I am really sorry for not posting in a while.
My computer didn't want to work with me and I had to go get it fixed.
But, I'm back now and are here to talk about this little question that's been burning in the back of my head for a long time now;
What's with the princess hate?
Yes, most little girls dream about being a princess at some point.
With their elegant beauty, kind heart and enchanted surroundings, the princess, for many years, has been the image for femininity.
But there's been a bit of a backlash in the past several years.
Saying that the Princess Stereotype is a more damaging role than an encouraging one.
Even I've had a few lashings at this stereotype in that past.
So, is it just innocent make-believe or is there really something to get angry about?
Well, in order to answer that, we will just have to dive into the majority of what people take most offense at.
And I guess it would be only logical to start off with Disney.
Disney has practically re-invented the fairytale.
And seeing how their Princess Line-Up is highest selling line-up for their company, it's safe to say that they have a pretty good understanding of what makes princesses so popular.
What do they have in common?
Well, they are all beautiful, kind, have all kinds of accessories you can buy for them, but it mainly has to do with how their personalities are formed within the movies.
Which many consider, from an ethical point of view, not the best role models.
They don't do anything! Many complain. They are just damsels waiting to be rescued and never take responsibility and never get anything done for themselves. They instead rely on their status or their beauty to get what they want!
And in some cases........
Well, that's correct.
Sleeping Beauty for example, I still stand by being the most forgettable characters in Disney history.
Yeah, we all know the iconic image, but her fantasy extends to her doing absolutely nothing while her true love comes to save the day.
And what happens?
She does absolutely nothing while her true love saves the day!
And on top of that, she has little to no personality and any unique trait to call her own.
So yeah, the argument is pretty valid there.
But hey, I'm gonna defend the other ladies a bit here.
Yeah, they aren't always the best but there are still good virtues to be learned from them.
For example, SnowWhite's kindness and helpful nature serves as a good second mother for the seven dwarfs.
And anyone who says that being a mother doesn't make a hard-working and responsible woman clearly has never been one.
It's work.
And worst about it is that you don't get paid for it.
So, the fact that she can be pleasant while still teaching the dwarfs responsibility may not be major, but it is still something.
But many would argue that it's one thing for one of them to fall into the category.
What about three?
We talked about Sleeping Beauty before but the biggest offender in the sit-back-do-nothing category is Cinderella.
But to her defense, she's working her a$$ off!
I mean, every second that she's on screen, she is doing something!
And in the end, she was rewarded for her hard work and kindness, even in the face of such nastiness.
And if you still think that this still isn't a good role model for people to go out and achieve things, guess who's favorite fairytale this was;
That's right.
The D-Man himself!
Walt Disney said that Cinderella was his favorite because he often felt like her; Working as hard as he could everyday until destiny finally gave him a chance, showing us that hardwork and kindness can result in a virtuous reward.
Now, while these characters aren't bad per say, they were very limited.
At least, limited to the roles of what women were expected to have at the time.
In the following years, princesses would become more proactive and have more of a personality.
But sadly, even that can get some flack, too.
Particularly, Ariel the Little Mermaid.
Who many complain is just a whiny teenager who just needs a man to save the day.
And while at times, she can be her own teenage drama-queen, people forget that at the time, people forget that at the time, she was praised for being more independent than the past Disney Princesses.
She traveled, she explored, she broke the rules, she left the house (er, castle), she had a distinct personality, she was curious!
And on top of that, while the prince does save the day in the end, she saves his life not once, but twice in this movie!
Heck, if we want to get technical, I'm surprised that people weren't more pi$$ed of with Jasmine.
I mean yeah, she fights for her independence once and even takes a chance at living her own life.
But she quickly returns to the world she said she hated, stays in it and constantly let's her boyfriend save her.
But, never the less, the complaints were heard.
And the Princess Brand over the years has tried to make their ladies more independent. Making them save the man just as many times as the man saves them while still trying to keep true to that kind and moral virtue that, let's face it people, are enforced in every Disney story and not just the princess ones.
Be nice, be kind, be true to your heart.
When has that not been the moral of any Disney movie?
So after looking them all over, I'm not really sure if Disney is the one to blame for all the negative stereotypes.
Okay, it didn't always help but in many ways, it did help!
They are still trying to teach the importance of patience and morality which are great virtues for any gender!
In fact, Disney has even made a step up the make one of their most marketable icons a symbol of strength and honor.
As seen in these ads here;
So if the virtues that the princess brand portrays aren't the problem, what is?
I will admit, something was rubbing me the wrong way for years about little girls wanting to be called "princesses".
I just couldn't put my finger on it.
But then the answer came to me after watching a review for Bridge to Tarabithia when our main lead takes his little sister into his fantasy world.
His sister asks him if he's the king and he replies by saying, "Only if you're princess."
Wait a minute.
Why is he king but her princess?
Shouldn't more logically be King and Queen?
Even in the movie Wreck-It-Ralph, why is it that a princess rules the land rather than a queen.
Of course Wreck-It-Ralph bashed that stereotype by later making her president of Sugar Rush but you get the point.
In fact, why in a lot of nostalgic shows and movies does a princess rule the land even though the original ruler has dies or is gone?
Why does that seem more marketable to be called princess?
Then it hit me: It's not the virtues of the princess stereotype that p!ss people off, maybe it's the title.
Why do so many boys want to be king? (not every single boy, mind you.)
Because they want the power and responsibility to control and change things.
And why do so many girls want to not be queen?
In fact, we're almost Anti-Queen aren't we?
Take a look at some of the Queens in Disney History!
This brings us back to the question, why do some many girls prefer princesses?
Well, maybe being a princess not only indicates that you're younger, which often translates to prettier, but also indicates that you have a position of power but not too much power.
Oh, I'm just holding the place for the king and queen until they return!
I still have the title of innocence and have power but not too much power!
Now, who wants brownies?
Thus, presenting an image of charm and beauty rather than an image of strength and determination who makes bold and important choices and chooses what's best for their people.
It's like calling a grown women a girl and a grown man a boy.
If you call a grown man a boy, some would usually get ticked off at that.
Why?
Because they want to be seen as a figure of strength and responsibility rather than youth and innocence.
Where as, sadly, some women do prefer the other way around, valuing the youthfulness and innocence over strength and responsibility.
Oh don't get me wrong!
There's plenty who don't!
But, you all know that there is plenty out there that do.
Now why this is is a whole other argument!
And, no, I'm not forgetting that the prince and princess titles are real titles and not just made up for gender roles.
But that still doesn't excuse people making the princess trope all about living in a peaceful, enchanting and conflict-free world.
And if one does arrive, it's someone else's job to take care of it.
So, no matter how tough you make you're princesses, by keeping the princess title, it reinforces the idea that youth and the need not the take on all that much responsibility is the best choice.
But you know what?
The world is changing and we are seeing much more verity in our female characters and even some of our male ones than we have in the past.
So, rather than focusing on the bad virtues, why don't we rather focus on the good virtues that the present day has to offer us?
And try showing people of all genders that being under someone else's wing is not the farthest you can go.
Well, that's all for this post folks-
Vincent: (tries to pounce on me) YAAAAAA!!
Me: (turns around and shoots him with water gun.)
Vincent: GAAAAAHH!! I'VE BEEN SHOT!! MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN!
Me: Calm down, it's just water.
Vincent: (starts mumbling VooDoo spells while raising hand)
Me: Vincent, what are you doing...?
Vincent: (says in over-the-top raspy voice) I'm transferring my soul into something since I'm dying.
Me: You mean like in Child's Play?
Vincent: NO! I'm BUTCH compared to that crap!! GAAAA! (dies)
Me:...................0-0
Vincent: Banana Hannah......
Me: (turns around) AHH!
Vincent:
I'm a Toaster Strudel!
Me: Really? Out of all the things in this room, you picked a Toaster Strudel to put your soul into?
Vincent: Yeah, well my mind went blank, you know from dying? And ALL I could think about was that Toaster Strudel I had for breakfast this morning.
Me: Well, how's that working for you, buddy?
Vincent: Not good, Banana! I'm a Toaster Strudel!
Me: Well, I'm sure you can get some revenge with that form.
Vincent: (says in raspy voice) OH, I CAN, BANANA. I CAN. MWAAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Me: Charming.
That's all for this post folks!
If you want to see more, you know where to look!
No comments:
Post a Comment