For one of my classes this semester, we were assigned to watch the documentary called Mickey Mouse Monopoly. The movie talks about how Disney owns so much of the entertainment industry and therefore they have a lot of power over how we view the world around us.
Although I agree with this general statement, the rest of the movie was people bashing on how Disney teaches children, especially young girls, some controversial things. Although some of these movies do encourage stereotypes and maybe aren't the best to base our lives off of, I am still a strong Disney fan. Here is what four of the Disney princesses teach us.
Snow White
The first Disney movie ever made, released in 1937, has always been a controversial topic. One of the main topics of criticism for this classic film, is that Snow White seemed to enjoy cooking and cleaning for seven dwarfs in a cottage in the woods. Critics state that this shows young girls that the only place that they belong is in the kitchen, cooking or in the home, cleaning.
I don't see this as a criticism at all. First of all, this film was made in the 30's, about 20 years after women gained the right to vote and almost 30 years before the equal pay act was passed. A woman's place really was in the home at this time. Second, the whole point of the film is that the evil queen is so obsessed with her looks that she orders Snow White to be killed because she is prettier than the queen. Since the queen is evil and ends up dead in the end, this shows young girls that beauty isn't everything and if you focus on it too much, you may get struck by lightning and fall off a cliff at the end of the movie.
What we learn from Snow White: Beauty isn't everything.
Cinderella
The next Disney princess movie was released in February of 1950. A feminist argument to the Disney creators is that they showed Cinderella accepting her abuse while passively waiting to be saved by Prince Charming. Their worry is that young girls who see this, will think they can't fight for themselves because they need to keep waiting for their prince.
Yes, Cinderella is saved by Prince Charming, but that was the only option available to her. In order to stay alive, with food, shelter and as much of a family as she had, she had to stay where she was until she found the opportunity to try to be saved. She did what she had to do.
They also worry that girls will see the transformation which the fairy godmother gave Cinderella (fancy dress, makeup, hair done, nice shoes) and think that they need to change themselves in order for boys to pay attention to them.
Cinderella wasn't changed so that she could impress the prince. The fairy godmother changed her to show her that she could feel beautiful and confident, for once, when she spent her whole life being made to feel like garbage.
What we learn from Cinderella: Just because we're in a bad place now, doesn't mean we always will be.
The Little Mermaid
This one is one that really gets the Disney Haters going. Ariel falls in love with a prince and trades her voice for legs so that she can be like him. Of course the haters take this as a woman needing to change to please men.
I hate to break it to you, but sometimes people do need to sacrifice for the ones that they love. In the movie, the prince doesn't ask Ariel to change, she does it on her own as a sign for her love for him. It's not "men forcing women to change" it's sacrifice.
What we learn from Ariel: Sometimes we need to sacrifice for those that we love.
Beauty and the Beast
From the haters point of view: Belle is stuck in an abusive relationship with the beast but is determined to make him kind by being kind to him. This shows children that if you're in an abusive relationship, if you're kind to them, eventually it will stop.
To me, that is missing the whole point of the movie. Belle is my favorite Disney princess and not just because she likes to read. For the whole beginning of the movie, she is pursued by Gaston who she repeatedly rejects. This shows that women don't have to be with every guy that is interested in them; that we have a choice. Also, the beast is portrayed as depressed for much of the movie because he was turned from a handsome prince into the beast. Although Belle doesn't know why he is depressed, she can see that he is hurting and doesn't give up on him even when he is hurtful.
What we learn from Belle: We can't give up on people: there's good in everyone.
Also, they're children movies, people. Stop looking for things to be offended about and enjoy the magic of Disney.
