I will not lie: I loved watching Disney films when I was a child and if you whip out a Disney playlist, I will not hesitate to sing along right now. As someone who is past toddler years, past the awkward tween years, and getting close to finishing up her teen years, I can't help but notice some flaws in the movies I cherished so dearly, and most particularly, in the famous Disney princesses. Offhand, I can pinpoint about six princesses that are worth critiquing.
Belle:
Ah, Belle, the socially awkward woman who is ostracized because she prefers reading over human interaction. This pauper turned princess is probably the one that I can relate to the most. From what I gather from the story of Beauty and the Beast is that it is during the time period of the French Revolution. A woman, such as Belle, needs to be accompanied by a husband in order to be financially stable. Rather than conforming to these social norms, she wants more than the life she is given. What does she do? She marries a beast, most likely an aristocrat from birth, who coincidently enough is a prince. If my calculations are correct, Adam, or the Beast, does have connections to the Royal Family of Paris, wherever his relationship may be. Even if that were not the case, given the time period, Belle would be charged for bestiality, as she fell in love with an animal, not a human being. Kind of a red flag there. If she isn't killed that way, then surely she can go out with a bang with her beloved prince.
Ariel:
Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Ariel, it's just a fork, calm down. While Ariel was born and raised into the lifestyle of mermaid royalty, she seems unhappy with what she is given and wants more. What does she want exactly? She wants to spend more time on land and not in the sea. Okay, first off, I don't know where you got the idea that land is much better than sea. Second of all, you are a freaking mermaid! If that's not your ideal fantasy, then I don't know what is! As a teenager now, I more so sympathize with her father rather than Ariel because his daughter is willing to risk everything, including her fins, just to be with a boy. Who is this boy? Why Prince Eric, of course! The fact that you, a mermaid princess, find your life so unappealing for the sake of a man is kind of frustrating to wrap my mind around. This prince likes to spend time with his hobbies, which, mind you, are centered around the sea! Let's not forget that as soon as he realizes that Ariel couldn't speak, he goes off and marries another woman! Tell me, Ariel, was that sacrifice worth all that trouble? I certainly vote no.
Aurora:
The girl has a total of eighteen lines in the entire film of Sleeping Beauty. The rest? She's asleep, singing and dancing with animals, or crying over a stranger that she only met like, what, two times? Tell me what universe gets you a man just by going to sleep so I can transport there.
Snow White:
Okay, before anyone says anything, I kind of sympathize with the Evil Queen. Why? Well, I'd kill someone too (not literally) if I could pull off luscious red lips or short black hair and still look adorable. All Snow White really does is clean, cook, and waits for her knight in shining armor to rescue her when she gets poisoned. Like Aurora, she does nothing that's really of any importance aside from dodging a stab to the heart. Why? Because the Huntsman felt sorry for her. There's probably more to it, like he felt drawn to her beauty or something. I never truly liked Snow White, to be honest. Her voice was sugar on top of sugar sweet, which made it hard to sit through the entire movie. I'd rather sing a long to Heigh-Ho than Someday My Prince Will Come. I had a more enjoyable time watching the Queen change into an old woman than Snow White make a pie and sing to some animals.
Pocahontas:
As much as I do love the songs of Pocahontas, it truly pains me to watch Pocahontas swoon over John Smith. From a Disney movie's perspective, they are arguably the same age. Spoiler Alert: John Smith was twenty-seven when he first encountered Pocahontas. And Pocahontas? She was twelve. Try sleeping on that tonight. Each time I think about that calculation, I get so disgusted and as much as I love Disney, the facts don't lie. Pocahontas, like Ariel, goes through such lengths to be with the one she loves and even leaves her tribe to go across the seas to England. For the record, she doesn't even marry John Smith! She marries a guy named John Wolfe three years before her death! All in all, this Disney princess makes me uneasy due to the history behind the legend of the famous Pocahontas.
Jasmine:
To be fair, I can state that I do agree with some things that Jasmine tries to get across like "How dare you! All of you! Standing around deciding my future! I am not a prize to be won!" or "At least some good will come of my being forced to marry. When I am Queen, I will have the power to get rid of you." Yes, I do agree that, to some degree, Jasmine is a bit ahead of her times and a feminist. What I don't appreciate is that she is all talk but no action. She says all of these wonderful things that could truly benefit the women of her people. What does she do about it? Complain. Complain some more only to complain again, not to mention get captured and wait for Aladdin to rescue her. Next time, try doing something rather than complain about your life as a princess.
