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Start Date
25-6-2022 12:00 AM
End Date
25-6-2022 12:00 AM
Abstract
Weddings are both spectacular yet profoundly personal social events in American culture. As such, their representation in ‘bridal media’ “reveal what mass communication in general says about women and men as they shape 21st century society.”[1] Yet cultural expectations surrounding weddings go further when fandom is deeply involved.[2] This is featured prominently in the Disney+ series Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings (2017-present), a reboot of Weddings of a Lifetime (1995-2002) documenting couples having their dream Disney wedding or proposal. The program offers a glimpse into the often-gendered phenomenon of ‘induced fandom,’ wherein a fandom is expected to be shared in a relationship.
This project fits the Console-Passions 2022 theme of Reinvention as well as its location in Orlando, FL, home of Walt Disney World, by featuring a Disney reboot with updated gender politics. In this paper, I argue that fandom performances become feminized or masculinized within the context of a romantic couple. In this Disney program, women are represented as creating an “imperative”[3] for men to participate in Disney fandom, fulfilling stereotypes of the controlling, obsessive woman and, more particularly, bride-to-be.
[1] Engstrom, Erika. 2012. The Bride Factory: Mass Media Portrayals of Women and Weddings. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing. p. 4
[2] Johnston, Jessica Elizabeth. 2015. "Doctor Who–Themed Weddings and the Performance of Fandom." In "Performance and Performativity in Fandom," edited by Lucy Bennett and Paul J. Booth, special issue, Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 18. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2015.0637.
[3] “Wedding GOALS!” Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings. Season 2, episode 6. Streaming on Disney+
“We Converted You to Mickey!”: The Gendered Expectations of Couples’ Fandom in Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings
Weddings are both spectacular yet profoundly personal social events in American culture. As such, their representation in ‘bridal media’ “reveal what mass communication in general says about women and men as they shape 21st century society.”[1] Yet cultural expectations surrounding weddings go further when fandom is deeply involved.[2] This is featured prominently in the Disney+ series Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings (2017-present), a reboot of Weddings of a Lifetime (1995-2002) documenting couples having their dream Disney wedding or proposal. The program offers a glimpse into the often-gendered phenomenon of ‘induced fandom,’ wherein a fandom is expected to be shared in a relationship.
This project fits the Console-Passions 2022 theme of Reinvention as well as its location in Orlando, FL, home of Walt Disney World, by featuring a Disney reboot with updated gender politics. In this paper, I argue that fandom performances become feminized or masculinized within the context of a romantic couple. In this Disney program, women are represented as creating an “imperative”[3] for men to participate in Disney fandom, fulfilling stereotypes of the controlling, obsessive woman and, more particularly, bride-to-be.
[1] Engstrom, Erika. 2012. The Bride Factory: Mass Media Portrayals of Women and Weddings. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing. p. 4
[2] Johnston, Jessica Elizabeth. 2015. "Doctor Who–Themed Weddings and the Performance of Fandom." In "Performance and Performativity in Fandom," edited by Lucy Bennett and Paul J. Booth, special issue, Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 18. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2015.0637.
[3] “Wedding GOALS!” Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings. Season 2, episode 6. Streaming on Disney+
Bio
Andrew Zolides is an assistant professor in Digital Media at Xavier University. His research interests include the political economy of digital media industries, content moderation, and how these structures impact performances of identity. His work appears in New Media & Society, Participations, Persona Studies, and edited collections such as Childhood & Celebrity, From Networks to Netflix, and #WWE.