2Copyright 2008 Heldref PublicationsPost-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/PixarAbstract: Unlike most Disney animat-edfilms,whichhavebeencriticized fordecadesfortheirstereotypical femaleleadsandtraditionalrepre-sentationsofgender,allthemajor featuresreleasedbyDisneysPixar studios since 1990 have featured mas-culineprotagonists.Thesemaleplots are remarkably alike, and together, we argue,theyindicatearatherprogres-sivepostfeministmodelofgender. Beginningwithalpha-maletraitsin common, from emotional inaccessibil-ity to keen competitiveness, the stars of thesestoriesfollowsimilarbildungs-romanplots.Inthisarticle,wechart thepatternof masculinedevelopment inthreeofthesefilmsCars,Toy Story,andTheIncrediblesnoting thatPixarconsistentlypromotesa newmodelofmasculinity.Fromthe revelationofthealphamalesflaws, includingacutelonelinessandvul-nerability,tofigurativeemasculation througheventheslightestdisempow-erment, each character travels through asignificanthomosocialrelationship and ultimately matures into an accep-tanceofhismore traditionallyfemi-nine aspects. Keywords: animated film, bildungsroman, Disney,genderstudies,homosociality, masculinity, Pixar, Eve SedgwickLispingovertheSteveMcQueen allusioninPixarsCars(2006), ourtwo-year-oldson,Oscar, inadvertentlydirectedustothe definition(s)ofmasculinitythatmight beembeddedinachildrensanimated filmaboutNASCAR.Thefilmovertly praises the good woman proverbially behind every successful man: the cham-pioncar,voicedbyRichardPetty,tells his wife, I wouldnt be nothin without you, honey. But gender in this twenty-first-centurybildungsromanisrather morecomplex,andOscarsmispro-nunciationheldthefirstclue.Tohim, a member of the films target audience, the character closing in on the title long heldbyTheKingisnotLightning McQueenbutLightningthequeen; his chief rival, the always-a-bridesmaid runner-up Chick Hicks. Does this nominal feminizing of male also-rans (and the simultaneous gender-ing of success) constitute a meaningful pattern?Piqued,webeganexamining the construction of masculinity in major feature films released by Disneys Pixar studiosoverthepastthirteenyears. Indeed, as we argue here, Pixar consis-tently promotes a new model of mascu-linity, one that matures into acceptance ofitsmoretraditionallyfeminine aspects. Cultural critics have long been inter-estedinDisneyscinematicproducts, butthegendercriticsexaminingthe textsmostenthusiasticallygobbledup bytheunder-sixsethavesofargener-allyfocusedontheirretrograderepre-sentations of women. As Elizabeth Bell argues,theanimatedDisneyfeatures throughBeautyandtheBeastfeature ateenagedheroineattheidealized height of pubertys graceful promenade [...,f]emalewickedness[...]ren-dered as middle-aged beauty at its peak ofsexualityandauthority[...,and] [f]eminine sacrifice and nurturing [. . .] drawninpear-shaped,oldwomenpast menopause(108).Somehavenoted the models of masculinity in the classic animatedfilms,primarilythecontrast betweentheubermachoGastonand thesensitive,misunderstoodBeastin Beauty and the Beast,1 but the male pro-tagonist of the animated classics, at least throughTheLittleMermaid,remains largelyuninterrogated.2Formostof theearlyfilms,thiscriticalomissionCopyright 2008 Heldref Publications3Copyright 2008 Heldref Publicationsseemsgenerallyappropriate,thevari-ous versions of Prince Charming being oftentootwo-dimensionaltodomore thaninadvertentlyshapethedefinition oftheprotagonistsfemininity.Butif thefeministthoughtthathasshaped our cultural texts for three decades now has been somewhat disappointing in its abilitytoactuallyrewritetheprincess trope (the spunkiest of the princesses, Ariel,Belle,Jasmine,and,arguably, evenMulan,remainthin,beautiful, kind,obedientorpunishedfordisobe-dience, and headed for the altar), it has beensurprisinglyeffectiveinrewriting thetypeofmasculinepowerpromoted by Disneys products.3 Disneysnewface,Pixarstudios,has releasedninefilmsToyStory(1995) andToyStory2(1999);ABugsLife (1998);FindingNemo(2003);Monsters, Inc. (2001); The Incredibles (2004); Cars (2006);Ratatouille(2007);andnow WALLE(2008)allofwhichfeature interestingmalefiguresinleadingposi-tions. Unlike many of the princesses, who remain relatively static even through their own adventures, these male leads are actual protagonists; their characters develop and changeoverthecourseofthefilm,ren-deringtheplot.Ultimatelythesevarious developingcharactersparticularlyBuzz andWoodyfromToyStory,Mr.Incred-iblefromTheIncredibles,andLightning McQueen from Carsexperience a com-monnarrativetrajectory,culminatingin acommonNewManmodel4:theyall strive for an alpha-male identity; they face emasculatingfailures;theyfindthem-selves,inlargepart,throughwhatEve Sedgwick refers to as homosocial desire andatriangulationofthisdesirewitha feminizedobject(and/orasetoffemi-ninevalues);and,finally,theyachieve (and teach) a kinder, gentler understanding of what it means to be a man. Emasculation of the Alpha MaleAworkingdefinitionofalphamale maybeunnecessary;althoughmore traditionally associated with the animal kingdomthantheMagicKingdom,it familiarlyevokesideasofdominance, leadership,andpowerinhumansocial organizations as well. The phrase alpha malemaystandforallthingsste-reotypicallypatriarchal:unquestioned authority,physicalpowerandsocial dominance,competitivenessforposi-tionsofstatusandleadership,lackof visibleorsharedemotion,socialisola-tion. An alpha male, like Vann in Cars, doesnotaskfordirections;likeDoc Hudsoninthesamefilm,hedoesnot talk about his feelings. The alpha males stresses,likeBuzzLightyears,come fromhisneedtosavethegalaxy;his strength comes from faith in his ability to do so. These models have worked in Disney for decades. The worst storm at sea is no match for The Little Mermaids uncomplicatedPrinceEricindeed, anycharmingprinceneedonlyride inonhissteedtosavehisrespective princess.Butthepostfeministworldis a different place for men, and the post-princessPixarisadifferentplacefor male protagonists. Newsweekrecentlydescribedthe alphamalesnewcinematicandtelevi-sionrival,thebetamale:Thetes-tosterone-pumped,muscle-boundHol-lywood hero is rapidly deflating . [. . .] Taking his place is a new kind of leading man,thekindwhosjustashappyfol-lowingasleading,ornevergettingoff the sofa (Yabroff 64). Indeed, as Susan Jeffords points out, at least since Beauty and the Beast, Disney has resisted (even ridiculed) the machismo once de rigueur forleadingmen(170).Disneycinema, one of the most effective teaching tools Americaoffersitschildren,isnotyet convertingitsmodelmaleprotagonist allthewayintoaslacker,buttheNew Man model is quite clearly emerging. By Ken Gillam andShannon R. WoodenCars (2006) Directed by John Lasseter. Shown from left: Doc Hudson (voice: Paul Newman), Lightning McQueen (voice: Owen Wilson). Photo courtesy of Photofest.4JPF&TJournal of Popular Film and TelevisionCars, Toy Story, and The Incredibles present their protagonists as unambigu-ously alpha in the opening moments of the films. Although Lightning McQueen may be an as-yet incompletely realized alpha when Cars begins, not having yet achievedtheKingstatusofhismost successful rival, his ambition and fierce competitivenessstillclearlyvalorize thealpha-malemodel:Speed.Iam speed...Ieatlosersforbreakfast, hechantsasapreracemantra.He heroicallycomesfrombehindtotie thechampionshiprace,distinguishing himselfbyhisphysicalpower andability,characteristicsthat catapult him toward the exclu-sivelymalecultureofsports superstars. The fantasies of his lifeheindulgesafterwinning thecovetedPistonCupeven includeflocksoffemalecars formingaworshipfulharem aroundhim.Butthefilmsoon diminishestheappealofthis alphamodel.Withinafew momentsoftheracesconclu-sion,weseesomeofLight-ningslesspositivemacho traits;hisinabilitytoname anyfriends,forexample,revealsboth hisisolationandattemptsatemotional stoicism. Lightning McQueen is hardly anunemotionalcharacter,ascanbe seenwhenheprematurelyjumpsonto thestagetoacceptwhatheassumesto be his victory. For this happy emotional outburst,however,heisimmediately disciplinedbyasnidecommentfrom Chick. From this point until much later inthefilm,theonlyemotionshedis-plays are those of frustration and anger. Toy Storys Buzz Lightyear and Sher-iffWoodysimilarlybasetheirworth onamasculinemodelofcompetition andpower,desiringnotonlytobethe favorite toy of their owner, Andy, but to possess the admiration of and author-ity over the other toys in the playroom. Woody is a natural leader, and his posi-tionrepresentsbothpaternalisticcare and patriarchal dominance. In an open-ing scene, he calls and conducts a staff meeting that highlights his unambigu-ously dominant position in the toy com-munity. Encouraging the toys to pair up sothatnoonewillbelostinthefam-ilysimpendingmove,hecommands: Amovingbuddy.Ifyoudonthave one,GETONE.Buzzsalphaiden-titycomesfromamoreexaltedsource thansocialgovernancenamely,his belief that he is the one space ranger withthepowerandknowledgeneeded tosavethegalaxy;itseemsmerely natural,then,thattheothertoyswould lookuptohim,admirehisstrength, andfollowhisorders.Butaswith LightningMcQueen,thesedepictions ofmasculinepoweraresoonundercut. Buzzs mere presence exposes Woodys strengthasfragile,artificial,evenarbi-trary, and his friends, apparently hav-ingbeendrawntohisauthorityrather thanhischaracter,arefair-weather atbest.Buzzsauthorityringshol-lowfromtheverybeginning,andhis refusaltobelieveinhisowntoyness isatbestsillyandatworstdangerous. LikeLightning,BuzzsandWoodys mostcommonlyexpressedemotions areangerandfrustration,notsadness (Woodys,athavingbeenreplaced) or fear (Buzzs, at having crash-landed onastrangeplanet)orevenwist-fulfondness(Woodys,atthelossof Slinks,BoPeeps,andRexsloyalty). Onceagain,thealpha-maleposition isdepictedasfraudulent,precarious, lonely, and devoid of emotional depth.An old-school superhero, Mr. Incred-ibleopensTheIncrediblesbydisplay-ingthetremendousphysicalstrength that enables him to stop speeding trains, crashthroughbuildings,andkeepthe citysafefromcriminals.Buthetoo suffersfromtheemotionalisolationof the alpha male. Stopping on the way to his own wedding to interrupt a crime in progress,heisverynearlylatetothe service,showinguponlytosaytheI dos. Like his car and toy counterparts, hecommunicatesprimarilythrough verbal assertions of powerangrily dis-missingBuddy,hismeddlesomeaspir-ingsidekick;banteringwithElastigirl over who gets the pickpocketand lim-its to anger and frustration the emotions apparently available to men. Fraughtasitmayseem,thealpha positionisevenmorefleeting:innone ofthesePixarfilmsdoesthemale protagonistsdominancelast long.AfterLightningties, ratherthanwins,theraceand ignorestheKingsfriendly advice to find and trust a good teamwithwhichtowork,he browbeatshisfaithfulsemi, Mack, and ends up lost in hill-billyhell,asmalltownoff thebeatenpathoftheinter-state.Hisuncontrolledphysi-calmightdestroystheroad, andtheresultantlegalrespon-sibilitycommunity servicekeepshimfarfromhisPiston Cup goals. When Buzz appears asagiftfor Andysbirthday,heeasily unseats Woodybothas Andysfavorite andasthetoycommunitysleader. When Buzz becomes broken, failing to savehimselffromtheclutchesofthe evilneighbor,Sid,hetoomustlearn ahardlessonabouthislimitedpower, his diminished status, and his own rela-tiveinsignificanceintheuniverse.Mr. Incredibleisperhapsmostobviously disempowered:despitehissuperheroic feats, Mr. Incredible has been unable to keep the city safe from his own clumsy bruteforce.Afteraseriesoflawsuits againsttheSupers,whoaccidentally leavevarioustypesofsmall-timemay-hemintheirwake,theyarealldriven underground, into a sort of witness pro-tection program. To add insult to injury, Mr.Incrediblesdiminutivebossfires himfromhisjobhandlinginsurance claims, and his wife, the former Elasti-girl, assumes the pants of the family.Most of these events occur within the first few minutes of the characters respec-tivefilms.OnlyBuzzsdownfallhap-pens in the second half. The alpha-male Pixar consistentlypromotes a new model of masculinity,one that matures into acceptance of its more traditionally feminine aspects.Post-Princess Models of Gender5model is thus not only present and chal-lengedinthefilmsbutalsois,infact, theverystructureonwhichtheplots unfold.Eachofthesefilmsisabout being a man, and they begin with an out-dated, two-dimensional alpha prototype to expose its failings and to ridicule its logicalextensions:thedevastationand humiliationofbeingdefeatedincom-petition,thewrathgeneratedbypower unchecked,theparalyzingalienation and fear inherent in being lonely at the top. Asthesecharactersbeginthefilm in(orseeking)thetenuousalphaposi-tionamongfellowcharacters,eachof themisalsostrippedofthisidentity dramaticallyemasculatedsothathe maylearn,reform,andemergeagain withadifferent,andarguablymore feminine, self-concept.Emasculatedisnottoostronga term for what happens to these male pro-tagonists; the decline of the alpha-male modelisgendercodedinallthefilms. For his community service punishment, Lightning is chained to the giant, snort-ing, tar-spitting Bessie and ordered to repairthedamagehehaswrought.His ownhorsepower(asSallycheerfully pointsout)isusedagainsthimwhen literallyputintheserviceofanomi-nallyfeminizedfigurevaluedforthe morefeminineorientationofservice tothecommunity.Ifbeingunderthe thumbofthishumongouswomanis notemasculatingenough,Mater,who seessuchsubordinationtoBessieasa potentially pleasurable thing, names the price, saying, Id give my left two lug nuts for something like that! Mr.Incrediblesdownfallismost clearlymarkedasgenderedbyhis responsestoit. Ashiswifesdomestic power and enthusiasm grow increasing-ly unbearable, and his childrens behav-iormoreandmoreoutofhiscontrol, hesurreptitiouslyturnstothemysteri-ous, gorgeous Mirage, who gives him what he needs to feel like a man: super-hero work. Overtly depicting her as the otherwoman,thefilmrequiresElas-tigirl to intercept a suggestive-sounding phonecall,andtotrapherhusbandin a lie, to be able to work toward healing his decimated masculinity.In Toy Story, the emasculation of the alpha male is the most overt, and argu-ablythemostcomic.Fromthebegin-ning,powerisconstructedinterms conspicuouslygendercoded,atleast foradultviewers:astheywatchthe incomingbirthdaypresents,thetoys agonizeattheirsheersize,thelongest andmostphallic-shapedonestriking truefear(andadmiration?)intothe heartsofthespectators.WhenBuzz threatensWoody,onetoyexplainsto another that he has laser envy. Buzzs momentoftruth,afterseeinghimself onSidsfatherstelevision,isthemost clearlygenderedofall.Realizingfor thefirsttimethatWoodyisright,he isatoy,hedefiantlyattemptstofly anyway,landingsprawledonthefloor withabrokenarm.Sidslittlesister promptlyfindshim,dresseshimina pinkapronandhat,andinstallshimas Mrs.Nesbitatherteaparty.When Woodytriestowresthimfromhis despair, Buzz wails, Dont you get it? I AMMRS.NESBIT.Butdoesthehat lookgood?Oh,tellmethehatlooks good! Woodys rock bottom moment findshimtrappedunderanoverturned milk crate, forcing him to ask Buzz for help and to admit that he doesnt stand achanceagainstBuzzinthecontest for Andysaffection,whichconstitutes everything that is important to me. He isnotfiguredintoawoman,likeBuzz is,orsubordinatedtoawoman,like Lightningis,orforcedtoseekawom-ansaffirmationofhismachoself,like Mr.Incredibleis,buthedoeshaveto acknowledgehisownfemininevalues, from his need for communal support to hisdeep,abiding(and,later,maternal) loveofaboy.Thisfemininestamp is characteristic of the New Man model towardwhichthesecharactersnarra-tively journey. Homosociality, Intimacy, and EmotionRegardingtheloveofaboy,the mistress tempting Mr. Incredible away from his wife and family is not Mirage atallbutBuddy,theboyhejiltedin theopeningscenesofthefilm(whose lastname,Pine,furtherconveysthe unrequited nature of their relationship). Privileginghisalpha-maleemotional isolation,butadoredbyhiswannabe sidekick,Mr.Incrediblevehemently protectshisdesiretoworkalone. Afterspendingthenextyearsnursing hisrejectionandrefininghisarsenal, Buddy eventually retaliates against Mr. Incredibleforrebuffinghisadvances. Suchamodelofhomosocialtutelage asBuddyproposesatthebeginning ofthefilmcertainlyevokesanancient (andhomosexual)modelofmascu-lineidentity;Mr.Incrediblesrejection quickly and decisively replaces it with a heteronormativeone,furthersupported byElastigirlsmarryingandMirages attractingthemachosuperhero.5Butit isequallytruethattherecoveryofMr. Incredibles masculine identity happens primarily through his (albeit antagonis-tic) relationship with Buddy, suggesting that Eve Sedgwicks notion of a homo-social continuum is more appropriate to an analysis of the films gender attitudes thanspeculationsaboutitsreactionary heteronormativity, even homophobia.Same-sex(male)bondstotem-porarilyavoidthemoreloadedterm desireare obviously important to each ofthesefilms.Infact,inallthree, male/malerelationshipsemergethat move the fallen alphas forward in their journeystowardanewmasculinity.In eachcase,themaleleadsfirstand/or primary intimacyhis most immediate transformative relationshipis with one ormoremalecharacters.Evenbefore discoveringBuddyashisnemesis,Mr. Incredible secretly pairs up with his old palFrozone,andthetwostepouton their wives to continue superheroing on thesly;BuddyandFrozoneareeach, intheirways,moreinfluentialonMr. Incrediblessenseofselfthanhiswife orchildrenare.AlthoughLightning fallsinlovewithSallyandherfuture visionofRadiatorSprings,hisalmost accidentally having befriended the hap-less,warmMatercatalyzesmorefoun-dationallessonsabouttheresponsibili-ties of friendshipdemanding honesty, sensitivity,andcarethanthesmell-the-roseslessonSallyrepresents.He also ends up being mentored and taught acomparablelessonaboutcaringfor others by Doc Hudson, who even more explicitlyencourageshimtoresistthe alphapathofthePistonCupworldby relatinghisexperiencesofbeingused and then rejected. Woody and Buzz, as rivals-cum-allies, discover the necessary 6JPF&TJournal of Popular Film and Televisiontruthsabouttheirmasculinestrength onlyastheydiscoverhowmuchthey needoneanother.Sedgwickfurther describes the ways in which the homo-socialbondisnegotiatedthroughatri-angulation of desire; that is, the intimacy emerging between men is constructed throughanovertandshareddesirefor afeminizedobject.Unlikehomosocial relationshipsbetweenwomenthatis, thecontinuumbetweenwomenlov-ing women and women promoting the interestsofwomenmalehomoso-cialidentityisnecessarilyhomophobic in patriarchal systems, which are struc-turally homophobic (3). This means the same-sexrelationshipdemandssocial opportunitiesforamantoinsiston,or prove,hisheterosexuality.CitingRene GirardsDeceit,Desire,andtheNovel, Sedgwickarguesthatinanyerotic rivalry, the bond that links the two rivals is as intense and potent as the bond that links either of the rivals to the beloved (21);womenareultimatelysymboli-callyexchangeablefortheprimary purpose of cementing the bonds of men with men (26).This triangulation of male desire can beseeninCarsandToyStoryparticu-larly, where the homosocial relationship ratherobviouslysharesadesirefora feminized third. Buzz and Woody com-pete first, momentarily, for the affection of Bo Peep, who is surprisingly sexual-izedforachildrensmovie(purringto Woody an offer to get someone else to watchthesheeptonight,thenrapidly choosingBuzzashermovingbuddy after his flying display). More impor-tantly,theybattlefortheaffectionof Andyamalechildalternatelydepict-edasmaternal(itishisresponsibility togethisbabysisteroutofhercrib) and in need of male protection (Woody exhorts Buzz to take care of Andy for me!).6Carsalsofeaturesasexualized romanticheroine;lesscoquettishthan BoPeep,Sallystillfumblesoveran invitationtospendthenightnotwith me, but . . . in the motel she owns. One ofLightningandMatersmomentsof bondinghappenswhenMatercon-frontsLightning,statinghisaffection for Sally and sharing a parallel story of heterosexual desire. The more principal objectsofdesireinCars,however, arethe(arguably)feminizedPiston CupandtheDinocosponsorship. The sponsor itself is established in romantic terms:withLightningstuckinRadia-torSprings,hisagentsaysDinocohas hadtowooChickinstead.Tiaand Mia,Lightningsbiggestfans,who transfertheiraffectiontoChickduring hisabsence,offerviewersanevenless subtlygenderedgoal,andChickuses this to taunt Lightning. It is in the pur-suit of these objects, and in competition with Chick and the King, that Lightning firstdefineshimselfasaman;thePis-ton Cup also becomes the object around whichheandDocdiscovertheirrela-tionship to one another.The New ManWiththestrengthaffordedbythese homosocial intimacies, the male charac-terstriumphovertheirrespectiveplots, demonstratingthedesirablemodifica-tions that Pixar makes to the alpha-male model. To emerge victorious (and in one piece)overthetyrannicalneighborboy, Sid, Buzz, and Woody have to cooperate notonlywitheachotherbutalsowith the cannibalized toys lurking in the dark placesofSidsbedroom.Incidentally learningavaluablelessonaboutdis-crimination based on physical difference (the toys are not monsters at all, despite their frightening appearance), they begin toshowsympathy,ratherthanviolence bornoftheirfear,tothevictimsof Sids experimentation. They learn how to humble themselves to ask for help from thecommunity.UntilWoodysgrand plantoescapeSidunfolds,Sidcould beanobjectlessonintheunredeemed alpha-maletype:cruellyalmightyover thetoycommunity,hewinsatarcade games,bullieshissister,and,withstra-tegicallyplacedfireworks,exertsmili-taristic might over any toys he can find. Woodysnewfoundabilitytogiveand receive care empowers him to teach Sid a lesson of caring and sharing that might be microcosmic to the movie as a whole. Sid, of course, screams (like a girl) when confronted with the evidence of his past cruelties, and when viewers last see him, his younger sister is chasing him up the stairs with her doll.Even with the unceremonious exit of Sid,theadventureisnotquiteoverfor Buzz and Woody. Unable to catch up to the moving van as Sids dog chases him, Woodyachievesthepinnacleofthe NewMannarrative:armedwithanew masculineidentity,onethatexpresses feelingsandacknowledgescommunity as a site of power, Woody is able to sac-rifice the competition with Buzz for his objectofdesire.Lettinggoofthevan strap,sacrificinghimself(hethinks)to Sidsdog,heplainlyexpressesacare-taking,nurturinglove,andasurrender tothegoodofthebeloved:Takecare of Andy for me, he pleads. Buzzs own momentoftruthcomesfromseizing hispowerasatoy:holding Woody,he glidesintothefamilyscarandback into Andyscare,correcting Woodyby proudlyrepeatinghisearlier,critical wordsbacktohim:Thisisntflying; itsfallingwithstyle.Buzzhasfound thevalueofbeingatoy,theself-ful-fillmentthatcomesfrombeingowned andloved.Beingatoyisalotbetter thanbeingaspaceranger,Woody explains. Youre his toy (emphasis in original).Mr. Incredible likewise must embrace his own dependence, both physical and emotional.Trappedontheislandof Chronos,atthemercyofSyndrome (Buddysnewsuper-persona),Mr. Incredibleneedswomenhiswifes superpowersandMiragesguiltyinter-ventiontoescape.Tooverpowerthe monsterSyndromehasunleashedon thecity,andtoachievethepinnacle oftheNewManmodel,hemustalso admittohisemotionaldependenceon hiswifeandchildren.Initiallyconfin-ingthemtothesafetyofabus,he confessestoElastigirlthathisneedto fight the monster alone is not a typically alpha (I work alone) sort of need but a loving one: I cant lose you again, he tells her. The robot/monster is defeated, alongwithanyvestigesofthealpha model,asthecombinedforcesofthe Incredible family locate a new model of postfeminist strength in the family as a whole.Thiscommunalstrengthisnot simply physical but marked by coopera-tion,selflessness,andintelligence. The childrenlearnthattheirbestcontribu-tionsprotecttheothers;Mr.Incredible figuresouttherobot/monstersvulner-ability and cleverly uses this against it. Post-Princess Models of Gender7InaparallelmotiftoMr.Incredi-blesinabilitytocontrolhisstrength, Buddy/Syndrome finally cannot control hisrobot/monster;inthedefeat,he becomesthenewlyemasculatedalpha male.Butlikehisrobot,helearns quickly.HislastattempttoinjureMr. Incredible,kidnappinghisbabyJack-Jack,strikesatMr.Incrediblesnew source of strength and value, his family. Thestrengthofthecooperativefamily unitisevenmoreclearlydisplayedin this final rescue: for the shared, parental goal of saving Jack-Jack, Mr. Incredible uses his physical strength and, with her consent,theshape-shiftingbodyofhis super-wife. He throws Elastigirl into the air,whereshecatchestheirbabyand, flatteningherbodyintoaparachute, sailsgentlybacktoherhusbandand older children. ThroughLightningMcQueens manyrelationshipswithmen,aswell ashisburgeoningromancewithSally, he also learns how to care about others, to focus on the well-being of the com-munity,andtoprivilegenurtureand kindness. It is Doc, not Sally, whoexplicitlychallengesthe racecarwithhisselfishness (Whenwasthelasttime youcaredaboutsomething exceptyourself,hotrod?). His reformed behavior begins withhisgenerouscontribu-tionstotheRadiatorSprings community.Notonlydoeshe provide much-needed cash for the local economy, but he also listensto,praises,andvalues theresidentsfortheirunique offerings to Radiator Springs. He is the chosen auditor for Lizzys reminiscing aboutherlatehusband,contrasting thecomicrelieftypicallyofferedby thesenileanddeafModel Twithpoi-gnancy, if not quite sadness. Repairing the towns neon, he creates a romantic dreamscape from the past, a setting for bothcourtingSally(cruising)and, moreimportantly,winningherrespect withhisabilitytoshareinhervalue system. For this role, he is even physi-callytransformed:hehiresthebody shop proprietor, Ramone, to paint over his sponsors stickers and his large race number, as if to remove himself almost completely from the Piston Cup world, evenasheanticipatesbeingreleased fromhiscommunityserviceandthus being able to return to racing.Perhaps even more than Buzz, Woody, andMr.Incredibledo,theNewMan McQueen shuns the remaining trappings ofthealpharole,actuallyrefusingthe Piston Cup. If the first three protagonists areultimatelyqualifiedheroesthat is,theystillretaintheirauthorityand accomplish their various tasks, but with newvaluesandperspectivesacquired alongthewayLightningcompletely andpubliclyrefuseshisformerobject ofdesire.Earlyinthefinalrace,he seemstosomewhatdevalueracing;his daydreams of Sally distract him, tempt-inghimtogiveupratherthantocom-pete.Theplot,however,needshimto dominate the race so his decision at the end will be entirely his own. His friends show up and encourage him to succeed. Thisiswheretheotherfilmsend:the values of caring, sharing, nurturing, and communitybeingclearlypresent,the hero is at last able to achieve, improved byhavingembracedthosevalues.But Lightning, seeing the wrecked King and remembering the words of Doc Hudson, screechestoastopinchesbeforethe finishline.Reversing,heapproaches the King, pushes him back on the track, and acknowledges the relative insignifi-canceofthePistonCupincomparison tohisnewandimprovedself.Hethen declinestheDinococorporateofferin favorofremainingfaithfultohisloyal Rust-ezesponsors.ChickHicks,the only unredeemed alpha male at the end, celebrateshisill-gottenvictoryandis publicly rejected at the end by both his fans, the twins, and, in a sense, by the Piston Cup itself, which slides onto the stage and hits him rudely in the side.ConclusionThetrendoftheNewManseems neitherinsidiousnornefarious,noris itoutofstepwiththelargercultural movement.Itisgood,webelieve,for oursontobeawareofthemanysides ofhumanexistence,regardlessoftra-ditionalgenderstereotypes.However, maintainingacriticalconsciousnessof themanylessonstaughtbythecultural monolithofDisneyremainsimperative. Theselessonstheirpedagogicalaims orresultsbecomemostimmediately obvious to us as parents when we watch oursoningestandexpressthem,when hemisunderstandsandmakeshisown senseofthem,andwhenwecansee waysinwhichhisperceptionofreal-ityisshapedbythem,beforeoureyes. Without assuming that the values of the filmsareinherentlyevilorrepresenta-tive of an evil conspiracy to undermine American youth (Giroux 4), we are still compelled to critically examine the texts onwhichoursonbasesmany ofhisattitudes,behaviors,and preferences. Moreover,theimpactof Disney,asHenryGirouxhas effectivelyargued,istremen-douslymorewidespreadthan ourhousehold.CitingMichael Eisners1995Planetized Entertainment,Girouxclaims that200millionpeopleayear watchDisneyvideosorfilms, andinaweek,395million watchaDisneyTVshow,3.8 millionsubscribetotheDisneyChan-nel,and810,000makeapurchaseat aDisneystore(19). AsBenjaminBar-berarguedin1995,[T]hetruetutors ofourchildrenarenotschoolteachers oruniversityprofessorsbutfilmmak-ers, advertising executives and pop cul-turepurveyors(qtd.inGiroux63). Thusweperformourpedagogical intervention[s]ofexaminingDisneys powertoshap[e]nationalidentity, genderroles,andchildhoodvalues (Giroux 10). It remains a necessary and ongoingtask,notjustforconcerned parents,butforallconscientiouscul-tural critics. The postfeministworld is a different place for men, and the post-princess Pixar is a different place for male protagonists.8JPF&TJournal of Popular Film and TelevisionNOTES1.SeeSusanJeffords,TheCurseof Masculinity: Disneys Beauty and the Beast, for an excellent analysis of that plots devel-opingthecruelBeastintoamanwhocan love and be loved in return: Will he be able to overcome his beastly temper and terroriz-ing attitude in order to learn to love? (168). But even in this film, she argues, the Beasts development is dependent on other people, especiallywomen,whosejobitistotutor himintothenewmodelofmasculinity,the New Man (169, 170).2.Two articles demand that we qualify this claim. Indirectly, they support the point of this essaybydemonstratingamidcenturyDisney modelofwhatwecallalphamasculinity. DavidPaynesBambiparallelsthatfilms coming-of-ageplot,ostensiblyrepresenting anaturalworld,withthemilitarymindset ofthe1940sagainstwhichthefilmwas drawn.Similarly,ClaudiaCard,inPinoc-chio, claims that the Disneyfied version of the nineteenth-century Carlo Collodi tale replaces theoriginalsmodelofbraveryandhonesty withamachoexerciseinheroism[...and] avoid[ing] humiliation (6667). 3.Outsidetheanimatedclassics,critics havenotedatrendtowardapostfeminist masculinityone characterized by emotional wellness,sensitivitytofamily,andacon-sciousrejectionofthemostalphamaleval-uesin Disney-produced films of the 1980s and 1990s. Jeffords gives a sensible account ofthechangingmaleleadinfilmsranging from Kindergarten Cop to Terminator 2.4.InDisneycriticism,thephraseNew ManseemstobelongtoSusanJeffordss 1995essayonBeautyandtheBeast,butit isslowlycomingintovoguefordescribing other postfeminist trends in masculine iden-tity. In popular culture, see Richard Colliers TheNewMan:FactorFad?onlinein Achilles Heel: The Radical Mens Magazine 14(Winter 1992/1993).http://www.achilles heel.freeuk.com/article14_9.html.Foralit-erary-historicalaccount,seeWritingMen: Literary Masculinities from Frankenstein to the New Man by Berthold Schoene-Harwood (Columbia UP, 2000).5.Criticshavedescribedthesuperhero withinsomeframeworkofqueertheory sincethe1950s,whenDr.FredricWer-thamsSeductionoftheInnocentclaimed thatBatmanandRobinweregay(Ameron Ltd,1954).SeeRobLendrumsQueer-ingSuper-Manhood:SuperheroMasculin-ity,Camp,andPublicRelationsasaTex-tualFramework(InternationalJournalof Comic Art 7.1 [2005]: 287303) and Valerie Palmer-Mehtan and Kellie Hays A Super-hero for Gays? Gay Masculinity and Green Lantern (Journal of American Culture 28.4 [2005]: 390404), among myriad nonschol-arly pop-cultural sources.6.Interestingly,AndyandToyStoryin general are apparently without (human) male rolemodels.Theonlyfatherpresentinthe filmatallisSids,sleepinginfrontofthe television in the middle of the day. Andys is absent at a dinner out, during a move, and on the following Christmas morning. Andy him-self,atplay,imaginessplinteringanuclear family: when he makes Sheriff Woody catch One-EyedBlackBartinacriminalact,he says, Say goodbye to the wife and tater tots . . . youre going to jail.WORKS CITEDBell,Elizabeth.SomatextsattheDisney Shop:ConstructingthePentimentosof WomensAnimatedBodies.Bell,From Mouse to Mermaid 10724.Bell,Elizabeth,LyndaHaas,andLaura Sells,eds.FromMousetoMermaid:the PoliticsofFilm,Gender,andCulture. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1995.Card,Claudia.Pinocchio.Bell,From Mouse to Mermaid 6271.Cars.Dir.JohnLasseter.WaltDisneyPic-tures/Pixar Animation Studios, 2006.Collier,Richard.TheNewMan:Factor Fad?AchillesHeel:TheRadicalMens Magazine14(199293)..Eisner,Michael.PlanetizedEntertain-ment.NewPerspectivesQuarterly12.4 (1995): 8.Giroux,Henry.TheMousethatRoared: Disney and the End of Innocence. Oxford, Eng.: Rowman, 1999.The Incredibles. Dir. Brad Bird. Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios, 2004.Jeffords, Susan. The Curse of Masculinity: DisneysBeautyandtheBeast.Bell, From Mouse to Mermaid 16172.Lendrum,Rob.QueeringSuper-Manhood: Superhero Masculinity, Camp, and Public Relations as a Textual Framework. Inter-national Journal of Comic Art 7.1 (2005): 287303.Palmer-Mehtan, Valerie, and Kellie Hay. A SuperheroforGays?GayMasculinity and Green Lantern. Journal of American Culture 28.4 (2005): 390404.Payne,David.Bambi.Bell,FromMouse to Mermaid 13747.Schoene-Harwood,Berthold.WritingMen: LiteraryMasculinitiesfromFrankenstein totheNewMan.Columbia:Columbia UP, 2000.Sedgwick,EveKosofsky.BetweenMen: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire. New York: Columbia UP, 1985.ToyStory.Dir.JohnLasseter.WaltDisney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios, 1995.Wertham,Fredric.SeductionoftheInno-cent. New York: Reinhart, 1954. Yabroff,Jennie.BetasRule.Newsweek4 June 2007: 6465.Ken Gillam has a PhD in rhetoric and com-positionfromIllinoisStateUniversityand hasrecentlybecomedirectorofcomposi-tionatMissouriStateUniversity.Hiswork rangesfromoriginalpoetrytoarticleson ecological theory and composition to televi-sioncriticism.ShannonR.Wooden,PhD inBritishliteraturefromtheUniversityof NorthCarolina,isanassistantprofessorof EnglishattheUniversityofSouthernIndi-ana.HerpublicationsincludeReadingand Teaching British Women Writers 17501900, co-editedwithJeanneMoskal(2005),and articles on Mary Elizabeth Braddon and the 1990s films of Jane Austens novels. Gillam andWoodenhavepreviouslycollaborated onanarticleinAngelaHagueandDavid LaverysTeleparody:Prediction/Preventing theTVDiscourseofTomorrow.Theyare alsotheproudparentsoftwoboys,Oscar and Archie,andhaveconsequentlybecome connoisseurs of childrens media.