Disney Princesses

It’s crack for 5 year olds. It’s an addiction for little girls. They can’t get enough. They want it to be their life. What am I talking about? Disney Princesses of course.

The fact that little girls could watch the Disney Princess movies over and over again is not a good thing. Disney, you are blatantly sexist. You think that your movies are about love and perseverance, but in truth they are demeaning to women. The girls watching your movies are in a stage of their life that is crucial to soaking up all the information they can. But, because of you, they are soaking up sexist messages that will corrupt the youth of this generation leading into a hopeless spiral of sexism.

Take The Little Mermaid, Ariel trades her means of communication for a sex symbol. She gives away her means of expressing herself, in order to be more physically appealing to a man. When she makes the deal, Ursula tells her, “On land it is much preferred for ladies to not say a word; it’s the one that holds her tongue that gets her man.” What kind of message is that? In this line alone, you are telling them that they shouldn’t speak their mind because then they won’t be appealing to men. How does that make sense? Ursula goes on to say, “You’ll have your looks, your pretty face, and don’t underestimate the importance of body language.” Not only is she telling Ariel that she shouldn’t speak her mind, she is also telling her that all men value is good looks and they love when women are sexually forward. The thing is, Ursula is not just telling this to Ariel. She is telling this to all young girls watching this movie. What they are getting from the story is that they need to have a perfect body in order to get their man, because changing physically is the best way to win him over. Apparently Disney, you don’t understand that the audience you are selling these movies to is easily impressionable. Their minds can be molded to whatever you want. And from this movie, they learn three things. One, they need to be pretty to win over any man. Two, there is no need be intelligent because all men care about is looks. And finally, in order to be considered pretty, they need to look like slightly anorexic Barbie Dolls. Congratulations Disney, you have just caused hundreds of eating disorders.

The thing is, it’s not just one movie. In Snow White, the only qualities that she possesses are her beauty and her ability to cook and clean. To top it off, when she steps into the dwarves’ cottage, she immediately wants to clean, showing the innate need to clean that all women have. In Beauty and the Beast, children learn that they should stay in abusive relationships because if they work hard enough, they can change them. That should never be a message sent to young girls. Then finally, in Mulan, you have to soldiers always singing about the perfect girl they are fighting for. They want someone who is beautiful, can cook and who worships their husband. And when Mulan proposes someone who “has a brain, and always speaks her mind,” it is seen as absurd. But also, at the end of the movie, Mulan’s true happiness and the honor she brings to her family are portrayed as coming from her implied marriage. Excuse me? She just saved China! Shouldn’t that bring her honor and happiness? I guess not because Grandma clearly sees marriage as the real victory when she says, “sign me up for the next war!”

Disney, you need to understand that these young kids idolize you and the characters in your movies. You have to power to do great things by showing young kids that they can live their lives anyway they want, or that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, or anything else that will be beneficial to them later in life. But instead you decide to teach them that they live in a male dominated environment where their life will be complete if they fall in love. You show them that they must rely on men and the only way to get the man of their dreams is to be thin and pretty. Little girls believe you. They love your movies and want to be your characters. Use the power you have to help change the world and the minds of little girls. They will follow wherever you lead them. So lead them in the right direction.

Citations

"Ariel ." Photograph. Princess Ariel. First Last. MySpace.com, 2011. Web. 13 Oct 2011. .

Beauty and the Beast. Dir. Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise. Disney, 1991. Film.

"Beauty and the Beast." Photograph. Beauty and the Very Good Looking Man. First Last. Word-Press, 2011. Web. 13 Oct 2011. .

"Disney Princesses." Photograph. The World According to Disney Princesses. First Last. The Next Great Generation, 2011. Web. 13 Oct 2011. .

Mulan. Dir. Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook. Disney, 1998. Film.

"Snow White." Photograph. Snow White. First Last. Free-Extras, 2011. Web. 13 Oct 2011. .

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Dir. William Cottrell, David Hand, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Ben Sharpsteen . Disney, 1937. Film.

The Little Mermaid. Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker. Disney, 1989. Film.