Disney’s Influence On Young Hong Kong Women’s Perception Of Attractiveness And Love

Disney’s influence on female perceptions

In human life, beauty is vital; as a result, society’s understanding of the value of physical beauty continues to grow. The beauty industry has become a multibillion-dollar sector globally (Moffitt, 2019). This scenario is evident in Hong Kong, where numerous cosmetic products exist, and their founders have earned millions in the country (Daulay, 2021). Media plays a critical role in defining and portraying beauty. The media frequently portrays beauty through the lens of a particular body image and gender. Female models in ads and starring characters in films are stereotypically portrayed with specific physical characteristics, and they are frequently stereotyped and sexualized (Schiele, Louie & Chen, 2020). Disney is a significant media company for children , and its princess marvel contributes significantly to the perpetuation of stereotypes by having its protagonists exemplify gentleness, youth, and attractiveness (Havard et al., 2021). As a result, it is critical to understand how children’s entertainment influences young Hong Kong women’s perceptions of attractiveness.

This study examines how Disney princess movies shape young Hong Kong women’s perception of love. Disney princess films are extremely popular with small children. From the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Snow White to Moana (2016), Disney princess films have shared features that have entranced the attention of young women worldwide, inspiring them to admire and emulate the characteristics of princesses in the films. Disney princesses are popular with children because children, particularly young girls, watch movies continually and frequently for amusement (Shahid, 2021). This event would have a significant impact on their personal development and growth. According to Bandura’s (1989) Social cognitive theory, children’s behavior, judgment and cognition are strongly swayed by their careful study of their role models, which may include fictional characters.

Positive messages were conveyed in Disney princess films, implying that youngsters who watch films may absorb positive lessons that they might implement in their daily lives (Shahid, 2021). Despite the fact that Disney Princess films are produced in the United States, its brand is a global phenomenon in the media industry for children. The majority of Disney’s princesses are depicted as gorgeous white girls with characteristics evocative American culture. According to Havard et al. (2021), this portrayal would foster an image of ideal beauty in other girls of different upbringing, backgrounds, and cultures. This paper aims to ascertain how Disney princess films influence young Hong Kong women’s perceptions of love and whether their definition of beauty has an effect on their perception of their own beauty.

Literature Review

Disney’s portrayal of women and their princesses has evolved over several decades to reflect the changing times and the day’s cultural ideals. Disney is already acknowledged to be a significant player in the entertainment industry; it is unclear what kind of circumstances Disney princesses movies influenced Hong Kong young women on the idea of love. The following literature review is on studies of media consumption, Walt Disney and Disney and its portrayal of love, meanwhile exploring how Disney princess movies shape young Hong Kong women’s perception of love.

There are a variety of media platforms and methods available to young people for media access and usage, including motion pictures, television, radio, video games, computers, instant messaging applications and handheld audio games (Roberts & Foehr, 2008). There is no denying that exposure to the media and consumption of the media play a crucial role in teaching individuals their society’s fundamental beliefs and value systems. Most people get most of their socialization via the media, and they perceive the messages they receive as accurate and reflect real-life (Behm-Morawitz & Mastro, 2008). Furthermore, studies have shown that media has also proven helpful in education, sports, the arts, science, and the cultural sphere (Argawal & Dhanasekaran, 2012). Children’s cognitive and social development is still in its infancy, so they are sensitive to these messages. In children, because of their underdeveloped reasoning abilities and lack of experience with sensory cues, it is often difficult for them to distinguish between real and unreal events (Kirkorian, Wartella, & Anderson, 2008). Moreover, children are also attracted to movements and sounds, making it easier for them to absorb the messages provided by the media (Kirkorian, Wartella, & Anderson, 2008). 

According to Racine, DeBate and Gabriel (2011), children spend about seven hours a day watching Disney movies concerning the children’s media exposure in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Children aged 8-18 years were exposed to media for 7.5 hours per week in 2004 (Roberts & Foehr, 2008). Twenty-five per cent of this time simultaneously involved two or more media outlets in Hong Kong. In terms of the next closest category, videos and movies can be seen as a form of television (Roberts & Foehr, 2008).  Because of how much time children spend viewing media messages and the vulnerability of children, it is necessary to examine the influence of media on youth and how it shapes the idea of love towards Hong Kong Young ladies.

Media Consumption

Disney is one of the top six companies in the media industry worldwide (von Feilitzen & Bucht, 2001). There is no doubt that Disney movies are produced in the U.S. but have a solid international effect. It has significant effects on children worldwide (England, Descartes, Collier-Meek, 2011). Disney’s full-length feature films are an essential part of most children’s lives and constitute one of the most notable factors to examine when evaluating children’s media (Tanner, Hadduck, Zimmerman, and Lund, 2003). As a result of the compelling marketing franchise behind the Disney princesses, the characters are incredibly influential. The Disney princess product line contains more than 26,000 products, and its annual sales have risen from 300 million dollars in 2001 to 4 billion dollars in 2008 (Whelan, 2012). Compared with more traditional learning venues, such as public schools, religious institutions, and the family, products connected with children’s culture can garner at least as much authority and legitimacy” (Giroux & Pollock, 2010, p.91). Children also identify with Disney princesses and internalize their values and messages (Whelan 2012). Through these iconic role models, Disney aims to inspire children to identify with their characters and internalize the messages they give (England, Descartes, Collier-Meek, 2011). 

In the first era of Disney princess’s movies (1937-1959), they believed people could find love at first sight. Snow White (1937), Cinderella (1950), and Sleeping Beauty (1959) were all made during this generation. This time establishes the series in its entirety and emphasizes the significance of “True Love’s First Kiss” and “Happily Ever After.” In the Sleeping Beauty film, it was incredible how the sleeping princess was awoken by the attractive princes she fell in love with at first sight, even though she barely knew them and had only met them once or twice. There is no mention of how their romantic relationships are formed and maintained in the story. There is a happy ending to each of their stories, where they fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after (Tanner, Haddock, Zimmerman, & Lund, 2003). The message is also conveyed that they instantly fall in love when a man and a woman meet. No lapse of time is needed, and there is no need for other common factors to be present for love to develop (Tanner, Haddock, Zimmerman, & Lund, 2003). In the first era of Princesses, Princesses also engaged in more love-related behaviors than their male counterparts, such as advocating their desire for romance to the world. The first generation of princess movies also made frequent references to marriage and weddings (Junn, 1997)

Walts Disney

During the second era of princesses Disney movies (1989-1992), the emphasis is placed on the princess ending up with a suitor whom she loves in the story of Beauty and the Beast (1991). When choosing a partner, they want to make sure that they can fulfill their dreams without sacrificing their ideals (Whelan, 2012). Jasmine (feature film Aladdin (1992) film), for example, rebels against her arranged marriage and focuses on pursuing Aladdin because she falls in love with him (Junn, 1997). Marriage and weddings are less common than in the first era, demonstrating an improvement since marriage is not the only goal. For example, Mulan (1998 film) does not marry her love interest and instead decides to pursue a dating relationship (Tanner, Haddock, Zimmerman, & Lund, 2003). Despite the second era of princesses breaking some of the traditional romance stereotypes, their ultimate goal remains to find a suitable partner (Do Rozario, 2004). When it comes to finding the right mate, women are also more attractive to men in this era. They acted in more sexually provocative ways to attract a partner, including striking provocative poses before seeing their prince and primping (Junn, 1997). Many women have to overcome parental pressures or leave their families to get married and live happily ever after. However, by external factors, princes were not hindered from marrying the woman of their choice. Their happiness was not contingent on finding love but simply a benefit of finding love (Lee, 2008). As a result, romance and princesses’ happily ever after depend on finding romantic suitors, even if they choose not to marry (Whelan, 2012).

In this study, I will use these three research questions to conclude Hong Kong young women’s beliefs and attitudes toward Disney princess movies and their reactions.

1. How do Hong Kong young women audiences understand the ideology of love reflected in Disney’s princess movies?

I want to delve into this topic to study to what extent and if Hong Kong young women’s love finds its basis in fantasy because of the widespread princess movies. In effect, changing the ideals of love affects all kinds of human relations between modernity and models. I want to study the extent and how heavily Hong Kong’s young women’s love relies on fantasy.

1. In what ways do Disney princess movies shape Hong Kong young women audience’s perceptions and experiences of love in reality?

It is apparent to see that the silver screen represents a perception of love that not only reflects our feelings but also shapes our expectations and expectations about what love will be like, as well as the standards that we need to adhere to, which can lead us to shoehorn our emotions into that idealized form. The purpose is to interview four young women from Hong Kong to determine whether Disney princess films influence how they view love.

1. What kind of resources do Disney princess movies provide for Hong Kong young women to construct their ideas of love?

Disney and its Portrayal of Love

One of the best parts about seeing princess-led Disney films is that you don’t realize you’re learning an important life lesson until unexpectedly in tears. All you want is for everything to work out for you and your partner’s intense love and affection. I want to delve more into this subject to ascertain how the Disney love series has aided women in constructing their love lives at home with their partners and family.

The study was designed to have a qualitative approach. Hong Kong young females aged 18 to 25 participated in an exploratory interview consisting of open-ended questions and a detailed report summarizing their experiences. Only women aged 18-25 in Hong Kong were included in the study because it is possible that they may still be holding onto childhood ideals of love or that their views of love are changing as they gain experience with romantic relationships. As the primary focus of this interview was on understanding audiences’ perspectives of the ideology of love towards Disney movies across the decades and how that has developed through time, that was one of the main themes.

This study examined how Disney princess movies shape the perceptions and experiences of love in reality for Hong Kong’s young women audience based on their basic knowledge of Disney films. This interview aimed to analyze the overall attitudes toward Disney movies as viewed through the perspective of the transition of female roles and mindsets, which was an essential part of the investigation.

The study comprises 12 young women participants from Hong Kong. Only women aged 18-25 in Hong Kong were included in the study as this age group mostly watched old Disney princess movies for at least 10years of time. Three 20-year-olds, four 18-year-olds, two 25-year-olds, and three 19-year-olds comprised the 12 participants. The key informants were informed about Disney films, had watched at least one of the three films enlisted for analysis, or had watched a movie from the same timeframe as the enlisted films to ensure a level and fair playing field for the research. Participants were chosen from six different educational institutions, emphasizing 23 young Hong Kong women. A virtual snowball sampling technique was used to pick essential informants.

Disney feature films and interview questions were used as the research tool. Disney films were chosen as the medium for media exposure since they are universally recognized by a diverse range of audiences from various origins and cultures. Five pairs of young Hong Kong ladies were formed. They were partnered according to their ages for them to feel more at ease expressing their thoughts and opinions. Each duo was instructed to watch a brief clip from one of the Disney princesses’ films. This study examined ten Disney princesses. Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Cinderella (Cinderella), Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Tiana (Princess and the Frog), Princess Merida (Brave), Rapunzel (Tangled), Princess Anna (Frozen), Queen Elsa (Frozen), and Moana are the featured characters (Moana). After seeing each short clip, the Hong Kong young women were given a printed poster of the Disney princesses. They are permitted to bring the sign to the interview as a reference.

The discussion was held at a theatre venue in Hong Kong, upon which the interviews were transcribed and recorded. Each interview lasted approximately 60–90 minutes. The transcribed data were evaluated using a content analysis technique, emphasizing the verbal aspect. Non-verbal indicators such as the participants’ facial expressions, intonation, voice projection, and gestures during the interview were not evaluated in this study.

In summary, to better understand each participant’s responses and to aid in the interpretation of the research data, the interview question pattern included some general demographic information such as gender, age, educational background, and nationality, followed by personal movie preferences, thoughts about the Disney franchise, and questions about the plots of the selected films and their impact on the participants. The questions sought to ascertain how Disney princess films influence the perception of love among young Hong Kong women. Additionally, the questions investigated areas of comparison between Disney film characters and the real-world personas of the female participants in both reel and real life. This will demonstrate the effect that these films had on the audience members.

Disney’s movies have left such a profound impact that their original messages have been lost. It is estimated that millions of books are being read by parents who have sanitized them to make them more suitable for children. Many are based on movie versions that do not feature the original cautionary tale. Moreover, their movies can also influence how children learn and construct a wide range of relationships through the way they watch. Children watch films at a young age when they are taught that society rewards physical appearance, which is a fundamental part of romantic love. This study aims to determine whether Disney film portrayals of romance affect the representation of romantic relationships among young women in Hong Kong-based on fairytale elements like “love at first sight” or “happily ever after” or if it does not affect these representations.

In reality, romance is not about princes who save princesses from their struggles or make their lives happy. It is believed that Walt Disney’s influence on how we feel about love, and especially about our love lives, is, of course, an exaggeration. Nevertheless, Disney was at the forefront of a remarkable shift in culture. It has become pervasive to expect unrealistic messages about marriage and love, especially among teenagers. We all feel like we will leave our relationship if our romantic expectations are not met as soon as we don’t receive what we were hoping for. For me to begin my studies on constructing love over time, I thought the specific topic of this study would be an excellent fit for the entire project.

 Children who watch Disney princess movies develop their standards and expectations regarding their romantic narratives from an early age. Four Hong Kong young women aged 18-25 were chosen as respondents for the survey, without regard to their education, profession, or economic status. One particular group of Hong Kong young women has watched Disney Princess movies for more than a decade and is very familiar with the plotline of every Disney Princess movie. This survey aimed to discover participants’ perceptions regarding love, marriage, and Disney princesses and the key to happiness.

In the first era of the Disney princess stories and movies, the main idea abided by was love at first sight. In every classic tale of Disney princesses, the Disney princess always falls in love with a charming prince she does not know properly and has only met once or sometimes never even met (Moffitt, 2019). There is no mention of how their romantic relationships are created or manifested in the story. Every Disney story has a happy ending where both fall in love and live happy life. A message is consistently conveyed that when a woman and a man are meeting, they are bound to fall in love instantly. There is no lapse of time needed, and there is also no requirement for any other common factors to be present to fall in love.

During the second era of the stories of Disney princesses, the mean importance was always placed on the princess ending up with a person she loves. When she chose a partner, Walt Disney wanted to ensure that the princesses could complete all their dreams without sacrificing their morals. Jasmine, for example, had rebelled against her father and patriarchy so that she could marry Aladdin and she also could become the Sultan. Even after the second era of princesses trying to break the stereotypes or falling in love and the biases regarding beauty, their end goal remains to find a loving and suitable partner (Rogers, 2019).

These two different eras started to change the perspectives of women and girls worldwide. In this research, four women from Hong Kong were asked to participate in an interview with open-ended questions. Only the women who were aged 18 to 25 in Hong Kong were included in this research study because it is still probable that the women of this age group might be holding on to their childhood aspirations of love or their views of love are slowly changing as they start to gain experience with adulthood and romantic relationships (Daulay, 2021). The interview consisted of 1 set of questions and these questions related to the participant’s background, which included age and education level and household income. This interview also had inquiries related to the preferences for Disney movies, and the third was the factors that the participants found most significant in a relationship.

The four participants of the interview were A, who was 20 years old, B and C, 22 years old, and D, 23 years old. A was seen as a woman who did not believe in true love and love at first sight, which the Disney princesses portrayed, and she perceived them as commercialization practices. She is efficient and mentioned that she always wanted to live a prosperous life. She is also not ashamed to share her own life stories of having older men as suitors, and she is also trying to break the social stigma about dating men who are older. B is a 22-year-old who is fascinated with mermaid stories, and her favorite Disney story is the Little Mermaid. She is a woman who does not believe in friends with benefits or a relationship without love. She believes in loyalty and trust, unlike participant A. She is very dedicated and brave towards her lover, considering unconditional love. C is a big fan of Disney movies, and she has started to stereotype the men she fell in love with, according to the Disney prince. She always looked for tall, handsome boys who were the perfect replica of a Disney prince. She was also efficient and materialistic like A, and with age, she has started to change her perspective and relationships and now wants a reliable partner. The one thing that has remained unchanged is that she needs a wealthy man to marry to have a better life. The final woman is D, and she has the imagination of the perfect fairytale love where she will be treated like a princess. She also relates to Ariel from the little mermaid, and she believes in chasing after the person she likes.

This summary of the interview of different participants shows that there is a very heterogeneous form of outlook towards life when it comes to young women of Hong Kong and their perspectives on Disney princess movies (Ding, 2020). Two of the participants above were very practical, and they did not believe in the notions of love shown in the Disney movies, and the other two believed in true love after watching the Disney movies.

There is no doubt that Disney princess movies have either good or bad outcomes for young women of Hong Kong that grew up watching the movie as children. Based on a survey conducted among four young women aged 20 to 25 in this study, the results of this research are presented. In the study, the findings are mainly derived from survey responses of the participants in which many open-ended questions were asked. I find that there is a varying degree of impact of the Disney princesses on young women in Hong Kong. They seem to have not made much of an effect; in others, they have made quite an impact. Researchers will find this study of great interest as it provides insights into the perspectives of young women in Hong Kong, as observed from the perspective of young women in Hong Kong.

This chapter covers the romantic ideas of Hong Kong’s young women and the patterns of change in their lives and marriages. Without a doubt, romance is a vital component of any relationship, and every woman seeks a man who is committed to her and their relationship. It contributes to the relationship’s foundation and establishes a secure environment where a couple can share their emotions openly. Disney films such as Snow White (1937), Cinderella (1950), and Sleeping Beauty (1959) have had a significant impact on young women’s perceptions of romantic expression and relationships, as well as patterns of behavior change in marriages and love lives, thereby ensuring that weddings run smoothly and with plenty of love and affection.

The significance of marriage in Chinese culture is very paramount. It was even seen in the movie of Mulan, where the notion of marrying a good man and being a good wife was portrayed in the very first half of the film. This Disney movie showed how the only way Mulan could bring glory to her family was by marrying. Even then, she rebelled, and she went on to fight in the army in place of her father. Even though marriage is set to be the central fulcrum of a woman’s life, Mulan breaks the rules and expectations of society (Ding, 2020). The Hong Kong women understand the ideology of love from these movies where the women fight for their rights. Even in the classic Disney movies, the princesses are shown to have self-respect and dignity even when they love the charming prince. For instance, in Beauty and the Beast, Belle gives more importance to the inner beauty and personality rather than their outer appearance (Schiele, Louie and Chen, 2020). This proves that the Disney princesses value humans and their characteristics rather than the outer glamour. 

The ideology of love in the Disney movies is shown to be chaste and pure. Several young women are exposed to the imaginary lives of the princesses who are featured in the film. This has affected how the women of Hong Kong and other countries see themselves and their notions of love. The classic Disney movies always portrayed gender stereotypes and the different concepts of marriage. These role portrayals influenced the ideas that the audiences had about love (Koontz, Norman and Okorie, 2019).  The first-generation films portrayed the aspect of love as the traditional pure-hearted love which ended in marriage. The main stereotype fulfilled in the Disney stories was that what is beautiful is good. It only focused on the appearance of the characters, and the Disney princesses have a stereotypical appearance (Avchyan, 2021). This included a beautiful face, fair skin, unrealistic body type, gorgeous hair, and a kind heart. This is the first aspect far from reality because the world is diverse, and women also have various appearances.

The second ideal aspect is the idea of love which is also shown to be pure, and the man is always the one who takes the first step (Kuzio, 2021). When these ideas were tallied with the interview taken with the four women in Hong Kong, it was seen that they had their main priority connected to outer appearance and wealth. For example, a woman named Katie mentioned that a monogamous relationship was not her choice. She also believes that if she wants to be loved, she needs to look good from the outside. This is opposite to the notions of love shown in Disney movies, where love is pure and true (Hasanah and Octaviyanti, 2018). This love does not depend on outer appearances, at least when it comes to males. As for females, the outward appearance is given much importance in the movies. Therefore, Katie’s notion of looking beautiful to find love might be influenced by her childhood exposure to Disney princess love stories.

Emotional stability depends on the very close support of love from other people, and this love starts to have a new form of significance when the person slowly plans to settle down. This love becomes a combination of ideal and romantic love. The central theme behind marriage is not the social structure of the person’s life, but it is also a massive matter of identity (Brown, 2020). The individual wants to mirror themselves on the other person who is the partner. This is also seen in the Disney princess movies, where the aspect of mirroring the loved one is shown when both the male and the female are pure and chaste. There is also the notion of a significant aspect to the love rather than being subtle. The aspect of the couple disagreeing does not occur in Disney movies. The princesses always live happily ever after at the end (Hefner and Kretz, 2021). This notion of having a grand and expensive love story has been seen in the women of Hong Kong, but it does not include them expecting to have true love as well. Women have been perceived that if the man is handsome and rich, he can be considered a romantic partner or even a partner who provides expensive and extravagant lives where the woman can feel like a princess (Menise, 2019). This proves that the women of Hong Kong do not want the love experienced by the Disney princesses, but they do want to be treated like a princess.

Disney movies have always been a safe space for children, and the Disney princesses have always been role models for young girls. These movies form a significant impact on the lives of young women. Their original messages and the main crux of the story have started to fade. There have been speculations that there are millions of books about Disney princesses filtered by parents to make them more suitable for children (Hogge, 2019). Many of these tales have become movie versions that do not have the caution that the previous stories represented. The notion of happily ever after does not exist in reality. The narratives of the stories shown by Disney have ingrained that true love exists and that love is always extravagant. This notion of extravagant love has been seen in the women of Hong Kong, where they want their overs to spoil them with expensive gifts. There is also the aspect of women wanting men who look as handsome as the Disney prince, and they also want to look as beautiful as the princess (Ghosh, 2019). This was seen in the cases of participants A, B, and C. Even participant D showed signs of expecting her lover to be as charming as the prince. This proves that the primary resources that the Disney princess movies provide for young women of Hong Kong when it comes to the ideas of love are beauty, extravaganza, and outer glamour (Siddique, Pasha and Ali, 2021).

Therefore, the aspects of beauty, richness, charm, and glamour are essential for the women of Hong Kong when it comes to love. There is also the notion of true and chaste love, which is unrealistic. The interview proved that the women of Hong Kong know true love is not accurate, and fairy tales are just an escape from reality. Therefore, the only thing they want to manifest from the fairy tales is the rich grandeur of their partners, and they want to be treated like princesses. Participant A entertained older men with more money because she got expensive gifts in return and could live like a princess even if she did not receive the love that a Disney princess acquired. The young women of Hong Kong know that it is not possible for them to have a simple and chaste love story like the Disney princesses, and therefore, they want to compensate with the luxurious life of a princess. This is seen in their choices in their love life, which is generally dating older men who are rich.  The young women of Hong Kong also look for handsome men, and they want to look beautiful because they perceive that being attractive will give them opportunities for love with rich men who can treat them like princesses. This proves that the notions of grandeur and beauty in love are framed by Disney princess movies.

Disney princesses have always influenced children all around the world. Disney princesses have always been tremendous role models for girls while they grow up. In a world where Disney princesses and Disney channels are broadcast in more than 100 countries, it is evident that children and especially girls would be influenced by the stories. The idea of true love was also influenced by the portrayal of the Disney princesses in the movies and the stories. This portrayal of love had also influenced how girls and women thought about the notion of love and relationships in different countries (Rutherford and Baker, 2021). The girls were eager to be represented as Disney princesses in other stories, but they were also keen on searching for the same notion of love in real life. This paper will evaluate what Hong Kong young women can learn from Disney princesses to construct their idea of love.

In 2019, Walt Disney Pictures released the movie named Aladdin, which was the live-action remake of the animated film of 1992. Compared to the animated film, the live-action film had built up on the princess being rebellious and fighting for her rights. The remake portrayed her fight and struggled against the evil Jafar and his oppression. She had also rejected arranged marriages and marriage for money (Mollet, 2019). She also questioned the idea of only men being the sultan and not women. There was also the inclusion of a new song named Speechless, which embodied the paradigm of not speaking up and staying in one’s place. This clearly showed the aspects of feminism in the new era of Disney. The plurality of the act of feminism has been portrayed in the four waves, which have taken the world by storm (Prastika, 2021). This aspect of feminism has also influenced how women feel about love and relationships. When feminism is shown in the movies created by Disney, they are also a significant catalyst in influencing women about love. In this case, the women of Hong Kong from the ages of 18 to 25 were assessed regarding the ideas of relationships that they received from the Disney princesses. Several Disney and Pixar films portray ambitious princesses who have their own identity goals diminished by the patriarchy (Groves and Hau-nung Chan, 2018). These films and stories show how even the kindest people and gestures can be detrimental to the heroine.

Disney and Pixar films always push the young female viewers to fight the narrow-minded notions of patriarchy. The things that Hong Kong young women can learn from the Disney princess to construct their idea of love is a layered concept. The young women of Hong Kong are extremely busy, and they do not have time to think about love. This was seen in their job market and their usual urban lifestyle (Lai, 2020). The demographics show that the male to female ratio has been reducing over the past 30 years, and in 2018, it was in the range of 852 men for every 1000 women, especially in the age group of 20 to 30 years (Roberson et al., 2018). There are very few women interested in marriage in Hong Kong (Nazaruddin, Rezki and Rahmanda, 2018). The media generally plays a considerable role in determining the perceptions of the real world. The notions, as well as assumptions about the real world, cultural ideas, beauty standards, and love, are created through the media (Isgiyarta, 2019). Therefore, Disney plays a massive role in determining how women of Hong Kong are influenced through the stories and create ideas about love. This research was conducted through a qualitative study via interviews with young women of Hong Kong aged 18 to 25.

The primary focus of the discussion was on the audience’s perspectives on the ideology of love. The interview saw how the Disney movies influenced the notions of love in Hong Kong young women. The participants in the discussion did not share any hesitation to see old Disney movies such as Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella. The latest movies, such as Moana and Tangled, were much appreciated. All of the women answered that these movies helped them escape reality for a while. The main message the women seemed to like was that the film encouraged them not to give up and make it through the hardships thrown at them (Ding, 2020). Hong Kong young women admitted that Disney movies were a good escape from reality, and although they showed a beautiful love story with a chivalrous prince, it was not easy to find. Sometimes it is impossible to find love like a fairy-tale. These movies are capable of influencing what children learn about love and self-respect. In reality, romance is not about knights in shining armor and extravagant chariots (Rogers, 2019).

Even then, the movies and stories of Disney make the people feel that the fantasies are true even after reality hits people. The interviews of the four young women from Hong Kong revealed mixed feelings because two of the young women did not believe in the love stories mentioned in the Disney movies, and they thought it was only for consumerism (Daulay, 2021). While the other two participants were hopeful of a beautiful romantic love n their love, they knew it was impossible in reality. The first participant is a 20-year-old woman who does not believe in long-term relationships and does not believe in true love. For participant B, she did believe in mermaid stories and Disney love stories. She continues to be hopeful about love even when she knows that it does not have any guarantee of being true. The overall analysis of the interviews revealed that 3 out of the four girls were materialistic and were only concerned about the man’s looks. They preferred to have a man in their life who looked as charming as the Disney prince who swept the princess away in a chariot (Moffitt, 2019).

Hong Kong young women learn the aspects of beauty and appearance from Disney movies. They want the extravaganza of the love portrayed in the film and the story, and they do not believe in the aspect that pertains to true love (Ammendola, 2020). Most women think of the Disney story about love and princesses as a consumerist tactic to keep young women dreaming and imagining the perfect life so that the merchandise and the movies can sell (Menise, 2019). There is no single doubt that Disney movies about princesses have neither good nor bad results for the young women of Hong Kong who grew up being inspired by them. In the research study through interviews, it was found that there was a varying idea and notion of the Disney princesses on young women. In some of the scenarios, they seem to have not made any impact, and in other cases, they had made an impact on the lives of the young women of Hong Kong (Bruce, 2018). Therefore, the researchers will find that this study showed the impact of the Disney princesses on the women of Hong Kong. Even if it was varied, it was clear that the young women were more oriented toward being financially stable rather than having true love. This interview research provided the idea that the young women of Hong Kong did have the concept of true love from the Disney movies, but they knew it was not possible in real life even if they tried to replicate it. They also realize that the aspect of Disney princesses is a good escape from reality for a while but not a permanent solution.

Conclusion

The study was conducted by interviewing women from Hong Kong from 18 to 25 years of age. The research was done with open-ended questions. The research has shown that young women in Hong Kong have mixed notions about love and the resources of love demonstrated in Disney princess movies. The interviews with various participants revealed a highly diverse vision of life regarding young women in Hong Kong and their perceptions of Disney princess films. The study discovered that the Disney princesses have a different influence on young women in Hong Kong. They appear to have had little impact in some situations but significantly affect others. Additionally, when respondents were asked about the influence of Disney films on their romantic beliefs, relationships, and patterns of behavior, the study discovered that young women in Hong Kong understand that they will never have a true and chaste love story like the Disney princesses and thus desire to compensate with the luxurious life of a princess. This is evident in their choices in their romantic lives, which typically involve dating older, wealthy men. Young women in Hong Kong also seek handsome men and strive to be beautiful themselves, believing that being attractive will open doors to love rich men who will treat them like princesses. This demonstrates how Disney princess films shape our perceptions of grandeur and beauty in love.

The limitation of this study was the presence of limited samples. The sample was considered narrow as there were only four Hong Kong young women conducted in this study, and it is tough to examine each young woman in Hong Kong as it takes years to do it. Meanwhile, it is hard to sample other 18 to 25 years old young women from different cultural backgrounds, for instance, Japan and England. They may have been influenced by their environment, their own experiences over the years, and their knowledge of what influences their perceptions on the outside could have had on their responses. The interviews were informative, and they gave an insight into the fact that the young women of Hong Kong were practical, and they found the Disney princess stories as an escape route. This also made them want an extravagant life, even if they did not believe in true love. They still want to be treated like a princess. Therefore, in conclusion, the young women of Hong Kong enjoy a luxurious life like a Disney princess. However, they do not necessarily believe in the romantic true love notion shown in the Disney films or stories. They also believe in the requirement of physical beauty to fall in love, and they believe in the idea of being beautiful like a Disney princess.

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