I came across an article on Facebook earlier this week, pointing out the problems that Disney cartoons have caused, specifically those made between the 80s and 90s.
The article suggests that The Little Mermaid and the princess stories that followed in the next few years, limited women in terms of speech and offered few examples of strong powerful women.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that Disney has affected my generation WAY TOO MUCH. We had a slur of films with catchy songs and fascinating stories (in my opinion at least). Plus the 90s was a prominent time for home video. It was simple for almost any parent, no matter their financial standing, to find it an easy solution to pop their kids in front of the TV to keep them busy. I was effected by The Little Mermaid other such films in good and bad ways.
Bad things I learned
Your happy ever after means you have a prince charming- You don't have to have a "prince charming" per say, because he doesn't exist. It is however important to have someone in your life who cares about you and you care for in return, whether that's your mom, boyfriend, best friend or wife.Hunting is evil- I learned this not only from Bambi, but a slur of other animal based films (whether Disney, or from somewhere else.) Hunting isn't evil, but I just can't shake this one all the way. Logically, I know the meat I eat comes from someone killing an animal. That doesn't mean I can handle being around people hunting. I like to see meat in a grocery store as "pork" and not as Babe the pig.
Life is a fantasy world, full of happiness: There is a lot of happiness, but there also is a lot of sadness. Disney movies very rarely convey true life problems, especially the cartoons. But, then again, that's the basis of the appeal.
Good things I learned
Life is always better with a smile on your face and a song in your heart- Snow White taught me that, and yes, it may sound lame, but it's true. When you let the bad things get you down, you will feel down ALL THE TIME. (or at least a lot of times) When you put a smile on and push through, or sing a song when you are feeling down, it just seems to make the world a little less hopeless.
You have to stand up and fight for what you believe is right- Mulan, Pocahontas, Brave, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and probably every Disney movie reinstated this in me. You can't just sit back and watch others destroy themselves or let others destroy your life. You've got to do what you can to help others and help yourself.
You can be a success if you work hard- Tiana of course reinstated that one. She dreams for a long time to get her own restaurant, but in the end, she has to earn money by working day and night. She saves it all up to get her dream.
One of the women quoted in the article says about Beauty and the Beast:
"There's one isolated princess trying to get someone to marry her, but there are no women doing any other things,” Fought says. “There are no women leading the townspeople to go against the Beast, no women bonding in the tavern together singing drinking songs, women giving each other directions, or women inventing things. Everybody who’s doing anything else, other than finding a husband in the movie, pretty much, is a male.”
What's her deal? Belle had a lot of amazing qualities and was a great role model to girls I think. 1) She went into a terrifying castle to go save her father. She was brave. 2) She was selfless when she volunteered to take his place in an isolated prison where a scary beast presided. 3) She was educated. She read constantly to learn, entertain herself and become a more well-rounded person. The townspeople thought she was odd. It's because she wasn't fawning over Gaston like all the silly other girls in town. 4.) When the townspeople went to kill the beast, she had learned that not all things are like they appear. She knew he was kind. She did everything she could to save him. If she had not returned, Gaston would have killed the Beast.
Needless to say, these stories are fantasies, but I think I'm OK with trying to live up to some of the ideals and examples that those princesses left for me.
