Parents need to take a look in the mirror, mirror, on the wall; the Walt Disney company has created a childhood culture all over the world, there is no doubt that when a grown up ask their children what is their favorite movie the children will answer Frozen, Cars, Toy Story and so on. Disney has played a huge role from 1923 teaching generation after generation value and moral. Like ever other company in the world, Disney had been criticized by many people. There’s a quote that made parents more concern than ever, “Dear parents, Jasmine was in a relationship with a dirty homeless boy named Aladdin.
Snow White lived alone with seven men. Pinocchio was a lair. Robin Hood was a thief. Tarzan walked around without clothes on. A stranger kissed Sleeping Beauty, and she married him. Cinderella lies to snuck out at night to attend a party. You cannot blame us we were taught to be rebel since a young age” (Unknown). This quote sends out a negative message to parents about Disney. However, this quote is inaccurate. Aladdin send is a message that anything is possible if you give it all and truthful about yourself, Pinocchio teaches that every lie have consequences.
Parents are worried about how young girls are behaving after they watch Disney’s Princess movies. The movie sends a message about female gender stereotype, their body image and so on. However, this is not all true; the messages that the stories convey aren’t bad, it is how parents emphasize the movie to the children. One of the biggest issues is that parents are worried about the negative messages that Disney’s Princess portrays to their young girls. Parents believe that the Disney’s Princess mania cause an effect to self – image, depression, eating disorder and teaching that their beauty is more important their knowledge.
As an example on of Disney’s classical hits The Little Mermaid. Ariel is spoiled, stubborn and emphasizes sexy body (Gissell). In the movie Ariel went against her father wishes, she sneaks around to see the human world when her father Poseidon told her not do so because it is dangerous. In the end, Ariel married Prince Eric. This show is that Ariel is being selfish; she is willing to put herself and her family and friend to get the men she barely knew. Another thing that parents are concern about is how Ariel dresses up.
Ariel is drawn as a figure that is impossible for any girls to have, and there weren’t enough coverage; she wear a seashell bra. Another example is Jasmine from Aladdin. Jasmine, her body proportion is similar to Ariel is the extremely small waist, hips, and flat tummy. Another factor of body image is ageing; growing older seems to be an evil thing (Bennett). Based on Tangle, Rapunzel’s ‘mother’ uses her magic power to stay young forever. It sends girls in general that growing older is an issue because the beauty fades away. However, there is another factor that parents are worried about, female gender stereotype.
Every 99% of the princesses ends up marrying a prince who live in an enormous castle and very rich, this picture deliver that happiness is money and they should marry a rich man, instead of men who’s loving and loyal. Parents also wonder why “princesses do not show friendship between girls” (The Princess Effect). Overall the negative message that the stories are sending are the body proportion, in order to be happy you have to be weak; aging is a bad thing and falling in love is love a first sight. On the other hand, there are positive messages that Disney’s Princess deliver to young girls.
One of Disney’s Classical movies, Beauty, and the Beast came out in 1991, and it created a huge impact on the education. In 1991, the number of American women attending college exceeded the number of males (Brostowiz). The movie also points out several values; Belle sacrifices her life for her father’s freedom; this show is the audiences to be considerate. The first time Belle meets her prince his physical appears as a beast. Belle loves him not for his beauty but for who he is, it teaches them to know someone before being with them and teach them to see the inside instead of judging through appearance (Bennett).
Another example of it is one of Disney’s latest hit, Frozen. The leads in Frozen are two strong princess, Elsa and Anna is a role model for girls. They are two independent and strong girls (Lynskey). Elsa personality stands out because it sends a positive message, no matter how bad the situation is you have to face the consequences, Elsa also point out that being a princess is not as essay as it seems, it takes a big responsibility. Another element that parents should consider is that Frozen points out family relationship.
In the beginning of the movie there was an accident happen to Anna that was caused by Elsa and ever since then Elsa was forbidden to use her power and she should stay in her room to learn how to control her power. Anna’s memory was changed a little, so she does not know what made Elsa so distant. Their parents went off sailing. However, there was news that the ship was wrecked because of the weather. Therefore Anna and Elsa only have each other left, Anna try and try to reconnect with her sister and in the end they reconnected.
This is one of Disney’s huge twists, usually their princess story teach girls how to get a man, but this time is building a relationship between siblings (Lyskey). It is easy to blame others and what parents do not realize is that there part interacting with their girls plays an important role as the Walt Disney company try to fix their mistakes. For young children, the characters are real to them and in here is where parents should help them understand the difference between what is real and what is not (Gissell).
By parents engaging conversation about the movie such as, what is the moral of the movie will help them to understand better. Parents are also worried about how the character effect on their behavior, whatever the princesses do they follow, whatever they do not do, they follow them as well (The princess effect). As an example Aurora teaches girls that they are venerable and weak, the only way that girls could survive is to wait for a prince to rescue them. This teaches them that they should wait around and let someone help them instead of trying to help themselves.
From here parents could talk about what is wrong and what is right but also that parents can talk about the culture changes that happen through the years. Another factor that they are worried about is that Disney’s princesses are selling. As the article ‘the princess effect’ stated, they’ve stated that through the merchandise Disney is teaching kids to be something they are not. If parents have, control on what they are playing the children will not lose their identity.
Gissell suspected that the young ones have planned their wedding day, “Exaggerate on the wedding day but not on the importance of what happen after the honeymoon phase in the marriage life. ” Disney may not be perfect, however, parents should understand that Disney is targeted for young children therefore they make it seem like everything is possible to encourage them and help them to believe in themselves. What parents should also understand is that Disney has been trying to please them by pointing out the flawless thing.
One of the scenes in Frozen, Elsa pointed out to Anna what every parent is worried about their young girls running out with guys they barely knew. Parents are worry about them watching and behaving, but there is more to it. What they need to realize is that: “The environment plays a huge role, the more people phrase young girl like a princess the more they tend to believe that they are” (Bennett). Therefore, the only ways to save the young ones are through the parents. What People do not realize is that the movies they produce the era, moral and culture.
As an example, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs teach young girls about their role in the house, such as cleaning. She embodies what girls personality should be like, kind and sweet. Parents may not like how the movie is portrayed because Snow White is weak, however back then girls are in their early stage of women rights, they may not be as strong as this generation by comparing Snow White to one of the latest Princesses will not be accurate, such as Pocahontas. Pocahontas is not the typical princess; she brings a different vibe. Her personality is strong and free spirit, where it is more modern.
She is quite different because she is a member of the Powhatan Indian tribe it is located in Virginia, and she is also the older daughter of Chief Powhatan. Her wisdom is beyond her age and offers to help her, along the she was sent as an ambassador to England. In here she learns the typical princess stuff, this show is that girls can be both elegant and powerful. In the sequel, she bravely sacrifices herself for her people’s safety. The two stories teach different message and morals. Snow white may teach the audience about what their role are a housewife and Pocahontas them about wisdom.
Another princess that have a positive impact is Beauty and the Beast, and Princess and the Frog. Belle from Beauty and the Beast is an intelligent young lady and open minded as well. In here the stories have teach the young lady that appearance one of the many factor that create beauty. Through this story, it helps them to realize what is truly important, appearance or knowledge, as well as appearance or personality and last it teaches them that people can change if they have the right surrounding. Tiana from Princess and the Frog is an independent woman, intelligent, and highly talented young woman.
In the story, Tiana has an obsession of achieving her dream to open her restaurant, and she strongly believes that nothing in order to reach her goal she has to work hard. Moreover, Disney has twisted a few things here and there such as Tiana never intended to rely on her husband. Even though Disney still needs to improve on pleasing parents because “The movie does not have enough balance”(The Princess effect), parents should understand that it is impossible to erase the past and that the only way is to move forward.
Disney’s Princess movies do not give a bad impact to the young girls, it is the parents role that can help them to understand what is the purpose, what they should get from the story, and what do they have to avoid. Parents may have critic Disney for what the stories have turned their girls into. However, movies and stories are not just for watching and leaving the children to think for their own. The purpose of this is for parents and their children to bond and have something to talk about. That is one of the main issues, parents forget about the purpose.
As Bennett has stated it earlier in the paper, environment plays a huge impact as well. Such as when people around them treat her and great her as a princess, they start believing that they are a princess. Parents also argue about how Disney lack detail in their message but do not realize that by giving them every single detail may confuse them or discourage them in the world. As example parents believe that most of the love stories lacks the understanding and the value of love. However, love is clearly something that can’t be explained until the time has come for the children to experiences it.
As Disney progress in time parents should at least be glad about how Disney is taking their criticism and fix it by telling it to the children, such as the scene in Frozen where Elsa warns Anna about marrying a man who she barely knew. Moreover, in this movie the handsome ‘prince’ is a jerk. Therefore, it teaches girls that not all boys are kind. Moreover, at last they final teach that power is not an evil thing, that power can be a good thing. As Disney do have their down moments, it is clearly showing the latest movies they have start to change and show the more realistic life lesson.
