the evolution of the princess formula & the girlbossification of disney 🍿👑✨

[@ellencoleman4604]

I disagree on Sleeping Beauty. The main characters are the fairies. They're the ones fighting Malificent, Philip is the tool they use to do it. It's a pity this film gets passed over as bad on representation for women when it has three middle-aged/older women and a fantastic villainess pushing most of the story along. I don't get why no one talks about them!

[@guggelguggel7491]

Yes!! I love The Three Fairies, it felt like a bit of a "next step"/evolution of the archetypes of The Blue Fairy in Pinocchio and The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, giving them personality and dynamics of their own, similar to how this video talk about the young woman/Disney Princess archetype. I still remember them, Merryweather the blue fairy, stubborn and the youngest of the bunch, Flora, the one trying to be more reasonable but also gets kinda bossy and often butt heads with Merryweather and finally Fauna, who I think was the oldest? Very laid back and sweet and sadly didn't get as much screen time due to not speaking as much.

[@elven_grandma3138]

I think it suffers from being branded as a 'Princess movie', even though the focus is on the fairies & the Prince. It makes aurora seem like a poor heroine, rather than the supporting character she actually is. I think snow white also suffers similarly: it was pretty experimental, & meant as escapism for the time (cinema was also still young, & movies only available in the theatres, not rewatched over & over for decades) but they got added to the 'Princess lineup' & get viewed as if they were always meant to be a "Princess movie", rather than a cinematic retelling of a well-known Fairytale. I love that they gave the fairies a leading role, rather than having them show up for the christening & never be heard of again. They also save Prince Phillip, which people love about Ariel (& other, later heroines who also save their heroes), but never seems to get credited in sleeping beauty: 3 old ladies saved the young, strong hero! (Okay, they had magic, but it's still cool & unexpected!)

[@mollywalker5790]

Hard agree. I rewatched it recently and forgot about how much screen time the fairies got in comparison to everyone else. It's them doing nearly all of the action - raising Aurora, trying to prevent the curse, and eventually aiding Phillip in defeating Maleficent and breaking the spell. It's undoubtedly their story

[@wahwah16]

You're absolutely right. The fairies were also done dirty by Maleficent, it was embarrassing. Honestly if Disney is goint to remake /reboot everything why not do a spin off with the fairies? Three middle-aged women fighting evil whilst constantly bickering amongst themselves, kinda like the Golden Girls but with magic. I'd watch that. Make it happen, Disney!

[@Scarlett59319]

I love this!! YES!!!!!

[@ten-ze1pq]

Reminder that Belle never sought to fix the Beast! She repeatedly showed how she wouldnt put up with his shit and almost left beacsue of it, but decided to stay on her own accord because he showed kindness and care. Their relationship is based on mutual respect, compassion, and reciprocated acts of kindness.

[@arelylopez2244]

Someone finally said it 👏 🙌

[@tatemitchell1479]

THIS AHHHHHH

[@reikun86]

Thank you! I'm glad somebody gets it.

[@fini5294]

It still wasn’t her plan. She wanted to travel and have adventures. When she tried to leave she was attacked by wolves and almost killed. How do we know she stays because of her own accord and not because she’s scared and traumatized and thinks this will happen again ? Belle has no control over the outcome of things, she only has control over her own mind so she does her best to make her captivity the most comfortable, which is to befriend the beast and “tame” him. At least she doesn’t fall in love with him until she’s free so you won’t see me calling it Stockholm syndrome but If we’re being honest this is low key just another story about women’s amazing capabilities to make the best out of a bad situation, a capability we developed by having our agency called into question and stripped away from us since we’re little. Most dudes could never do what belle did, being that cooperative with someone who fucked up your life plans. I still feel sorry for her though.

[@ten-ze1pq]

@@fini5294 I disagree with the idea that Belle has no agency. She may not be a badass girlboss type like some other princesses, but she actively chooses to offer herself as Beast’s prisoner to save her father. A refusal of her agency would have been Beast denying her request to bargain, but even he acknowledges it while townsfolk like Gaston ignore her power to choose over her life and plan it FOR her. She undoubtedly chooses to stay on her own accord after the wolf attack. Towards the end of the scene, she is literally about to mount her horse to flee when she sees Beast collapse and starts to contemplate whether or not to stay, and she does so not because she fears for future attacks, but because she wants to tend to his wounds out of gratitude. She also decides to stay after treating him because he begins to reciprocate her kindness. Returning to the castle doesn’t make her a captive - it makes her a prisoner, as clearly stated in the deal that she made and chooses to uphold. And she never chooses to tame or befriend him like it’s her plan or something. She never really manipulates the situation strategically like that in any part of the movie. She just doesn’t put up with his shit and puts him in his place for it, and Beast recognizes his mistakes and chooses to be better because she is reminding him of his own humanity. I also disagree that Beast ruined her plans for adventure. One of the biggest criticisms of the movie is that the desire she expresses in her “I Want” song (to have adventure in the great wide somewhere) isn’t resolved by the end of the movie, but she actually does end up getting it. It may not be what you or I think of adventure, but she herself defines what she seeks for in “Belle” and “Something There”. She considers adventure to be “far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise,” and after getting familiar with Beast, she even expresses that she is intrigued with him despite him being “no prince charming” like the ones she loves to read about. Well by the end of the movie, all of that ends up happening! She is no lesser for wanting sweeping and epic romance instead of traveling the world, and her relationship with Beast just ends up being that adventure she dreamed about. I definitely agree with your statement about women historically being denied of their agency and having to make the best of the lives others force onto them, but this whole story is meant to counter that since both protagonists’ respect over each others’ agency and power of choice drives the plot forward and strengthens their relationship as friends and eventual partners.

[@jamesa.romano8500]

The "why doesn't she just leave" criticism of Cinderella just comes off as victim blaming, when Disney's version was actually a very realistic depiction of familial abuse. It even uses the actual word "abused" in the opening sequence which still catches some first time viewers off guard. I think it drives home the point that many victims of domestic violence actually are strong and resilient but cannot be expected to fight back against their abusers in traditional ways either because they've been conditioned from a young age to accept it or because they're acting out of a desire to protect the rest of their family the best way they know how, which is why the dress tearing scene still hits so close to home for a lot of viewers. And I love how people who ask "why doesn't she just leave" never also ask of the abuser "why did s/he abuse?" smdh

[@abrilmolina5012]

Yes! Also it’s not like she’s got somewhere else to go. Her only choices are stay there or live on the streets

[@DrawciaGleam02]

Bratz LITERALLY stated this in Bratz Kids Fairy Tales, which has a retelling of Cinderella! "Not many opportunities for girls in the 15th century, not even school."

[@goobertron9099]

EXACTLY!!!

[@frauleinfunf]

While that’s a very true statement, I think there’s more of a critique to make than “why doesn’t she just leave”. It’s more the narrative saying that sitting back and holding tight is the correct and moral way for a nice person to deal with abuse. There’s never really any question of Cinderella needing help with finding an out, which people in abusive situations often need before it progresses to become life threatening. Not to say I expect a Disney film to portray that aspect, but what gets people out of abusive households is a support network. This is actually one of the many aspects I feel the 1997 version does better, the film shows that while Cinderella is obedient out of necessity, it’s still not right that she’s in that situation in the first place and is certainly not a sign of moral character, only a sign of how bad things are. So while yes, it’s very reductive to say abuse victims should just leave, the way stories frame their situation is still very important.

[@margolane8529]

Both of Cinderella's parents died when she was young. She doesn't have any other family, she doesn't have any money, she has very limited resources; where was she supposed to go? People who say she should have just left do not understand that abuse victims aren't heard or supported by society. Even more so when the story took place.

[@musicallydisneyamvs6731]

I’m surprised no one ever remembers Snow White scolding & making the seven dwarfs behave & wash themselves if they wanted the fruits of her labor.

[@ValenArtsAnimation]

She also shows leadership potential in "Whistle While You Work", she guides her animal friends around the house during their cleaning sessions, successfully instructing them on the best way to clean the house and the various items inside

[@viviennemorgan7217]

i do, but it's weird that a 14-year-old princess scolding the seven dwarves and acting like a mother.

[@swaggygirl3516]

She is acting motherly that’s the whole point ! And she’s fourteen

[@ValenArtsAnimation]

​@@viviennemorgan7217 yeah but keep in mind, she need to deal with her stepmother cruel jealousy and was forced to became a sculery maid in her own castle for years, so it no surprise that she act very motherly and assertive despite being only 14

[@viviennemorgan7217]

@@swaggygirl3516 ok

[@Disaster3nby]

Snow White is so grossly misunderstood. She actually had so much personality. I recently rewatched it and was so surprised to see her being sarcastic, making jokes and teasing Grumpy on his attitude. She’s very playful which is normal for a child her age. she’s also assertive when telling the dwarves to wash up and instructing the animals to clean properly with her. She’s by no means a pushover at all bcs it’s reasonable for a 14 year old to be unable to stand up to a cruel adult who wants her dead. I think the dwarves can also be interpreted as her fathers too. The way they dote on her and care for her, taking interest and support in her love life and taking agency in securing her safety. You can see the way they spend time together is very familial and even the prince acknowledges and respects this when he lifts each of the dwarves up to Snow White to kiss on the head goodbye bcs they acted as her stand in parents.

[@saraperpetua1093]

yeah

[@haihai9022]

Now to see Rachel Zegler assassinate Snow “White” into some woke boss bitch in the remake

[@Disaster3nby]

@@haihai9022Yeah she completely ruined Snow White by changing her when she was fine as is. If they changed the age of the Prince and gave them more development, that would’ve been Cinderella live action good.

[@victorlolxd7347]

@@Disaster3nbyit sort of makes sense to change his age…. because adults dating children?…. 😬

[@monikasomodji5622]

Apparently thats a urban legend, and the princes' age was never established officially and he's probably a kid too@@Disaster3nby

[@trinaq]

In my opinion, Giselle from "Enchanted" is supposed to directly symbolise how much Disney Princesses have evolved. She's a Girly Girl obsessed with True Love in the beginning, like Aurora or Snow White. When she gets to New York, she's slightly less naive, like Ariel. While still romantic, Giselle learns to experience anger, like Belle or Jasmine. During the climax, she takes action, like Pocahontas or Mulan. Finally, she becomes a successful business woman in the vein of Rapunzel or Tiana.

[@abbysc417]

Yes!!! She becomes a well rounded person with an identity outside of love, but never loses her femininity.

[@BrandonJames2016]

She’s one of my favorite Disney princesses and I can’t wait for the sequel.

[@lizacoimbra6853]

I think she is not a Disney princess

[@BrandonJames2016]

@@lizacoimbra6853 she’s literally a Disney princess what ru talking about💀 she has everything that qualifies a Disney princess

[@olivia_rcr]

@@BrandonJames2016 She’s not listed in Disney’s “official” lineup they use for merchandising

[@Rosemont104]

I never thought Gaston looked like a traditional Disney Prince; he was clearly a stereotypically macho brute character in the vein of Biff Tannon or Bluto from Popeye (the latter moreso in the fifties' Famous Studios era than the '30s Fleischer era).

[@SlapstickGenius23]

E C Segar’s original version of Bluto is much scarier than most subsequent incarnations. Also, he doesn’t fall in love with Olive Oyl.

[@reikun86]

I thought he looked a lot like the guy Katrina married in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I think his name was Brom.

[@ReemTahir]

@@reikun86 Yes! Me too. I thought that the triplets in love with Gaston looked like Katrina as well, ironically.

[@reikun86]

@@ReemTahir Oh wow! They do look like Katrina! 😄

[@asalways1504]

@@reikun86 you’re absolutely right. I am 99.9% sure Brom Bone’s appearance inspired Gaston‘s look.

[@QueenCloveroftheice]

I think sleeping beauty still has good female representation, just not with the princess herself. The three good fairies all have very distinct personalities, they are kind, they’re funny, and they have a massive part to play in the plot of the story. It’s also nice to see older women being important in the story, which is still a rarity to see even today.

[@bethd.6670]

Yep, and this is one of the big issues I had with Maleficent. That movie turned the fairies into bumbling idiots. :(

[@MsLilly200]

It's not like Aurora is a bad role model either though. You know, she was just a regular girl, who lived in the woods with 0 human contact besides the fairies, who fantasized of love just like a lot of girls do. And she did meet someone, and she was gonna introduce him to her guardians and they'd maybe arrange a few dates and everything was wonderful. Except the fairies got all weird and then she found out she was a princess, and engaged to a prince. And of course she was extremely upset, especially since they made her leave that night and she didn't even get to say goodbye to the only other person she'd ever met. But she calmed herself down, and she was prepared to do her duty as a princess. (and yeah, marrying a guy you don't know for the sake of your country might not be the most feminist thing ever, but I don't think it's bad role model -wise.)

[@cheshirerose2001]

Especially since they aren't portrayed as youthful and conventionally beautiful too. That movie is more "feminist" than people give it credit for With how the three fairies were portrayed in Maleficent are part of why I hate that movie

[@cheshirerose2001]

@@MsLilly200 YESS FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS IT! Aurora isn't as bad of a role model as people make her out to be , she still countinued her duty as a princess and did what was right for her people even if it meant leaving the life she had behind. tbh that whole disney princess being role models thing is kinda dumb to me

[@shireenqasimm]

as much as everyone dislikes sleeping beauty, i absolutely LOVE that movie. so much personality and magic, there is just something so timeless about that movie! ♡

[@goobertron9099]

The art is so beautiful in it Omg

[@reikun86]

There's a lot of love about the movie: The visuals, the music, etc. And I wish this video talked about Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather more. They were kind and nurturing, but also knew how to throw down when they needed to. If anything, they were the epitome of feminism without putting a label on it.

[@youtubewontletmetypeagoodu8128]

People do not dislike sleeping beauty. It’s underrated by certain audiences (mainly ones that want a girlboss movie) but it’s considered one of the most beautiful animated movies ever and a classic.

[@janemlee93]

Beautiful film, just didn't like that the two leads stopped speaking after 10 minutes into the film lol.

[@zmiluskaf92]

@Tiffany Blum Deckler - I agree! It would’ve been great if there were more scenes of Aurora & Prince Philip interacting & getting to know each other more. Mary Costa as the voice of Princess Aurora was stunning & added an extra dreamy layer to her character.

[@summer_the_rae]

It frustrates me when critics say Cinderella waited around for the Fairy Godmother to save her. The Fairy Godmother says that Cinderella created her by having hope. She manifested her own happiness!!!

[@Andromeda14161]

Plus she didn't know the Fairy Godmother existed. Like, at no point in the film does she go "I hope magic comes to save me!"

[@bluebay1031]

@@Andromeda14161 I think they meant it more metaphorically, like in the sense of her waiting for something to happen/something to save her rather than explicitly wishing for a godmother specifically. It’s not *true* and I agree that most, if not all, of her actions in the story were direct results of herself, either through her own actions or through others offering aid because of how kind and genuine she was, I just don’t think the “waiting around for a Fairy Godmother” was meant literally.

[@Andromeda14161]

@@bluebay1031 agreed. I think they broke her spirit. Her sitting there "waiting around for something" was, I think, the result of her just being broken down. But like, I sit and wonder, what was she supposed to do? What did they want her to do, ya know?

[@roriemarie2968]

The God very appears becinderella already tried to help herself. She didn't just passively submit. She created her own dress. She was gonna go to the ball..

[@iasminnaara]

I always say that Eric was never the reason Ariel decided to go to land, he was just the final trigger to give her the courage to do so. She already wanted it more than anything, as we know because her main solo is sang *before* she meets Eric and it’s entirely about how much she longs to live in land. Besides, seeing Triton destroy her entire collection (which was something she held close to her heart) obviously made her act on anger and hurt. I’ll always love The Little Mermaid.

[@MsLilly200]

Very true. If her dad hadn't screamed and raged and destroyed what she spent years collecting, and terrifying her to boot, I mean she was right there in the room while he was shooting lasers all around without a thought to the possible consequences, she'd have probably just kept dreaming instead of giving in to the eels and going to make a deal with Ursula.

[@iasminnaara]

​@@MsLilly200 Yes! And it was the perfect moment for the eels and Ursula because Ariel was completely vulnerable and hurt. An easy target for manipulation!

[@F1areon]

Yeah, with all the people who complain about Ariel it's like... did they somehow sleep through the entire song she sang about wanting to visit the land BEFORE she even met Eric??

[@maariyahshamsi7061]

That's true. But the one thing that I do find sexist about that movie and not do empowering in that movie is how Ariel can't speak, so Eric falls in love with only her looks, as explicitly stated by Ursula herself.

[@rjpar8244]

Girl… your not supposed to take what Ursula says in poor unfortunate souls seriously. She’s just sweet talking Ariel into giving up her voice hence why she said men don’t like women who speak, I mean I’m sure there are those who don’t but it’s not all. Eric doesn’t fall in love with Ariel because she can’t speak, it’s because he realizes that he shouldn’t waste his time on the girl that saved him from the shipwreck. When he first meets Ariel he’s disappointed because she can’t speak or sing like the girl who saved him, then they spend time together and grow to like each other a lot more and he gives up trying to find the girl who saved him and chose Ariel for who she is and it all comes full circle that she was the one to save him.

[@markkoehr5003]

Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite Disney movies ever. I maintain that the real main characters of the film are the three good fairies. They are the ones that drive the plot forward. And it makes me sad that people really ignore them. They are three women that try their hardest to raise a protect a child together, and while they fumble here and their, they ultimately will always have Aurora's best interests at heart. This really makes me hate Maleficient (2014) and how it butchers their characters. Turning them into the butt of the jokes and people you should never trust a child with.

[@nataliadoe7126]

I really love the animation. It is one of the most beautiful of all of Disney’s films. One of the things that made it bomb so hard was that all the backgrounds were hand-painted and super intricate (also super expensive). I feel like we can acknowledge and even enjoy these films as long as we look at them through a modern eye and take it all with a grain of salt. I really enjoy your interpretation btw

[@sentientmarshmallow4644]

This! I rewatched Sleeping Beauty for practically the first time (I remembered like 2 scenes) and was shocked by how feminist this movie really is! The protagonists are 3 old single woman who kick ass and you never see that! People like to criticize Aurora’s character for being underdeveloped (which she is), but so is Phillip! The fairies on the other hand do have distinct personalities and conflicts

[@biblionerd]

I agree with your take on Sleeping Beauty. Rewatching it, the three fairy godmothers are the true protagonists of the film. It's rare to find older female protagonists in film period, and when you do find motherly/grandmotherly figures in movies, they usually are portrayed as wise and angelic, not bumbling. Their characterization in SB is refreshing to see. Though admittedly, I really enjoyed Maleficent as well. It did a great job of creating a prospective shift, and I see it sort of as a parody of the original.

[@amacookies89]

@@biblionerd I agree that they are the main characters and that they also embody actual strong female character traits

[@k49821]

Flora, Fauna, & Merryweather were my favorites, and I was so mad at how ditzy they made them for the live action!

[@ULTRAV1OLE7]

When you talk about ugliness and wickedness being synonymous in the silver age, I immediately thought back to Anastasia and her character arc during the surprisingly good Cinderella sequels. Anastasia went from wicked stepsister to misunderstood bystander, to a true friend to Cinderella in the end. She ended up choosing her own path as well with the baker, and finding true happiness. It was a happy ending. A really happy ending. It also taught me that while some people can change, some can't.

[@bananahat3350]

I honestly love Cinderella 3 more than the original. Anastasia is just such a compelling character and has a well done character arc where you really root for her. It just balances the whole want vs. need really well and has her truly understand what love is, and that to achieve romantic love, you first need to find self love.

[@jesuusch]

@@bananahat3350 Cinderella 3 is the best Disney sequel in my opinion

[@kryw10]

This makes me curious about the sequels. Gods help me.

[@abbie7099]

@@jesuusch Cinderella 3 and Bambi 2 are the best!

[@whereisconstance]

While Disney is notorious for misrepresenting POC, I feel it’s a little unfair to dig at Princess and the Frog. My mom is a Colombian immigrant that moved to New Orleans in the 80s and my dad is Cajun. I spent quite a bit of time there as a kid. Gumbo, voodoo, jazz, etc., are a big part of black culture in NOLA, but on a larger level those things represent the culture of the city as a whole. It’s a unique melting pot of culture. Caribbean, Cajun, Creole, Vietnamese, Italian, Colombian, and so forth. That said, I truly hold a special place in my heart for Tiana and PATF, because it was the first Disney movie I ever culturally identified with. At the time, there were no Latina princesses. And it took until last year with Encanto!! But, I saw my NOLA heritage in Tiana and saw her making the food I loved and saying the same slang. Not to mention her being a total bad b*tch 💚 My favorite princess and Disney movie by far

[@serenity3756]

yesss i 100% agree. i’m afro-panamanian & up until encanto’s release, tiana was the only princess i could identify with. my father is black hispanic & my mother is mixed with hispanic and white. tiana is darker than me, but her childhood struggles, work ethic & some of the meals she ate were the only things i could identify with until encanto (since colombian culture is very close to panamanian)

[@reikun86]

I loved Princess and the Frog, and I loved Tiana as a character. Also, the food looked delicious in the movie.

[@whereisconstance]

@@serenity3756 what a beautiful heritage 💚😊

[@serenity3756]

@@whereisconstance thank you my love!

[@whereisconstance]

@@serenity3756 💚💚💚

[@miasubrahmanyam7097]

I would love to see a take on traditional african folktales as a next film, seeing as disney’s only black princess is african-american. afro-caribbean folktales would be great too!

[@reikun86]

One of my favorite stories is Ananzi the Spider.

[@ohsnapitzari2318]

I'd love this but if they mess it up it'd get horrendous backlash

[@thegillmachine]

Feel like they could do some badass science fiction/fantasy blend stuff with the same stories that inspired nalo Hopkinson or even her stories themselves for the Afro-Caribbean vibes 👀

[@ohbooyourselves]

@@ohsnapitzari2318 one way they can try to prevent this is by getting people of that culture and heritage to work in front of and behind the scenes of the project.

[@ohsnapitzari2318]

@@ohbooyourselves for sure! But I HIGHLY doubt they would

[@badcow4936]

I always hate when Buzzfeed and other media outlets like it make the argument that princesses like Snow White or Cinderella are bad role models for young girls because they’re damsels in distress and get rescued by a man. You’re right, Buzzfeed, Cinderella should of just stayed home her life where’s she abused by her stepfamily and treated like a slave cause girl power.

[@DrawciaGleam02]

I don't think Buzzfeed meant that.... 0_0 I think they wanted an alternate way for Cindy to leave her horrible home instead of waiting for a prince to do it.

[@isapheonix]

While I'm not sure of all trvoptions she would have had at the time I know for a fact that nunneries were definitely a thing in 17th century catholic France. If nothing else she could have gone there.

[@shubhi10]

@@DrawciaGleam02 but cindy didn't want the prince, all that she wanted was to enjoy the ball and just celebrate something for once and get away from that house. finding prince was just a luck. but everyone thinks, she wanted to go to the ball just for the sake of the prince, which is a lie.

[@DrawciaGleam02]

@@shubhi10 True. Disney's 2015 remake EXPLICITLY states that Cindy wanted to meet "Kit" at the ball, not the prince. Kit turned out to be the prince but Cindy didn;t know that at the time.

[@KDA_in_yah_area]

@@DrawciaGleam02 I don't think the remake is Cannon

[@DimaRakesah]

The thing that really bothered me about the live action Jasmine wasn't that she wanted to be in line for the throne, but that they actively portrayed her as unfit for it. When she goes into town she doesn't even know what stealing is or how money works. Come on. She lived in the seat of the country's governmental power. She could have easily learned about the country's economy and laws. The only qualifications they seem to give her for why she should be Sultan are 1) she's royal blood 2) she supposedly loves the city's people that she never actually interacts with and 3) she reads lots of books, just not the ones that talk about money or laws. It just comes across as "she should be Sultan because she's a woman" and that's so demeaning. I wish they would have shown her as being literate in how the country functioned, perhaps some subtle political back and forth between herself and Jafar over who would sway the sultan more, clearly showing Jasmine as the role of "good" and Jafar as "evil".

[@MarenAnne66]

The problem with being so up in arms over Disney Princesses and whether they’re politically correct or good role models, is that we have once again fallen into the trap of women never being good enough no matter what they do. If Snow White is too passive and innocent, then Meg is too independent and sexualized. If Merida is too tomboyish then Rapunzel is too girly. If a woman dreams of marriage and being a homemaker she’s wasting her potential. If she’s a career woman she’s bossy and cold. Maybe let’s let these stories be just stories that have a happy ending for the protagonist.

[@mallorycarpinski1160]

SUCH a good point!

[@vaishnavipandey6411]

THIS IS SO TRUE!! I feel like in the modern day the need to be politically correct is so emphasised that we forget to be human. So glad you brought this up!

[@shockingheaven]

I agree! Not every happy ending should be the same, because it should be each one's happy ending.

[@winter-wb7cf]

This comment made me so happy. I hope one day people start to have more opinions like this

[@ladyallyally135]

THIS!!! i really ended up saying at the end ‘damn some people complain to much, its never good enough’

[@v0id_b0i_89]

As someone who has read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Looking Glass, the bit about Alice in the suit of armor in the live action version is a reference to one of the original Illustrations. There is a poem about a boy slaying the jabberwocky and the illustration shows someone with a sword in a suit of armor with long curly hair from the back as they slay the jabberwocky. I thought it was a nod to the fans who read the books that the boy in the poem was actually Alice herself. I never got the impression that it was a knock on femininity, but I'm not as aware of that stuff probably because I don't consider myself feminine.

[@matematicarka]

I was thinking the same, but I guess that most kids watching this are not of reading age yet?

[@DeborahGoldenflower]

Ah... so instead of being interpreted as Alice gaining the strength to defeat Jabberwocky by acting like a man, it could be interpreted as almost the exact opposite -- the poem assumed that only a boy would have the strength to defeat the Jabberwocky, when it was a girl's destiny all along. Thanks for the info; I haven't read the books or seen the movies myself, so it's interesting to think about!

[@theearthismycity5885]

And lets be honest a Knight armor doesn’t mean that it is only for men knight armor is just something to protect a body no matter the gender.

[@mynameisreallycool1]

I hate how a common bit of criticism you'd hear for older Disney movies that have female leads with hyper feminine traits is that they "promote narcissism" or can influence girls by giving them "narcissistic tendencies". It just implies that embracing feminine traits equates to vanity, narcissism, and selfishness. How ironic that they said this about movies that featured selfless, compassionate, and kind female protagonists. Those critics bleed of sexist bias. How does escaping an abusive household by going to a ball or marrying a prince "promote narcissism"? How is taking care of seven dwarves while singing and wearing cute dresses "narcissistic"? How can stories that promote kindness and patience who have narcissistic villains who are defeated and portrayed in the a negative light promote narcissism? How is a movie with a protagonist who's pretty much the opposite of narcissistic make kids become more narcissistic?

[@RR-on4sk]

I'm not a fan of the trend of attacking old media unless it was an obvious issues even back then (like say racism, ie Breakfast at Tiffanys Mickey Rooney playing an offensive Asian character). Having the characters in past movies doing what everyday women were doing, shouldn't be seen as sexism. It wouldn't have made sense for a princess to have all these freedoms, privileges, or responsibilities like a man. If anything, it should be seen as a great gauge of progress made & praised for any ceilings they did break through.

[@akirakhan4790]

It also feels very ableist against people with narcissistic personality disorder who often times develop the disorder due to being traumatized, enduring hardships, etc. Disney making more representation with characters who are disabled or mentally ill or physically ill would be amazing. Attributing (hyper)femininity to certain aspects of an already heavily stigmatized disorder seems misogynistic and incredibly ableist in a way to further demonize said disorder and femininity and women as a whole. There's nothing inherently wrong with ppl with NPD. Many of which are working on therapy and healing so that they can recover and live healthy and happy lives for themselves and foster healthier lifestyles for themselves and even people around them. There's nothing wrong with portraying vanity in media, as everyone has flaws! We should be promoting stories that prioritize showing characters as three dimensional, as embracing their flaws and being seen as an entire character rather than cherry picking at what we do and don't like about them. Disney struggles to understand how its works still are ableist, misogynistic, racist, anti body inclusivity and diversity, anti-fat, anti queer, and anti LGBTQ+ as a whole. Disney struggles to make comprehensive and cohesive media that embraces the human nature and tries to poorly work its way into it all. Critics of Disney also tend to fall short of even having comprehensive and nuanced understandings of actual inclusive and intersectional feminism. There are tons of women with narcissistic personality disorder who would probably benefit from more positive representation of them and the disorders they have. It would be wonderful to see more mental health and physical/learning/cognitive/developmental/intellectual disabled representation in Disney's characters. It would be even more wonderful to see fictional women dealing with these issues and ending up having happily ever afters and being resilient and coping with their lives and the like. I'm not a woman myself, but I am part of a lot of marginalized groups so... I can understand the struggles and anger towards dealing with these forms of oppression and discrimination from so called critics and media as a whole. Idk, this is just my penny into the pot.

[@mynameisreallycool1]

@@dannyknight2597 Well then it probably has more to do with promoting consumerism and the obsession with material items rather than narcissism. I agree that this aspect can be a little toxic when taken too far though, and some of these movies do have this issue, particularly Cinderella.

[@mollusckscramp4124]

Exactly, it demonizes the very concept of feminity and self-confidence as something wrong and vain.

[@dustinwashburn1283]

It's also kind of ironic considering that today Narcissistic tendencies run amok. Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora in particular won in the end because of their good natures. Because they were kind and loving (you might even say inwardly beautiful), they had people willing to come to fight for them.

[@soglazgo]

One of the habits of pop feminism/liberal feminism that consistently gets under my skin is the tendency to moralize every interest women have. "Thing is bad because it's not feminist so you are bad for liking it" and "Thing is good because it is feminist so you are good for liking it" are just two sides of the same coin. They both operate under the same deeply flawed logic that the media we consume has to pass some sort of ever evolving moral purity test to justify enjoying it. So, while the "your fav childhood film is #problematic and should be #cancelled" Buzzfeed style of media criticism is obnoxious and off base, so is the current popular trend of "Snow White was an underrated girlboss, actually!" because neither are really true. It's okay to just admit that the gender politics of some of our fav animated movies are, to say the least, products of their time period. We should be allowed to enjoy art without having to be dishonest about its shortcomings. Very informative video as always! I love this channel sm for this exact type of content

[@dramaqueenbee]

I agree, there is a tendency in modern feminism dividing thing by good and bad (we keep in mind in every community there are adequate and inadequate individuals, ofc) & I strongly believe that humanity will step far forward the day we learn that there's no black or white, it has always been a variety, and there are just spectrums and points of view. My perfect Utopian world 😌

[@LadyOndyne]

I feel you! Totally agree with your PoV!! My favs are Snow White, Eilonwy and Tiana and I love them for what they are, no what a movement or politics say. But because I relate to those princesses in some kind of way. Also I am tired of feminism trying to sell that girls only are powerfull when they have masculin traits and feminity/softness/pure = baaad. Or that if a girl finds a love interest she is betraying some kind of womenly code of independence. I though the objective was that women could do what we wanted, not (again) as we are told.

[@yippedoodah]

I'm really glad they brought up the criticism and content around the 2010s since so many of them were shallow and quite a reach. It was honestly kind of pathetic since people only did it to be edgy.

[@Niobesnuppa]

Well said. There's plenty of old movies I love from the 1980's and earlier that are kind of sexist, but I still enjoy them, at least the ones that aren't really in-your-face about it, although it's important to recognise that they're a product of their time, so we don't let them influence our worldview too much.

[@kieranstark7213]

11:42-11:49 & 34:17-34:23 *sigh* Critics (& fake feminists), amirite? Why can’t people (not just men, but can be adults of both genders) just enjoy attractive people while being aware that they are not objects even with the fact that they can be the cartoon crushes of many? Plus I don’t give a shit what anyone says, I think that turning women into either those who catfight (especially in favour of the affections of a young man), a one-dimensional “strong female character” or helpless (or so they pretend to be that way so incels can reinforce stereotypes of women) damsels in distress is far more sexist than sexualizing (well, that is, if you don’t only value them for their attraction) women like I. The Fast and Furious movies while the Bayformers movies, for example, are the poor man’s version of that other franchise because it turns women (or in this case, Karens) into all three of those stereotypes without any shame!

[@emmahills1802]

I'm so glad you're talking about this! I love the princesses, feel like they're often misjudged, and how corporate Disney is misunderstanding then.

[@catherinepoteat]

Extra defense of the earliest Disney Princess movies, the security of domesticity and the calmness of making a pie sounds so nice after years of political turmoil and a recession. There is literally a whole genre of Japanese Anime called "Slice of Life" which is dedicated to simplicity and good food and adventure that happens in everyday life. Why do I frequently rewatch those movies? Because of the escapism from my hectic and stressful life. Give me a pretty dress and a handsome boyfriend, and hell yeah I'll try to make a pie too! Also my friend just did her senior thesis on how Disney villians being queer coded and Jew coded is extremely bad!

[@espeon871]

But slice of life isnt like that, ghibli pioneered it and it has always been feminist and female centric and arent really influenced by the time and stability isnt through marriage and more traditional paths and has different paths and even currently which makes it feminist cuz it gives women an alternative path to asia's traditionalism, it has always been progressive and not really conservative. As an asian person from asia i like slice of life cuz its very feminist and even if its romantic its not in a way that was bad, and had equal dynamics and the female protags are feminist in a way where they embrace their femininity and kindness and its focused on them

[@mynameisreallycool1]

More people seriously need to talk about the Jew coding a lot more than they currently do. Queer coding too, but that has at least gotten more attention compared to Disney/Hollywood in general and their Jew coding for villains.

[@elven_grandma3138]

It's the same reason cottagecore is popular right now. Disney's Snow White is basically OG cottagecore. Also, we tend to forget, with our vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, etc, just how much time & energy cleaning took (&, for many people, still takes). Imagining being helped by a horde of animals, rather than stuck doing it alone, is a fun fantasy, & seeing their jobs beautifully portrayed on screen (by a princess, no less!) was probably amazing for women of the time; how many movies/pieces of media can you think of that include scenes of chores, that don't make them seem like the worst thing on earth, if they're even shown at all? (Not saying everyone has to like them, but having your labour either ignored or constantly looked down on hurts.)

[@davidkonevky7372]

@@mynameisreallycool1 as a jew, I haven't seen that many horrible depictions of jews in recent media other than the gringott trolls from the harry potter saga. Care to give me some more examples?

[@mynameisreallycool1]

@@davidkonevky7372 I was mostly referring to older movies (which are important to address, since people still watch these movies in this modern day and age). Though Mother Gothel is a modern example of a villain that many people consider to be Jew-coded.

[@kait.5437]

I think Ariel’s situation with Eric being the reason she can explore her already present goal/interest, Cinderella’s ability to leave her abusive family and go elsewhere is made possible through the Prince. People often mischaracterize Cinderella’s story as wanting to go to the ball to get the Prince, when that is simply not the case. She wants to go to the ball to have a night out of her horrible life. Love with the Prince just happens, but Cinderella doesn’t think it will go anywhere beyond one night- until he comes looking for her.

[@alexiacaceda1421]

Disney princesses were such huge part of my childhood because as an extremely girly girl I searched for representation. All the popular heroines were very masculine and what's more they usually had values related to masculinity. Disney princesses and Barbie movies showed that protagonist with usually femenine characteristics are also strong and worthy of their own story.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

Well said. As a kid, I was on the opposite side of the spectrum (I was a boy who liked masculine things) but I noticed the same thing. I saw a lot of heroines just randomly start to be depicted as more and more masculine and also starting to have a bit of a cookie-cutter girl boss persona or always having to complain about or be disparaging to men in some way. However, if you complained about this you'd just be branded as sexist, due to many “feminists” seeming to have a an ironic dislike of femininity. Personally, I always preferred the female protagonists from the 80s and 90s like Bell, Jasmine, or Mulan, who were still well-rounded characters (unlike Snow White) but also didn't have the weird girlboss thing that become more popular in the 2000s - 2010s.

[@neigeshusband5327]

@@thedukeofchutney468 Snow White is well rounded! She's just someone with a singular goal that a lot of modern viewers would find kind of old-fashioned (find happiness with people who give her the same love she gives everyone else in her life), instead of having "louder" and more acceptable dreams. She's also much more gentle, which so many people take as boring. Her story is also about staying true and kind in the face of evil, which is why character development was unneeded, since it directly goes against that type of storytelling. So many people who try to criticize the first Princess as dull simply aren't viewing the story the right way, or they aren't capable of appreciating less flashy heroines. Snow White is kind, but she's also strict. She clearly dislikes what the Evil Queen is putting her through, and the only times she sings are to cope with the situations around her. She's responsible and caring, and never stops hoping. She apologized for making a scene in the forest and concerning the animals, and immediately put herself to work to care for what she thought at the time were 7 orphaned children. She teases Grumpy a lot, and wanted to punch a dragon in a cut scene. All of this equals a well rounded if quiet character. In fact, I'd argue she shows a lot more emotional depth than many other princesses!

[@ineslobato2956]

@@neigeshusband5327 omg thank you for your comment!! you couldn’t have explained it any better! i love Snow White so much more than most disney princesses…

[@d818581dd]

@@thedukeofchutney468 See the problem here is that you are placing “masculine” female characters in narrow boxes. Just because a female character might have certain masculine traits, it doesn’t mean she is a “cookie cutter girl boss”. It’s similar to how effeminate male characters are viewed, as being 2D caricatures. It seems like a character being able to align there personality with there sex is a prerequisite for them being considered a full fleshed out character. And when they stray from how they should act regarding masculinity and femininity, people get uncomfortable and so accuse them of being caricatures. It’s frustrating as a gay man seeing effeminate male characters or masculine female characters being stripped of all there dimensions. Because why should they be?

[@thedukeofchutney468]

@@neigeshusband5327 Perhaps I came off as a bit harsh on Snow White. What I was mainly trying to convey is that in the early Disney films there was often less emphasis on character development in comparison to today. Compare Snow White and Aurora’s personalities and arcs to Ariel, Bell or Jasmine and you’ll see the difference. This isn’t a bad thing as they are telling different kinds of stories, it’s just that, I personally, like a little bit more of a character arc. So I didn’t mean to make a dig at SW but I was more just trying to convey the differences between the time periods.

[@amparomanzoni7003]

I was so appalled when they made Mulan have superpowers I don't get why would you take away the hard work and dedication she put to become a soldier for that fantasy chi power, also making the villan a woman instead one of the worst live action remakes

[@jjescorpiso21]

it became wuxia trash

[@HellaQuinn]

I'm glad I didn't watch it wtf

[@that-one-exolblink2439]

THANK YOU

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

Also making it a male power, implying that women can only have power if it aligns with male values. Why couldn't it be a power possessed only by women that has been kept a secret because men want to keep them down so that they don't feel emasculated? But in the end, they get to use their powers freely and in the open? That would be a better and PROPER way of showing a strong female character while still letting her keep her femininity. Like, yk, the *original.*

[@Go_away_loser]

Mulan being born with the ability to manipulate Chi not only destroys the message of the original movie, but it also completely undermines what was a counter-cultural Chinese poem.

[@charlottexx2638]

I had no idea that the rebranding of the 2010s princess movies was done to appear less girlish. How stupid. In Germany they named them close to the original considered titles. Tangled is called "Rapunzel", Brave is called "Merida" and Frozen "Die Eiskönigin" (The Ice Queen). Like 'The protagonists are women? Good, let's highlight that.' 😂

[@kathialanglois2357]

Same in France except for Brave, we called it "Rebelle" (Rebel)😑

[@megarakadmea]

The one word title also follows the pattern in publishing at the time. I was trying to launch my own books at the time and a lot of advice for authors was about finding a one word title that would sum up the theme. The same trend is reflected in that cover art trend of having one icon to stand up on a dark background that started with Twilight. Twilight itself seems to have launched both trends at once.

[@dnister_nymph]

I also find this trend of naming movies with adjectives strange 🙃. In Ukraine, among the movies you mentioned, Tangled was localised as “Rapunzel: a Tangled Story”, Brave was translated literally, and Frozen was localised as “Frozen Heart”

[@Joannefibracs9994]

Yup, they changed the names to appeal to wider audiences. They were sure having the title like Rapunzel would make boys write it off as a “girl movie.”

[@daphne8406]

In Norway Tangled is called «To på rømmen» = Two on the run/ Two on escape 😅

[@whatalsaid]

I think the reason WHY Cinderella 2015 works where other live action Disney movies failed is that it can stand on it's own merits as a Cinderella adaptation, even without having to acknowledge the 1950 animated film. Whereas Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin lean too much on nostalgia from the animated originals without bringing anything unique to the table. I was genuinely hyped for the 2018 live action Mulan, because, from what I was seeing in the trailer, it looked more like it's own adaptation of the Chinese Ballad rather than a play-by-play of the animated Disney movie, and to my disappointment, it was just a play-by-play of the animated movie, minus the music, and Mulan for some reason getting her inner strength from magic instead of hard work.

[@meomeju9670]

My favorite princess is snow white and it makes me so sad when people hate on her. Even if the ppl who made the movie didn't intend on it to me she is someone who escapes an abusive scary situation and then suffers from anxciety when she gets scared of nothing in the forests. As someone struggling with depression she gives me hope, I love when she cleanes and makes food, trying her best to make herself a new life with her found family, to someone who struggles just doing the dishes just that is so inspirational.

[@glittery_cucumber]

I've always liked Snow White too :)

[@MariaJoseRangelUwU]

I mean, she was staying in their house rent free. At least she could attend to the shores of the house, and she did the best she could with a positive attitude.

[@a.g.m9078]

@@MariaJoseRangelUwU but thats just why she did the chores, because she didnt want to be there rent free, the dwarves wanted her to but she didnt felt it was right

[@MariaJoseRangelUwU]

@@a.g.m9078 exactly, she contributed to the house, which is the right thing to do in her situation and never complained about doing the chores (very mature way of dealing with things)

[@AeridisArt]

@@a.g.m9078 Eh... not exactly. The dwarfs actually wanted to kick her out. They didn't care that she was beautiful or that she was the princess. They didn't want to have to deal with the Queen and they knew keeping her there would only bring them trouble. The dwarfs only allowed her to stay after Snow White offered to make their favorite foods. Ultimately, it was still her choice to do the chores, since before she even met the dwarfs she had already cleaned and cooked in hopes that they'd let her stay for her services. I can honestly keep going since Snow White is my favorite Disney princess, but I'll leave it at that.

[@marquisehebbler9471]

I just want to say, thank you for this defense for Tiana. She is my favorite princess and I don’t like how she’s perceived to be tokenized even though she has more personality and growth than most of the princesses! It’s gotten annoying at this point

[@reikun86]

She's a great character. I wish more people recognized her qualities outside of being the first African-American Disney Princess.

[@Edible_Kittens]

Please watch BestGuyEver’s video on Tiana being the best Disney princess, it’s what made me understand why I was drawn to her character so much and the brilliance of her writing.

[@ReemTahir]

I agree. imo Tiana is the best princess, with the worst movie. She's literally a frog most of the movie, babysitting a spoiled brat. Such a waste of good character design and development.

[@reikun86]

@@ReemTahir I got really invested with Tiana's arc of working and saving to buy the old sugar mill. Outside of the fantastical elements of the movie, I was rooting for her to create her own restaurant, and the obstacles that got in her way.

[@ReemTahir]

@@reikun86 Samsies! I found her story on her own much more interesting. And I get that Naveen is cute and charming to most people, but he really gets on my nerves tbh. He is such a baby the whole movie and Tiana literally carries both their burdens, which I found problematic. If people think Belle and Beast's relationship is bad...they should seriously consider how messed up Naveen's learned helplessness and weaponized incompetence is. At least Beast begins to show maturity sooner in the narrative...Naveen's development is saved for the very end. yucky.

[@charlotteg1543]

speaking of mulan’s insecurity, like you said, it made her more real and gave many people, including myself, an acknowledgement that you can be insecure and make mistakes whilst still being capable of anything as long as you were willing to work at it, which i think is the problem with the live action (along with many other things, xiran jay zhou does a great video on it). she is already an amazing warrior from a very young age and has absolutely no insecurities, making her terrible to relate with and offers no way to emotionally connect with her beyond the self sacrifice for her father

[@73Stargazer]

about Meg and Esmerelda, I have no issue with them being so sexual. and loved that they stood up against their harrassors, and told them it wasn't okay behaviour. they were also some of the first times I realised maybe I wasn't straight. realizing that early and so casually left me with a comfortable acceptance, and it was never something I struggled with. it was just a part of me.

[@Edible_Kittens]

Hell yeah sister. I get where ppl are coming from about female characters getting weirdly sexualised in children’s media, but they were my gay awakening too. I loved watching them whenever they were on screen. Esmeralda and Megara are top class, I never once thought of them as being objectified or weak just because they had sexual appeal. Disney was never solely for children anyway, they’re a family company.

[@perrytheplatyhoe3501]

Feel this. I understand what people mean but IMO I don’t think it’s necessary bad to show female characters dealing with sexual harassment cuz that’s a thing female presenting people have to deal with in everyday life, it’s more of a matter of how it’s handled, and they at least show the perpetrators getting rejected. And yeah Meg and Esmeralda were 100% a part of my bi awakening lol

[@krystalhuntress6795]

With Esmeralda I feel like it's different because brown women are often hypersexualized in media (even in other Disney films like Aladin and Pocahontas)

[@thescreamingelfwillcry409]

@@krystalhuntress6795 true, but as someone who looks like her I feel like she's more good than bad. Plus she stands up to those who give her shit about her looks

[@sims2lovealot]

I understand the comments about Meg, but I never thought of Esmerelda as being "sexual", she's just beautiful and confident and not afraid to show it. The only times I thought she was sexualised was when Frollo was thinking of her that totally makes because that's what's in his mind that she looks like.

[@dislifeofaya]

I loved this 🥰 I actually wrote my whole Bachelors research thesis on the evolution of the Disney Princess brand and touched on many of these points of how often corporate Disney and the overall public misinterprets/misremembers the princesses. Disney often marketed the princesses in the early 2000s toys and merch through the superficial princess stereotypes like ballgowns and tiaras, while forgetting the characteristics and personalities that made us cheer for the characters in the first place. This mismarketing is one of the biggest reasons so many parents today cite the princesses as bad role models. But then in 2016 a women-founded marketing company, Terri & Sandy, took over the Princess brand and created the "Dream Big Princess" campaign that relabeled the princesses as heroines of their own story. They were not just the stereotypical "princesses" but community leaders whose kindness was their strength. I've been really enjoying their messaging of "for every girl who dreams big, there's a princess to show her it's possible." That's one of the reasons I love the princesses too! 😄

[@dislifeofaya]

If anyone is interested in reading my thesis on the Princess brand, I have it publicly available so that anyone can have access: drive.google.com/drive/folders/15YSv243CH-LmmgHyCNR0S4DgiAW67QV_?usp=sharing. I also made a video essay on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZuqmnh4p9CAgJI

[@ginadelfina5887]

It's really refreshing to hear someone online talking about Snow White in a really thoughtful way, taking the society of the time into account, not just repeating the same old criticisms based on today's society. Not that those criticisms are completely invalid but...your discussion is more nuanced.

[@rjpar8244]

All Disney princesses are strong and badass in their own way. Snow White- kind, mother figure, resourceful, and hardworking. Cinderella- hardworking, stayed kind during bad situations, courageous, and respectful. Aurora- a dreamer and selfless. Ariel- determined, an explorer, adventurous, and a free spirit. Belle- a bookworm, an intellect, selfless and doesn’t judge a book by its cover. Jasmine- speaks her mind, doesn’t take shit from anyone, and wants to find love on her own terms not being forced to. Pocahontas- adventurous, chose to stay and lead her people over going to England, and an environmentalist. Mulan- brave, selfless, saved all of China, goes through a journey of self discovery, and strong willed. Tiana- a business woman, hardworking, and responsible. Rapunzel- sweet, resilient, selfless and funny. Merida- wants to make decisions for herself, live her life they way she wants to, and strong willed. Elsa- a reserved girl, regal and learns to love herself and not be restrained to her fears. Anna- goofy, energetic, and determined. Moana- determined, brave, headstrong, and saves her island.

[@reikun86]

I read an early draft of Sleeping Beauty where Aurora escapes from the palace and disguises herself as a peasant girl.

[@thedollreviewer]

I would also say that Aurora is Mature because even though she doesn’t want to be princess and marry the prince in the beginning she accepts because it’s her duty.

[@NightRainPanda]

Cinderella's whole mindset is literally "They can't take my mind, they can't stop me from dreaming." Which I thought was so fucking powerful as a child. Snow White has the beautiful mindset of "The world is only what I put into it, so I will only love." LIKE DUDE, HELL NO THEYRE WEAK WITHOUT CHARACTER they are just feminine, feminist is fine

[@brennaleeann1416]

@@NightRainPanda YOU PHRASED IT PERFECTLY. as much as i admire princesses like mulan and merida, i’ve never been them. i’ve always been a snow white, and she’s incredibly strong in her own way and i’m proud to be like her the most.

[@nikkiskaleidoscope3053]

I love this comment! Like, I think it is time that everyone grows up and realizes that strength does not look one way. Strength and power can be found in different forms, not just the “girl boss” who goes around kicking the butts of anyone around her.

[@tarakennedy707]

Hot take: Were the earlier Disney princesses shown as "helpless" or were they literal children? Aurora and Ariel are explicitly depicted as 16 years old and Snow White was said to be about 14. They're also mostly victims of years of abuse or isolation. Having come from a similar background I can confirm this usually ends in marrying young and seeing "finding love" as an out. Other than the royalty aspect I don't see them as unrealistic.

[@bluebay1031]

Both. Two things can be true at once, and ultimately they were “helpless children”. I don’t think it makes them good or bad role models, as most of them aren’t intended as role models at all, just entertaining stories with most of the lessons being “follow your heart/dreams” and “the importance of kindness.” If a story is just meant to be a story, it’s weird in general to hold it accountable as a figure of deep learning. That’s like expecting SpongeBob to be a role model. Still though, multiple things can be true at once.

[@lilac3266]

talking about the characters hating feminity thing i think isabela is a good character to use. She’s shown to be the stereotypical princess one with the purple dress, long flowing hair, and daintyness. However that’s not what she wants she wants to be herself not what she was molded into. What I love about isabelas development is she never rejects her feminity. She’s undeniably feminine but she’s no longer in that mold of perfect. She never cuts her hair or tears up her dress for pants she’s still elegant and beautiful and feminine.

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

True! The storyboard artist even said it herself! And I love that about her. She's my favorite character in Encanto and one of my faves in general!

[@manicpixiefangirl4189]

I think a LOT of the criticisms about “role models” wouldn’t exist if people didn’t try to shunt off their responsibilities to teach young people onto a giant entertainment company. Good parenting/teaching goes a long way.

[@mollusckscramp4124]

Preach!

[@morighani]

right. how boring would it be if every single movie and piece of media was the most obnoxiously politically correct protagonist who does nothing wrong. that is not story telling!!

[@dilemma1616]

Honestly, I think it would be a huge profit for Disney to do more mythology movies like Hercules. I think it would be fun it see story’s of Athena or Pandora. Or they could do other mythology’s, like Egyptian mythology, Chinese mythology, aboriginal story times because you never see that kind of content made from non Australian brands. I think that if Disney tells story’s for these cultures around the world properly then we could have some really good movies to come for the 2020s and 2030s. I also think they could also get away with doing historical moments like medieval wars and how peasants would have been effected by them. ALSO thank god we are getting out of the ‘girl boss’ era because I really hate it.

[@mjade1097]

They’ve got the Percy jackson show in the works so maybe

[@youtubewontletmetypeagoodu8128]

Sleeping beauty did well at the box office. It was one the highest grossing movies of the year it came out. It didn’t get its money back because it went extremely over budget being the most expensive animated movie of all time. If it had the budget of Cinderella it would’ve made its budget back and then some. Also the movie doesn’t focus on Phillip. It focuses on the fairies. They are the ones that do everything and are strong female characters along with Maleficent. Also the movie is called sleeping beauty. It’s obviously not gonna have an active protagonist considering she goes to sleep in the original story.

[@princesssparrow4530]

Let me tell you how refreshing it is to see someone also look at the responses to the movies in that time period. I honestly have never seen someone go this much in detail about the whole disney history and it makes for such a beter video :)

[@justaname999]

Even when I was a tween who never identified with the "old" princesses but loved the movies I couldn't understand the criticism. Pretending that our standards and expectations of the 90s and 2000s can be transferred to those times is laughable. While I got to study and choose my life's path, my great-grandmother was made to leave school after sixth grade and she was sent off to work as a maid. For her, marriage and domesticity were by no means "settling" or giving up power. She gained power because she was lucky enough to have a husband who respected her and treated her as an equal. She was the boss of her own household instead of working as a maid for rich people. And all her children and grandchildren went on to be well-educated people who didn't have to do child labor. To me, my great-grandma was the girlboss who started it all, the matriarch of our family. I never saw her and thought "oh, she's just a wife and mother". So, no, pretending that everybody has the same choices in life is ridiculous and Snow White and Cinderella were absolutely right to get the heck out of their situations.

[@littlemisstfc]

I said it once and I will say it again: The Not Like Other Girls mentality in our culture has visibly affected Disney for the worst.

[@guggelguggel7491]

I get what you're saying, but I feel it would be better worded by saying "visibly affected media the worst", especially as it becomes part of a reinforcement of a cycle (by influencing young girls, reinforcing that it's the peak of feminism and that femininity is bad for younglings who don't have any better frame of reference etc), but honestly I think it affects the mental health of our youth the most, that and it's influence on the rise of white feminism. Sorry for getting all nitpicky, you still have a point I largely agree with.

[@chrystianaw8256]

So true.

[@thescreamingelfwillcry409]

Like Elsa for example. They put her being girl boss in front of her being a good character. Same thing with live action jasmine and belle to the point where they are a girl boss she'll of their former selves

[@sxatcychan1988]

@@thescreamingelfwillcry409 only for the audience to point out that she's the irresponsible type of girl boss who hides in the backroom until sh*t happens. 😂

[@bananahat3350]

@@thescreamingelfwillcry409 I haven’t seen the live action ones, but what about Elsa is particularity girlboss-y? The only thing I can think of is that she doesn’t end up with a guy by the end of the movie, but not every female character’s story arc should revolve around a man.

[@caitlinlemon7480]

With Cinderella too, a few years ago I read an article by a woman who had grown up in a physically abusive household, and she basically said the same : to her, someone in a similar situation, Cinderella was a strong, resilient person who she looked up to and tried to initiate

[@tehilagrunebaum-lake6982]

In defense of Beauty and the beast Firstly in terms of the most common argument about the film being stockholm syndrome, Stockholm Syndrome is not a recognized mental issue, it is merely a phenomenon. I also want to point out that Belle never wanted to "fix" the beast, rather the beast decides of his own volition to change for her. To not acknowledge this i feel is a disservice to the characters and their relationship.

[@hashaintswan]

Belle also actually was always free, exit never was closed to her and once she already almost left him and Beast also later let her go without trying to hold her in castle. It's just even wrong use of term in this situation.

[@BrandonJames2016]

I grew up during the revival age when Princess and the frog and tangled came out. Like I remember thinking what happened to the 2D animation 💀. My favorite age of Disney films is the renaissance.

[@reikun86]

Sadly, traditional animation is expensive, and 3D animation cuts a lot of production time. I was broken-hearted when Eisner shut down the 2D studio, and rejoiced when they said that they were bringing it back (pending the success of Princess and the Frog.) Recently, Disney actually was looking for talent to learn 2D animation from the animators who are still around. I wonder what that entails for their future work.

[@BrandonJames2016]

@@reikun86 like even tho I do like their current animation style 2D animation is where it’s at.

[@reikun86]

@@BrandonJames2016 Facts. I enjoyed the pencil tests for Moana and Encanto more than the finished films. They’re just so much personality in 2D that I think get lost in 3D.

[@shireenrazak7160]

Kinda hope one day, we'll get a mix of both animation.

[@baileywhittington1695]

While I personally adore 2D animation and I hope Disney will re-explore it again, I really enjoyed the 3D animation of Encanto and Coco. I thought it perfectly fit the upbeat, yet highly emotional storyline and music, because it’s so vibrant and allows for that high intensity emotion to work in facial features

[@gaf407]

The protagonists of Sleeping Beauty are the good fairies though… the movie passes the Bechdel test with flying aces.

[@ohbooyourselves]

I would like them to animate some African folklore as a movie.

[@marianar2948]

I was about to say the same thing! Honestly there's such a lack of African culture in this type of media, but Disney could do something with so much potential based on the legends like Njinga of Angola - who was royal by birth (much like the Disney princesses) and was a full on heroine that displayed so many different behaviours. The life of that woman is worth a movie and it would be nice to have some Black representation in the form of regal females who conquered all sort of achievements!

[@asalways1504]

I’m not the only one! Seriously, I would love to see more of African folklore in the media.

[@noahdanielg]

Watch Kirikou!

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

Me too, as well as more Caribbean folklore.

[@zidvicious6047]

People tend to unfairly view these fairy tale films through a pop culture feminist lens without considering the important historical context.

[@reikun86]

A lot of these people ignore history and context. They go by their feelings, which ignores everything that might contradict their stance on a subject.

[@averysmith9943]

I agree, but I think it’s also important to look back on older films like that and recognize any representation that would be considered bad today. While it’s important to know the history behind why female characters were like that, it doesn’t mean we should excuse Disney for having those stereotypes in the first place. However I totally get what you mean about needing to understand the historical context! Looking at things through different perspectives is always important.

[@xandercoppens5510]

Its not pop culture feminism its modern feminism. The issue is they're comparing the disney princesses of the past to modern times. For example the criticism of wanting marriage to solve all your issues is ridiculous today because women have almost all the opportunities that men do. They don't face the same issues that women did in the 1900s which made work for them extremely difficult and an uphill battle. In such a scenario, marriage does become a viable solution to solving your issues. Now using a marriage to fix your issues is just a bad idea for either gender. Why on earth would you do that. You should enter relationships and marriage as a whole person with your partner adding or enhancing your life not completing it. Otherwise you're overly relient on your partner and that can lead to a lot of financially, emotionally, and socially messy situations. Its not because modern feminism is bad, they just apply it to a different context.

[@mollusckscramp4124]

Absolutely! This video breakdown in particular going over all the individual period-specific nuances at play really shone a light on not just the fact that these films were acceptable during their time, but that a large portion of them were in fact revolutionary and even empowering. The idea that in comparison to Snow White, Ariel was strong-willed, independent and rebellious when we so commonly dismiss her as "naive and boy-obsessed" is honestly such an insightful observation that goes over the heads of most of us who never grew up in the older eras. Similarly, I was actually stunned by my own hubris at the point that Beauty and the Beast, which gets flack for being one in a long line of "And she lived happily ever after with a prince" endings was additionally revolutionary in that it was one of the first films which depicted the heroine saving _the prince_ from his 'curse' through true love. For all these reasons I'm beginning to see more and more the futility with which we attempt to retroactively hyperanalyze pieces of fiction that were explicitly not made with a modern audience in mind. It becomes a pointless cycle of virtuesignaling opposed to celebrating the steps which were taken in order to get to where we are today.

[@massetozacarias5693]

That's basically the definition of post modernism

[@katieknipp7006]

ive seen a lot of people criticize the live action Cinderella for it's message of toxic positivity because Ella says that she forgives her stepmother. but i see it as more of a healthy coping mechanism so Ella can move on, an acknowledgement of the trauma of both parties and letting go of any potential grudges

[@devchekhov7512]

Forgiveness is a releasing of anger, while still holding someone accountable. Forgiveness doesn't take the offender off the hook, but there's no longer that psychological burden of resentment, rage, hatred, etc. towards that person. Like kicking them out of your head so they don't stay there rent-free

[@thepandoricaoffandomsbacku7349]

Yes that is nice but the movie is so objectively badly made

[@juliacastro817]

The original is still better and if we actually analyze it well, it’s main character is more a fighter than this “feminist” depiction.

[@cookiemocher388]

As a kid I assumed Disney princesses were simple and sexiest, so I never admitted to watching those movies, through the years I've learned that the history of these characters is more interesting, specifically with Cinderella, who went from being seen as "the ideal dream", "a vane and sexist story", to now starting to be seen as "a story about overcoming abuse"

[@youtubewontletmetypeagoodu8128]

Vain*

[@isav7305]

Felt the same way about Barbie films when I was a kid! Then I watched a few of them and was impressed

[@heyitsmira17]

@@isav7305 honestly Barbie movies always felt so solid to me as a kid, specially Rapunzel. Curiously, both Barbie's and Tangled's Rapunzel have an interest in painting though with Barbie, that's more important and present in the plot

[@tunafish5462]

​@@isav7305 Growing up I didn't watch any barbie movie either cuz I thought they were too "pink" and "girly". I really wanna watch them soon tho, specially the swan lake one cuz of the sound track.

[@Sarahlovesguineapigs]

​@@tunafish5462Watch The Princess and the Pauper! It was one of my favorite Barbie movies growing up, along with Island Princess and 12 Dancing Princesses. All of those have great storylines and music.

[@veravollebregt8484]

ive been waiting for this video!! im so tired of the early disney princess slander, those movies served a great purpose

[@reikun86]

Thank you for saying this. It was popular to trash on the OG Disney Princesses during the rise of social media, but they left out a lot of important context. The times these movies were released played a major part of why they were telling the story.

[@YourRyeBread]

Being an adult is realizing Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast meant so much to me as a kid because I saw myself in the same situations (bad household, poor) and hoped to become free like them

[@Couffaine1902]

Disney's Sleeping Beauty is a great movie, it's a love story. She dreamed about a “prince” in her sleep not because it was her goal in life (as some people might say) but because it was their destiny since the day Aurora was cursed. Pay attention to the lyrics: “I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream, I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar gleam, yet I know It's true that visions are seldom all they seem, but if I know you, I know what you do, you love me at once the way you did once upon a dream”. So due to Aurora’s curse, she and Phillip had been seeing each other through their visions but were not sure who they were seeing, and that's why they fall in love when they met in the forest. When the fairies told her that she was a princess and had to marry a prince, she doesn't want to because she had just met the guy she met in those visions, but later she accepts it to benefit two kingdoms she doesn't even know, showing that she is a great leader by putting the people before her feelings. (Yeah I know the guys were actually the same person but she didn't know that) Aurora is not really a damsel in distress, it's just that she had literally no choice since she was cursed to *die* by Maleficent, then Merryweather tried to ease the curse so that she would sleep instead of dying but still she can't do anything sleeping, and Phillip kissing her would finally break the curse and their visions would finally come true. The reason why she got less screen time than the other Princesses was that Walt Disney realized that Snow White and Cinderella had similar stories (take their backgrounds for example losing their parents and being maids for their stepmothers) and Sleeping Beauty is a similar story too so their way to make it different was to give the fairies the most screen time and give the prince a personality for the first time. The movie was not really a box office bomb it did less than other movies but it made more money than it cost to produce it, the thing is that this movie was *only* put in *selected* theaters specially equipped to project the film on Technirama 70 widescreen and six-channel stereo sound. The movie title doesn't necessarily need to be about the one with the most screen time but the one that the story centers around

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

Thank you for this insight, so interesting.

[@raneemacintosh6842]

I deeply appreciate the way that you address common critique of the princesses by offering balanced rebuttals without completely dismissing the criticism. I think people are too quick to say 'this princess good, this princess bad' or even 'princesses are bad for girls' in general without recognizing EVERY ONE of these characters has tons of admirable qualities while also having a few things that could have been better. I am one of those Disney fans who's so tired of hearing people say Moana or Rapunzel are the 'real, strong' princesses while dismissing the strength shown by Ariel or Cinderella. And I REALLY enjoy the word 'girlbossification' used in this context because I think it finally puts a finger on some of things that have been frustrating me about recent disneys. Especially what they've done to the live-action versions of animated heroines.

[@elfiecece8712]

You know it's gonna be hella good when it's over 1 hour👏🏻

[@brandoniswhoiam]

Tessa goes IN.

[@elfiecece8712]

@@brandoniswhoiam the dedication>>>>>>

[@siastr5324]

OMG I started watching this thinking "I'll only watch a few minutes" and ended up binging the whole thing! Such an entertaining and well-researched video essay! I hope this video goes well because I would love to see more of these types of videos from you.

[@chrissama6069]

I love how you highlight the fact that Ariel was already interested in land and humans before meeting Prince Eric.

[@jonnyboy4289]

I love how they highlighted that Ariel had an active role in the film on 29:13, which is the main reason why Ariel is my favorite Disney princess and favorite Disney character (well 2nd behind Buzz Lightyear) all because I grew up in the 2000s dismissing the Disney Princesses as "dumb and girly damsels in distress".

[@kaykeunil]

I don’t mind criticism of the older princess movies bc there are legitimate issues that a lot of people ignore, but I feel like that criticism needs to take into account how important the stories in the movies were. Like, I respect and understand if you dislike the fact that the 50s Cinderella film feels like it’s glorifying her suffering in favor of a better end. But as an actual victim of childhood abuse, I didn’t realize why I connected with her so much as a child. It’s not a perfect story, but it takes a lot of strength to both endure abuse and to not perpetuate a cycle. The movies are in a sense pretty heteronormative but I think we also have to take into account the impact they had on young girls when they were released? It’s complicated. All I know is that people who blindly praise the movies are wrong, and people who attempt to nitpick them for a distinctly modern view are also wrong.

[@rigrace]

What a masterpiece! Most beautiful history lesson ever, can't imagine how much work this must have been 😬 Thank you so much 💕✨

[@yadiraantoinetasanchez3554]

48:45 "Why be obsessed with being a princess when you're never going to be one - you can only postpone reality for so long" *Damn* lmao

[@tstreet6526]

That's cold but savage 🤣😅

[@kimifw58]

Translation: "I wasn't allowed to have fun as a kid and neither should you."

[@myhandsaslanguage]

Yes! I hope Disney makes more 2D animated movies. It’s one of my favorite mediums of art, and it saddens me that Disney seems to think less of 2D animation than 3D, when it comes to full-length movies. Both are beautiful, and they should be making both!

[@Leo-ls8tu]

I love how well you handled Cinderella, shes always been my favorite princess and have always hated how much hate she gets

[@Sunnhia]

This was amazing!! As a note, the suit of armor that Alice wears is a very accurate nod to the illustration that accompanies the Jabberwocky poem in which the person who slays jabberwocky is wearing a suit of armor with no helmet. I hate the Burton Alice in Wonderland, but he made significant efforts to honor the source material. The white queen is also very flighty in Alice Through the Looking Glass, so that representation is accurate.

[@mynameisreallycool1]

Lol I'm noticing a pattern where Tim Burton faces criticism for his "movie reboots" adding extra things that the original book had that the first movie adaptation changed or took out. There was a similar situation with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where his adaptation was more loyal to the original story than the first movie adaptation from the 70s was and he received hate for it.

[@Sunnhia]

@@mynameisreallycool1 oh how funny, I didn't know that. Burton probably wears the criticism like a badge of honor, like only the real ones know

[@briannalee1998]

31:35 exactly! I always thought it was really obvious that Eric did fall for Ariel during their time together. If you watch the scene where they met and analyze it, Ariel had more personality in that scene then every Princess together and arguably even the Disney Princesses today. Their relationship showed that communication can be nonverbal and Eric seemed to be drawn to her because of how funloving, bold, and adventurous she was. He definitely fell for her and when he discovered she was the girl who saved him, it sealed the deal, though I believe he would have fallen for her regardless, especially since in the sequel when they were married and had a daughter Melody (who is also an awesome character) they had a very healthy relationship with mutual love and respect. That just debunks all the criticism that says they wouldn't have lasted. There are rare cases where people who get together young stay together, and clearly Ariel and Eric were one of those cases. Critics of The Little Mermaid also don't take into account that Ariel was fascinated and curious about the human world long before she met Eric and Ursula took advantage of the fact that she was traumatized after the argument she had with Triton where he flipped out and destroyed her collections. Ursula took advantage of how Ariel was young, brash, impulsive and naive and she took advantage of how she was hurting from what her father did and she took advantage of Ariel's desire to see the human world and manipulated her to use her to get to her father. Ariel's decision may have been dumb and impulsive, but what teenager hasn't made a rash decision? Even as she made that rash decision to give up herself voice it was still her decision and that's more than past Disney princesses had. At least she had agency even when her designs were unwise. I love how you pointed out that she was unafraid of the shark and fought it at the beginning of the film and that she saved Eric first from the shipwreck. She was brave and badass which modern critics also don't take into account. ANd while she made mistakes, she fought for herself when she crashed Eric and Ursula's wedding (which she manipulated him into with a mind control spell) and got her voice back. She also saved her father from Ursula and regretted how her bad decisions almost cost him dearly. And yes! I always loved the message of her finding independence and and Triton needing to let her go and be her own person. I related to that so much, to their whole dynamic. That's why she was my favorite Disney Princess when I was a child because I identified with her since I was a free spirited spitfire, I saw myself in her, flaws and all and I related to her dynamic with her father and wanted my own Eric. She is still one of my favorite Disney Princesses because I love her personality! Especially in the sequel where she is a mother and she's grown up and become more mature. I also loved how Cinderella's stepsister Anastasia got a redemption arc, and a happy ending in the third sequel because she found her inner beauty. A great message.

[@viktorias1963]

I think an overlooked reason for why we love the 90s films so much is that Millennials are the most powerful generation when it comes to casual consumerism. Most being in their 30s, working fulltime jobs and many having children, we have more money and incentive to spend it on Disney then the older (who mostly don't care) and the younger (who don't have the means). It's the same reason why Harry Potter is still so big, online and offline. And Millennials still watching KZbin at the same extent as younger demographics. In 10 to 15 years, people might think Frozen, Moana and Encanto was the best Disney era because it's childhood nostalgia for a different generation.

[@kittkitt1165]

"Snow White has no character and the villan is more interesting". This was me before this video. You really put snow white in a whole new perspective that screams "art is a reflection of the culture that made it" I really love your essays and your Approach speaks volumes on your intelligence.

[@annakellyvee]

I think a good lesson about story-telling is that a good feminist isn't inherently an interesting and dynamic character, and an interesting character isn't always a good feminist. Also parents who complain about cartoon characters being good or bad role models should focus on being better role models themselves. Don't make a fictional character do your work for you.

[@angryowl5972]

Another big issue with Aladdin that no one seems to talk about is that it equates the middle east with India and allows the middle east to culturally appropriate Indian cultural elements via a white lens. The tiger is Raja (Sanskrit), the friendly parrot and monkey are Hindu mythology-inspred, Jasmine's ouitfit is Indian (minus the face veil), Agraba is clearly inspired by Agra and the Taj Mahal (which itself is a Persian-inspired building), the elephants are Indian and the parades and dancers are clearly Bollywood inspired. In the live-action movie especially, the dancers are Indian-inspired and the costumes are somewhere between Afghan and Indian. This isn't really anything new in the West and still goes unremarked with things like Indian numerals being widely known as Arabic numbers. Not all Brown people are the same and equating large groups of people because of the color of their skin reduces human diversity to nothing but skin color is also racist. This is a large reason as to why people outside the US find the term "Brown" way too reductionist and borderline racist because it belies a certain level of cultural pluralism that is unacceptable in American society.

[@mozzarellasticksss]

FINALLY

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

mmm Jasmine's outfit is also so sexualized too like this video essay points out. Why is a princess dressed exactly the same as the lower-class haremmettes/prostitutes in the movie?

[@isabellapham1006]

Just what I needed to start the week in Australia ! Thank you for putting in so much effort to produce awesome content like this :)

[@MmeCShadow]

It's occurring to me that a lot of discourse about 'unrealistic expectations' seems to assume that little girls are too stupid to differentiate fiction from reality. That's cute. I love that.

[@Ru-yi9lt]

You see, as an Arab, my problem with Jasmin is that she comes from a culture that puts a lot of emphasis on modesty yet they let her (the princess) run around in what you may asume would be the previous princesses' undergarments 🌚 Oh, and the movie unapologetically called us barbaric.

[@sajaabdelkarim1944]

Exactly !!!!!!

[@Ru-yi9lt]

@Ma Ri no, they should give her an elaborate dress, dresses from the Umyyad and Abbasid eras were works of art.

[@sajaabdelkarim1944]

@Ma Ri same. It’s a huge disrespect to our culture. Disney at it again meddling with stuff they have no idea abt

[@achmadfaizalumar4173]

@@Ru-yi9lt i agree

[@achmadfaizalumar4173]

@@sajaabdelkarim1944 yeah . Why they make the villain Jafar speaking with Arabic Accent and why Aladdin and other good characters their speaking is like american accent. that doesn't make any senses . They make the villain is Arabs and the hero is American .That racist . and I hate Islamphobic . Islamphobic people is always lies , lie , lie about Us (Muslim). As a Muslim i enjoy this movie but sometimes i feel uncomfortable when watch this movie .

[@EliaAngst]

Somewhat ironically, I had a blast playing this while cleaning. Great video ModernGurlz 😘

[@ReemTahir]

I think it says a lot more about Ebert than it does Disney. Aladdin and Jasmine definitely look Middle Eastern. Even if you lightened Jasmine's skin, her features are still very different compared to the White princesses. It seems he only assumed they were White because they are good-looking. Let's not forget he wrote the screenplay of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" and was good friends with that pig, Russ Meyers. The dude was a racist and sexist so of course, he interpreted Disney's character design through that lens. I could write an entire encyclopedia of times Ebert was wrong in his movie reviews...hate that guy. Anyway, while problematic for other reasons, I don't think that Disney's physical depiction of Arabs was disrespectful at all. I can literally pull up dozens of Arab, Turkish, and even Indian actors that look like Aladdin and Jasmine clones.

[@1MikuFan]

True. I’m of Lebanese descent, and us Arabs actually look pretty diverse. There isn’t a standard “Arab” look.

[@vetarlittorf1807]

Exactly. Aladdin and Jasmine literally have Arabian-like noses.

[@moroam]

i think it may have been more about the background characters looking stereotypical

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

True. I understand the racist stereotypes applied to the villainous characters, such as the hooked noses on the guards and Jafar, but I don't agree that Aladdin and Jasmine look "white". The movie has its issues with racial representation and stereotypes, but they very clearly "look" Middle Eastern.

[@ReemTahir]

@@imthebossmermaid3648 i don’t know what you’re disagreeing with, because I said Aladdin and Jasmine don’t look White at all.

[@Wizard608]

Is this the "Defending Disney Princesses" video we have been waiting for from ModernGurlz? 😱 I'm loving this

[@SusannaEmily]

Great video! I’m glad you actually defended the older princesses, they often get a lot of slack when people just follow a bandwagon without understanding the context.

[@magdalenehagey4079]

I'm so glad you take the historical context that each film is set in in your analysis, instead of viewing it with a purely modern eye. It brings more dimension to each film, and helps provide insight to the reception of the film at the time, as well as how to appropriately examine each piece of media as its own thing.

[@cacaumassipanoficial6203]

I kind of got here because of the videos where you compared various works, like the Cinderella dress ranking video in different adaptations. Do you still plan to make another video like this but with another princess, like Bell for example showing the adaptations like in the Snow White video? It would be nice!

[@Becabuubear]

This was without a doubt one of the most thorough and incredibly detailed yet focused analytical videos, I've seen to date

[@Hetachan]

Damn!!!! I had no idea the diversity conversation was going on back when Aladdin came out! I always hear people discuss how people didn't care about diversity and representation "back in the day" But watching this was so enlightening!

[@wintersnow998]

As someone who saw Sleeping Beauty way too many times a kid, I would argue that the three good fairies are more of the main characters than Prince Philip. Philip needed their help to escape from Maleficent before he could even fight her and more than likely would have taken forever to find Aurora on his own if they hadnt shown him where she was. Of course, the fairies still fit into the motherly/caretaker role, so its not as if they arent without their own issues.

[@moonbug7252]

Despite not being princesses, Megara and Esmerelda will always be my favourite Disney characters. Hercules sparked an interest in Greek mythology for me, but Megara made me focus on female figures specifically. Esmerelda brought awareness to Romani gypsies and their oppression, something I can relate to a little as a British gypsy. Despite both being sexualised they inspired me as a kid and I'm so thankful they exist.

[@jessicavictoriacarrillo7254]

I want to add that during the Great Depression, many married women lost their jobs en masse (there were couples who kept their marriages secret so the wife could work as long as she could). My fave anecdote about the Snow White movie is that it was so scary, that Radio City Matinee had to re-upholster the seats after the children's matinee (if you know, you know). I actually loved the 1940s era of Disney, their films were the first I was exposed to as a kid. Cinderella's pink dress reminds me of a Gunne Sax-Jessica McClintock dress I saw. The close-up of Sleeping Beauty waking up awakened sapphic feelings in me. Funny how you said "Robin Hood" used old footage, Lindy West said she called Little John, "Baloo" because of it. Ladies do not start fights, but they can finish them. Little Mermaid came out a few months before I was born and I related to Ariel, I love the water for one. RIP Howard Ashman. Thank you Linda Woolverton. Hate hearing that being busty/curvy/what have you is "inappropriate". I love that you noted that Mulan embraces (and rejects) both masculinity and femininity, or would one say she re-shaped them.

[@t.r.s.5129]

48:54 I find it so ironic how they criticize the "Disney Princesses" while forgetting what that title means. Princesses become Queens. They have political power. A princess is a leader, a woman with a strong identity and sense of self in order to weigh in on decision that will affect a kingdom/country. Princesses have some measure of political power and diplomacy. Look at Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scotts, Queen Mary I (daughter of Henry VIII), Queen Katherine of Aragon. They were princesses before they were queens. They were women of power who had authority and autonomy. When men criticize "princesses" for their unrealistic standards, they are ignoring what being a princess requires, and when I watched Disney movies as a kid, and while I did want to find love, I mostly identified the qualities that a princess, or any woman, should foster in order to thrive: independence (Ariel), education (Belle), strength (Mulan), kindness (Cinderella), willfullness (Jasmine), and more. Those qualities can help any modern "princess": doctors, lawyers, diplomats, politicians. I didn't want to be a princess when I grew up; rather, I wanted to be unafraid of pursuing my goals whatever they may be and thrive at them. That's what I learned from the Disney princesses.

[@_Egon]

Historically princesses were seen and used as a political tool not having as much influence and responsibility as a prince would, I think that is in the subconscious of people when they hear "princess". For the rest, I completely agree with you.

[@VivlingLeigh]

The original princesses were so strong and incredible. It’s so sad to see how disparaged they’ve become in modern times.

[@zmiluskaf92]

Great analysis! 💕 I grew up loving the Disney Princesses because they each had their own personalities & showed how courageous each one of them are. With that said, it’s been great to see how the Disney Princess trope has evolved & become more diverse. I was really hoping that Raya would be included in the current Disney Princess lineup as she has many of characteristics & it would be great to see another Asian-specifically Southeast Asian-leading lady be included. I also agree with your sentiments, I wish Disney would return to their roots in storytelling & fairy tales 🥰 I personally would love to see a Latina princess be included. I know technically there’s Elena of Avalor, but she’s not part of the franchise. It would be great if we could eventually see a Brown, Indigenous, Afro-Latina, Arab-Latina, Asian-Latina, Caribbean & Central American princess. ❤️👑

[@maxallsop13]

cinderella 3 was definitely a big step up for cinderella’s character, going from passive to active in her own story line, getting the prince herself instead of waiting around for him to get her. that was one of the only good changes to come from those sequels.

[@zmiluskaf92]

@max allsop - The 3rd film also allowed Prince Charming more character development than the previous two films. (Which fun fact, in the 2nd & 3rd films he was voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes who is also the original voice of Prince Eric). I think of all the Disney Princesses sequels, Cinderella 3 was definitely one of if not the best.

[@maxallsop13]

@@zmiluskaf92 YES YES YES! i totally forgot about that too! one of the best sequels disney put out! and the animation mirrored the original from 1950 but more modern, obviously! can’t say enough good things about it!

[@zmiluskaf92]

@max allsop the love & care behind Cinderella 3 is really phenomenal 💙🥰

[@momobear10101]

I loved the way you talked about Mulan since she is my favourite DIsney Princess. As an Asian-Canadian I find it hard to find representation in media. I also always find it hard to find Mulan merch. Disney princess themed merch seem to be mostly white females (Aurora, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Ariel etc.). Imo, Mulan has the best songs, has core values that still stand today and predicted the rise of men with long hair and man buns :)

[@christianj5950]

20:28 I actually like Aurora as a character. I think that she shows a kind of subtle playfulness that isn't annoying or over-the-top, smirking knowingly as the fairies try to usher her away for their birthday surprise, and at the hijinks of her animal friends. She's something of the "straight man" to their comedy, but while she's more grounded, she also enjoys the whimsy around her, rather than be annoyed by it. She seems unburdened in a way Cinderella was never truly allowed to experience. That's what makes it devastating when she finds out she's a princess, and she's NOT happy about it. It's essentially as heartbreaking as being told you're adopted. Instead of living out her life with the family she's always known, she is bound by duty as a royal to return to the palace, a foreign place. She accepts it with humility, but arriving at the castle, she breaks down, crying, overwhelmed by everything. That kind of "grieving" was actually the first time, I think, we saw a princess who did not want to be a princess. She manages to bring aspects of her old life home (her fairy mothers, her prince), and that gives her solace, but her life will still never be the same.

[@zmiluskaf92]

I know Anastasia & Princess Odette from The Swan Princess aren’t part of Disney, but I think it’s also worth mentioning that those two films also came out around the Disney Renascence era & also showed progressive sides of the Princess trope. While both films may not have been huge commercial successes at the time, they have definitely become cult classics & perhaps also contributed to our viewpoints of the princesses. To this day, I enjoy all of the Disney Princesses including The Swan Princess & Anastasia 👑🦢

[@cosmiccatzen]

Anastasia is an amazing movie with an amazing soundtrack!

[@eleanordunkin5484]

I really like that you addressed the historical context of these films. I find it troubling that a lot of people recently seem to judge media by a modern standard whilst completely ignoring the time it was made.

[@giftofgab1791]

Enchanted is such an underrated gem! I love that movie, it’s adorable and a very clever subversion of the Disney princess genre but “The Little Mermaid” is my forever fave and will always have a special place in my heart. 💕

[@juicy3545]

I always felt like people who complained about the older Disney princesses always annoyed me as the movies were made to bost morality and bring hope

[@carissaap7003]

Usually tbose people are those kind of people who either SJWs or judgmentals

[@juuchanIRL]

most people who criticized disney did it because people like to bitch about stuff, even petty nothings. i doubt most of them WANTED disney to take them to heart and ruin their own movies in order to please them.

[@MochaKimono]

Great video. I liked that you pointed out the context of movies like Snow White and Cinderella, which these days feel like it's wrapping around to those Depression ideals again. I'm disabled, so the idea of being valued just for being okay at homemaking or singing or something "simple" like that is appealing. The message of many Disney movies that you can overcome adversity through intense physical labor and conflict can't resonate with me anymore, because it's objectively untrue in my case. If I tried to fight my villains in fisticuffs, I'd be laid out flat, and I'm definitely not climbing any mountains these days! Being sought out to be loved for who I am, not what I can DO (or if all I can do is, say, bake a nice pie and clean the floors of a single house) is the fairy-tale ending for me. I don't want to run a restaurant or a kingdom, but I would like the privilege to run a home. :(

[@hallieweis7655]

it’s so interesting how you approached these ideas from the perspective of the culture surrounding each film. i don’t really know why, but i wasn’t really expecting this video to have much focus on what was going on the world at the time of the films, but when i think about it it’s obvious that the changes in personality of the princesses reflect the changes in society, and if we’re approaching the more modern princesses through the lens of today, it’s only fair to approach the earlier princesses through the lens of their time. great work!

[@cannotthinkofausername6379]

One thing I think that is interesting to bring up is the impact that Howard Ashman had on The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. In both films we see the hero (Ariel and Belle) being 'othered' by their society by their love for something different, which reflects Ashman's own feelings as a gay man. Ariel facing her father who does not want her to be with a "human man" could be a reflection of how many gay men were disowned or had bad relationships with their parents due to their sexuality, causing many of them to run away in the hope of living their authentic life. Similarly, both Belle and the Beast are seen as monsters by the village who send a witch-hunt once their relationship is revealed, with the Beast hiding himself away and feeling ashamed of who he is. Many critics have already made these comparisons and acknowledged how much they are a reflection of Ashman's own struggles as a gay man living with AIDs in the 1980s, but I think it fascinating how once again marginalised groups are able to relate to each other's struggles and that's why Ariel and Belle are so popular to this day as everyone can relate to feeling like an outsider.

[@aimee5340]

turning red has been my most liked since tangled. i hope they do more in that vibe. and im still mad at disney for not paying amy adams even for a few years to be in the princess line-up. i still want a giselle barbie i couldn't get in 2008

[@charliefan9516]

THANK YOU FOR PUTTING HIGHLIGHT ON ARIELS ACTIONS. I hate when people say “she left her family for a man”.

[@adalineharbert2371]

I think that criticism is funny because, like, yeah that’s what happens when you fall in love and get married XD

[@cosmiccatzen]

Um, no, I didn’t up & leave my family for a man when I got married. That indicates that a woman goes from her family to a man. It’s not normal to think that’s what happens when you get married. I was an adult living in my own place as all healthy young adults should and my relationship with my family wasn’t altered by my marriage…. Do you see how you automatically assume that a girl living at home ( a child) should be handed over to a man as though there is no need to live your own life. Such a sexist statement.

[@polevaultgirl33]

Dang, the Bronze Age movies have some of my favorite films: The Rescuers, The Great Mouse Detective, The Black Cauldron, Oliver and Company!

[@tritaoph]

1hour video, thats heaven to me