Safe to say that a good bit of us have a favorite Disney princess, right? Isn't having a
favorite princess like a right of passage into being a true girl? As I've gotten older, the princesses I've loved so much have become symbols of
many different things. Society has swapped back and forth between making them symbols of
strength and courage, to making them symbols of weakness and poor
decision-making skills. I've read articles that hail Mulan as the princess of equality;
going off into battle in a “man’s world.” I've read articles that slam Ariel for being
young and foolish; selling her voice to Ursula in order to chase after a
boy she just met yet loves. At times, the media has tried to convince me that I should avoid my favorite princesses at all costs. Well I can’t speak for everyone, but
when I was younger, my love of Disney princesses had nothing to do with
anything those articles ever talk about. The deepest I ever got with it
was, “oh she’s nice.” The truth is, when you’re young, you just like the
pretty music and the magical storyline, and those are the things that
help you determine your favorite princess. Many like to argue that
growing up around those movies has taught us that we deserve a perfect
Prince Charming, a perfect life, and a perfect happy ending, which has
turned us into divas with impossibly high expectations. What those
people seem to have forgotten is their original love for a simple, magical Disney movie.
What made you want to watch The Little Mermaid five times a day? You loved the music! You loved that Ursula lost in the
end. You loved when Skuttle told Ariel that she could use a fork to
brush her hair. Those were the reasons you loved Disney. You loved the
lighthearted humor and magic it provided. But if I were to agree with
the media, and say that Disney molded my expectations, then I have three
major areas that I need to get in check immediately.
1. I need to be able to sing. Beautifully (and without vibrato).
3. I need to have phenomenal hair.
(So far, being a princess is NOT working out for me.)
All jokes aside, the real question is, why shouldn’t I strive to be a princess? It’s not the castle, the prince, or the fabulous ballgowns that I expect (although are any of you really going to say that you wouldn’t want to experience that for a day?), it’s the demeanor of a princess that leaves something to be desired.
So how can I become a princess? I think we can take a few notes from our girls over at Disney…
1. Mulan
If cutting your hair off and going to war in place of your sick father, then saving China from the Huns isn’t brave and completely 100 percent awesome to you, then I guess I could see why you wouldn’t want to take any pointers from Mulan. But really, Mulan taught us the importance of strength and courage, which is something every princess possesses. The other thing that Mulan taught us was honor and respect. A true princess respects herself and others, and "brings honor to her people," just like Mulan!
2. Pocahontas and Repunzel
Pocahontas and Repunzel have quickly become my second favorite princesses. Why? Adventure. Both of these princesses love and yearn for adventure. Whether it be cart-wheeling through the forest, or hurling yourself from your prison/home/tower fortress, these are both girls after my own heart. A princess is never scared of a new adventure. She eagerly awaits a new and exciting journey, which could be anything from a new hobby to a new friend.
3. Tiana
The Princess and the Frog is without a doubt on my “Top Five Disney Movies” list (largely because it’s set in New Orleans, which is one of Disney’s best decisions to date). Tiana taught me that hard work pays off. She was going to open her restaurant, even if it took her becoming a frog and defeating a creepy voodoo witch doctor. Princesses set attainable yet worthy goals, and they understand the hard work and determination that it takes to reach them.
4. Belle
There would be no other way to close out the list of “How To’s” than with my all-time favorite princess. If you asked me to pick one princess to become the Disney queen, Belle would get my vote ten times over. She possesses the most important princess quality: love. (Now of course all of the princesses show this characteristic. Disney has made its name by building stories around characters full of compassion. But Belle is just different.) She encompasses every aspect that makes a girl a princess. The movie starts with her love for her father. In a town where everyone thinks he’s “Crazy Ole Maurice,” she’s his only supporter. Then we learn that she loves books (a lot). Belle craves knowledge (the fact that there exists a Disney character that loves books the way she does is enough for me to jump on board with her). After her father goes missing and is taken prisoner, we see her start to befriend talking inanimate objects (although you and I probably won’t be befriending any candlesticks soon —hopefully), we still learn an important lesson about making new friends). It’s later in the movie, after seeing Beast be totally rude, that we see Belle display true compassion towards him when she helps clean the wounds he received from that wolf attack. What others may describe as Stockholm syndrome, I simply view as a strong display of her caring nature (of course, it does make her look like a saint in the end when she falls in love with the hideous beast, before he becomes the handsome prince).
So there it is: a few tips from our favorite ladies.
**NOTE** Obviously not every Disney princess is listed here. Trust me, that in no way means that I don’t like the other ones. In fact, I’m obsessed with basically all things Disney (and yes, I did belt out a Disney medley in my shower the other night).
**DISCLAIMER** Having these qualities will not magically give you a crown and a kingdom to rule over, however they will make you a really awesome person.
If all else fails, just model your life as closely to Julie Andrews’s as possible.
