Reaction to Disney Princess Presentation

I never really thought of Disney princesses as having a negative effect on young girls before. They're a phenomenon that you grow up with. This presentation in particular struck a chord with me, first and foremost, because it's a topic that I am fairly familiar with. I've been impressed upon by these characters, and, of course, my favorite Disney princesses are those from the first wave of Disney princesses - the Cinderella's, Snow White's and Sleeping Beauty's. My very favorite characters, however, were the Disney villains.

As mentioned in the presentation, many Disney princesses (especially the first wave princesses that I mentioned above) are portrayed in very much the same way - damsel-in-distress, Barbie-like young girls. They always manage to be saved by the handsome prince in the end. They are usually defined by their sexuality and fascination with pretty consumer goods and fluffy animals. Disney villains, on the other hand, are, ironically, also often portrayed as woman. However, I argue that they are much stronger than the Disney princess and portray a better role model for young girls. They are goal-driven, independent and are fascinated more by power than a horse-drawn carriage and glass slippers. Alas, the Disney villain is always defeated in the end (usually by the male figure who saves the princess), proving that (at least, according to Disney) a women who strives for greatness can never win.

I was also particularly fascinated by a quote from the New York Times article "What's wrong with Cinderella. Lyn Mikel Brown, author of "Packaging Girlhood," states "Playing princess is not the issue. The issue is 25,000 princess products. When one thing is so dominant, then it's no longer a choice: it's a mandate cannibalizing all other forms of play. There's the illusion of more choices out there for girls, but if you look around, you'll see their choices are steadily narrowing." Once again, the real damage done to young girls is enforced by consumerism. The idea that girls are bombarded by these images of the Disney princess gives the impression that this is the "right" image of a woman. Despite the fact that princesses are being portrayed as stronger and more feminist, Cinderella and Snow White are still prominent Disney figures. While I have not been to a Disney store recently, I would imagine that girls are being impressed upon by these classic characters as much as I was when I was a little girl.

Of course, at the end of the day, just as the sentiment that was expressed in the presentation, we love them anyways. After learning about these possible detrimental effects these characters can have on children, I would not stop my own kids from watching these films. They are a right of passage and (while prime examples of gender stereotyping) are entertaining for every generation.