surrounded by the idea of being a princess. From watching Cinderella and Snow White, to playing with Barbie dolls, and even being called Daddy's little "princess", this desire is aroused at an early age. We encourage hopeless romantics that wait for Prince Charming to appear on his white horse, ready to sweep them off their feet and free themselves of all their problems. Not to mention yearning to be what media has constructed to be the ideal image of a "princess". For years girls have been…
The Princess Bride From climbing up seven hundred foot cliffs, to fighting off unusually large rodents, and a climactic resurrection, The Princess Bride is the story of an adventure keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. The story surrounds the cliché: the hero always gets the girl. We follow the protagonist Westley as he sets out on an action filled journey driven by his love for a woman named Buttercup. The manipulation of tropes, commonly recurring literary devices, give a comedic feel…
Tutus, tiaras, princess dresses, and storybooks offering a “happily ever after” fill the children’s aisles at every major retailer. The “Frozen” soundtrack starting with the most recent Disney fantasy featuring two sister princesses, has topped the charts for almost three months. The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Snow White are certain to come calling upon your entryway on Halloween. The princess culture- fueled by Disney’s multi-billion-dollar stake in it- has a tight grip on…
Orenstein’s article, “What’s Wrong with Cinderella?” she states that the princess story is only doing damage to young girls and women. Orenstein discusses her encounters with the princess wave and how she observes it affecting her daughter. As a mother and a feminist, Orenstein feels as if it’s her duty to rescue her daughter from becoming trapped in the princess mindset. Peggy Orenstein illustrates her claim with the endless pink, princess, and sparkles offered to her daughter. She discusses…
Shrek’s call to adventure is noticed after he sets out a journey to convince Farquaad to give Shrek his swamp back, but Farquaad who wants to become the King, tells Shrek the only way he would rid his swamp of all the fairy tale creatures is to rescue Princess Fiona, who in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. At first Shrek is reluctant to go on this task but the personal motivation of getting his swamp back pushes him to accept Farquaaad’s task. This is the new ingredient that pushes…
Disney succeeds in creating a memorable and meaningful movie that is to a great extent groundbreaking to gender stereotypes which makes it stand out from other Disney movies. This is done through the way language, imagery, and themes are used to present the true meaning of self-empowerment, honor, and equality to its target audience; kids. The language used in the song “I’ll make a man out of you” contributes greatly in making Mulan a female hero and role model to little girls as she succeeds…
Disney Princess films have long been the worldwide popular channel and play a significant role in the life of many children’s lives globally. By analysing the Disney princess films over time, the role of women over time can be determined starting from the classic Snow White until Frozen, a current Disney release. This literature brings together seven heroines from Disney princess films: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Mulan, and Merida. Gerbner, Gross, Morgan and Signorielli (1994)…
In both “The Princess Paradox” by James Poniewozik and “Cinderella and Princess Culture” by Peggy Orenstein, the princess culture is agreed upon; however, the authors vary their opinions of how the fairytail dream of pink dresses and sparkly crowns came to be. Poniewozik opens up his article by addressing the “kick-ass culture,” while Orenstein focuses on how princesses have diminished the feeling of confidence and independence that young girls should experience. While some may believe that…
have been told to children all over the world. The original story of Cinderella follows the life of a young girl who is mistreated by her step mother and stepsisters. With the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella is transformed into a beautiful princess and goes to the ball to meet her prince. However, she has to leave the ball at midnight as the magic wears off and she turns back into her former self. She leaves behind a glass slipper that the prince uses to find her and they both live…
to give examples of in films such as The Little Mermaid, Mulan, and Pocahontas, stating that each female lead is defined by their relationship with their male co-stars. Giroux does raise this concern with good intentions due to the standard Disney princess being the basis for “construction of gender identity for girls,” but his analysis of these movies does not seem to hold true with what is actually taken away from the film by most audiences.…