hadn’t made a single princess movie since 1998. And you know why the princess movies get the most marketing/merchandising attention? Because they made the most money. That’s why Tiana gets next to nothing, despite being a princess. And don’t come in here with “they set the others up for failure through marketing,” because Frozen was given horrible marketing, and that’s the highest grossing animated movie ever made. But go ahead and move the goalposts again. We’ll wait.

 

[Cesar R M]

You're thinking of Freeform.

hu no, unless there is some weird changes between Disney XD in the US and the one for latin america.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

hu no, unless there is some weird changes between Disney XD in the US and the one for latin america.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with how the channel is programmed elsewhere. In the US, Disney XD is almost exclusively what most would consider boy-aimed shows. Marvel shows, DuckTales, some live action garbage, etc. Freeform, formerly ABC Family, is where (in the US) Disney puts all its teen aimed drama garbage (Pretty Little Lies, etc.).

 

[AEfx]

Years back Lion King was pretty popular with boys, Yes Nala kicked Simba's behind but Simba needed that whuppin to remember who he really was.

Ah, but that's the rub - Lion King was about animals - anthropomorphic males don't count (which is why the author completely dismissed Pixar in one sentence). The whole point is supposed to be about human male characters.

Disney back in the 'Nine Old Men' days had the balance pretty well done, There were characters that both boys and girls could identify with in roughly equal measure, Not all of them were the best role models (Mr Toad I'm looking at you...) but now it's princesses as far as the eye can see.

Basically, when you go and look and actually look at the list of them, the ones that stand out, the vast majority of major male characters have always been animals. That's why ignoring the Pixar half of the equation to make the argument doesn't hold water. Pixar is Disney's motion picture division that handles those types of films. They still offer the same product, they just have a different sub-label now. And at this point, since Pixar has been entwined with Disney for decades now, I think the larger public does understand that they are very much still "Disney" films.

 

[Nubs70]

Who and when was the last character added to the prince stable?

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Who and when was the last character added to the prince stable?

WDAS has contributed three in recent years: Naveen (2009), Flynn Rider (2012), Hans (2013, although not a romantic lead prince). Assuming Kristoff marries Anna in Frozen 2, he'll be next in 2019. I believe Gigantic will feature a male lead, but I don't know if he's royalty.

 

[FigmentJedi]

I believe Gigantic will feature a male lead, but I don't know if he's royalty.

Neither main character will be royalty. I mean, it's a Jack and the Beanstalk variant where Jack ends up becoming a big brother figure to a giant little girl.