Is Disney Princess Culture Bad for Our Daughters? (parents, girls, play)
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MIB: Going back to princesses, who’s your least favorite, and is there one you like?
PO: My least favorite is probably Ariel. She gives up her voice to get a man. That’s the worst metaphor ever! I love the Grimms’ Cinderella. She takes control of her destiny. And the force supplying her with the magic is a tree that’s the ghost of her mother. I want to be the sheltering tree. Only not dead.
I highlighted this one because I thought it was interesting. If we look at today's dating relationship, we have men and women giving up something that is valuable (virginity, family, religion, etc) to them to be with someone else. Disney movies (back then) was all about the knight saving the princess, and now we have princess (or not) taking control of their own destiny (in other words, being independent).
How do you, as parents, handle these kind of situation?
I am not a huge fan of the princess metaphor in general since it tends to be a damsel in distress thing. That being said I think disney has come a long way in making it much more palatable, Belle, Mulan, Tiana and the Rapunzel one all are much more participants in their lives than watching. OTOH, I actually think the best "princess" role model is Fiona from Shrek.
The ironic thing in that article is that the one person prefers the Grimms Cinderella. I mean we do know what the "perfectly fitting" slipper for her tiny foot is a metaphor for right? Ugh.
Strong, real life roll models are a greater power than the Disney princess machine.
But I'll give Disney massive credit for now having princesses in a variety of colors. Fifty years ago you could choose from white and, let's see.... oh yeah, white.
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch is one.
Cinder Edna (Cinderella's next door neighbor) by Ellen Jackson.
Princess Bubble by Susan Johnson
The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses by Shirin Yim Bridges
Shrek by William Stieg
The Balloon Tree by Phoebe Gilman
The Gypsy Princess by Phoebe Gilman
Strong, real life roll models are a greater power than the Disney princess machine.
But I'll give Disney massive credit for now having princesses in a variety of colors. Fifty years ago you could choose from white and, let's see.... oh yeah, white.
This was always my biggest problem with Disney Princesses. I never really had a problem with the story line; I figured it would be a fantasy in my dd's mind, just like The Three Pigs and any other story she's heard. I have a bigger problem with the image of the fair skinned, blond haired princess always being the image of ideal beauty. That doesn't do much for the self esteem of any child who doesn't look like that, but especially a black child, who is the exact opposite of Cinderella in appearance. I've always gone out of my way to find books and movies with black characters, black dolls, and black artwork so that my dd appreciates her own beauty. It doesn't help that I can hardly buy a pair of shoes or underpants without Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty on it. I'm glad that Aladdin, Mulan, Pocahontas, and Princess and the Frog has given the Disney princesses some variety, but I sure do wish they would market them more like they do the other princesses.
I never really consciously dealt with it. One daughter wanted to be a fairy princess (she was particularly fond of Merriweather, the short chubby blue one in Sleeping Beauty), one wanted to be Luke Skywalker, and one wanted to be Sonic the Hedgehog. I prefer not to delve too deeply into the meaning of any of those.
This was always my biggest problem with Disney Princesses. I never really had a problem with the story line; I figured it would be a fantasy in my dd's mind, just like The Three Pigs and any other story she's heard. I have a bigger problem with the image of the fair skinned, blond haired princess always being the image of ideal beauty. That doesn't do much for the self esteem of any child who doesn't look like that, but especially a black child, who is the exact opposite of Cinderella in appearance. I've always gone out of my way to find books and movies with black characters, black dolls, and black artwork so that my dd appreciates her own beauty. It doesn't help that I can hardly buy a pair of shoes or underpants without Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty on it. I'm glad that Aladdin, Mulan, Pocahontas, and Princess and the Frog has given the Disney princesses some variety, but I sure do wish they would market them more like they do the other princesses.
When those particular movies came out, they were marketed heavily....(at least Aladdin, Mulan and Pocahontas - those were when my DD was small, can't speak for the Princess and the Frog or Rapunzel as I no longer have little girls).....My guess is the reason that Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and Snow White are still around is simply they are more "classic Disney"....you don't see Belle and Ariel around anymore either (at least I don't think so, though I haven't been browsing in the little girl section of Walmart lately....).
As for the "princess culture"....eh....I think it is what you make of it. My daughter grew up watching those movies but she doesn't expect to be treated like a princess....we had a healthy dose of other movie entertainment and an actual life outside of our movie watching......
Last edited by maciesmom; 10-17-2011 at 09:31 AM..
Reason: Poor wording. DD behaves very nicely.
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