One of the few memories I have remembered from my childhood days were watching Disney animated films. My all time favorite Disney classic was Cinderella, mainly because of the extravagant gown she wears. From my general memory, I can recall thinking “I hope one day my Prince will come, so I don’t have to get a job!” Unfortunately, the realistic chances of that ever happening slowly sunk in as I grew up. The classic Disney movies like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty portray women to be submissive and dependent on their Princes. However, unlike the current Disney animated movies like Mulan, Brave, and Princess and the Frog, they portray the female leads to be independent and in charge of their own future goals (about, 2013). Walt Disney studios first started publishing movies in 1923. (Walt Disney Studios, 2013) Though they were all only short comedy sketches, they quickly moved to full length movies in 1937. (Walt Disney Studios, 2013) He then created an animation studio with Disney artists, animators, and imagineers. From there, him and his team created some of the most well-known classic movies. (Walt Disney Studios, 2013) In 1937 Disney introduced their first princess: Snow White. The classic tale includes elements of dwarves, an evil stepmom and a helpless princess who can only be saved by Prince Charming. Literally. She has flawless white skin paired with ravishing red lips and a perfect body to match (SeeJane, 2008). Snow White collapses after eating a poisonous apple and the only possible way she can wake up is by true love’s kiss. Disney continues to stick to this theme when in 1950 they introduced: Cinderella. After Cinderella’s father passes away, she becomes a servant to her evil step-mom and two evil stepsisters. Under all that filth of being a servant, Cinderella still manages to carry grace, beauty and care. However, on the day of the ball, a fairy godmother helps Cinderella become a beautiful women and grant her with a dress and ride to the ball. From there, she meets the Prince and they instantly fall in love. Instead of being trapped with her evil stepmother for the rest of her life, the Prince saves her from her evil stepmother and stepsisters and she then becomes a real princess. One of the best Disney movies that describes a real “damsel in distress” who can really only be awakened by her prince is, Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty is the sad story of how an evil sorceress, Maleficant, puts a curse on a princess, Aurora, saying that she will die on her sixteenth birthday by pricking her finger on a needle spindle. To save the princess, one of the good fairies, casts a spell on her letting her into an endless sleep, only to be awakened by her true love’s kiss. Unfortunately, she wakes and ends up dying from the terrible curse but is later awakened again by her true love, leaving a happily ever after. Known as some of the best classic Disney movies, these storylines portray women as passive, helpless, and dependent on males. The Disney company’s main audience is of course, children. How do you think these roles affect children as they grow up? It leads them to through the thought process that in order to be successful, all they need is a prince to find them. Most of the time, children watch these movies multiple times and it may not seem on purpose, but the ideas still process in their mind unconsciously. Little girls always say “my dream is to find my prince and have my happily ever after” not “my dream is to be a successful lawyer and make a living for my own.” This may be because little girls do not know what a lawyer is at such a young age, but it’s important for them to learn to be independent and know to not be reliable for a male. Not only this, but notice how the evil witches or family members are never attractive. It gives children the wrong message that in order to get a guy or be popular, you must be attractive (PTA, 2009). After all, Cinderella, Snow White, and Aurora have all been known for their flawless faces and appealing, almost too perfect body types (Disney Chick, 2009). Providing children, especially young girls, with this background may not be the best start to growing up (PTA, 2009). However, throughout the years, from 1989-1992, Disney slowly changes the roles of the female leads. Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Jasmine from Aladdin, and Belle from Beauty and the Beast are the transition princesses. They are more rebellious, driven, and curious. However, just like the classic Disney princesses, they still need a male to rescue them. They are known for their alluring beauty and bodies as well (SeeJane, 2008). As for role models, Belle provides the only good stable background. She is intelligent, likes to read, and extremely caring (Disney Chick, 2009). She gives up nothing in order to be with her true love, unlike Ariel who gives up her body and voice just to be on land. The evil characters in The Little Mermaid and Aladdin are still very unattractive compared to the heros and heroins. However, in Beauty and the Beast, Gaston, one of the conflicts in the storyline is very attractive. Even the “beast” transforms into a handsome prince, evolving the look of the evil characters. Starting in 1998, marks the start of the independent and strong willed princesses. In 1998, Mulan was produced creating the basis role for a strong female lead. Mulan, born a Chinese maiden, disguises herself as a male in order to protect her father from going into war. She has to endure mass training and humiliation, but in the end, she becomes stronger than all of the men. Through all of this, she never once relied on a male to help her reach her goals. Yes, in the end she does fall in love, but that is just a bonus. She provides a strong, positive role model for children and teenagers. Though it might still cause them to think, everything ends happily ever after, she sure did not just get everything by wishing something by her fairy godmother. Mulan perseveres through her hardships and from her hard work, achieves success in the end. This was not the end for strong independent female leads. Though taking a break for a while with producing movies, in 2009 Disney announced the classic tale of The Princess and the Frog (The Script Lab, 2012). Tiana is a poor African-American woman who has a dream of opening her own restaurant. She works all day and all night at a restaurant saving tips for her dream. Her best friend is a wealth girl, who her mother works for. After getting tricked into kissing a frog at her best friends house, she turns into a frog herself and through skill and hard work, gets her and the other frog out of their situation. Tiana is another pure genuine role model for young women and children (The Script Lab, 2012). Along with Mulan, no man is in control of attaining their dream. They work hard for what they believe in and in the end love happens to be their as well. Yes, all these movies have happy endings, but it proves that with hard work comes success. No matter what your situation, no one should ever give up, because really nothing is impossible. The most recent feminist Disney movie to come out in 2012 was Brave. Merida is a princess who loves to do archery and horse riding. However, these hobbies are looked down upon because it is not how a princess should act. However, she decides to go against her mother and do what she wants. This leads her to make a dangerous deal with a powerful witch that changes her mother. It causes corruption in the land and she must use her skill and intelligence to fix it. Even though Merida is known for being very rebellious, she is still a huge transformation compared to the very first Disney princess. When she causes a problem, she is not reliable for a prince to just magically show up and save her. She knows she must fix it and ends up doing so. Though she has her flaws, she is an independent woman who is determined to do whatever it takes to reach her goals. There is no factual reason why Disney decided to slowly evolve their princesses from passive and dependent, to rebellious and curious, and finally to strong and independent. The classic Disney princesses have set such a standard for females today: the dream of being beautiful, rich and end up with a handsome prince (Debate, 2012). However, these ideas may have come from the time period Walt Disney was living in (The Statesmen, 2013). During the 1930’s women were not that dynamic, they were known for being the housewives and relying on men for financial support. Throughout the years, times for women have changed, therefore evolving their roles in his movies as well. However, Disney still provided a solid basis for all types of Princesses. Why the transformation of different princess personalities? It was necessary to provide these certain prototypes of princesses and slowly evolve them into strong women. It gives children something to dream about, and though it sometimes may have some really negative effects on females, most don’t think those outcomes are realistic. Not only that, but because the women in the classic movies may have came from how women were treated during that time period, it unfortunately still has impact on children today (Debate, 2008). He then slowly transitions into the curious, yet still semi dependent princesses, allowing children think it is okay to explore, to be adventurous and speak their minds (I Waste So Much Time, 2012). Finally ending with the strong willed woman, gives females something to aim for realistically. They can be those women who stand up for what they believe in, work hard to achieve their dreams, and of course, fall in love at the same time. In the world, the mass of movie heros are male characters (PTA, 2009). Because so many children watch Disney movies over and over again, it was a wonderful idea to have heroines. It leads the audience of children to believe males are not the only ones who can do the saving! No wonder Walt Disney is a multi-billionaire, his ideas are creative, idyllic, wild, and somehow are able to please everyone. Pleasing all types of passive, curious, and independent females makes me wonder, what female role might he have in store next?
One of the few memories I have remembered from my childhood days were watching Disney animated films. My all time favorite Disney classic was Cinderella, mainly because of the extravagant gown she wears. From my general memory, I can recall thinking “I hope one day my Prince will come, so I don’t have to get a job!” Unfortunately, the realistic chances of that ever happening slowly sunk in as I grew up. The classic Disney movies like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty portray women to be submissive and dependent on their Princes. However, unlike the current Disney animated movies like Mulan, Brave, and Princess and the Frog, they portray the female leads to be independent and in charge of their own future goals (about, 2013).
Walt Disney studios first started publishing movies in 1923. (Walt Disney Studios, 2013) Though they were all only short comedy sketches, they quickly moved to full length movies in 1937. (Walt Disney Studios, 2013) He then created an animation studio with Disney artists, animators, and imagineers. From there, him and his team created some of the most well-known classic movies. (Walt Disney Studios, 2013)
In 1937 Disney introduced their first princess: Snow White. The classic tale includes elements of dwarves, an evil stepmom and a helpless princess who can only be saved by Prince Charming. Literally. She has flawless white skin paired with ravishing red lips and a perfect body to match (SeeJane, 2008). Snow White collapses after eating a poisonous apple and the only possible way she can wake up is by true love’s kiss.
Disney continues to stick to this theme when in 1950 they introduced: Cinderella. After Cinderella’s father passes away, she becomes a servant to her evil step-mom and two evil stepsisters. Under all that filth of being a servant, Cinderella still manages to carry grace, beauty and care. However, on the day of the ball, a fairy godmother helps Cinderella become a beautiful women and grant her with a dress and ride to the ball. From there, she meets the Prince and they instantly fall in love. Instead of being trapped with her evil stepmother for the rest of her life, the Prince saves her from her evil stepmother and stepsisters and she then becomes a real princess.
One of the best Disney movies that describes a real “damsel in distress” who can really only be awakened by her prince is, Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty is the sad story of how an evil sorceress, Maleficant, puts a curse on a princess, Aurora, saying that she will die on her sixteenth birthday by pricking her finger on a needle spindle. To save the princess, one of the good fairies, casts a spell on her letting her into an endless sleep, only to be awakened by her true love’s kiss. Unfortunately, she wakes and ends up dying from the terrible curse but is later awakened again by her true love, leaving a happily ever after.
Known as some of the best classic Disney movies, these storylines portray women as passive, helpless, and dependent on males. The Disney company’s main audience is of course, children. How do you think these roles affect children as they grow up? It leads them to through the thought process that in order to be successful, all they need is a prince to find them. Most of the time, children watch these movies multiple times and it may not seem on purpose, but the ideas still process in their mind unconsciously. Little girls always say “my dream is to find my prince and have my happily ever after” not “my dream is to be a successful lawyer and make a living for my own.” This may be because little girls do not know what a lawyer is at such a young age, but it’s important for them to learn to be independent and know to not be reliable for a male. Not only this, but notice how the evil witches or family members are never attractive. It gives children the wrong message that in order to get a guy or be popular, you must be attractive (PTA, 2009). After all, Cinderella, Snow White, and Aurora have all been known for their flawless faces and appealing, almost too perfect body types (Disney Chick, 2009). Providing children, especially young girls, with this background may not be the best start to growing up (PTA, 2009).
However, throughout the years, from 1989-1992, Disney slowly changes the roles of the female leads. Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Jasmine from Aladdin, and Belle from Beauty and the Beast are the transition princesses. They are more rebellious, driven, and curious. However, just like the classic Disney princesses, they still need a male to rescue them. They are known for their alluring beauty and bodies as well (SeeJane, 2008). As for role models, Belle provides the only good stable background. She is intelligent, likes to read, and extremely caring (Disney Chick, 2009). She gives up nothing in order to be with her true love, unlike Ariel who gives up her body and voice just to be on land. The evil characters in The Little Mermaid and Aladdin are still very unattractive compared to the heros and heroins. However, in Beauty and the Beast, Gaston, one of the conflicts in the storyline is very attractive. Even the “beast” transforms into a handsome prince, evolving the look of the evil characters.
Starting in 1998, marks the start of the independent and strong willed princesses. In 1998, Mulan was produced creating the basis role for a strong female lead. Mulan, born a Chinese maiden, disguises herself as a male in order to protect her father from going into war. She has to endure mass training and humiliation, but in the end, she becomes stronger than all of the men. Through all of this, she never once relied on a male to help her reach her goals. Yes, in the end she does fall in love, but that is just a bonus. She provides a strong, positive role model for children and teenagers. Though it might still cause them to think, everything ends happily ever after, she sure did not just get everything by wishing something by her fairy godmother. Mulan perseveres through her hardships and from her hard work, achieves success in the end.
This was not the end for strong independent female leads. Though taking a break for a while with producing movies, in 2009 Disney announced the classic tale of The Princess and the Frog (The Script Lab, 2012). Tiana is a poor African-American woman who has a dream of opening her own restaurant. She works all day and all night at a restaurant saving tips for her dream. Her best friend is a wealth girl, who her mother works for. After getting tricked into kissing a frog at her best friends house, she turns into a frog herself and through skill and hard work, gets her and the other frog out of their situation. Tiana is another pure genuine role model for young women and children (The Script Lab, 2012). Along with Mulan, no man is in control of attaining their dream. They work hard for what they believe in and in the end love happens to be their as well. Yes, all these movies have happy endings, but it proves that with hard work comes success. No matter what your situation, no one should ever give up, because really nothing is impossible.
The most recent feminist Disney movie to come out in 2012 was Brave. Merida is a princess who loves to do archery and horse riding. However, these hobbies are looked down upon because it is not how a princess should act. However, she decides to go against her mother and do what she wants. This leads her to make a dangerous deal with a powerful witch that changes her mother. It causes corruption in the land and she must use her skill and intelligence to fix it. Even though Merida is known for being very rebellious, she is still a huge transformation compared to the very first Disney princess. When she causes a problem, she is not reliable for a prince to just magically show up and save her. She knows she must fix it and ends up doing so. Though she has her flaws, she is an independent woman who is determined to do whatever it takes to reach her goals.
There is no factual reason why Disney decided to slowly evolve their princesses from passive and dependent, to rebellious and curious, and finally to strong and independent. The classic Disney princesses have set such a standard for females today: the dream of being beautiful, rich and end up with a handsome prince (Debate, 2012). However, these ideas may have come from the time period Walt Disney was living in (The Statesmen, 2013). During the 1930’s women were not that dynamic, they were known for being the housewives and relying on men for financial support. Throughout the years, times for women have changed, therefore evolving their roles in his movies as well.
However, Disney still provided a solid basis for all types of Princesses. Why the transformation of different princess personalities? It was necessary to provide these certain prototypes of princesses and slowly evolve them into strong women. It gives children something to dream about, and though it sometimes may have some really negative effects on females, most don’t think those outcomes are realistic. Not only that, but because the women in the classic movies may have came from how women were treated during that time period, it unfortunately still has impact on children today (Debate, 2008). He then slowly transitions into the curious, yet still semi dependent princesses, allowing children think it is okay to explore, to be adventurous and speak their minds (I Waste So Much Time, 2012). Finally ending with the strong willed woman, gives females something to aim for realistically. They can be those women who stand up for what they believe in, work hard to achieve their dreams, and of course, fall in love at the same time. In the world, the mass of movie heros are male characters (PTA, 2009). Because so many children watch Disney movies over and over again, it was a wonderful idea to have heroines. It leads the audience of children to believe males are not the only ones who can do the saving! No wonder Walt Disney is a multi-billionaire, his ideas are creative, idyllic, wild, and somehow are able to please everyone. Pleasing all types of passive, curious, and independent females makes me wonder, what female role might he have in store next?