“… And she lived happily ever after. The end. Goodnight my little Princess,” parents say as they tuck their daughters into bed after finishing a sweet tale of a beautiful princess who was rescued from a tower. The girl’s heads fill with images of a handsome Prince who will fall in love with her body, money, and personality. BEEP, wrong.
Cut the crap every girl has grown up with because, let’s face it: these girls aren’t the best to look up to. Yes, some have a few redeeming qualities. Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" can actually read and Snow White is an animal activist, we are all so proud! But the bad outweighs the good when it comes to princess stories girls hear when growing up. Instead, girls should look up to real women who do great things for the world, which even includes real princesses. Though girls think they want to be like the princesses they hear about who are portrayed as beautiful, dainty girls, they are really idolizing selfish, dependent girls who shouldn’t be anyone’s role models.
Recently, it has been announced that "Frozen" is the most popular animated movie of all time, in just one short year. Girls (and boys) everywhere have fallen in love with the hit songs and plot. But for whatever reason, Elsa is the character every girl wants to be. Whether it’s Halloween or a “When I grow up…” statement, girls long to be a girl with ice powers and anxiety problems. Although Elsa is made real with her anxiety condition, as most princesses are depicted as perfection and therefore unrealistic attributes, she is not an ideal role model. She runs away from her kingdom, she put a polar vortex on, and freezes her sister. Ouch, that’s cold. An excellent example for young girls alike to run into their rooms and to hide from their problems. I think not! Parents need to stop dressing their daughter up in the $130 costume that Disney sells, and start looking for a better role model.
Before "Frozen," the most popular princess was Ariel. This fiery red head is possibly the worst influence for girls. Ariel is a hoarder, she disobeys her father, she talks to strangers, she falls in love with a man she’d never met and got plastic surgery for him. Now, if that isn’t horrible I don’t know what is.
Aura from "Sleeping Beauty"? She has literally been told her entire life not to touch a spindle when she turns 16 -- and what does she do? She touched it and sent her whole kingdom into a deep sleep for 500 years. Selfish much! Snow White? She cooks and cleans for seven men -- whom she lives with! Jasmine from "Aladdin"? I don’t think crop top bras are in style for six year olds. Cinderella uses the Prince for his money, Belle enjoys bestiality, Mulan plays with knives, Tatiana kisses a frog (sanitary reasons here, of course), Merida selfishly turns her mother into a Bear, and Rapunzel goes on a journey with a “Bad Boy.” Role models? I think not.
Parents are teaching their daughters to sit around and wait for luck to hit them when they need to be telling them to go out and take their future into their own hands. They need to tell their daughters to be motivated, strong, and independent. Calling their daughters a princess is an insult. Call her a dragon because she is fierce, call her a prince because she goes for what she wants, call her a witch because she is smart and cunning, call her anything else. But how dare they call their beautiful daughter a lazy, selfish, and ditzy woman who waits for a man to sweep her off her feet.
When you tell your daughter stories as you tuck her into bed at night, tell her about real women herons. Tell her about the adventures Amelia Earhart went on and the mystery of her journey. Tell her about the strong Rosa Parks who stood up for what she believed in. Tell her about Cleopatra who led an entire nation, Joan of Arc who started a revolution, Heller Keller who defeated all of the odds against her, Hillary Clinton who stepped out of the shadow of her husband, Maya Angelou who wrote inspirational works, Malala who almost died for an education, or even Oprah Winfrey for her contributions to society. These are the women who make history and do great things in the world. These are women who don’t sit around for a better tomorrow but create it on their own by putting in hard work.
When I have a daughter, I want her to say, “Mommy I want to change the world like Margret Thatcher,” not, ”Mommy, I want to be rescued by a boy on a horse.” I’d rather my daughter own a Michelle Obama doll with a small plastic apple promoting healthy eating, than a Snow White doll with a small plastic apple that she was too stupid to figure out that the creepy old woman she shouldn't have been talking to poisoned it.
This is not to say that all princesses are horrible influences. There are real life princesses who have wonderful values that girls should strive to be like. My daughter will be allowed three princess dolls: a Kate Middleton, Diana Spencer and Ellen Degeneres. These three Princess are real, and they make a difference. Princess Diana, known as the independent thinker, was the first Princess to really make a difference instead of sitting around in the limelight. Diana won many awards for her countless efforts in helping the homeless, providing food to starving children, and attempting to help end HIV and AIDs in developing countries.
Diana's daughter in law, Kate Middleton, also participates in humanitarian work. Though Kate does participate in her obligatory humanitarian duties as a public figure, she is more so known for her, “I don’t care if I’m a Princess or not, I’m going to dress how I want attitude” in fashion. Though that might seem like a minor thing, Kate dresses to the nines every time in the public eye. Always looking cute and put together, Kate has pushed the boundaries of what the Royal Court is expected to wear. England hasn’t seen a girl who doesn’t sit quietly since Diana, and we all can’t get enough of her fashion sense. Most people prefer her to her balding Prince husband (definitely not Prince Charming). Both women step outside of the excepted box of a Princess and go above and beyond their duties in the limelight and on the thrown.
Both of these women have pushed the limits and question how women are told to look and act; both women could form smart and independent thoughts that could better others in need. This is what being a Princess is about. Either Princess would be a lovely example for young girls to aspire to be, and neither one talked to cartoon animals.
Another real Disney Princess is Ellen Degeneres. Ellen, the voice of Dory from "Finding Nemo" and host of the “Ellen” talk show on ABC (network that Disney owns). Ellen is an extremely famous activist in feminism and gay rights. As an example of gay rights, Ellen came out on her TV show and revealed to the world about her wife. She said that if Disney didn’t want her to come out then Disney wasn’t who she wanted to work for. They were very supportive and Ellen did a wonderful job handling the pressures of publicity. Making thousands of contributions from her show and outside humanitarian work, Ellen is also a wonderful woman to look up to who is comfortable being herself and gives to others.
Before parents purchase the sing-a-long version of "Frozen," they should think about the message they are sending their daughters. Will they be dependent? Selfish? Dumb? Or rather -- strong, independent, creative and critically thinking young women who have a bright future? The role models they are exposed to at a young age will shape who they become, so it’s important to choose wisely. It is important that parents give their daughters the right idea of what being a Princess is really all about so that in the future, the world can have less girls waiting around for a Prince, and more girls going out and making a difference. Being a Princess isn’t defined by the pretty sparkly dress, the rescue mission of a Prince or having beautiful hair. It’s about being a good person and setting a good example for others. Princesses are girls who can be independent and could rule a country without the help of little men advisors. Princesses are strong and smart.
“… And she lived happily ever after. The end. Goodnight my little Princess.”
