I am a feminist. I believe that women and men are equal but different. I also think the Disney Princesses get a bad rap. I think they have a lot to teach us if you look below the surface of pretty dresses and parties. It is also important to remember that some of these movies were made in a time when feminism was still fairly new. These movies mirror the times if you look closely.
Snow White was released in 1937. At this time the majority of women were homemakers. Rosie the Riveter wouldn't be created for a few years. Snow White taught us to be kind. That when you are kind, kindness and devotion will be returned to you. I guess you could argue that she taught about the importance of neatness and the joys of cleaning if you are into that sort of thing. I am not so let's move on.....
Cinderella came out in 1950 when the world was recovering from the effects of World War II. It is actually a metaphor for the world crawling from the ashes of war to become beautiful again. Cinderella teaches us to never give up. No matter how bad things may seem, it will get better.
Sleeping Beauty came out in 1959 when things were starting to change in the United States. We were on the cusp of the 60s revolution. People would fight against sexism and racism. Aurora teaches us to never stop dreaming and that some things are worth fighting for.
The Little Mermaid came out in 1989. This was a time when countries all over the world were fighting back against tyranny. Those people didn't feel like they had a voice. In the story Ariel literally had her voice taken away. The giant monster was killed and she not only had her voice returned but was granted the freedom to start a new life. Ariel teaches us that we all make stupid mistakes but we should never stop fighting to make things right.
Beauty and the Beast came out in 1991. The culture of that time was different. People were veering off into looking like individuals. It was the age of grunge and alternative music. The movie's entire theme is about judging based on appearance. Belle teaches girls to look beyond the surface to the person inside.The themes of reading and intelligence are prominent. Belle is proactive and selfless. She sets off on a dangerous journey alone and sacrifices herself for the sake of her father. She puts herself in harms way again to save Beast.
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Aladdin came out in 1992. The world was becoming more of a global culture than ever. Aladdin and Jasmine took us into an area of the world that most people knew little to nothing about and the things we did "know" weren't good. To most of us it was a third world area full of evil people who treated women badly. Jasmine introduced us to a beautiful world that in some ways isn't so different from our own. Fathers love their daughters and only want what's best for them. People aren't always what they appear to be. Good triumphs over evil in the end.
Pocahontas was released in 1995. We had started to realize that our planet would not be here forever. We had to start treating it better before we killed ourselves off. This is the underlying theme of the movie. There's even a song about it. While teaching us about the environment Pocahontas also teaches us to fight for those we love. She risks her own life for love. Then she puts love before her own desires.
Mulan came out in 1998. This was the age of third level feminism and girl power. We as women not only had a voice but we were using it. But, it also caused confusion. Who were we supposed to be? How were we supposed to use our power? What exactly was our role in this man's world? Mulan was dealing with these issues in a life or death arena. She put herself in mortal danger to protect her father. She rode off into certain death either from the war or from being discovered as a woman. She stumbled a little at first but in the end succeeded. And she did it with style.
The Princess and the Frog was released in 2009. Our country had survived 9/11 and we were in an economic downturn the likes of which most of us had never seen. The majority of our country were working class people just like Tiana. We believed that persistence and hard work would pay off for us in the long run. But, like Tiana many of us had our noses to the grindstone and our eyes on the future, we forgot to live for today. Fun and hard work can and should come together in a marriage of harmony. It doesn't do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.
In 2010, the year that Tangled was released many of us felt trapped by the economy and the war on terror. But, like Rapunzel, America is feisty and resourceful. Rapunzel teaches us to believe in people but to always question the things that don't seem right.
Brave. Everything you need to know is right there in the title. The year was 2012. Girls were learning that they could be warriors. Young people in general weren't about to sit idly by while others made the decisions for them. They were becoming the change they wanted to see in the world. And they weren't afraid to stand up and make sure their voices were heard.
Instead of thinking of them as bad role models we should start thinking of them as warriors. Warriors with the kind of ethics, morals, and values that I want girls as well as boys to learn.
And we can all use a little magic in our lives.
Bippity Boppity Boo
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