Growing up, I loved the Disney princesses. Just like any
other little girl, I even dreamt about being a princess one day. However, as we got older our expectations became more realistic and we came to realize that the stereotypes of a Disney princess are very limiting and damaging. Since this topic is very interesting to me, I decided to do some research on the evolution of the Disney princess. I found that there are three distinct "eras" of Disney princesses: each with their own stereotype and consequences.
The first group of Disney princesses are the ones that I like to refer to as the girls next door. Snow White, Cinderella and Princess Aurora are all included in this grouping. These princesses tend to have large eyes, pouty lips and fair skin. They are also very passive. I pegged them as the girls next door because they are a very traditional representation of beauty and femininity. This group is probably the most problematic because they send the message that women are merely pretty objects who need men to save them. They also confine women to domestic duties.
The next group I like to call the vixens. Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Pocahontas are all included in this category. There is a clear shift in image between this group and the prior. They are much more sexualized; they are wearing less clothing and their curves are more apparent. All of these princesses also demonstrate teenage petulance. This category is slightly less damaging because the princesses are much more developed and are sassy and have some agency. However they are still problematic because they are so sexualized and they still all require love from a man to be completely fulfilled.
And the most recent additions to the Disney princess family I like to call the wanna be progressives. This category includes Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna and Elsa. At first glance, these princesses seem very progressive because they are diverse in image and a man and marriage are not the end goals for these princesses. However, at a closer glance they are still fairly problematic. For starters, their body image and proportions are unhealthy and unrealistic. They are also all very whitewashed, even Tiana! Their skin and hair might be different colors but all of their other features are very similar and whitewashed. So while at first glance these princesses seem like empowering role models, once examined further it is clear that they still have some crucial flaws.
So what does this evolution mean? First, it is a sign of progress because each group of princesses is less and less problematic. We are starting to give girls broader definitions of beauty and what it means to be successful and happy as a female. However, this evolution of Disney princesses also highlights that we still have a problem. I am a huge fan of Disney and the princesses, but we need to make sure that we do not use them as models for our life because they are unrealistic and damaging representations of women.
