What About Merida?

What About Merida?

Disney should take their own advice
Olivia Walleser
Olivia Walleser May 31, 2016
481
views

One of my favorite things about Disney movies is that they focus on love.

Notice I did not say which kind of love -- because as society likes to forget sometimes, there are many different versions.

When "Frozen" was released in 2013 it was applauded for showing that the female princesses did not need a man to save them. And that Elsa was single. But now that there are whisperings of a potential sequel a large campaign has risen. Fans believe that Disney should give Elsa a girlfriend, which would make her the first gay Disney Princess.

I think these fans are missing the point. And I don't say that because I don't support the LGBT community. I say that because I don't think there was ever an intent to give Elsa a love interest at all. I don't think there should be -- because she already has one: Anna.

Let's think about this for a second. At the end of the movie, who saves Anna from remaining in an eternal frozen state? Elsa. And she does it by true love -- the true love that a sister has for her sister. And that is the love that Disney was trying to display.

This isn't the first time they have done this, though.

In Disney's "Brave," Princess Merida did not want to get married. Actually, that was the whole point of the movie. She wanted to choose her own destiny, her way. As a result, many people would claim that this movie has no love story. But they are wrong.

The love comes from Merida's relationship with her mother and younger brothers. And it is this love that saves her family in the end.

So, yes, I agree. Disney should make a statement. But I don't think it should revolve around giving Elsa or Merida love interests. I think their singleness leaves room to focus on what is important: family and all the crazy unconditional love that comes along with it.



Cover Image Credit: Disney
Olivia Walleser
Olivia Walleser May 31, 2016
At Troy University

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Why Girls Love The Dad Bod

If your man can rock the dad bod, he's a keeper.

Mackenzie Pearson
Mackenzie Pearson Mar 30, 2015
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In case you haven't noticed lately, girls are all about that dad bod.

Girls have been dealing with body image issues since the beginning of time until recent (for those of you who consider yourselves to be "Thick thin") I hadn't heard about this body type until my roommate mentioned it. She used to be crazy over guys she claimed had the dad bod.

After observing the guys she found attractive, I came to understand this body type well and was able to identify it. The dad bod is a nice balance between a beer gut and working out. The dad bod says, "I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time." It's not an overweight guy, but it isn't one with washboard abs, either.

The dad bod is a new trend and fraternity boys everywhere seem to be rejoicing. Turns out skipping the gym for a few brews last Thursday after class turned out to be in their favor. While we all love a sculpted guy, there is just something about the dad bod that makes boys seem more human, natural, and attractive. Here are a few reasons that girls are crazy about the dad bod.

It doesn't intimidate us.
Few things are worse than taking a picture in a bathing suit, one being taking a picture in a bathing suit with a guy who is crazy fit. We don't want a guy that makes us feel insecure about our body. We are insecure enough as it is. We don't need a perfectly sculpted guy standing next to us to make us feel worse.

SEE ALSO: Slim Thick Is The New Thin

We like being the pretty one.
We love people saying "they look cute together." But we still like being the center of attention. We want to look skinny and the bigger the guy, the smaller we feel and the better we look next to you in a picture.

Better cuddling.
No one wants to cuddle with a rock. Or Edward Cullen. The end.

Good eats.
The dad bod says he doesn't meal prep every Sunday night so if you want to go to Taco Tuesday or $4 pitcher Wednesday, he'd be totally down. He's not scared of a cheat meal because he eats just about anything and everything.

You know what you're getting.
Girls tend to picture their future together with their guys early on. Therefore, if he already has the dad bod going on, we can get used to it before we date him, marry him, have three kids. We know what we are getting into when he's got the same exact body type at the age of 22 that he's going to have at 45.

So there you go. A simple break down of why girls everywhere are going nuts over this body type on males. We like it. We love it. We want some more of it. So here's to you dad bods, keep it up. Men, confidently strut that gut on the beach because while you stare at us in our bikinis we will be staring just as hard.

Mackenzie Pearson
Mackenzie Pearson Mar 30, 2015
At Clemson University

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To Mom, From Your Daughter Who Doesn't Want To Date Right Now

Dear Mom, I don't believe in super romantic love but that doesn't mean I think I'll never find love, just not right now.

Sydney Mergler
Sydney Mergler Jul 27, 2018
831
views

Mom this one is for you, you've told me time and time again what you think love should be like and here's how I see it. I promise you I'm not someone who believes I'll never find love, but I just don't want something boring and too romantic.

I'm not going to lie to you guys, the men in my life are not the best examples for me when it comes to relationships but that's not the reason for why I am the way I am. I just want adventure. I don't want something boring. I'm young and want someone who can joke with me and keep things light. I've had the whole "meet the parents" stress before and let me tell you it's not worth it to be that serious with someone if you're not completely head over heels in love with them.

I do believe that love does exist but not like the movies. I'm sorry but I'm a realistic person and I don't believe in all the mushy feelings and the way the movies romanticizes relationships. No, you're probably not going to go to a coffee shop reading a romantic book and a tall, dark and handsome man probably isn't going to come to sit with you and say that's his favorite book too. If that does happen, odds are the man probably just saw you alone and really just wants to take you home.

It's crazy to write this and read things I wrote about exactly a year ago and see how dramatically my perception of men and relationships has changed but we grow and we learn more as the years go on. I've learned that most men at my age are still boys who are trying to figure out their sexuality and grow up and quite frankly I don't have the patience or the energy to deal with their immaturities at the moment. I don't want to be just another girl on their list or a girl that they can take home to mom and dad yet.

It took me a while to realize it but right now I just want to be alone and if a guy does present himself in my life well then I will friend zone him for the time being. I know that sounds terrible but sometimes you have to be selfish and think about what's best for you.

When a man does present himself in my life and I am personally ready to tackle a relationship then I want something real. I don't want all the mushy super sentimental stuff but I do want someone who I know cares about me and can show me that in his own way. I do think that love exists and that everybody will find someone but I'm over trying to force things when I know the time isn't right. When the time is right, it will happen but it's not worth it to rush things and force a relationship or something just for the sake of being in one.

I'm not a complete pessimist when it comes to love I swear, I'm just not naive because of all I've seen, been through and have seen others go through as well. One day I will probably be married with a career and children but until that day I'm OK with being alone and enjoying my youth. There you have it, mom that's what I think about love.

Sydney Mergler
Sydney Mergler Jul 27, 2018
At Florida Gulf Coast University
At University of South Florida

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