Growing up watching movies like "Cinderella," "The Little Mermaid" and "Snow White," I marveled at the happily-ever-after for each princess. Once I came to terms with the fact that not all boys have cooties, I wanted nothing more than to get swept off my feet. Now that I’m older and have experienced romance firsthand, looking back over these stories, I’ve realized something. Love is way too complicated to turn out like the movies. Disney princesses like Cinderella, Ariel and Snow White always end up happy in the end, which in the real world, doesn’t necessarily happen. They give love a bad name.
Here are some ways our favorite princesses have led us astray:
Ariel:
“Desperate to see Prince Eric again, Ariel agreed to give her voice to the evil sea witch Ursula.”
Our girl Ariel, with fire truck-red hair, is one very ignorant young lady. I’m not just saying this because her best friend Flounder the fish freaked me out when I was little with his chubby cheeks. In fact, I still admire her sense of adventure and ability to find beauty in ordinary things. That being said, Ariel gives up not only her amazing voice for the man she claims to love but also the very thing that makes her a mermaid: her tail. This tells girls what? That they should shed their identities like snake skin to chase after the ones they love? That’s not how it’s supposed to be. Your prince, your better half, is supposed to build up your character, and loving your prince is not a call for you to change everything, let alone anything, about yourself. I know what you’re thinking, “But if you really love someone you’re supposed to make sacrifices for them.” I’m all for sacrificing certain things that erode away at a relationship’s foundation like acid rain. I’m all for compromise, but there is a difference between giving a little (with reciprocation from your partner) and giving up who you truly are.
Cinderella:
“The orchestra played, and the Prince began to dance with the wonderful girl whose name he still didn't know. For Cinderella, the night was a dream come true."
We all know the story: a tall, dark and handsome Prince Charming plus a magical night and a neglected glass slipper makes for a happily ever after. Cinderella’s fairy tale gives those who watch it false hope. For starters, a man doesn't fall head over heels in love with you the moment he sees you. I admit that I am a hopeless romantic and believe that sparks can most definitely fly between two people when the chemistry is right, but immediate and total passion can’t result from a single moment, day, or even week. That’s not how it works. Yes, the pinnacle point in which eye contact is locked between two people can very well result in attraction, curiosity, and even desire. This, however, is lust, not love. There’s a difference. I also have a problem with the fact that homeboy Prince Charming held a ball in order to find his one true love. Let’s be real: in our world no one is going to throw a party or sneak into a club to pick up a wife. If a man goes to a bar he’s there because he’s either: a) with his significant other or b) trying to get just drunk enough so he can cross that dance floor and get some ass (I'm saying this in the most polite way possible). Love certainly is not something that crosses his mind (not that I know of course because I am underage and would never break the law by entering these kinds of places). The music's thrashing beat pulls sweaty, swaying bodies together in clumps like tipping dominoes. So, one night grinding up against Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome (with some help from poor lighting) will lead to a potential one-night stand, not a “happily ever after.”
Snow White:
“The Prince awakened Snow White with Love's First Kiss. The spell was broken! Snow White and the Prince returned to the kingdom and lived happily ever after.”
With rose-red lips and skin as white as snow, I’m surprised Snow White didn’t have a long line of suitors waiting for her at the seven dwarves’ little cottage. Nevertheless, Snow White ends up with a pretty remarkable man if he can bring her back from the dead with just one kiss. True love’s kiss, huh? I used to believe that a kiss could solve anything. That even if two lovers were caught in a whirling storm, a single kiss could ignite order and put everything back to the way it's supposed to be. Make everything right. Of course someone you love has the power to brighten a dreary day or change your mood for the better, but a single kiss can’t magically fix problems that have rooted themselves into the very heart of your relationship. Sometimes the damage has been done, and sometimes your Prince Charming is no longer your prince. That’s the sad and honest truth no matter how much you want to believe in magic.
So, just to clarify, the girl doesn’t always get the guy. Prince Charming isn’t always tall, dark and handsome, and sometimes a relationship is broken beyond repair. I know these movies are meant for young girls and that Disney didn’t mean any harm with all its happy endings, but these princesses would be easily let down if they tried searching for love in the real world. Love is magical, but unlike in these fairy tales, it doesn’t solely run on magic. It’s hard work.
