Princess

fan of princesses and dolls. One of my personal favorite inaccuracies with Disney princesses is their dependence. Disney has given each of their princesses a dependence on men, whether it be their fathers or the man they “love” in the story, the princess has to be saved by a man. First of all, a woman can have just as much strength and independence as a man can and certainly can survive without one, as many woman have. To show a young girl that in life, they will wait for their true love and…

followed by Sleeping Beauty (1959), The little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Pocahontas (1995), Mulan (1998), Princess and the Frog (2009), Tangled (2010), Brave (2012), and Frozen (2013). Each of the movies presents a main female character, usually oppressed, and a main male character, usually quite masculine and with a romantic connection to the Princess. Even though there are a lot of gender and race stereotypes promoted in the first few movies, that seems to have changed…

Disney’s Not So Happily Ever After Parents Disney Princesses and Happily Ever After no longer just an imaginative story line embracing the tales of time, but now seen by aloof as a rather cruel tool used to plague the minds of our youth with unrealistic ideals, expectations, and body image. Stephanie Haynes, a freelance journalist, critiques in great detail her ideas of the growing trend of sexualization of young girls. This is captured in her essay titled “Little Girls or Little Women? the…

Plot Structure of The Little Mermaid The Little Mermaid, a fairytale that is made by a Danish author named Hans Christian Andersen is different than the film that we all know and love, which is adapted by Disney. The Disney version of the story has a happier and lighter tone so that it would fit their audience. The version that was created by Hans Christian Andersen has a slightly darker ending. So here is how the original version of The Little Mermaid goes. From the story, the Little Mermaid…

Pixar to create films that challenge traditional notions of gender within a progressive society—shifting from a traditional “conservative” to progressive “modernist” ideology. Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Woods argue, as titled in their essay, a “Post-Princess Model of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar,” which highlights the arrival of the “beta-male” who challenges the infamous alpha-male. However, what Gillam and Woods overstimulate in their argument is the necessity of emasculation and the…

“Cinderella and Princess Culture,” she discusses the tremendous American obsession with turning little girls into princesses and the business side of it, as well as pointing out the potential consequences. She starts with a narrative about a dentist visit with her daughter in which she snaps at an unsuspecting dental hygienist that refers to the exam chair as a “princess throne.” Orenstein brings up the point that the western world is so deeply enthralled with the concept that the first princess…

Mother Teresa once said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” This quote is relevant in the 2001 movie Shrek. The star of the movie, Shrek, is an ogre who falls in love with princess Fiona, while rescuing her from a castle protected by a dragon. Shrek has a deal with Lord Farquaad that if he can bring Fiona back to be the bride of Farquaad, he can get his swamp cleared of fairytale creatures. In the satirical Dreamwork production Shrek, William Steig utilizes the device bathos…

"You've saved me. You've saved my kingdom. I shall love you until the end of my days." The prince then knelt on his knee and took her fingers in his, placing a kiss on the back of her hand. "Will you become my wife?" Princess Mairi flushed under the prince's words. "Yes. Yes, I will." Princess Mairi turned toward the sound of excited whinnies behind her. There stood Moonbeam and Inara. Their coats shiny and bright once more.…

Disney princess films are popular, especially among little girls. There are entire lines of toys and clothes that use the images of the princesses. Children have been enjoying Disney princess films for many years. Snow White is considered to be the first Disney princess film; it was released in 1937 (imdb.com). Many of the early Disney princess films star female protagonists who have extensive relationships with wild animals, but very negative relationships with their mother or step-mother, if…

drowning. Also, at the end of Tangled, Rapunzel cuts her hair in order to save Flynn (her lover) from dying. Her hair has magical powers in which she was willing to give away to preserve the well-being of another person (Johnson). Furthermore, the princess’ good deeds for men extend beyond their love life and branch out to their fathers. This can be seen when Belle from Beauty and the Beast sacrifices herself and becomes imprisoned to save her father from being captured by the Beast. To take…