Currently in my college English class we are discussing a topic that REALLY bugs me.
We have been asked to write a paper discussing the Disney Princesses through feminists eyes.
I have a problem with this. My Professor is pressing the idea that the princesses are anti feminists and therefore bad role models for young girls.
It is admirable that as a male he is interested in the topic of role models for girls. I am happy that he wants to be part of a solution…but blaming it on the Princess industry is wrong.
There are all kinds of arguments about the princesses, the early one in particular.
For instance…the first three Princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora; are charges with lack of adventure.
Ariel, my personal favorite, is charged with a long list of offenses…her slim waist, changing her body, and falling in love.
Belle from Beauty and the Beast promotes abuse.
Jasmine teachers girls that lying is OK, oh and don’t forget she has a pet tiger.
The newer princesses are commended due to their free spirits.
Mulan, saves china…but she did it by cross dressing
Tiana, first princess to have a job…is a workaholic
Rapunzel…runs away from home…kinda
Anna and Elsa? They aren’t perfect either. Anna tries to marry a man she just met and Elsa lets fear run her life.
Yes they are imperfect. Does that make them bad role models? NO. Because guess what…the little girl in your life is also imperfect. She will make mistakes and do crazy things that will make you shake her head. That is not a princess problem..it’s a part of life.
These Princesses can bring so much to the table.
Snow White, the original princesses, often called the purist princess, is often the most criticized. She’s harmful to young girls because she waits for Prince Charming to find her. She has no adventure. Guess what? I am 20 years old, a full time student, with two jobs. I don’t have time for adventure either! Trust me I didn’t learn that from watching Snow White as a tot. What did Snow White teach me? Humility, selflessness, love for animals, kindness. Are those horrible things for our daughters to learn?
Cinderella? She was a victim of abuse, much like many kids today. However, through it all she never loses her hope and gentleness. She went to the ball and fell in love. Some say it’s irrational for her to have fallen in love in one night…but is it? No. It is not dangerous for girls to believe in love at first sight. Some say she only loved him because he was the Prince…but if you watch the movie…she had no idea she was dancing with the Prince!
Aurora, sleeping beauty, sadly she sleeps through most of the movie. However, from what we do see of her, she is sweet and kind. She believes in love. She knows someday that love will find her, and she will be OK until it happens.
Ariel…oh sweet princess of the sea who is blamed for so much. Ariel knew she didn’t belong under the sea…LONG before she met Prince Eric. When we first meet her, she’s exploring boats and trying to learn as much about humans as she can! She is passionate about it and has a love of learning. When she meets Eric, I don’t believe she really loved him as much as she thought…She was in love of the idea of being a human. Eric was just an added bonus. She tells her father, King Triton, that she loves him…but I think she was being a typical teenager. She gives up her voice for legs, she makes the choice to be human and leave her home. Guess what? Hopefully at some point ALL children leave their parents home to lead their own lives. She makes this choice because she never quite fit in under the sea. I believe she makes the choice out of good faith that everything will work out. She goes out with Eric and I think that is when she actually falls in love with him. They fight for each other, and eventually they get married. Ariel is strong, passionate, and sure of herself. As for her slim waist…she SWIMS EVERY WHERE SHE GOES FOR 16 YEARS!
Belle…She loves a beast because she sees the man she believe he could be. She knows he is scared of being hurt, so she works with him to be the man she knows he can be. She is able to look past the disabilities and deformities. To her, looks don’t matter…it is the heart that matters.
Jasmine, She is the feminist Princess. She proclaims herself as not being a prize to be won. She wants to marry for love. She doesn’t think she is any less of a woman if she doesn’t get married before her next birthday. In the end she picks a common street rat for his heart of gold.
Mulan…SHE SAVED HER FATHER, HER FELLOW TROOPS, THE EMPEROR, SHANG, and oh yeah…ALL OF CHINA! She’s a warrior and takes action.
Tiana…has a dream and works hard to achieve it.
Rapunzel, is good and kind…but she has a dream. She goes on an adventure to make her dreams come true.
Anna and Elsa, of course prove the true love doesn’t always have to be true loves kiss between lovers…it can be actions between sisters.
So expalin to me how these princesses are bad for girls? I have always believed that I AM a princess. Why? Because I possess all the qualities these Princesses taught me as a little girl. I am a dreamer, I am passionate, I am a good friend, I love animals (except opossums…those freak me out), I believe in true love, and most importantly…I believe in myself. How are those bad qualities? If we want to point out bad influences for little girls, point your finger at the media. Photo shop, air brushing, Miley Cyrus, Models, little girls being put on strict diets…lets point our fingers at the things that tell little girls that if they are not thin, they are ugly. If they are smart, they need to back off because science and math is a man’s game. The princesses are thin, I will agree with that…I was over weight as a child and I still am…but the Princesses NEVER made me feel bad about myself. I knew that my favorite princesses would love me just the way I was. What did make me feel bad was the little girls stores like Limited Too (now called Justice I believe), Aeropostale, and many other stores that didn’t carry clothes in my size. There was only one store I could shop at as a little girl, JC Penney…and their little girls plus section was notorious for carrying the ugliest clothes. Jeans with sequin butterflies up the legs and shirts with ugly styled fonts on them saying things like SMILE, PEACE, or any number of things. An other one of my friends had the same shopping experiences as children and we STILL talk about it.
I have always and will always love the Disney Princesses movies. They helped me become who I am today, and I am pretty proud of that person. I will always have pixie dust in my heart and a Tiara on my head. I am a princess, long may I reign!
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