Defending Every Disney Princess (Except Tiana)

[@jsj9907]

Real. No one needs defending as much as CINDERELLA. People literally made her the image of "A princess saved by a man" "Anti-feminist" "Girly" as if she did not survive her own family's mental AND physical abuse. Despite that, she still has a heart of gold. There is strength and bravery in being "soft" too. A woman doesn't need to hold a sword, an arrow, sail a boat on her own... to be considered strong.

[@BetterWithBob]

Walt himself thought she was strong. I can't find a source for this quote but he supposedly said "she didn't wait for prince charming, she went right over to the palace and got him"

[@saturn1177]

The thing that bothers me so much It's the hypocrisy of certain people in internet. Well, when it's a girl from Studio Ghibli who does household chores as an gratitute and her new friends, people love it and find it a amazing and learning lesson and how "precious" and "sentimental" the movie is. BUT when Snow White did the same decades earlier they say it was "sexist", "oppressive" and "anti-feminist". HELLO?????

[@eveningwhisk7736]

Cinderella wanted to go to the ball because for the first time in years she wanted to feel like all the other girls. She wanted to dress up and go to parties and have fun, and when she arrived at the palace she was in awe of everything around her. She couldn’t believe it herself that she was there. She caught the princes attention because she stood out to him among the other girls. So she met him by chance not by intention.

[@BetterWithBob]

@@eveningwhisk7736 Exactly. It was Drizella and Anastasia who were there to try and snag him, while Cinders just wanted a night off. She doesn't even have an interest in dancing with the prince

[@shannoncronin5139]

Exactly!

[@iamcat1797]

“You’re the most problematic person in the world!” Snow White: I’m literally 14 years old.

[@BetterWithBob]

Considering some of the nonsense I said at 14...fairly accurate lol

[@haven_lady675]

I heard she's 14 but I also heard the prince whos name is Florian is 30. I hope it's not true.

[@kyramahlervolleyball]

@@haven_lady675 Florian is around 18-20 years old. Definitely not in his 30s, that's an old internet rumor

[@Blondeonewhodiebygun]

​@@kyramahlervolleyballfinally, someone who knows it is not true. I swear everyone believes anything on this damn internet it so annoying

[@jeffreygao3956]

@@haven_lady675 A weirdly youthful guy for someone who’s incorrectly thought to be 30.

[@cherriegetison6093]

For Mulan, I think a lot of people miss the fact that while she didn't fit in with the women, she also didn't fit in with the men. She had to embrace what made her so different from everyone- her ability to think outside the box and use objects she has at her disposal in new ways.

[@BetterWithBob]

Lol as a boy who was a weird hybrid of masculine and feminine socialisation, I related so much to Mulan trying to be manly to fit in with the men and failing miserably

[@Laurelin70]

In fact, her arch in the movie is exactly to find her place in life. And she finds it by just being herself.

[@MrSophire]

Same as a woman, I am not very feminine nor masculine. I don’t fit in with either of them. So I can relate. Plus she did it to save her father not because she wanted to be a man.

[@jeffreygao3956]

@@BetterWithBob Weirdly enough the bride candidates march in formation like the soldiers. Foreshadowing that Milan is always out of place or showing the brides and soldiers aren’t so different?

[@18Hongo]

In spite of that, her three friends in the army (I forget their names) were loyal to her and respected her even after she was discovered. They moved to intervene when they thought Shang was going to execute her, and listened to her in the city when she told them she had a plan. Mulan didn't realise just how many friends she had. Also, the three of them turning around dressed as women while "Be a man" blares in the background was a fantastic moment.

[@pecahalloween]

Aurora had personality, she just didn't had enough screen time.

[@kellyntaylor8184]

THANK YOU

[@normadgarmez7026]

That's for sure. I mean cut the kings' and the fairies time a bit. It's called Sleeping Beauty for a reason.

[@BetterWithBob]

Well that was the gimmick of the film. During the development process, they realised they were more interested in the three Good Fairies and their efforts to protect Aurora, so it became a perspective flip from their POV

[@pecahalloween]

@@BetterWithBob In deleted scenes, Aurora was meant to have more screen time. In one of the earlier drafts of the film, Aurora was meant to live in the palace and never go outside. She snuck out and went to a fair where Maleficent, disguised as a gypsy woman told her her fortune that she'll meet a handsome man, she met Philip as soon as she left the tent.

[@UncrownedGlobe3]

She’s honestly my favorite princess. She’s beautiful, compassionate, in tune with nature, loyal, sings great, and is actually very witty.

[@donnguyen1107]

I always get a kick out of Cinderella not knowing the guy she's dancing with is the prince until the next day when her stepmother says it's the prince who's fallen for this girl who left her slipper behind and she's so shocked she drops the tray hence how she then knows to try on the slipper. You can actually feel the gears going on in her head at that: "Wait, I left my slipper at the ball but I never even met the prince. I only danced with...wait a minute...that man...I was dancing with...the prince!?!" lol

[@BetterWithBob]

She's probably also a bit giddy that the guy is still crazy about her even when she ran out early lol

[@alittleofsomething]

I don't really agree with criticism of Tiana. I'm not obsessed with her race, I just love her character and the message the movie portrays. Tiana was largely alone, ignoring everyone to pursue her dream. After she got a community of friends and family, she was able to achieve her dream. Navene was a womanizer and easy going, but he also learned that it was empty. He learned that hard work isn't something that's bad and to be avoided. It so happened that they were good for each other, but generally they enriched each other's life. That's the beauty of that movie.

[@julianogueira714]

Completelly agree with you !!! I actually like that their character arcs don't revolve around the villain, i like the idea they are just normal people caught in magic and have to escape from it, and had a magical jorney because of it, and their personal stuff is something they have have to resolve themselfs, sometimes you get involved with the wrong person and gets screwed over even if it wasn't your fault

[@summerrose8110]

Still angry at @themoviebudz1988, @TheMisadventuresofNaomiJ, and @CinemaTherapy for being misandrist bigots bashing Naveen as if his character was useless. I'm so tired of Man bashing.

[@alittleofsomething]

@@summerrose8110 his purpose in the story was to teach Tiana to let loose, which is exactly what some people need.

[@dustinwashburn1283]

@@alittleofsomething And he also came the other direction as well. He was never a bad person, just didn't take things seriously enough. Whereas she was uptight and took things too serious. They meet in the middle and find themselves all the happier for it.

[@alittleofsomething]

@@dustinwashburn1283 exactly, seeing some kind of extra racial context to that is weird.

[@JiannaSandoval]

I never noticed how much Aurora's composure changed when she found out she was a princess. When she's living her happy peasant life, she's graceful but carefree (First barefoot pricess, even tho Rapunzel likes to claim that). Dancing, skipping, and messing about with her foster moms. And when she's in the castle (yes, she's feeling depressed), she sits still, walks rather stiffly, and does what a "princess" is expected of her. And I always appreciated the scene of her looking in the mirror and breaking down, grieving for the life she had ripped from her. and especially thankful of the fairies for letting her have that moment instead of "oh. Keep your composure. A princess does what she's told"

[@BetterWithBob]

Ooh very good point

[@MalloryNewcomb]

I love what you said about she was the first barefoot princess because I think that’s what made me like her more and more as an adult… she has a princess’ grace but she’s kind of outsdoorsy and free spirited at heart.

[@JiannaSandoval]

@MalloryNewcomb I like to think that her and Prince Philip spend spare moments in the forest together after marrying 🖤

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

@@JiannaSandoval I'm so happy you mentioned this, because I have a collection of Disney Princess stories that actually does just that! It's called "A Moment to Remember," and it's one of my personal favorites for expanding upon Aurora and Phillip's relationship post-film. Though adjusted to life in the castle, Aurora does long for the peacefulness of the forest, particularly the glade where she and Phillip first met. She's currently in charge of a new ball coming up, when Phillip suddenly arrives to surprise her. Quickly sensing her workload, he suggests the two of them go out riding together, and Aurora secretly directs his horse Samson to head in the direction of the glade. Once there, they bask in the nostalgia, promising to never forget that day, but are unable to stay long. However, it does give them both the idea on how to surprise each other. Phillip gets help from Aurora's animal friends to make her a crown using flowers from the glade, and Aurora adjusts the decorations and set-up of the ball to resemble the glade itself, telling him "The glade will always be in our hearts, but now it is in our palace too." 💐 There's another a story in it called "Two Hearts as One," that's about Snow White and her Prince enlisting the Seven Dwarves' help in celebrating their first wedding anniversary. ❤

[@gooderambles]

Fun fact: Mary Costa, the voice actor for Aurora, had a successful career as an Opera Singer in the years following Sleeping Beauty's release.

[@BetterWithBob]

Oh yes, and I read an interview with her where she said she didn't have professional training when she was cast as Aurora, and that helped her seem more like a real girl who just had a magical voice.

[@callmethecommentcountess9329]

Ok

[@ibtiago18]

Also, she's the oldest living voice actor for a Disney princess.

[@brianboru2762]

Her natural speaking voice is actually Very Southern. So that operatic voice and nailing that mid-atlantic accent is fairly impressive because I think she was 16 at the time. Though if you listen carefully you can hear a twang come in once or twice.

[@BetterWithBob]

@@brianboru2762 Oh yeah, I either saw or read an interview where she said Walt was initially concerned about her southern accent, and asked if she could do another one

[@youtubewontletmetypeagoodu8128]

Aurora is so insanely gorgeous. I don’t even know how they came up with it. Her hair especially is insane. The golden highlights make her glow. Her face is so pretty too. The angular features and jawline are so unique. Her voice is also insanely beautiful.

[@BetterWithBob]

It's interesting to read about the development process. The film was in production for eight years and she had the same animator the whole time - Marc Davis, who'd also animated Snow White and Cinderella. Supposedly the hair was inspired by Art Nouveau and Art Deco, and her features modelled off Audrey Hepburn, because they really wanted her to be elegant :)

[@keeferkifflom360]

Aurora was based on Audrey Hepburn.

[@UncrownedGlobe3]

She was my favorite princess too! I was always obsessed with her voluminous big curls ❤

[@jeffreygao3956]

But can she match Amity Blight?

[@emilymonahan5232]

@@jeffreygao3956 bro amitys cute but she also has a cat/baby face, not a human face. 💀

[@TheoriginalPR1]

I loved your point about Sleeping Beauty, the classic films were groundbreaking to begin with because they were some of the few films back then to even have female characters in both protagonist AND antagonist roles. Literally the five most important characters in both Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are ALL women.

[@ariwl1]

What's interesting about Sleeping Beauty when you take a step back from it, while it certainly is a story about Aurora and Philip, in the grander picture it's really about the end of a who knows how long conflict between Maleficent and the Three Fairies. The two lovers are good people but are just way out of their league when it comes to the magical characters. When you ponder how long they must have been thorns in each other's sides, it's rather wild that their battle finally came to an end over a bunch of crazy teenagers in love.

[@captainhowlerwilson508]

@@ariwl1I respect that, but when it comes to these types of films, I would prefer that the screenplays were tighter and put a lot of emphasis on character. I am good with movies that are not centrally about the characters, but Sleeping Beauty felt a bit over the place and not always in a good way.

[@BetterWithBob]

@@captainhowlerwilson508 I think it's pretty consistent throughout and clear from after the christening that we're watching a film about the Good Fairies' perspective rather than Aurora. Even during the christening, they get a grand entrance and we cut to their perspective on Maleficent after she arrives. It treats them as the protagonists and everyone else as side characters

[@captainhowlerwilson508]

@@BetterWithBob I get that, and they are the best characters for me in the whole film, but other than the animation and both the fairies and Maleficent, the story while good was not the most interesting to me.

[@mallorycarpinski1160]

​@captainmarvelwilson508 I have actually heard that the production process was a mess which explains why it's not so tight and in some ways makes it impressive that they ended up with such a coherent and inspiring story as they did. There's some pretty interesting history behind the making of these classics.

[@moonbunny24]

Another thing about BatB is that when you pay attention to Beast's character, a lot of his temper stems from depression and self-loathing. The inciting incident of him holding Maurice prisoner is because he's convinced Maurice is there to gawk at him. He flat out tells the servents that Belle will never be able to love him. Even after he screams at Belle in the West Wing, he immediately becomes sad and upset with himself for his behavior. And when does all of this stop? When he's treated with human decency. One of the major themes of the movie is the power of compassion and human connection, but those themes are weakened if you refuse to engage with the Beast as an actual 3-dimensional character instead of just sticking your fingers in your ears because he committed the cardinal sin of being mean and scary.

[@BetterWithBob]

Excellent, excellent point

[@noorbohamad5796]

Because he’s freaking screaming and he’s basically physically abusive he kinda reminds me of my parents

[@Guciom]

@@noorbohamad5796 Why did you have to make it about you?

[@lauraw2526]

@@noorbohamad5796 He is never once physically abusive.

[@deciradoxytp1771]

@@lauraw2526Even THE BEAST knows never to hit a woman. All he can do is shout. Beast will have to fork over a few thousand francs to get that precious window fixed

[@laraprisma6381]

Another thing about Ariel, she didn't give up her old life because of Erick, she already wanted to live as a human, Erick was just her final motivation! She always wanted to see the human world and it wasn't just because of Erick. Being with him would only be a bonus in making her dreams come true!

[@meganharding5100]

Beauty and the Beast is not about stock home syndrome and it never was. It's about understanding other people's pain having empathy even when it seems like they're always lashing out seeing the pain behind someone's anger. And helping them to heal from that pain.

[@BetterWithBob]

Very well put :)

[@cartoongirl211]

EXACTLY! 😫

[@Nini-vj8sw]

Yeah!! ❤

[@justarandomhumann]

And if you watch Cinema Therapy, a licenced therapist will explain why the Stockholm Syndrome is misunderstood.

[@darianrose2195]

It also is very disrespectful to Beast/Adam, as well as Belle. Belle has a backbone and stood up to him. She showed him how to do certain things, again, how to be more human and in turn he genuinely found his manhood. He respected her for standing up for herself and telling him off like he deserved, he risked his life to save hers, TWICE, the second time whilst she was no longer his prisoner but a free woman. She came back for him out of love and genuine closeness, not some syndrome of trauma. He genuinely became the man he was supposed to be and was prepared to die for her. Also, he may have been rude to the enchantress. But he was also a child. A life sentence for a child being rude is some petty betty stuff.

[@leshyaedawnfire]

I would like to argue that Tiana does have a character arc. It's heavily hidden in the subtext, but it is there. Namely, she has to learn to accept help from others who are in a position to help her get what she wants, rather than do it all herself. In the beginning of the movie, Tiana is shown working herself to death trying to earn up the money just to buy the building she wants to turn into a restaurant. Not the money to renovate it and turn it into one, just to buy the building as is. She is completely focused on doing this herself, to the point that it's subtly implied her wealthy friend, who could have helped her from the start since she had a good relationship with her and her father, has to resort to hiring her as a caterer in order to help her make that goal. She doesn't start accepting financial help until her dream runs into a major roadblock that is the real estate agent's racism, mysogynistic outlook, and the fact that just buying the building isn't enough. Basically, Tiana has to learn the value of networking and cultivating beneficial relationships that help her get what she wants, and utilizing those connections.

[@BetterWithBob]

Ah that's an interesting analysis. Sort of a 'work smarter, not harder' lesson

[@leshyaedawnfire]

@@BetterWithBob Bingo! I mean, she had the fricken Mayor in her pocket, but never thought to utilize that connection! He already adored her cooking, and she was a close childhood friend of his daughter. I fail to see why he wouldn't have helped fund her dream if only to eat more of her cooking! It would certainly have made his daughter happy, and the opening scene establishes that he can't help but spoil her.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@leshyaedawnfire Also, without Mama Odie Tiana would have given the amulet to Dr. Facilier and New Orleans would have been doomed, proving that she did learn something. I doesn't mean matter if she gets her restaurant, the fact she saved Orleans is more than enough for Tiana's father. The restaurant is merely a bonus.

[@punkbjork]

i think the whole point was that she had too much pride to accept "handouts" and didn't want to feel obligated to others or like she owed them her life. i don't think she took out loans because she valued her independence and wanted a sense of achievement, for her own self-worth.

[@fe3187]

​@BetterWithBob It's also implied that her Dad literally worked himself to death. As the daughter of a workaholic, it's such a hard balance between good character, strong work ethic, etc, and not literally selling your health/soul out to your career. I have a hard time watching my own Dad do that same. We're talking all nighters when he is in fact elderly, absurd levels of caffine consumption, doing the work of multiple people on unrealistic deadlines, not turning in business expenses such as mileage, not taking holidays, working on vacations, working while sick, etc. I followed in his footsteps only to develope a severe autoimmune disease. Now I've had to learn what it means to say "I've done enough and I owe you nothing more" Am still learning. I feel like tiana had to learn something similiar. That she could be loved for things other than working herself to the bone.

[@VillainIsLemony]

42:38 THANK YOU. This is what frustrated me with show Arya, and one thing I love about Mulan. They don't loathe 'girly' things, they're bad at them and/or would rather not be forced into them, which is exactly how I was growing up, and how I write one of my main characters. Tomboys dont have to HATE femininity. It's just not for them.

[@suzygirl1843]

Men wrote Arya Stark.

[@irochristodoulou6505]

​@@suzygirl1843So what?

[@viktormadzov5286]

There is also a inportant bit of destinction that is sadly buried in this descussions about femeninety/it rejection, and that it...what does "femeninity" even mean. People always talk like "What it is to be a man/ woman, the specific roles/duties/restrictions/characteristics each sex has, and what desires and traits are or are not girly/manly are somehow universal cocepts that have always been and as ingrained wiyhin our being as our biological sex, whuch could not be more wrong. That there are universal differences and preferances between the two sexes is self evident and not a mater for debate But deffineing the exact specifics of what those are?....thats a compleatly unrelated topic all together, and a great deal of it is the product of the history, culture and enviromant that the people find themselfs in, rather then any inherent traits of men and women. You mentioned before that Mulan and Arya are "bad" at girly things, but does not likeing or not being good at these specufic "girly things" inherenrly make you less of a woman? For that mater, why does wanting to fight, not being submisive, haveing asperations outside of the household and serving ones husband inherently make you unfeminen and unwomanly? And here lies the great failur of modern femenism. Where as traditional femenists fought against the neadlesly narrow and opresive sociatal restrictions on what a woman must be/must act/must want/must act like, and sought to expand the posebilety's what women could be, modern femenism insted see's anything conected to traditional deffenitions of femeninety as opresive, and something that must be fought against.

[@saturn1177]

@@suzygirl1843 Oh do you think that's the reason? I readed a BUNCH of books writted by woman that would always described the female protagonist hating using an corset or dresses full of ties and "girlish" things, I swear

[@NeyamRye]

Yes

[@Lisspeed]

I'm so happy to see you defend Aurora! I feel like many have defended the other Princesses by now but most don't talk about Aurora who was admittedly my favourite growing up and you fully hit the nail on the coffin as to why! She's almost a bit sassy in her own way, but also has this incredibly ethereal vibe. She always reminded me of a dreamlike silhouette in a sense, which makes her feel a bit eerie at times even due to being so fantasy-esque... I think if I had to compare her to someone it would be Galadriel.

[@BetterWithBob]

Oh yes, I think I compared her to Galadriel last week or before. And funnily enough, a lot of the ideas they used for Jasmine - sneaking out of the palace disguised as a commoner - were early plans for Aurora too

[@rosestar1324]

I think you might have missed key points in the Princess and the Frog. Tiana does work hard like many of the earlier princesses, but it can be argued that she works herself to the bone to fulfill her father's dream of having a restaurant perhaps to still keep him in her life in some way. I understand that the main grieving period was skipped in the movie, but as someone who's grieved several loved ones over the past few years, I can understand why a person might do this. As for her still getting the restaurant in the end, would say the movie would have been better if she didn't? I don't understand that criticism. Not only did she spend years saving the money to buy it, but she also was supported by her new allies who helped her secure the purchase at the end, fulfilling Loius' dream of performing without terrifying people and her having the restaurant also gave Naveen an avenue to show his parents how much he changed and perhaps in future movies, their relationship can be repaired. It sounds like you just personally didn't like the arc she went on, which is fine. But claiming she didn't change much just isn't correct. Maybe I just connected more with her character cuz I have many things in common with her story/circumstances and can understand the character in a different and more authentic way. I can understand that having her and her villain meet and "battle" in the 3rd act can be a bit underwhelming but the same thing happened in Hercules and I haven't heard people complain about that. When the focus of the movie isn't about the hero and villain relationship, it doesn't need to have the whole movie focusing on their dynamic. That's all I will say for now. Mostly because there are numerous well written video essays about this movie, and I don't want my comment to be longer than it already is.

[@subtropical1228]

I feel like his criticisms actually had more to do with the structure of the movie than with Tiana herself as a character, which is odd because he focused solely on the characters for the other princesses

[@Lexichi22]

You hit the nail on the head with Tiana. I absolutely love her, and I ran to the theater to see Disney's first black princess, but I couldn't help but be annoyed that the first black princess was (and still is to this day) the first and only one to have a job, be directly impacted by systemic racism, be an animal during 75% of the runtime, and have a useless (although very likable) prince. Black girls are constantly shown, in fiction and IRL, that no one is going to save us, so we have to save ourselves. What could have been a magical, fantastical adventure that happened to star a black female protagonist was just more of what we're always being fed. Can't a black woman just be rescued for once? Why are we always the ones doing all the heavy lifting? I'm with Kerry Washington on this. Also, Jasmine is the only princess who had a law changed for her as a birthday present!

[@altinaykor364]

But she had my favorite confrontation with the villain in every Disney movie. seriously I can't express enough how powerful Tiana's scene with Dr Facilier is when he's trying to manipulate her.

[@ev14lyn]

Loved princess and the frog. It was such a unique and new concept for me growing up since all the princesses I watched were always being saved (again my thinking as a child) so seeing someone like Tiana actually inspired me and I never understood Naveen but when I grew up and watched the movie again, actually made more sense knowing now how growing up in a wealthy family and having so much privilege can make someone “out of touch” with reality or spoiled and ignorant even so it really made the story much more in depth

[@dennisbeaman958]

Wasn't the first black princess from Atlantis movie Disney had

[@shannoncronin5139]

Completely agree with you

[@viviennemorgan7217]

well she is the first disney princess like former president obama are black and i'm black too, she doesn't want any fun or nothing but to work real hard to build her own restrurant before naveen in his frog form changes that.

[@idislikelife8473]

Pocahontas is such a good movie, if only it wasn't about Pocahontas. The big problem in that movie I feel is that it's essentially a fanfic of the real life Pocahontas and John Smith. If only the movie wasn't named Pocahontas, and the characters weren't named after real people, then it would've been a great movie that represented the real life history of the native americans without it butchering the very real tragic tale of Pocahontas.

[@BetterWithBob]

Yeah originally it was going to be closer to the facts but Jeffrey Katzenberg pushed for them to make 'Romeo and Juliet in 1600s Virginia' because he wanted another film to get a Best Picture nomination after Beauty & the Beast. So their hands were basically forced to make a forbidden love story. The marketing did say it was based more on the legends and folklore but obviously that didn't go down well

[@jeffreygao3956]

So what if it was instead a flat out alternate history with Jamestown in Edo jidai Japan with John Smith having romance with a Yamato Nadeshiko(ideal Japanese beauty) named Sakura?

[@Superlad9494]

​@@BetterWithBob well they could have maybe tried to present it a bit less Romeo & Juliet stuff...because Shakespeare is the department of Simba, Nala, Kion & Rani, Kiara & Kovu. Now say what you will about Journey to A New World, but at least if you're going to give a Disneyfication to Pocahontas...that's much closer to how it should have been in the first place.

[@jeffreygao3956]

@@Superlad9494 Which is weird because Shakespeare was active at the same time as Matoaka/Pocahontas/Rebecca Rolfe/I have many names and died in 1616. Pocahontas 2 also glosses over the fact Ratcliffe couldn’t lead an invasion of the Powhatan Kingdom because he was dead already from getting skinned alive and burned at the stake on Wahunsenecah’s orders, and that Queen Anne and King James had their personalities reversed. Still, it was pretty nice to hear the King tell Ratcliffe “No more lies! Arrest him.”

[@Superlad9494]

​@@jeffreygao3956 Shakespeare was actually already gone by then historically.

[@ryanappleton3653]

What I enjoy about Cinderella is how she is aware of her abusive circumstances but she keeps her optimism not because its all she has left but because she believes in the future she dreams of. She could've easily given into the bitterness and darkness of her stepfamily but she makes the conscious choice to remain kind which is why she granted the opportunity to attend the ball and be rewarded the prince's love. Ariel always has and always been my homegirl 💓 She has a strong sense of self and is unapologetic with her interests in human society, proves what an independent open minded young woman she is ready to venture and experience the joys we casually take for granted. Also we see Ariel take on a heroic role by saving Flounder from the shark, saving Eric from drowning even though it would stir her father's wrath and risk her mermaid identity, the fake wedding with Ursula who is also banking on her failure with the contract, saving Eric from being electrocuted. Jasmine has a luxurious lifestyle but is trapped within her royal confinments and seeks to have freedom to witness the people she'll get to rule someday. Jasmine stuns Aladdin being a virtuous, open minded woman who easily subverts the Madonna Whore complex and overlooks class to show Aladdin is worthy of value. Pocahontas is also amazingly athletic, free spirited character who strives for a peaceful life for both her community and colonists. She is willing to sacrifice her dream to join her beau to England because she knows that her people need her more. Also she is not bland; she rather encourages people to be more open minded about their perspectives. Pocahontas stops a war because she doesn't want to see innocent people suffer. Mulan starts off as a clumsy and scrappy young girl, but she doesn't outright reject femininity nor go on a tirade declaring I'M NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS!! Mulan continues to fail early on in training and showcases growth by thinking outside the box with the problems come her way. Her newfound friends (Yao Ling and Chein Po) support her in the story even after her identity has been revealed and Mulan reunites with her family with a greater sense of self of who she is and where she stands in her society.

[@BetterWithBob]

Agreed about Cinderella, and that's what I like about the remake showing Lady Tremaine as a foil who is what Cinderella would be if she let the harshness of life make her bitter

[@suzygirl1843]

​@BetterWithBob Why can't men take their own advice on Cinderella? Women need to stay positive and not give in to the bitterness of abuse yet MEN in America go on killing sprees when they're lonely and failures socially? This isn't a gender thing, men need to take this advice too

[@saturn1177]

One thing that always irritates me is how people invented "Cinderella syndrome" to summarize her as a girl who was """saved by a rich prince""". My God, the girl was practically a slave and abused by her stepmother and sisters for years. Couldn't she at least get a break from all this by finding love and an decent life? Did they want her to stay like that forever?

[@ryanappleton3653]

@@saturn1177 Exactly. They all preached on how she could've left at any time, but Cinderella had no title, no money and not many prospects to her name. It's not so easy to walk away from abusers as some would believe, because they exert power over your life at the expense of your well-being. It makes you doubt your instincts and confidence. The ball was a once in a lifetime opportunity to break out of her routine and let her hair down. When we see her entering the palace for the first time, she's anxious and unsure what to do and she's so caught up in the atmosphere of it all that she never realises she was dancing with the prince

[@saturn1177]

@@ryanappleton3653 Also the fact that Cinderella didn't even know it was the prince she had danced with. When they are together and she says "I haven't meet the prince". She only finds out the next morning when he discovers that he is looking for the owner of the glass slipper. She had the opportunity to live a free night and fall in love with a man genuinely, without caring about status and if he was rich or not. It's incredible how in 2024 we need to defend and explain such obvious things to people about movies from decades ago because they don't know how to have a decent level of interpretation.

[@artbyrourke]

Kissing a passed loved one on the cheek or lips at a funeral viewing is a normal thing to do as a sign of respect and saying goodbye in many cultures. Do I do this at funerals? No. But even as a child I knew and understood what it was. Plus, in the context of the movies, it's "true love's kiss". This and the rest of the movies, what Disney could have been doing with their remakes is giving more context into different cultural norms and explanations to what made these characters so important for their time periods. Instead of trying to "fix" their characters. They could have expanded upon their traits without rewriting the characters completely.

[@BetterWithBob]

Very good point!

[@blaah9999]

I remember my grandmother doing this to my mothers’ body when she passed and my teenage self was so icked out… but now as an adult I completely understand it.

[@viviennemorgan7217]

right

[@ladygreenwithenvy]

If they’re gonna do that stupid live action, the least they can do is show the the audience the meaning of a goodbye at a funeral Show Snow White and the Prince at the Queen’s funeral. The king kissing his wife goodbye to show his undying love for her. Show snow white kissing her mom’s forehead or cheek to say goodbye too. That way the audience can clearly understand that it’s both a culture thing, and a good story element for foreshadowing It would make the prince’s kiss hit harder at the end. Because in his eyes, she would have done the same if they were given a chance to have a romance as loving as Snow White’s parents. A love, which in the prince’s eyes, was taken too soon.

[@viviennemorgan7217]

@@ladygreenwithenvy they did it in the huntsman movie and the three stooges in snow white movie but the prince didn't kiss her but sorta kinda held her in his hands.

[@octoberwitch7968]

Justice for Tiana, our first and only black princess 🤍

[@zaysclubs]

@Shaw2Sebastianhush

[@kevinsafar]

Nah, Tiana is already perfect. There is no need to defend her when she can do no wrong.

[@mariaantoniajosephajohanna]

@@kevinsafar exactlyyyy, she's great

[@Austin-sc2lu]

​@Shaw2Sebastianyou ppl are always lurking in the shadows huh? It's giving obsessed

[@jamesduncan2984]

@Shaw2Sebastiandamn, you just can help your racism.

[@jeffreygao3956]

2:20 Snow White 7:49 Cinderella 12:01 Aurora 17:26 Ariel 19:31 Belle 27:31 Jasmine 33:52 Matoaka...I mean Pocahontas...I mean Rebecca Rolfe 41:26 Hua Mulan 49:20 Tiana 57:17 Conclusion Now here's the chapters! Your days of running are OVER!

[@dennisbeaman958]

What about the other Disney princesses Disney don't acknowledge like the one From Atlantis if I remember correctly was Also black and the princess from the black cauldron I don't remember their names because it's been several years since I saw them

[@jeffreygao3956]

@@dennisbeaman958 Kida’s fought in World War I, Eilonwy was from a book first(seriously The Black Cauldron is actually more unfaithful of an adaptation than the Petrova Johansson movies), and they are indeed underrated. Same with Kilala Reno

[@justarandomhumann]

Wait, is Mulan the only princess who has a last name?

[@jeffreygao3956]

@@justarandomhumann Technically yes and remember Asian name order has the family name first unlike in Europe and (Africa?)

[@AUCreatoer]

Thank you for this

[@ladypool1404]

Tiana's determination and kindness are adorable! I love her blue dress, it's simple but so elegant and her green wedding dress is amazing; so beautiful and unique 😍

[@BetterWithBob]

Yes, her outfits are really great. I quite liked the dress she has in that confrontation with Facilier. Simple but very pretty A moment I was struck by was how sweet she was to reassure Lottie when it seems like Naveen isn't turning up to the party, and then Lottie does the same by loaning her a dress

[@meganjaime7728]

@@BetterWithBobI love Lottie! She might be spoiled but she makes sure her friend is taken care of. Tiana and Lottie make Princess and Frog one of my top favorite Princess movies. Cinderella will always be my first though. Actually Cinderella might be why I like Tiana. Tiana works hard and she is able to reap the reward of her hard work. I feel like that’s a good example. Same with Cinderella in the end she is rewarded for her hard work and perseverance.😊😄

[@jaybonn5973]

Sleeping Beauty is a very different kind of princess movie. It has a duty emphasis and structure the others don't. It also plays closer to a classic drama. It's originality makes up for it's lean characters. And there is still subtlety in the dialogue that I like. People seem to forget that Aurora has the most beautiful singing voice. Even disney. I think it's her most defining character trait.

[@BetterWithBob]

Yeah supposedly Sleeping Beauty was Walt trying to do an experimental movie like Fantasia but within the princess formula that had worked with Snow White and Cinderella to still make it more commercial. Even the music is taken from Tchaikovsky's ballet. It ends up feeling quite Tolkienesque, with Aurora feeling a bit like Arwen or Galadriel in parts.

[@RoseBaggins]

It's one of many reasons why I loved her early on. The art style and the fairies are others.

[@Superlad9494]

This artstyle makes you think of a castle tapestry...quite elegant.

[@MalloryNewcomb]

What do you mean a duty emphasis?

[@Superlad9494]

@@MalloryNewcomb she cares more about her kingdom than herself and puts literally everything aside to be the proper princess after a brief sigh. Sometimes you have to do that even when it is hard.

[@OfficiallyNathan]

Been waiting for someone to call out nostalgia critic for nearly 2 decades at this point. Thank you!

[@BetterWithBob]

Ah there's been plenty of others I've seen doing it as well but thanks :)

[@sonicmiku3009]

I agree. I used to be a fan of his until his content became ridiculous over the years then I saw right through his b******* when he did nothing but constant screaming in his videos and throwing tan terms like a 5-year-old

[@iliketea1427]

By the logic people use to say prince Philip was wrong to kiss Aurora: then it is also wrong to provide cpr to unconscious victims who cannot consent even if to save their life. The only way to break the curse was a kiss! Prince Philip didn't make out with her or anything, it was a 5 second kiss! Whats worse: not waking someone from a lifelong coma or giving them a 5 second kiss?! Also btw for Snow White prince haters: it was also a short kiss to say goodbye and also the prince isn't 30, thats an internet rumor, rather he is around 18 (just look at how he is drawn: similar height to snow, round youthful face, and no facial hair).

[@BetterWithBob]

Yep, projection basically

[@Leshantra]

I have to argue, cpr, which is known to save lives, isn't the same as a kiss. But I have to admit, that I never really watched Sleeping Beauty (Shame, I should finally do that), so I don't know, if Philip did know that the kiss might save her life. If he did, the kiss is comparable to cpr, but if he didn't, it is not. Still, the point about non-verbal consent still stands.

[@ceciliamarinello7129]

@@Leshantra There is a scene where Maleficent say to Philip that only his kiss can awake Aurora, he know that's the only way to break the curse. Also, the fairies were present during the scene too, and they want their "daughter" to wake up.

[@Leshantra]

@@ceciliamarinello7129 Thank you for clarifying!

[@finland4ever55]

I find it weird that in cartoons it's "perverted" but in real life it's "heroic". It's basically the same thing. People who want a pervy SB story need to read Sun Moon and Talia.

[@Rixec2]

Good to see someone point out many of the things about Aurora/Briar Rose's personality. Yes, she doesn't have as many lines or screentime as other characters, but they make every second count to SHOW her personality rather than list things we never see. Heck, we can infer more from what we see, such as how she never questions why her animal friends come wearing clothes. Either she doesn't think it's that odd, or they have done this before. And then there's her name. She was born Aurora but raised as Briar Rose. Imagine the identity crisis that could make her go through, from needing to act out Aurora while truly being Briar Rose. And then there's the fact she was raised by three fairies. The Fae tend to have different ways of thinking, which is why Maleficent couldn't find them as she never thought any fairy would give up their magic selflessly. So, how did being raised by fairies, even ones pretending to be human, affect Briar Rose's upbringing? Her values? Yes, some things are affected by the time they were made, but there is still so much timelessness about them and little things that speak volumes. You just have to be willing to dig deep.

[@BetterWithBob]

Excellent analysis

[@pawprints7197]

Respectfully Tiana is one of the strongest ones along with mulan and Pocahontas

[@BetterWithBob]

To each their own XD

[@noorbohamad5796]

They’re arguably ALL STRONG

[@justinabean94]

aurora is and always will be my favorite. her being so silly and playful mixed with the absolute gorgeous animation style will forever make my heart warm and fuzzy.

[@a.u_gingk0]

I LOVE AURORA SO MUCH, I actually find her so funny in the one scene where she's telling the animals her dream and ending it with "And then... I woke up." How is that not the most relatable thing you have heard?

[@Tnamed]

This video healed something in me. It's been so tiring being made to feel wrong and like an outcast for enjoying a lot of these princesses and their stories. Thank you for some great analyses!

[@BetterWithBob]

Thank you for watching and your kind words :)

[@Cationna]

At first i was taken aback by the statement that Ariel is an abuse victim too, because c'mon, Triton wasn't as bad as that, and then "She gets punished for a feeling, not an action" punched me through a brick wall. Oh wow. She sure did, didn't she. Overprotectiveness is also a form of abuse, too, even without the prejudice, isn't it. I wonder why i specifically had the instincive reaction to justify the abusive father and didn't even recognise the tactics as abuse at first....

[@BetterWithBob]

@@Cationna I only just had a realisation the other day as well. When Triton first hears that Ariel might be in love, he thinks it's cute and starts giggling "I wonder who the lucky merman could be". He only gets angry when he finds out it's a human

[@Cerebrum123]

@@BetterWithBob There is a bit more to it as well. Ariel is objectified due to her singing voice. Triton does this with the concerts and uses her as a way to make himself look better*, Sebastian does this to further his career, Ursula does this by thinking Ariel could never get anyone to lover her without the help of her voice, and Eric does this by rejecting the possibility that Ariel might be the one who saved him because she couldn't speak when he met her. It never even occurred to him that she might have lost her voice after the rescue despite evidence that Ariel had recently lost her voice. Only a handful of major characters don't do this, Flounder, and Scuttle. Is it any wonder that they are her two best friends? *This is similar to how narcissists will use their children as an extension of themselves. Triton might not be a narcissist, but that particular aspect is quite similar.

[@queenglimmer444]

@@Cerebrum123 your comment made me realize how extremely similar he is to the abuela from encanto (who is arguably also kind of abusive to her family)

[@Cerebrum123]

@@queenglimmer444 I haven't seen Encanto, so I don't know how similar they are, but what little I do know of Abuela does make her seem somewhat emotionally abusive. I'd say Mother Gothel and Lady Tremaine take the cake in that department among Disney parents. I came to my conclusion after seeing so many people attacking the fact that the story has Ariel give up her voice and decided to analyze the story further. This was also during a period in which I was studying psychology and abuse. It has been rather enlightening and has made my opinion of the story even higher. The complaint I've seen constantly is a strawman that the story has her "give up her voice for a man". They take this as her symbolically giving up her ability to make decisions and have autonomy. However, this doesn't match the story at all. She gains more autonomy by giving up her voice. Verbal capacity =/= autonomy despite the claims of some. In fact, such a claim is rather ableist toward mute people. Also, Ariel is given the chance to get Eric to love her without her constantly objectified voice as an obstacle in the way of them getting to know each other. Let's be honest, if she had her voice when she first met Eric, he would have probably tried to marry her then and there without getting to know her. That wouldn't have been true love, and she would have failed her end of the contract without Ursula needing to meddle. Taking away Ariel's voice was Ursula's greatest mistake, because now Eric has had a chance to truly love Ariel for who she is and not just have an infatuation with her voice. Also, if Ariel had failed even with her voice, that would have led to a complete demoralization and despair. Instead, Ursula had two people very willing to fight for the people they loved most and against someone who had wronged both of them in terrible ways.

[@queenglimmer444]

@@Cerebrum123 for someone who preached about "not underestimating body language" ursula sure did underestimate non-verbal communication a lot... but then again she probably didn't really believe everything she was saying, she was probably just saying whatever she thought could convince ariel to agree to the deal lol

[@skurinski]

Aurora was always my favorite, so underrated

[@BetterWithBob]

She really is!

[@captainhowlerwilson508]

I appreciate her singing voice and design, but to me she is really boring, not because I am against traditional feminine roles that a lot of these princesses have, it is because she is mostly just a McGuffin for her story that is not carried by her, but by the fairy godmothers. I would have enjoyed her more if she actually had something more to do other than sleeping. Something that is not much of a problem with Cinderella who actually does some stuff to make her situation better.

[@altinaykor364]

she's honestly more mature and level-headed than most of the princesses we have now (except for Belle of course)

[@Superlad9494]

​@@captainhowlerwilson508 the Enchanted Tales dvd did try to give her something and some deleted scenes also show her having something...all scenes point to her being a Proto-Tiana...she really doesn't care about magic, she likes doing things the hard way and actually seems to be more in to being "the animal lady" amongst the group...must come with having aunts that are fae.

[@EmeraldAriell]

Same It’s my favorite princess movie

[@Uncle_Smidge]

Cinema Therapy's resident therapist, Jono Decker, explains Belle's situation nicely in their Beauty and the Beast episode directly addressing the accusation of Stockholm Syndrome.

[@BetterWithBob]

Ah very good

[@Buffy8Fan]

@@BetterWithBob If anything I would say the Beast has Lima Syndrom. Described as the opposite of Stockholm Syndrome. Lima Syndrome is a psychological response in which a victimizer or captor develops a positive connection with their victim.

[@VoidVoic]

Beauty and the Beast is not about Stockholm Syndrome. She didn’t fall in love with him while she was trapped, it was only broken after she was set free and chose to come back to save the Beast. It’s about looking deeper than skin to see someone’s beauty, rather than just at someone’s appearance. When Beast’s curse is broken, she doesn’t immediately recognize him. She looks deeper to see his kindness, that he really is the person she loved.

[@ThePinkDragon]

Aw the dress being her mother's wedding dress makes it even sadder

[@BetterWithBob]

Doesn't it 😥

[@jeffreygao3956]

The Prince is not gonna be happy to hear about this!

[@ThePinkDragon]

@@jeffreygao3956 n no

[@Superlad9494]

​@@jeffreygao3956 No he is not, if anything when Prince Auguste found out...well let's just say he told the baker to triple the workloads of Lady Tremaine and Drizella since Anastasia at least actually bothered to say sorry and show she meant it what with meeting a nice baker and all and then asking her sister for help.

[@jeffreygao3956]

@@Superlad9494 I honestly expected him to bring out the lawyers and sue Lady Tremaine but that is still well deserved.

[@heathercontois4501]

Belle has always been my favorite. Shes the one who saves the prince by being learned, strong and compassionate. By demanding to be treated with humanity and treating him with humanity she saves him from himself. Also, Lindsey Ellis pointing everything that felt wrong about 2015 Belle.

[@punmaster5178]

Aurora was always my favorite princess growing up, mainly due to both of us being fairly sheltered as kids. I saw a lot of myself in her as a kid. Thank you for defending her

[@BetterWithBob]

That's a good point about her being sheltered

[@laurenxoxo7499]

aurora is my favourite, a kind and beautiful woman who never wanted to hurt anyone. there’s no shame in having any of those traits! i think it’s admirable the earliest princesses were kind no matter the circumstances. esp with cinderella. as a kid i never thought ‘i should just sit around and wait to be rescued’ like what everyone says the princesses taught girls. aurora taught me to be kind no matter what. yeah, i think they’re all great.

[@eveningwhisk7736]

Aurora is and was always my favorite.

[@arnezryan519]

Aurora was barley in the movie get real 😂

[@laurenxoxo7499]

@@arnezryan519 barely*

[@arnezryan519]

@@laurenxoxo7499 ok my grammar might be off but your favorite princess being a girl who sleeps threw most of her film is crazy 😭😂

[@laurenxoxo7499]

@@arnezryan519 through*

[@lachancla3723]

omg. You absolutely nailed why I love and resonate with Mulan so much, especially as a woman. The discussion about her not antagonizing femininity (despite her tomboish nature) and realizing that it is hard work to be respected as one in the traditional way, is so on point. For me, all of Mulan's traits and even personality resonate so much. She doesn't start or end the movie like "fck being a woman" or "damn, men are so much cooler, only way to be respected, right?", but she shows that you can still be a woman and be respected even if she is not this perfect, regal queen. Even after training with a bunch of men, she didn't think "hellz yeah, I am better now", in fact it even forced her more to understand what her strengths were all along and rely on them to push on. Her cleverness, and yes, her tenderness as a woman brought peace to a war that has so far been fought with only brute strength.

[@BetterWithBob]

Excellent analysis :) I actually relate plenty to Mulan trying to fit in among the men and failing miserably myself lol

[@hitmanshax1200]

And the charmed fun fact of the day that Ariel was based on Alyssa's image

[@BetterWithBob]

Lol yep. And she had no idea until they asked her to host a making of special

[@crystalleddragon8838]

I hate when people claim Ariel changed herself for a man, especially by time the live action was in production. Because if they have actually seen, they would know that is simply not true and have missed the ENTIRE point and message of the original film.

[@BetterWithBob]

They seem to mix it up with the original fairy tale, where that's what the mermaid did, and of course there the moral was about unrequited love lol

[@finland4ever55]

And Ariel rescued Eric not only because she had a crush on him, but because she was SELFLESS and cared for PEOPLE. If she saw a woman in danger she would have done the same thing. Ariel wasn't only doing it for her own benefit.

[@Ponderpine]

Probably would've helped Pocahontas a lot if they hadn't named their characters of off real life people with WILDY different circumstances than portrayed in the movie.

[@BluebeRries417]

100% agree

[@donnguyen1107]

Something Walt himself once said about his Snow and Cinderella: "Snow White was a kind simple little girl who believed in wishing and waiting for her prince charming to come along. On the other hand Cinderella here was more practical. She believed in dreams all right but she also believed in doing something about them. When the prince charming didn't happen to come along, she went right over to the palace and got him." While Snow White remains happy settling into a simple life with the dwarves, doing what she can to survive her stepmother, she still holds out hope that the person she initially made a love connection with will reunite with her. Cinderella catches breaks with making friends with the mice and other animals whenever she can, steps up when she sees a chance at a real breather at the ball, and when she finds out the person she made a connection with wants to see her again, she decides to undertake the test that'll get her to him.

[@zombiedoggie2732]

Snow White: Thankyou for mentioning the era the film was made.

[@matthewcole4753]

Snow White is definitely a reflection of the period the movie was made during: The Great Depression. People looked at her during one of the bleakest times to be alive in the U.S. Some people had to sell the tires off their truck (their only possession) just to eat... The Whistle While you Work was how people dealt with working terrible jobs with meager wages, just because they were lucky enough to be working. With a smile and a song is another positive song dealing with when you hit rock bottom and need to keep moving through all the punches. Adrianna Caselotti is the most distinct princess voice of any of them, and she was exactly the attitude people needed through their darkest hours, even through the World War that was lingering just a few years away.

[@forbiddensnack2917]

As a Native, Pocahontas was bad for using Matoaka tragedy & promoting stereotypes. Growing up I had to deal with ignorant people who think this is who we are & people dressing Indian because Pocahontas was their favorite movie.

[@X3nophiliac]

why is it weird for non-natives to be dressing as the Disney pocahontas? they are just characters. unless you mean ppl dressing up as indians in general

[@forbiddensnack2917]

@@X3nophiliac It’s weird & wrong for anybody to dress as Pocahontas because she’s base on a real person known as Matoaka. She was a victim who was kidnapped & sexually assaulted.

[@X3nophiliac]

@@forbiddensnack2917 yes but literally in this video they talked about how movie pocahontas is NOTHING like real life pocahontas. shes very obviously a work of fiction in this movie thats only shares a name and culture with the REAL pocahontas i see no issue of any person of any race dressing up as a fictional character

[@forbiddensnack2917]

@@X3nophiliac Bruhhh 😑

[@DeorsaWisteriaVenustiano]

I am native too and last I checked, you don't speak for all of us. Besides, they just used the names and nothing more. Change the names and there goes all this historical inaccuracy crap. Furthermore Disney never claims the movie to be an accurate retelling. Playing the "Native" card doesn't make you urban or alternative from white pop culture.

[@sammjaisais7135]

24:15 also Belle said she wanted adventure at first. Then she has her adventure. Then she decides, NAH, I'm choosing LOVE as my adventure, I'm not going anywhere near danger again.

[@charlottet7379]

With Ariel and “I feel for her dad, she is an idiot”… ehm… I’m an adult now and I still get ptsd-like flashbacks when Triton starts to YELL at his daughter and COMMAND she listen to his orders 😳 Yeah, I had a dad like that. One who was never there; who always needed to be right, who would shake me violently if I even rolled my eyes at his illogical order (I only did that ONCE and I still have the scar on me to this day!) and when ordered to cease the crying (becauee it made him look bad and over the top to react so violently) I told my parents I was bleeding and it hurt. Mother even supported him, accusing me of saying my dad had DEMONIC POWERS “to make you bleed when he ‘hardly touched you’ “ like what the hell. Okay, traumatic rant over. But when people say that, I think back to all the times in my childhood and think “they have NO clue how scared a young girl can get from such outbursts and yelling!”

[@julberceasarparas6478]

Ok I feel the disney princess should be rename to ''DISNEY HEROINES'' Instead so that all female charecters in disney can be included in the line-up that arent diseny princesses.

[@BetterWithBob]

The origins of the franchise are pretty fascinating. Someone had just been promoted to president of Disney's Consumer Products division and went to a Disney On Ice Show - noticing how many little girls were wearing homemade costumes based on the princesses - and they created it to market to them. The majority of the heroines they dressed up as were princesses, since only Mulan couldn't be considered one in any sense, as even Pocahontas refers to herself as a princess to King James in the sequel (and in real life she actually was presented as one to the English). Esmeralda was included for a while but got dropped because her products didn't sell as much. I imagine they go with 'Princess' because it's easy to say and rolls off the tongue. The male counterpart was initially 'Disney Adventurers' but renamed to 'Disney Heroes' for similar reasons

[@coatimundi69]

highly recommend babbity kate's series on Disney Princess and The Pink Void (its mostly on tiktok but i think every video has been compiled into a single, long video on here!) for info on it!

[@jeffreygao3956]

@@BetterWithBob Honestly, Esmeralda's film is also more...adult appropriate being more like Game of Thrones so her being a Disney Princess might've made things a little awkward.

[@Leshantra]

But I want to be a princess, not a heroine D= There should just be a second line, to let girls have the option to dream about both. Or just keep the one and dilute the possibilities of what a princess can be.

[@Superlad9494]

​@@BetterWithBob and Pocahontas was declared as such in the same way Mulan was even in real life...just an insurance purpose...or else...I mean her ex literally warned them about making her angry because he had already done that. Sidenote: John Rolfe only Disney Prince who can call a princess crazy and live.

[@ActiveAdvocate1]

I have yoo many Indigenous friends to both-sides this one: while, YES, she was definitely my favourite princess when the movie came out, I was eight years old, and when I learned what really happened in history, and how Disney took from John Smith's diary to write this abomination (he said he was rescued by a beautiful maiden princess TWICE: once in Virginia, once in the Caribbean), and considering, no, Pocahontas never met Smith, and was ALREADY MARRIED when he got there, AND was about nine years old, AND Kocoum (her real husband) literally got shot in the back by the English when he tried to rescue her from them after they kidnapped and gang-r*ped her...yeah. Kinda loaded. Smith was a pathological liar, and the ONLY good-ish thing to come out of her encounter with the English was that, yes, she eventually became an ambassador, while being forced to convert to Christianity, change her name to Rebecca, learn English, and give away her son--who came as the result of the aforementioned--to John Rolf, the ONLY guy decent enough to take responsibility for the kid, even though, likely enough, Rolf was PROBABLY not his biological father. But he didn't really want him, either. The son, Thomas, he gave him property and then pretty much abandoned him. All that said, I agree with you on the rest of this. HOWEVER, the one problem I definitely have with Princess and the Frog is that she spends most of the movie as a frog, rather than as a Black woman. I think that's bad-faith rep on Disney's part. If you're going to rep, then rep.

[@princedonovaughn1182]

I very much dislike the way you talked about Tiana. Tiana is based on a real person who's strategy WAS hard work. Tiana isn't bossy. She just doesn't like Naveen at the start but she was never at all bossy. Her song is about hard work because that's what she as a black woman is taught to value. And she gets her resturant because the point wasn't she should give up on that dream but that she should've forget what's ALSO important. With all due respect the title already came off as a possible red flag but your criticism of her feels just as shallow as you claim her character is. That's not to say Princess and the frog can't be criticized but your criticism ignores alot of what is done well with her character and feels worse when you conjure the idea of racism for Ariel while ignoring the opression Tiana faces and the fact a girl being able to have her dream and true love AND saying the prince should give up his life to follow her rather then the other way around WAS subversive.

[@BetterWithBob]

Leah Chase is her name, and her motivation was to bring food to her community that was otherwise only available in whites only restaurants. Tiana has no community, and her best friend is a white girl, with her actively turning down opportunities to socialise with her black friends. Leah was very political, with her restaurant being one of the only public places black people could meet and discuss strategy during the Civil Rights era. The movie establishes that segregation is a thing but doesn't work it into the story Also Naveen giving up his life for the girl is nothing new. Aladdin, Hercules, Milo and technically Simba had all given up their lifestyles out of motivation for the girl. The 'prince starts out as a jerk but then matures' had also been done over and over - the Beast, Simba, Kuzco. And the dynamic of a hard working no nonsense black woman and a lazy womanising man is such a stereotype

[@sunnybear178]

well said

[@sunnybear178]

@@BetterWithBob and yet you still excuse the depiction of Pocahontas- that is nothing like the real girl she is based on- because she has a "likeable personality" from what you're arguing. Despite being exactly what you criticized Tiana for, Pocahontas is "subversive" when she practically is telling the audience its morals out her mouth, checking off boxes, both siding colonization over a man that simply peeks her interests. The Oscar bait movie is okay, but the other one with a different path for womanhood bc of social differences is the bad one...

[@Elora445]

Yes, sadly seems to be a very blind spot of his. Other points are spot on and yet the points about Tiana are not. Very weird.

[@Elora445]

@@sunnybear178 Pocahontas is such a weird film. Great music, but why make a movie about historical people while not respecting history? Then combine it with the second movie, which is closer to actual history, and everything just becomes more weird.

[@DrWhack]

“Go-Go Enslavement… Diamonds in the Buff” 🤣🤣🤣

[@BetterWithBob]

@@DrWhack yeah I have no idea who came up with those names 😂

[@DrWhack]

@@BetterWithBob Well such tropes needed a name... and they certainly fit 😂

[@siawiaa]

I don’t believe that the “hard work” angle in Princess & the Frog was created purely to cater to the backlash Disney was receiving at the time. People always undermine how important Tiana’s race is in the film - a large underlying message in the film was how black people have to work ten times as hard to earn a fraction of the success white people have. That’s why we saw how deeply Dr Facilier resented Mr La Bouff specifically, instead of the literal foreign prince in front of him. Tiana’s dad instilling the importance of hard work wasn’t entirely a feminist message, he would’ve shared those same values if Tiana was a boy, and overlooking that key racial aspect of the movie does it a major disservice. The film shouldn’t have to have literal elements of that societal racism in the dialogue (even though it literally does) for you to read in between the lines.

[@helRAEzzzer]

I really like Princess and the Frog. The messaging of the importance of work-life balance is an EXTREMELY important message for children in my area of the world. In New England, we aren't good at understanding that life isn't all pleasure nor all work. Having such a high number of immigrants from Elis Island, including my great-grandpa, working ourselves to the bone, like Tiana thinks for most of the movie because she saw her father's life as that growing up, is the norm here. New England is full of Tiana's and Naveens (pre-lesson of the film). As for the voodoo villian, I don't understand the criticism. One of the heroes was a creole voodoo queen. It gave a fairly accurate portrayals through both of them together how most neopagans are. We (I'm an atheistic pagan/satanist and former eclectic wiccan) typically agree to disagree with how we practice, but there are plenty of us who use Magick and hoodoo with selfish intentions, though it is frowned upon by most, which brings in Mama Oadie; the light side of hoodoo and voodoo. I do get a little bit annoyed that the Cajuns and Creoles being, yet again, portrayed as toothless hillbillies isn't spoken about in the same conversations critizing the way Tiana was written. It doesn't bother me that the portrayal of Ray, his family, and Mama Odie are what they are, only that people care about perpetuating stereotypes if it's the fashionable demographic to defend. I've only seen my ethnic group (through my Pepere [grandfather]) in a humanized light in the Netflix show, Frontier (Thank you, Jason Mamoa for showing REAL Cajuns and parts of our actual history!). We aren't all hillbillies. Most aren't. We aren't all in Louisiana. Most aren't. And we don't all know French anymore thanks to prejudice (my family's dialect died with my memere [grandmother] - her family is Quebec-American - and pepere - New England French. It is EXTREMELY rare to encounter a New England French speaker post 1960s because we were ostracized for our franco-american language and culture - look into Canada's "Great Deportation" for info and context). We do tend to have MASSIVE families, like Ray, though. I love Ray. I just dislike the lack of understanding people truly have about Cajuns and how that is disregarded as part of the film when people criticize the film. For Naveen, I assumed he was just from a fictional India. Disney rarely referrances real places, so why shouldn't they in Princess and the Frog? It's a mix of real and fiction geographically. Nothing wrong with that. A lot of Indians have light eyes and his skin tone. The accent is the only odd thing about him, but if he is well traveled, it's not a big leap to assume his accent became hybridized. I am also OBSESSED with the soundtrack! We have Disney music in the styles of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Zaideco (Zaideco is a French-Canadian style of music. Cajuns, primarily, brought it to America after the great deportation) all in one film, and it WORKS.

[@Havelanca]

Thoroughly enjoying this whole video, it is bringing so much catharsis and peace to my soul. But I had to interrupt my viewing to especially say that the line "If [Belle] were around today, she'd be reading manga and probably writing fanfiction" literally made me kick away my laptop and scream into my blankets for a full two minutes straight (complimentary). Absolutely stunning excellent marvellous take *zealous finger snaps*

[@BetterWithBob]

@@Havelanca oh dear I hope your laptop is okay

[@Havelanca]

@@BetterWithBob She was on her way out before this, thankfully I've got a new one coming in this week - good timing ahaha

[@sunnybear178]

I’m gonna stop you at the Tiana thing, Tiana obsessing over working hard is mainly from the perspective of BLACK women who in that time period (and most of American history) aren’t afforded the same luxury to just work regularly. Carrying the burden of not just being women, but also being Black in a society never built for them. The saying _“I have to work 10x harder for the same things”_ not only accounts for how Black people are systematically disadvantaged but also how many of us are too busy having to work that we can’t even rest or do things we like or want. Which is why Tiana working for her own restaurant, a goal SHE strived for IS subversive- it's just not something for someone of your background to have the cultural context to register while Black viewers mostly did. That's her Books, her surface world, her "prince" at first. Calling her a 'girl boss' that 'checks off talking points' comes off as very microaggressive because somehow you can claim the historical inaccuracies and uncomfortable depictions of Jasmine and Pocahontas (who are still caricatures) don't fully matter bc their characters are good, but then Tiana's character is a problem despite her being the DIRECT generation of Black women who had to grow up really young to survive just like her; where fairytales weren't even a thought because in a world of racism and misogynoir, the real modern world, what prince is gonna come especially for a black girl? I’m not denying that Princess and the Frog is a poor movie, but I feel like there is a line of you just not being Black and getting that there are parts of our history and lives you will never get. It’s not just “answering to internet arguments” that movie came out in *2009* Twitter wasn’t even a thing yet….

[@BetterWithBob]

It wasn't on Twitter then. It was on websites like Cracked.com and internet message boards. There was some of it on KZbin as well. Before social media became widespread there were these websites dedicated to this sort of thing. And Twitter was created in 2006, and had already taken off by 2007. 2009 was even the year it won an award for being such a success

[@sunnybear178]

@@BetterWithBob however back then Twitter was not the platform for such reactionary talking points that most people see it as today. Just in general, the claim that it was “because of the internet” only works for a certain frame of social media’s lifetime. Before so, the development of PATF was mainly bits and pieces that managed to make it to the public like the original name and concept for Tiana. Aspects that would’ve actually been uncomfortable given how annoyingly dismissive the creators were to such a project. It’s trying to apply the concept of ‘woke pandering’ to a decade that had just operated as per usual- making stories their way unless something had to be called on. However, my main concern is how you immediately jumped to painting Tiana as this scapegoat of “diversity girl boss pandering” singling her out as wrong only to justify the actual poor representations of princesses like Pocahontas with very shallow points that sum up to “she has a pretty smile, a wonder filled personality and says the obvious morals (that the movie actively undermines)”

[@miagrass]

​​@@sunnybear178 💯👏

[@algsunshine7075]

@@BetterWithBob ​​⁠ ​​⁠ ​​⁠​​It's crazy that OP had a well-thought-out and well-intended comment and you replied to them with “Well, umm... You see 🤓”. Your response, in my opinion, just verified everything the op has commented on. Also, the title of this video is nuts... “Defending every Disney princess except the black one because being black is inherently problematic” is what it's giving. I also can't believe you straight up started to compare a black woman's work ethic to the work ethic of white women who for the most part grew up in a fairly good lifestyle and never really needed to work (yes this includes Cinderella, Mulan, Jasmine, Pocahontas, etc.). Now yes, Tiana's father wanted a restaurant as his dream but you can't say Tiana only got the restaurant to make her father proud because we know Tiana is also passionate about cooking and food. You make it seem like she only wants the restaurant because her father never got it, like no, she wanted the restaurant so she could showcase her skills and signature dishes, not to mention being your own boss as a black person would have meant to her. It's a bonus that is the same building her father wanted and it's a bonus that she gets to do something he also probably worked himself the death for. Plus, Tiana does have a community and friends, we see them invite her out but guess what... She can't go because she's working to save up money for her dream. And Lottie is her friend so why are you making it seem like we don't see different aspects of her life? I would continue to pick apart the rest of your Tiana section but overall it just sounds like you praised everyone else for all the same reasons why you hate Tiana. Which makes me believe your problem is not with the movie but something much deeper than that because ain't no way you can say a thousand nice things about every other princess but don't have one good thing to say about the only black woman. 😭

[@BetterWithBob]

If you recall the video, I say "I don't think Tiana is a bad character or even bad representation but she's the bullet points", as well as pointing out that I found her design beautiful, Anika Noni Rose gave a good performance, "Almost There" being a song I enjoyed and spotlighted one moment I loved. One of my lines was also "even if I think Tiana is the weakest one, it's only because her predecessors set the bar so high". I apologise if it wasn't clear in the video - sometimes I assume what I'm communicating will be obvious when perhaps I could have made it clearer - I think she is 'fine' as a character. Not terrible, not great, just 'fine'. My point was that they played it safe with her and they didn't lean into these aspects that could have made her great. They took inspiration from Leah Chase but filed off the more radical parts of her story - and she was motivated by giving her community access to food that was served at whites only restaurants, whereas Tiana has no community beyond those friends who have a couple of lines and scoff about her working too hard rather than supporting her. Fine if they wanted to ignore dark topics like racism in a children's film, but they specifically set it during a time when race relations were terrible and nodded to segregation being a thing, so it seems like a trying to have the cake and eat it too situation. My way of fixing it would be to have Tiana's friends be more supportive, so that when she's told she won't get the building, she also worries about letting down the people who believed in her, and then she would go to Facilier herself to make some kind of deal - and possibly have second thoughts midway through and the next half of the movie is dodging Facilier. She's just too disconnected from the movie's main conflict, and it feels like you need to use head canon to fill in this stuff that feels too vague to me in the story I can't say I like how you seem to be trying to attach a moral value to me saying I didn't like a character, providing the reasons why, discussing the behind the scenes issues that led to the aspects of the character I wasn't wild about, and while still praising some parts I did like, and also saying "not to invalidate anyone who connects to the recent princesses more than the classic ones" - acknowledging that Tiana has plenty of fans even if I'm not one of them. People are allowed to not like the same things as you and no one has to be demonised for not liking a character you like - surely there are bigger issues to worry about in this world than whether someone likes or dislikes a character in a children's movie. I'm going to end this conversation now. I wish you well.

[@mae4life527]

Yeah ngl your Tiana critics were mostly not the brightest, it just feel like you aren’t being open-minded to dark skin tone character just because she’s mature. Like… she’s 19 yrs old gonna run a restaurant and you expect her to act like her bestfriend who has been handed everything to her her whole life. Not to mention the audacity to say her bestfriend was the best character really felt disrespectful since you pointed out Tiana was the first black character, it was like you was trynna subtly say white supremacy. Also nothing wrong with her getting her restaurant, that she WORKED hard for, to the end of the story and learn the lesson that having love is also important to have too. I find it funny you dislike girlboss Tiana but not Mulan…. That’s why I brought in the skin tone part in the beginning btw. Either way, Tiana definitely has a GOOD character which is NOT boring so please do not be so bias or… too colorist next time. Also the villains and her not having a connection doesn’t make the story bad or the characters bad, that was also a not bright comment to say.

[@Nava_77]

Idc what anyone says. The Princess and the Frog 🐸 is my favorite movie I truly believe that people don’t like the movie. simply because she’s black. And strong 💪🏾 and I highly disagree with that opinion. I’m 19 now but for me as a little girl to see this black princess was and is everything too me so I highly agree with your comment. 🤎💚

[@fataleflare]

I recently rewatched Pocahontas and I agree so much with what you said on her. Such an underrated Disney Princess who deserves her flowers for her bravery and fun loving personality.

[@HelenaIsis616]

I think the Pocahontas movie and character would’ve been much better if she was an original character and not based on a real figure in history.

[@mileslugo6430]

Ming Na Wen pulled off a Disney hat trick showing up in a Disney cartoon, a Marvel series and a star wars series

[@BetterWithBob]

And her Mandalorian character was originally intended to be a one-off, and she just suggested not killing her off

[@babynuggethead5576]

Not to mention Ariel was the first Disney Princess to put her hands on a villain (twice) and cause one's death (Flotsam and Jetsam). She's bada**

[@BetterWithBob]

Lol first princess with a kill count

[@madisonb4115]

Snow white is the sweetest little cutie patootie of a princess! As an adult rewatching her film, I fell in love with her! There are different ways to show strength and bravery, and she is no exception. Her kindness and optimism in the face of terrible circumstances is a form of strength. She also exhibits humility, imagination, open-mindedness and flexibility, courage, thoughtfulness, selflessness. I also love each of the dwarves, and I also love the prince. That movie is so adorable and to me very poignant in its themes. Not to mention the art in it is just beautiful.

[@sammy5068]

I think what plays into the kiss in sleeping beauty being seen is problematic is an older version of the original fairy tale in which instead of a kiss the prince did some more... explicit things to her. Of course it's not at all like that in the movie but I think if someone knows about that it just makes all versions of the fairy tale a bit uncomfortable.

[@BetterWithBob]

@@sammy5068 hmm possibly yeah. Same with how people mix up Ariel's story with the mermaid from the original

[@beyondthestars5758]

I just found this video on a whim. I saw the take on Aurora, and I 100% have to agree. She's my favorite out of all of them, and just on the aesthetic along from the movie itself. But the points made in the video just UPPED my love for her. The classic is always my go-to, and I will forever spite the Malificent live-action films for damning it!!

[@BlazeWolf9511]

Video title had me feeling some type of way before even watching the video. Black characters, women especially, receive an insane amount of criticism. Alot of people hated Mel from Arcane, but not Silco, despite Silco being just as manipulative. Ima watch the video with an open mind but was hella concerned walking in lol.

[@BetterWithBob]

Fair enough. I do say that I don't think Tiana is a bad character. I just feel Disney were capable of better. Anika Noni Rose has a wonderful voice though

[@ohood1788]

As an Arab, I have to say that while Aladdin features a lot of great things, "good representation" is not one of them. The issue with Jasmine's outfit has nothing to do with period accuracy and everything to do with how she is dressed as a stereotypical belly dancer/ harem girl archetype (despite her being a literal princess). Her being far more sexualized (they literally had her seduce the villain as an escape strategy) than her white counterparts is also not unrelated to her being middle eastern. That is orientalism plain and simple, and it affects how every part of this film is portrayed, I just focused on Jasmine because that's what this video was about. I adore Jasmine (and Aladdin in general), I think she's such a fun and enjoyable character, definitely one of my favorite princesses, but it would be ignorant to say that harmful stereotypes about the middle east played no part in the portrayal of her character. We can enjoy Aladdin and simultaneously acknowledge the crappy way it depicted Arabs.

[@BetterWithBob]

That's a fair point, and would I be correct in saying that the costume she's wearing was more a creation of European writers and further from traditional dress? How do you feel about the remake and its attempts to be more accurate, yet casting an actress with Indian heritage as Jasmine as opposed to Arab?

[@ohood1788]

@@BetterWithBob Yeah Jasmine's outfit doesn't really look like any traditional dress. The closest thing it bears a resemblance to is a bellydancer outfit and even then bellydancers don't walk around wearing that, it's a costume they put on for when they perform. It being presented as everyday casual wear looks quite odd, especially for a character of royal lineage. I imagine the filmmakers took inspiration from western depictions of Arabs in other films (the "harem girl" is a very common stereotype when it comes to middle eastern women) and old orientalist paintings. Those paintings included a lot of depictions of harems and eastern women being portrayed as submissive sexual objects. That would explain why they included a scene of Aladdin passing through a brothel in the beginning of the movie and probably inspired Jafar having Jasmine in chains too. So to answer your question, yes I do believe that Jasmine's outfit was a result of how Europeans depict middle eastern dress (aka orientalist outfit). I will say though, that even though Jasmine was designed after a white woman, she did somehow end up looking Arab. Like if we're talking about her facial features, her make up style, hair texture and skin color, you'd definitely be able to find a bunch of Arab women who like that. The hairstyle doesn't strike me as particularly Arab though. Don't even get me started on the live action remake. Their so called "attempts" at being more accurate made it even worse than the original movie. One of the issues with the animated film was that they fused south asian elements into what was clearly meant to be a middle eastern setting, making it seem like all brown people are interchangeable. Instead of fixing this by removing the south asian aspects and focusing on accurately presenting Arab culture, they doubled down even more with the costumes, casting and leaning into this bollywood approach to some of the scenes. I'm not someone who looks forward to live action remakes of animated movies but if they used this as an opportunity to lean into the Arab setting, there might have actually been a point to it in this case. The casting for Jasmine was incredibly disappointing, and I'm saying this as a fan of Naomi Scott. It feels like they robbed Jasmine of her Arabness as well as robbed an Arab actress of this role, it just really sucks considering how underrepresented Arabs are in mainstream media. Jasmine is one of the only mainstream Arab characters we have and they've made her Arabness ambiguous (I've unfortunately seen so many people genuinely think that she's Indian). I just find it very disappointing that Disney would go on trips to China, Norway and Colombia for Mulan, Frozen and Encanto but never visited a single Arab country for either production of Aladdin. It shows they care way less about our culture, while profiting off of its aesthetics. Anyways, thanks for showing interest and asking questions. I'm usually met with "why are you taking a kids movie so seriously" when I talk about this stuff.

[@jeffreygao3956]

@@ohood1788 Well, maybe you'd have different feelings about Magi: The Magic of Labyrinth? Admittedly, it's a shallow argument but Aladdin is hardly the worst depiction of Arab peoples.

[@Superlad9494]

​@@ohood1788 at least Naomi Scott's for Jasmine dress actually looks more regal though and not nearly as half-baked as Emma Watson's Belle dress (did they even try?). That said...Disney Parks at one point just turned her wedding dress from King of Thieves to her usual Aquamarine with leggings under it for safety purposes....maybe try that some time in her regular merch?

[@ohood1788]

@@Superlad9494 Sure it looked more regal, but not Arab in the slightest.

[@anklesockson8134]

Great video and a a lot of truths which need saying, I think those whom reprimand characters like the early princesses for lacking personality might be quite emotionally immature. To remain 'kind' and 'sweet' despite what is thrown at the princesses is a strength not a weakness, far easier to be bitter and consumed with jealousy/wrath/hatred and only care about themselves.

[@elegy_statue]

everytime I tell people that Aurora is my favourite princess I always get weird looks. thank you for doing her justice

[@Moeller750]

Friendly reminder that Pocahontas was the first Disney princess to HAVE A MEANINGFUL FEMALE FRIENDSHIP!

[@BetterWithBob]

Are you trying to insinuate that Aurora's bond with roleplay owl was not MEANINGFUL!?

[@Moeller750]

@@BetterWithBob I stand corrected

[@ivancastro365]

You’re clearly a man of great intelligence. Thank you for humanizing these characters. A character should have weaknesses to overcome. And femininity is a beautiful thing Also damsels in distresses rock

[@BetterWithBob]

Why thank you XD

[@timothylyons1529]

lets not forget about ariel wanting to be of our world long before meeting eric, when she falls for him he just cherry on already made sundae (which translate she want go on land and share that experience with him), whole given up her voice was all ursula a villain who follows advice of a villain plus she was so uneasy in whole scene she was with ursula. in whole shipwreck sign she saves flounder before getting her back bag i go on

[@BetterWithBob]

Yep yep yep

[@r.babylon2885]

Ever After is my favorite version of Cinderella.

[@BetterWithBob]

I actually only saw that for the first time last year. Drew Barrymore calls it her favourite role too

[@blacksailsfan4life]

my fave too, followed closely by the brandy one

[@BetterWithBob]

@@blacksailsfan4life Oh I haven't seen Brandy's version, but I've heard she kills it (James A Janisse of The Kill Count called her "the best Cinderella" in one of his videos)

[@madisonb4115]

With all the live actions coming out, I've rewatched all these movies and I have a renewed appreciation for the beautiful and nuanced story telling of each. I love all these princesses, I think they are each excellent and unique characters.

[@lady_magnoliauwu1169]

12:43 My main argument when people say Aurora has not personallity is saying : She has a ton, just look at her body language . The animators back them ( i want to say contrary to how some of the new princesses were animated ) putted a lot of emphasis on her body movements and hand movements and face expressions. Yes , she doesn't talk that much in the movie but the times she's the focus you can SEE her personality just by walking and dancing.

[@eveningwhisk7736]

Aurora is and was always my favorite.

[@BetterWithBob]

And very appropriate too, since they take a lot from the Tchaikovsky ballet, and that's all about using your body to tell a story and convey personality. The animators of the Renaissance princesses were definitely on deadline crunches. Sleeping Beauty was in production for eight years, so they had plenty of time to get her movements down. And in general, the studio under Walt would methodically work on each film and only release it when it was ready, but under Roy Disney, they decided to have one released every year. Beauty & the Beast was even completely overhauled about six months into its production and they had to start from scratch. It was a similar story to the nightmare of the Cats movie - no vacation time, an impatient higher up, artist having to just buy new clothes because they didn't have time to go home and do laundry. Pocahontas was in production for five years, since they were hoping that would get an Oscar nomination, so that's why there's lots of range in her movements. That also had majority veteran animators working on it, since it was considered the more prestigious film, and The Lion King was more experimental, with up and coming talent working on it.

[@legomacinnisinc]

This was a great set of takes. Personally, I think Belle might be my favorite, but Mulan is up there too. I have to admit that I am one of those people that don't have a great opinion of Arial but your perspective has shown a new light on her so I'll definitely be reconsidering my opinions on her. I'll definitely be recommending this video to my Disney fan friends. Thanks for the video!

[@BetterWithBob]

Thanks for watching :)

[@winaru]

Thank you for making this!! You don’t know how long I’ve tried to forget how much I loved classic Disney princesses because of complaints like ‘belle has Stockholm syndrome’, ‘aurora has no personality’. Now I’m going to rewatch all these movies with just pure love I had for them when I was a kid.

[@BetterWithBob]

Thank you for your lovely comment :) Enjoy your rewatches!

[@greenghoul157]

The reason why Snow White's voice sounds like Betty Boop is because she was an inspiration for her design

[@BetterWithBob]

I'm not too familiar with Betty so I never noticed the similarities lol

[@jahirareyes1102]

and,Betty Boop was also influenced in part by Mary Pickford whom played a number of ingénue roles,which inevitbly means Snow White was influenced by her too.

[@donnguyen1107]

Kathryn Beaumont also did the voice of Wendy from Peter Pan who could be considered the protagonist despite the film title like the fairies are to sleeping beauty. Notice her character arc is from not wanting to grow up but her position as mother to the boys shows her maturing and ready to grow up. And notice her stand up to the mermaids and the natives when ordered around. I always loved how she kept a defiant face when held captive by the pirates while the boys are in shock or fear and how she’d rather walk the plank than join hook’s crew

[@BetterWithBob]

I'm not the biggest fan of Disney's Peter Pan, so I haven't rewatched it in a good while, but I think I remember the moments you talk about

[@littlewomenchannel]

Fun fact. I became an illustrator because of the last 10 minustes of beauty and beast. After seeing that movie in a very young age. The last 10 minutes (with the scene beast turning into a man... thanks to master animator Glen Keane) had such a huge impact on me I wanted to spend the rest of my life creating art. The beauty of that scene still inspires me today.

[@BetterWithBob]

Aww that's great! Definitely share some links to your work :)

[@questionablechoices6347]

27:35 Aurora is actually also not the main character/protagonist in her film. The fairy godmothers are. They have more screen time and are the most proactive characters in the story and majorly affect the plot 🧚🏻‍♀️✨

[@BetterWithBob]

Fair point

[@beansproutuncreative]

What I would also argue about the voices is technology for music and voice recording. Records could only pickup certain decibels and sounds, so the voices and stylings make a lot of sense.

[@JP-1990]

Whats wrong with being nice? This is the biggest problem I have with these types of articles and arguments. They claim these princesses are bad role models for girls, but they cant ever say that theyre bad people. So which is it? So what if you're just a nice person who's chill and doesnt rock the boat? Whats wrong with that? Dont these people believe in karma, or "what goes around comes around"? Maybe we SHOULD tell kids that being generally pleasant is enough for the people you need in life to be attracted to you, and that you dont need to have a complex personality or rich backstory in order to be worthy of love and affection, especially nowadays when there's so much cynicism in the world.

[@arnesahlen2704]

I *LOVE YOUR POST* 🤩🤩 as of the first 1/2 minute! Thank sweet heaven *someone* with a strong online voice has the moral core and wise insight to stand against this tsunami of idiocy.

[@Elizabelle79]

I also love how Belle begins lost in childhood fantasy of what her book presents the 'Beauty and the Beast' to be, and skips straight to the reveal in chapter 3... and then she lives through the reality of the situation before the happy ending. She moves from a childlike girl who gives her life for her father but then runs away at the first sign of conflict... to a woman who rides back into danger to find the man she loves. She doesn't find a man and try to "fix" him - she encounters a man who wants to break free of his mistakes and, when he shows her his inner self, she encourages him to bring it out. He does it. He changes himself because she gives him a reason to hope for something better. The song 'A Change in Me' they added in the Broadway version is perfect to explain it : "No change of heart, a change in me." They both transform from the inside out. It's a beautiful story about how that right person in life can change you both for the better. It might not be an easy path, but it's all the better because it runs deep. She had some growing up to do, and i love her for it. Because i used to be that odd loner girl lost in childhood fantasy and I walked a similar path. And found my assertiveness - and a man who loved me for speaking my mind - along the way.

[@Casie5643]

Oh my, thank you SO MUCH for your take on The Sleeping Beauty! Aurora's always been my fav among all the princesses, and it kinda frustrates me that there's rarely anyone with a positive attitude to her. You highlighted some really interesting things, I completely agree ❤ (Also you're totally right about Malificent, why can't we just accept that women can be evil just for the sake of being evil, you know, FOR FUN) Upd: you mentioned Linsey Ellis, and I'll love you forever

[@BetterWithBob]

Hehe Lindsay is one of the reasons I got into this sort of thing to begin with 😅

[@timothylyons1529]

tiana defense 1.what her father said was true ex pinocchio the blue fairy gave him life but it was up to him if he became real boy if he brave, truthful, unselfish which pretty hard to do at times even for humans 2.tiana african american in the 1920s no one would give her restaurant or money for it on sliver platter so of course she had work hard 3.she was not only opening restaurant for herself but for her father it was their dream since he died before it happen she didn't want dream die with him 4.both tiana and naveen influence each other to dig a little deeper to find what they need allowing them sacrifice something for other happiness ex:naveen willing to marry charlotte so tiana can have money for her restaurant and tiana was willing to stay a frog to be naveen when she learned what she needed 5.from comments i've read show that tiana arc is all about working smarter rather than hard and learning to skip with tulips and rely on believing in faith of wishing on the star those our my defenses for tiana not disrespecting your opinion but every disney princesses needs some defending like your video say

[@darao.4907]

The way yall are fundamentally misunderstanding tiana is crazyyy

[@witheredjr2887]

Tiana is always my favorite and princess and the frog is one of my Disney movies of all time it reminds me a lot of my mom and how unique it is to me and this gives a perspective on Disney princesses in a way I never thought I hated that people are now criticizing and on these movies there really awesome and teach morals I haven’t seen Snow White and I vividly remember sleeping beauty but I still love them and just great video ps I saw comment about princess and the frog and I respect your opinion and brung up valid about it and it’s still my favorite movie sorry about the rant I really like this vids

[@howlingwolfart8380]

The fun thing about Mulan, is that it has had so many different tellings throughout history, that Disney's version can be looked at as a beautiful blend of many of those tellings. It's really fun to look into.

[@spikesecho724]

Mulan, Pocahontas, and Jasmine were always my favorite ❤❤❤

[@BetterWithBob]

Great choices XD

[@AquaticNight45]

Same here, with Tiana as Number 1😸

[@iamclassicforlife]

2:20 - Snow White 7:48 - Cinderella 12:00 - Aurora / Briar Rose 17:26 - Ariel 19:31 - Belle * 25:57 - Hermione Granger * 27:31 - Jasmine 33:53 - Pocahontas 41:25 - Mulan * 42:30 - ASOIAF Arya Stark vs GoT Arya * - 47:49 - - 47:56 - Alice - 48:12 - Eilonwy 48:21 - Esmeralda 48:35 - Megara 48:48 - Jane Porter 48:56 - Kida 49:14 - Nani 49:19 - Tiana * 50:59 - Moana * 57:16 - Conclusion

[@dylanmagoiofthethalasso4032]

I love Cinderella SO much!!!!! Cinderella is one of the most played Disney Princess movies in our home. She was my Mom's favorite so that's why her movie was played so much. My own life somewhat reflects Cinderella in some ways. I was abused and I ended up taking care of both of my parents so I was doing the chores..even though I'm not that good at them.

[@leighsavage7719]

Sometimes a woman wants to be saved.

[@Jordyb33123]

I remember my mum coming home with the Pocahontas video and how excited I was. It’s a core memory and I remember every bit of it when I would’ve been 5. My mum made me a Pocahontas costume soon after and I wore it everywhere! Colours of the wind is top 3 Disney songs also

[@JustaGuy_Gaming]

I think a lot of it is also how much exposure people have had to supplementary movies and TV shows. Most the Disney Princesses were fine in their own movies, they had flaws but it was human to have flaws. Most the real problems with their characters came from the awful direct to video sequels, TV series and what ever little shorts they had in the "princess line" movies.

[@nathanielmartins5930]

28:20 About her costume, I watched a historic costume expert analyse the fashion of Aladin, and her comment on Jasmine's design is that it is surprisingly accurate compared to the other ones in the film. She just points out that her garments amount to nothing more to underwear in that culture, but since in most of her scenes, she is in the comfort of her home, she doesn't have to put on over alls unless she goes out of her castle, which she does put on when she goes to the market.

[@BetterWithBob]

I assumed they were going for something that evoked a crop top to symbolise how she's rebellious and a little more tomboyish, and that was her casual wear, whereas she had a long purple dress for when she appears before the public

[@nathanielmartins5930]

@@BetterWithBob As your videos have demonstrated, you've got an excellent keen eye, I almost forgot about that dress, Although it is implied that dress was for her wedding. Also, well thought out analysis on what the intended role of her costume design played in visual story telling, I was just pointing out, the designers accidently got it right.

[@Ppunky200k]

This is probably the bravest video I've seen in forever! Great video!

[@EpicRandomness555]

1:29 Respect for Raps appreciated