The Portrayal of Gender in the Feature-Length Films of Pixar Animation Studios: A Content Analysis

Abstract

This study was a content analysis of the portrayal of gender in the feature-length films of Pixar Animation Studios. All ten films currently released from the studio were included in the study (Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monster’s Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E, and Up), with the ten most prominent characters from each film selected for coding and analysis on multiple physical, authoritative, labor, and personality variables. Wall-E only had nine characters, however, so a total of 99 characters were studied. Results displayed no significant differences between males and females for most items in the study. Implications for future research are examined.