What About the Men? : Masculinity in Disney Movies

We have seen how women are objectified in Disney films with the portrayal of a good woman as beautiful and passive. The Disney movies over-emphasize the female physical attributes by showing women with big breasts, tiny waists, voluptuous hips. But what about the men? What image do little boys watching the Disney movies get of masculinity? I found this thought-provoking clip entitled Sexism, Strength, and Dominance: Masculinity in Disney Films:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CWMCt35oFY
As this clip shows, the male heroes are portrayed as strong, powerful men with chiseled abs, a barrel chest, and huge biceps. In a song sung by Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Gaston shows off his physical prowess to the ladies and even sings, "as you see I've got biceps to spare!" Men with other body types are portrayed as outcasts, fools, or servants. I did think of one movie where the hero does not fit this typical Disney hero with powerful muscles, and that is "Aladdin." The character of Aladdin is fairly slim and not super tall, and does not have enormous biceps and a barrel chest, but he is lean and muscular and good-looking. Aladdin does, however, have one important thing that most men don't have--he has a powerful genie. This gives him an ability to control circumstances and have power over others. I wonder if this sends the message to little boys that if you are not super masculine, you better have some awesome abilities or qualities that give you the edge over other men, or you will not get the girl. Aladdin would not have been able to get Jasmine without being able to use the Genie's magic to pretend to be what he was not.
Another aspect of male prowess portrayed in Disney films that the clip talked about was the competition between males. The clip said that most Disney movies include a battle between two males; either two men fighting for a woman or two animals fighting to maintain status or honor. The male with the most physical strength and prowess "wins." This portrayal of masculinity could teach young boys that violence and dominance are important qualities to have if you want to be manly. Once again my eyes have been opened, and I see that although we can't get away from Disney and the movies are entertaining, we need to carefully consider the content and be ready to discuss it with children.