The song I chose to use as a show of gender stereotypes, is ,”I’ll Make A Man Out of You”, featured in Disney’s 1998, “Mulan”. In a movie that challenges gender stereotypes with a female protagonist undergoing military training with men, the song, “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” paints a clear picture as to how a “man” should conduct himself. Using an all-male army to show how only men were allowed to be able to participate in battle during this time helps flesh out this point.

Interestingly though, while the lyrics of “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” shuns and condemns weakness as a “woman”‘s trait, and champions strength as a man’s quality, it shows Mulan herself overcoming, and taking the lead as a competent soldier, arguably a better soldier than the rest of her male comrades. A musical trait that interests me within the song, is the use of the vocals in the background during the chorus. In the event one forgot the point of the song, one will be reminded what it is by a strong, powerful, deep, “Be A Man!”. It’s the way that the background singers, that drive home the point of the song, and yet, only to be proven wrong by Mulan’s brave, and cunning nature.