Ok, let me start with this. Not all princesses are created equal. Now that I've said that, I’d like to also say that I have learned a lot from my childhood princesses (childhood is still going on for me, and will continue until I decide otherwise).
I realize that many people (ahem, Jenna Marbles) have had a lot of shit to talk about the ladies.
Disney made you have unrealistic expectations of love? How old were you when you stopped believing a dashing prince would come whisk you away from your horrible parents and marry you because you are the most beautiful girl in town?
Common sense, y’all. Get some.
Here are a few things I've learned from the changing Disney Princesses through the years.
Let me start with the ladies who stole our hearts from 1937-1959, The Dreamers.
Snow White: 1937
I, for one was scared as hell of the evil witch (who was never prettier than SW, seriously Mirror). Aside from that, SW really didn’t have a lot going for her other than her looks, she was extremely handy with a broom however. So yes, I understand that in that time, women were “supposed” to clean up after those silly, dirty men, but as a kid, I learned to whistle while I worked.
I, for one was scared as hell of the evil witch (who was never prettier than SW, seriously Mirror). Aside from that, SW really didn’t have a lot going for her other than her looks, she was extremely handy with a broom however. So yes, I understand that in that time, women were “supposed” to clean up after those silly, dirty men, but as a kid, I learned to whistle while I worked.
Cleaning (and sometimes working) is never fun. But, if you have a good attitude, get some companions to help you and have a good attitude about what you’re doing, the work seems to get done faster.
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| Lucifer. aka-Meanest Cat in the World. |
Cinderella: 1950
Definitely another example of a damsel in distress, and she’s still doing a lot of housework, but this time Disney doesn’t make her clean up after a man. Cinderella always had a gentle heart, even towards her evil stepsisters and the meanest cat in the world. She may have made a simple wish and wound up in the arms of a handsome stranger, but even after being so badly mistreated she still loved and was extremely grateful for the friends that she did have.
Definitely another example of a damsel in distress, and she’s still doing a lot of housework, but this time Disney doesn’t make her clean up after a man. Cinderella always had a gentle heart, even towards her evil stepsisters and the meanest cat in the world. She may have made a simple wish and wound up in the arms of a handsome stranger, but even after being so badly mistreated she still loved and was extremely grateful for the friends that she did have.
Sleeping Beauty: 1959
Ok, this one’s a little harder. Still in the 50’s, Disney is portraying the “perfect” woman as having a gentle heart and great looks. In Sleeping Beauty, Aurora is literally found, gets herself in trouble, rescued and married. So I must turn to the cheeky, courageous fairy godmothers. Their quick thinking and courage helps Prince Philip defeat the evil Maleficent. (Anyone else psyched about the new movie coming out btw??)
Ok, this one’s a little harder. Still in the 50’s, Disney is portraying the “perfect” woman as having a gentle heart and great looks. In Sleeping Beauty, Aurora is literally found, gets herself in trouble, rescued and married. So I must turn to the cheeky, courageous fairy godmothers. Their quick thinking and courage helps Prince Philip defeat the evil Maleficent. (Anyone else psyched about the new movie coming out btw??)
Now the ladies from 1989-1992, The Rebels.
The Little Mermaid: 1989
Thirty years have shaped society’s views of women quite drastically. Finally, we have learned (out loud at least) to fight back and stand up for ourselves. Ariel shows us her adventurous spirit by defying her father and doing what she thinks she ought to be able to do-which of course lands her in a pretty dangerous situation—but Ariel taught me to go after what I wanted and to chase adventure.
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| You're gonna have to say something interesting to get my head out of this book. |
Beauty and the Beast: 1991
Belle did NOT teach me to find a man who has uncontrollable rages and is actually an animal. Belle taught me to enjoy a great book, ignore the taunts of ignorant small-minded folk and to look for true beauty inside a person. Belle didn’t fall in love with Beast because of what he looked like; she loved him because of who he was inside.
Aladdin: 1992
was the first of the Disney movies that isn’t about a princess, but features a strong female lead. Jasmine was also the first non-white princess after over 50 years of princesses, subtly changing the image of the “ideal woman.” Jasmine was an adventurous spirit, originally with the defiance to marry anybody. Jasmine taught me to pick out what I wanted for my future and to take chances.
Belle did NOT teach me to find a man who has uncontrollable rages and is actually an animal. Belle taught me to enjoy a great book, ignore the taunts of ignorant small-minded folk and to look for true beauty inside a person. Belle didn’t fall in love with Beast because of what he looked like; she loved him because of who he was inside.
Aladdin: 1992
was the first of the Disney movies that isn’t about a princess, but features a strong female lead. Jasmine was also the first non-white princess after over 50 years of princesses, subtly changing the image of the “ideal woman.” Jasmine was an adventurous spirit, originally with the defiance to marry anybody. Jasmine taught me to pick out what I wanted for my future and to take chances.
Our womanhood has come a long way in 70 years. The Defiant.
Mulan: 1998
This is one of my favorite movies. Unwilling to let her father suffer and die, Mulan (technically not a princess, but worthy of the title) throws herself into danger and risk of death. In the meantime, she saves her man, saves her entire country, and saves her family. Mulan found herself by trying something different, by not reaching out to find love, but by trying to earn respect. Mulan didn’t know what she was capable of until she tried it, and she taught me to go for it, even if the risk is pretty high.
This is one of my favorite movies. Unwilling to let her father suffer and die, Mulan (technically not a princess, but worthy of the title) throws herself into danger and risk of death. In the meantime, she saves her man, saves her entire country, and saves her family. Mulan found herself by trying something different, by not reaching out to find love, but by trying to earn respect. Mulan didn’t know what she was capable of until she tried it, and she taught me to go for it, even if the risk is pretty high.
The Princess and the Frog: 2008
Finally a black princess!! This one is close to my heart because Tiana grew up in New Orleans and can cook! This movie was the first out of many where our princess isn’t looking to find a husband. She knows that hard work is going to cost her a lot and that she’ll need to do a little more than wish to make her dreams come true. Ending up with a handsome, accented prince in the end was just a perk for Tiana, she got everything she wanted by refusing to take no for an answer.
Finally a black princess!! This one is close to my heart because Tiana grew up in New Orleans and can cook! This movie was the first out of many where our princess isn’t looking to find a husband. She knows that hard work is going to cost her a lot and that she’ll need to do a little more than wish to make her dreams come true. Ending up with a handsome, accented prince in the end was just a perk for Tiana, she got everything she wanted by refusing to take no for an answer.
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| That is not the look of a woman searching for a man. |
Brave: 2012
The most recent Disney/Pixar is, in my opinion, the most advanced in female defiance towards a masculine-ruled culture. (SPOILERS AHEAD) Merida doesn’t sing, she doesn’t go to balls or kiss boys. She kicks ass. After Finding Nemo, I really wanted a strong mother-daughter movie that was more than just a tear-jerker. Merida is such a feisty little girl and so defiant of her parent’s wishes that she gets herself and her family into a lot of trouble (surprise). She does, however remedy that problem by acknowledging her mistakes and refusing to quit until she had remedied the problem. My favorite part about this movie was that Merida doesn’t end up with a man at all! She comes up with a creative solution to bind their countrymen together peacefully and shows her prowess for ruling alone.
Looking back, it's pretty incredible how far women have come in the Disney realm of media alone. Generally we have been portrayed as disposable sex objects that need to be cared for. Thankfully, Disney is stepping up to the fact that women are powerful beings and can have a huge impact on the world. I suppose it's up to us to continue the challenge of showing the media that we want powerful heroines. Personally, I can't wait for our first homosexual princess who kicks ass and takes names.
The most recent Disney/Pixar is, in my opinion, the most advanced in female defiance towards a masculine-ruled culture. (SPOILERS AHEAD) Merida doesn’t sing, she doesn’t go to balls or kiss boys. She kicks ass. After Finding Nemo, I really wanted a strong mother-daughter movie that was more than just a tear-jerker. Merida is such a feisty little girl and so defiant of her parent’s wishes that she gets herself and her family into a lot of trouble (surprise). She does, however remedy that problem by acknowledging her mistakes and refusing to quit until she had remedied the problem. My favorite part about this movie was that Merida doesn’t end up with a man at all! She comes up with a creative solution to bind their countrymen together peacefully and shows her prowess for ruling alone.
Looking back, it's pretty incredible how far women have come in the Disney realm of media alone. Generally we have been portrayed as disposable sex objects that need to be cared for. Thankfully, Disney is stepping up to the fact that women are powerful beings and can have a huge impact on the world. I suppose it's up to us to continue the challenge of showing the media that we want powerful heroines. Personally, I can't wait for our first homosexual princess who kicks ass and takes names.
Who is your favorite Disney Princess and Why? Which one influenced you the most? And in terms of the evolving concept of"princesses" where do you think Disney will venture in the future?
(Amanda is a former costume designer turned fast food specialist who is desperately trying to worm her way back to her artistic roots. She lives in Georgia with her husband, her fat cat and their new puppy.)