The Perversion of the Disney Princess

[@trevorpearlharbor5171]

Ariel killing Ursula is awful for a secondary reason: in the original, King Triton is turned into a weird seaweed creature by Ursula and forced to watch Ursula battle Prince Eric, and during the struggle. The purpose for this was that it allowed King Triton to see just what Eric was willing to do to protect his daughter while slowly erasing Triton's pre-conceived notions about surface-dwellers, thus making Eric worthy of marrying his daughter. In the remake the scene is completely changed: King Triton is seemingly killed, Ariel kills Ursula, and Eric just fumbles about like an idiot for the entirety of the scene. Then Triton's trident is used to revive him. It dulls the ending where Ariel and Eric get married because by the logic of the film, Eric is a bumbling idiot who had to get saved by Ariel twice in that scene, which made him look like a complete weakling. Don't know about you, but the last person I'd leave my daughter with is someone who lacked to ability to protect my kid, to the point where she basically had to do it herself. The change in the scene also ruins Triton's development since he doesn't witness Eric protecting his daughter, and thus still harbors his hatred towards humans. So the one change to the scene ruins two characters in order to make Remake Ariel look better. Disney writers who tokenize female characters in this matter have no idea the level of damage they inflict on the characters they believe they shepherd. And it's like this with all their characters. Even the change to the Snow White song turn Snow White into a free-loader who orders around the very Dwarves that saved her life. It just sucks, man...

[@chasehedges6775]

The original animated Disney Princesses were characters. The live action Disney princesses are lifeless voids.

[@BrandonScott-mi5pz]

GREAT NERDWORD PERVERSION OF THE DISNEY'S PRINCESS 👸 DISASTER.

[@secondchance6603]

I find it rather ironic that the cartoon characters have more life and character in them than humans have who are portraying them in these movies.

[@Velereonics]

they were also like... women going after what they wanted and refusing to comply with the paths their cultures or the men who had power or custody of them prescribed. And they were not all white. Jasmine will NOT marry a rich wizard just because it's the politically expected choice. She will NOT be objectified. She says so herself. Arial's dad destroys her research materials so she transitions to another species to be with some guy she saved. Rapunzel will literally die to do whatever it is she is interested in that day. Mulan risks the death penalty to do reverse drag as a soldier so her stubborn, patriotically suicidal father will live. And then she risks it again immediately after being spared because of her stubborn, patriotically suicidal former commander. Pocahantas is the only rational person in the film. I guess like.. Bell? She's the only one who isnt a strong independent person, but her character is kinda paper thin as it is. She doesnt really have a goal besides leaving town which I suppose she does although I wouldnt consider a trip to the nearest IKEA to be a journey that would satisfy a virgo.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@Velereonics 💯

[@screwielewie]

I'd say they're political tools.

[@halohalo86]

The animated Mulan's "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" brought me so much inspiration as a young girl! And today I happen to be learning Chinese martial arts, and can really relate to her challenges, strengths and weaknesses as a woman in comparison to the guys.

[@jaredray7034]

As a boy, I enjoyed the song as well. I still remember the final stanzas perfectly. One lesson I took away from Mulan using the weights to climb the pole, is that sometimes brain is superior to brawn. Helped me out in more than one occasion. (I say sometimes because the fat guy ends up saving them with purebrawn later on.😂)

[@1simo93521]

Mulan is my daughters favourite princess. And I just realised reading your comment she's learned Chinese, martial arts and plans to join the military next year! 😮 She really did take a lot from that film.

[@halohalo86]

@@1simo93521 that’s amazing!! It really is movies like these that women need for inspiration and good female role models (instead the unrealistic modern Mary Sue girl boss)

[@trespasserswill7052]

Exactly and the same thing happened when my mother and millions of other girls saw the 'dated' Snow White. They grew up to help win WWll then went on to make America great. Destroying all that seems to be the whole idea.

[@jonnyboy4289]

Why did they change the ending to Disney's The Little Mermaid with Ariel defeating Ursula instead of Eric? It's very simple.....to make up for the critisim of Ariel being "another typical weak and helpless damsel in distress who does nothing but wait to be rescued" (despite her saving Flounder from a shark, killing Ursula's eels in the climax, and saving Prince Eric two times).

[@chasehedges6775]

THIS💯💯😊

[@finland4ever55]

Exactly. Ariel and Eric BOTH were in danger and they both did rescuing

[@chasehedges6775]

@@finland4ever55 Exactly💯. Ariel and Eric in the animated original had to save each other.

[@LadyNoriko]

I miss female characters being vulnerable, struggling, growing, flawed, feminine... This is why I don't watch western media anymore.

[@VALonYouTube]

"Zegler has done more damage to the film than I think any of us could have seen coming." I respectfully disagree. From West Side Story to Shazam! 2, she has a dismal track record of box office flops. Her r*cist posts on social media don't do her projects any favors either.

[@Attmay]

*Woke Side Story, aka Welcome to the Spielberg K.lled Sondheim Party*

[@StimParavane]

True Torah Jews Against Zionism

[@MamaMOB]

I think it's hilarious how she kept saying that representation matters for West side story when she is not Puerto Rican.

[@finland4ever55]

@@MamaMOB ironically the OG may have been more progressive than we think. Natalie Wood was Russian American. Slavs, especially Russians, are treated terribly and villainized in movies just like Latinos are. They could probably relate to a lot of things. And remember, this was in the 60s. They cast a Russian American in a lead heroic role in the 60s, when everyone thought Russian people were just "communist pigs" and "Ruskies".

[@craignedoff991]

The posts get her jobs, and she still gets millions even if the product is never released

[@jonnyboy4289]

I also want to bring up that the Disney Princesses tend to get criticized for being "typical damsels in distress who just wait to be rescued". But, in reality, it was the first 3 classic Disney Princesses who were the damsels in distress because they were passive in the films they starred in with little to nothing to do other than wait to be rescued. In comparison, the Disney Princesses since the Disney Renesance (1989-1999) were active and got to be heroes in the films they starred in. Ariel saves Flounder from a shark, saves Eric from drowning, saves Eric again from getting fried by Ursula (and inadverty kills Ursula's eels in the climax). Belle cleverly rejects Gaston and sends him to a muddy puddle, saves her father and the beast more than once, and breaks the spell in the end. Jasmine....ummmm....she chases away jerky princes with her pet tiger and detracts Jafar in the climax? (I'm sorry. But, I can't help but feel like she didn't do much in the movie. But, she was able to kick more butt in the TV show). Pocahantas saves John Smith and stops a war from happening. Mulan goes to war and ultimately saves China. Tiana fights off fishermen as a frog and defeats Dr. Facilier in the end (as a frog). Rapunzel beats up goons with her hair and frying pan. Merida is a badass who uses a bow and arrow and a sword. Anna and Elsa do their part to save each other and Arendelle. Moana restores the heart of Tahiti and saves the world. Rya is a badass action. Am I missing something? Am I wrong or am I right?

[@secondchance6603]

A recent survey found that six out of seven dwarfs aren't happy and one is grumpy with the way Disney's been heading.

[@jaredray7034]

I’m Sleepy with it all.

[@Attmay]

Because they've made one Dopey decision after another!

[@clarenceandgennymcneil251]

😂

[@talithakoum3922]

Your analysis of these characters is spot-on. I'm especially peeved about the changes Disney made to Mulan, because the original Mulan was such a great example of hard work and filial love, and Li Shang admired her strength of character long before he fancied her, or even knew she was a girl. I agree with your praise of the live-action _Cinderella_ , which feels like it was made by a completely different company and in a completely different era from the others. The gradual downfall of Disney can be visualized by two princess dresses: Lily James' ethereal blue gown versus Rachel Ziegler's garishly-colored Halloween costume. It's as if a century's worth of artistic decline has been crammed into ten years.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

I don't get it. What happened to Disney? Did writers suddenly forget how to write a compelling story all of the sudden? Are they all brainwashed by 3rd wave feminism now?

[@chasehedges6775]

What happened to Disney? The Answer is simple: They stopped caring about good storytelling and characters.

[@louradean9293]

Woke happened ​@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017

[@Attmay]

There were already multiple Disney versions of *Cinderella* before the Kenneth Branagh version. The one with Brandy was already a re-remake of the Rodgers & Hammerstein version that had already been done for TV twice with actresses who started their film careers at Disney. The Disney remake machine had been going on since at least the Eisner era. Bette Midler's first film for Touchstone was a remake of an old French movie. Then it ramped up in the 1990s with *The Jungle Book* and *101 Dalmatians.* And then *The Wonderful World of Disney* started cranking out cheesy stunt-cast remakes of other people's musicals.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@Attmay 💯. Exactly

[@ThePrincessCH]

I heard that the live action version of "Mulan" removed Shang because of the influence of a social movement.

[@chasehedges6775]

As a 2001 Gen Z guy who grew with Older Disney films back in the mid 2000s and Ealry to mid 2010s , watching it fall in the 2020s is somewhat depressing and cathartic.

[@blockmasterscott]

'Yeah, my daughter was born in 1993 and grew up with Disney princesses, and was a diehard Disney fanatic, and she turned her back on Disney to the extent that her 4 year old daughter knows nothing about Disney at all. Never in my life would I imagine a mom shielding her kids from Disney.'

[@woodwyrm]

@@blockmasterscott sweet pete!

[@Attmay]

@@blockmasterscott I have a nephew whose birthday is coming up. Not once has the D word been mentioned in discussing what kind of presents to get him.

[@Hollyucinogen]

The last Disney movie that I liked was "Lilo And Stitch" in 2002.

[@chasehedges6775]

@@Hollyucinogen For me, the last good Disney films were Zootopia and Moana back in 2016 and Encanto in 2021.

[@emmanueldaniel4447]

An honourable mention of a kind princess would be the Enchanted, which embraces everything a Disney princess can be, maybe a bit naive in the beginning but or going through trials but persevering through

[@theflyinghandofloob2062]

Stories nowadays have become way too focused on “being meta” or “breaking the mold”. It’s especially prevalent within Hollywood but I’ve seen it all over the place, like in indie games or smutty romance novels with reviews raving about how the female lead is “nothing like your average fairytale princess, she’s a strong independent woman” even though said strong independent woman does nothing but fawn over a man for the duration the story. People are afraid to be honest in their stories because story elements like “the power of true love” are frequently satirized tropes. Which has lead to the current humor in Marvel movies and the sudden backlash against fairytale princesses. But the reason why the power of friendship and true love are such enduring tropes is because there is truth to them. To live a life devoid of compassion and companionship is to suffer, no matter how much money and power you have. An overplayed moral sure, but a very good one. There is a reason these lessons are as old as time.

[@Nomoredrama2000]

What bothers me the most about these retconned female characters in both Disney and other famous IPs, is that these girls are just... MEAN. There's no kindness, no empathy and no deep compassion for the other characters, especially the main male ones. What these writers don't seem to understand is that kindness, friendship and willing to do the right thing for others are extremely strong, likeable attributes to these characters. Being a girl boss and standing up to sexism is good, but it shouldn't be the only attributes to all these Disney princesses. It not only makes them boring, but also annoying and unlikable.

[@Modelmagus]

Being kind, whether you're male or female, will open doors for you. Being mean closes those doors.

[@haroldb1856]

This is the influence of feminism.

[@F-Zero-yf3bh]

That's what many feminists want unfortunately. They want a mean woman that will take no to any man while bashing men around.

[@Attmay]

@@haroldb1856blame Walt for ever bothering with the tedious scribblings of that self-hating Australian woman. Imagine if all the time he spent procuring the movie rights to her books was spent on making EPCOT the way he wanted to. Then we could have nipped our current housing crisis in the bud.

[@Nyet-Zdyes]

If they actually bring back the romance, they will be less beans... because... Miss Andry controls Disney.

[@littlebilly8747]

To Disney, a “strong” character never has anything bad happen to them. They never struggle or get bested in a fight. They can’t show a speck of weakness because that would go against the modern trend for these characters: a showcase of a weird power fantasy, not a compelling narrative

[@rogwar95]

She don’t need no man…or audience apparently

[@suzygirl1843]

That line has been exhausted, please retire it. Nobody cares

[@shirw]

I thought it was funny 😄

[@rogwar95]

@@suzygirl1843 the line will naturally be retired when there is no longer an opportunity to use it.

[@diamondrarakotomahefa4328]

@@suzygirl1843 oh a pathetic woke

[@dapperfan44]

​​@@suzygirl1843 nobody cares about you not caring.

[@MoviesMusic-sb2dp]

They ruined Belle & the Beast for me big time in the "modern remake". In the original cartoon, the Beast "gifts" Belle the library, because he finds out she likes reading, and they end up cuddled together reading, with her teaching him, because he can't read, super romantic. In the remake he brags about how rich he is with his library full of "worthy books" and that she's a fool for liking particular stories, including shots of him rolling his eyes at her... :S horrible. And somehow in the end they love each other???? Wuuut? Romance is dead in Hollywood.

[@tubejaca]

This is a great challenge. You speak a lot of very wise words

[@shirw]

One of the strangest examples I've seen of this is when Disney was about to open the Tiana ride, and a disney lady said how Tiana is a good role model because she's a working girl. But the movie is about her learning there's more to life than work; that love and friendships have value. I mean, do they even watch their own movies? Weird, weird!

[@MamaMOB]

Also working girl does not mean what she thinks it means.

[@1simo93521]

@@MamaMOB lol!

[@LilacSreya]

The lady was explaining a specific reason why Tiana is a good role model - her working; what does love and friendship have to do with this? Valuing love and friendship as a role model could be said for a different character.

[@ggt47]

Yes,they try so hard to make modern and empowering while completely forgetting what made them the characters and loveable in the first place.

[@Attmay]

Entitlement disguised as empowerment.

[@Leamichellefan2244]

Snow White is going to fail and I’m here for it.

[@StimParavane]

And gr00ming...

[@MamaMOB]

They also forget that their lovable characteristics is what made them powerful to begin with. Every single Disney princess was powerful in her own right. Because of her feminine traits. Not because she was a girl boss who acted like some jerk man.

[@Remember_the_Time]

​@@MamaMOB Loved the way you said this. Modern Disney is missing nuance to their characters. A character can be strong and also be vulnerable when needed.

[@Njabs31]

There is no virtue that begins with the pursuit of power

[@suzygirl1843]

Respectfully, let's revisit this conversation when White people in America become an overwhelming minority in USA in 50 years time - I am not talking about white passing biracials, Arabs and Latinos claiming to be white on paper because as soon as whites are a minority they will change their race and behavior too. I mean when white people (as a genetic ethnic group from Europe) either emigrate out of USA and physically the demographics are depleted, and black & brown become the majority just like South Africa. I am actually GLAD that America is getting rid of DEI because then Africans won't have to enforce keep DEI (White Token people) in their own country. South Africa is 86% African and only 8% whites live there therefore 90% of entertainment is geared to African people in African languages and whites are frustrated because they can't get movie or modelling roles or voted into office because the demand in the market is African people orientated (lots of times due to whites not being seen as a part of the nation - they're viewed as settlers or tourists). They cannot integrate into systems they built and are made to feel insignificant. Watch them revisit this DEI stuff again in USA when they're taken out of the voting block with people voting to see their own kind

[@shirw]

I love that!

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

Thats bullocks

[@abimifoluwamark5566]

How​@@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman

[@chasehedges6775]

Mulan 1998 is still a Disney masterpiece.

[@lukejohnston4666]

Ikr

[@johnm5131]

the whole "girlboss" thing is off-putting...mostly because I work with lots of -real- female bosses and they are nothing like these obnoxious, arrogant prats that act like bosses, without any real acheivements. Zegler lacks any sort of likable character. But I suppose to other 12 Y/o self-centered kids, she'd be a hero. What made Carrie Fischer so amazing is that her hardness seemed earned, and not an affectation. I'd want my daughter to be like her!

[@richtes]

There were plenty of women director or higher I worked with that were fine. But they’re older now. Is the problem the young women out of college? What I see of them is pretty insufferable

[@Nyet-Zdyes]

@@richtes I strongly suspect that they all had a few courses in Women's Studies as part of their degree program.

[@finland4ever55]

Love that you mentioned Carrie, because women loved and still love Leia BECAUSE while she was sarcastic and moody, she knew she couldn't always get out of a bad situation herself. She was well written. She was strong but still feminine. She still got to fall in love. She wasn't portrayed as some invincible woman goddess who will kill you for even looking at her. She liked wearing dresses, sometimes she saved herself, other times she needed help.

[@jojo22777]

lol wow just say you hate powerful women and go. being “nice” and being kind aren’t the same thing - there is kindness in setting boundaries and having clear communication. women don’t have to be “nice” and smile all the time to be good people, sheesh. the misogyny is screaming all over these comments, yikes

[@richtes]

@@jojo22777 Huh? Zegler isn’t a powerful woman, she an arrogant brat. If you like the new Snow White girl bossing the dwarfs great, but it’s nothing like the gratitude the original had. I had little use for plenty of male managers too.

[@Goldenspiderducck]

Leadership should be viewed as a service position. Power desired for the sake of power is the trait of a villain. A tyrant. Viewing the lust for power as a virtue in modern storytelling is troubling, to say the least. We should hope this effort fails. Because if it doesn’t…the generation turned out raised on that belief is to be feared, indeed.

[@mistie710]

The only question I have is why Disney insisted on making live action versions in the first place. There was nothing wrong with the animations and if it ain't broke, don't fix it! If it was only for money then Disney deserves everything it lost.

[@tratzum]

Insert Mr Krabs meme. "Money"

[@Zalmoksis44]

Extending rights to the IPs, I think.

[@ThePrincessCH]

I'd attribute it to a fair amount of it as a reaction to the criticisms of Disney films that have existed long before they started modernizing.

[@InfamyOrDeath-__-]

Brilliant video, agree with every single point you made. It’s just so sad seeing these wonderful stories destroyed for the “modern audience”.

[@jaredray7034]

One of the most colossal failures of modern Disney remakes is the example it sets for young boys. It’s one thing to provide strong examples for girls to follow, but the example being set for the boys in modern Disney movies is nothing short of appalling The example being set for young boys is apparently to vapidly stand on the sidelines and become the damsel in distress. Nod along silently and support everything that the female main character does, regardless of merit. The example set by Peter Pan in the Wendy movie is even worse. Narcissistic to the extreme, but getting passively slapped around by a woman. That’s practically open advocacy for domestic violence. That is not OK.

[@suzygirl1843]

Here, I am in agreement with you but I don't necessarily think its bad to change characters sometimes. Americans have lost the art of media literacy. A black Ariel doesn't take away from white audiences, in fact, Zendaya was in talks to star before Halle Bailey was ever mentioned and people were okay with that casting, there was even fan-art. What's the difference between Halle bailey and Zendaya when Zendaya has taken more white roles and accepted by mainstream media and Halle Bailey only took one?

[@jaredray7034]

@@suzygirl1843I don’t see a problem with that. Not really the point I was making anyway. Boys need good male role models just as much as girls need good female ones. Hollywood has in the last decade deeply neglected male role models. I’d be a lot more OK with the “girl boss“ portrayal of modern heroines, if their male sidekicks weren’t always bumbling buffoons, made the butt of every joke, and with no competency or redeeming features. Or worse…. The villain of the story.

[@talithakoum3922]

@@jaredray7034 What they did to the characters of Peter and Wendy is criminal. He's supposed to be brave and she's supposed to be kind. I wouldn't even know who the characters in the remake were supposed to be if they didn't have the names.

[@talithakoum3922]

@@suzygirl1843 That has nothing to do with the point OP was making. Please refrain from moving the goalposts.

[@F-Zero-yf3bh]

Agree that is something many people omit with disney movies. Unfortunately I knew this was going this way when they went with the "The force is female" message and how they'll catering to the female audience. But you're right many times men/boys are mostly punching bags but it's apparently funny when it happens to them. Switch it around and suddenly it's a problem.

[@HellsFallenAngel1]

Do you think if disney remade Mulan again... that Mulan's journey would be realizing she was a man all along?

[@peterroe2993]

China wouldn't let that happen

[@richtes]

That would so appeal to the modern audience

[@infjelphabasupporter8416]

Oh please no

[@VersieKilgannon]

One thing I haven't seen enough people mention is the diversity quota skin color swapping of some of the Disney princesses. Instead of coming up with original Disney princesses inspired by stories from cultures outside of Europe, they've lazed off and merely slapped a different skin color onto pre-established princesses. It actually cheapens the movement and robs newer generations of seeing their own cultures' stories told. Pocahontas, Jasmine, and Mulan are fantastic Disney princesses because at least their stories were unique to them and they weren't just stealing from the European stories and given a modern morality seal of approval. I'm genuinely surprised that more POCs aren't demanding Disney stop being lazily pandering and give them interesting retellings based on their own cultures...

[@adityajoshi370]

You know ypuve gone wrong when the evil wizard queen Gal Gadot, is more beautiful than snow white.

[@woodrowgodshyne1654]

We saw Lion King (original) twice before it was released in theaters. Same with Ed Wood and Pulp Fiction. Knowing folks that worked at the cinema around the corner, working at a laser tag joint, and understanding the barter system is a beautiful thing.

[@gueditoguey]

Wait until you hear how they plan to destroy Sleeping Beauty.

[@JudgeDunfeeTheParkitecter]

I thought they already ruined it with Maleficent.

[@denniszaychik8625]

I would rather say postmodernism instead of modernity,but other than that your statement is absolutely correct.

[@via-anghelmagahum2586]

The only live action remake that truly did a great job was Cinderella 2015! Lily James looked like her character and captured her kindness endurance and generosity and empathy! They gave the film modern updates and changes while staying true to the original story and message To a lesser degree Aurora by Elle Fanning was good as well. Belle was alright but Emma Watson cannot sing and her yellow dress left much to be desired. Mulan - they took away all her agency and resourcefulness and how she worked hard to earn respect and become a good warrior in favor of giving her magic powers and the men give into her so easily Snow White - Rachel has been in too many scandals due to how political she is and has openly or subtly bashed the original movie, acted entitled, and the changes they have made take away from Snow White

[@salvatoreocello]

2:14 it didn’t last

[@jamesporter9488]

I think the reason why they’re removing the love story from their live action renditions of the characters is because they think they send the message that being in a relationship with a man is the ONLY thing that can make a woman feel complete. They seem to think that that’s the only fate for a woman that pop culture of years past has ever pushed, and so they want to counter that. They try to push the message that a woman can be just as happy, if not more so, without a romantic relationship with a man… unless the romantic lead character is another person of the same gender, maybe. Given the climate of modern pop culture, such a relationship would probably be portrayed as the ultimate romantic relationship.

[@edwinmaki6817]

I'm noticing comments about people saying "I was born on so-and-so year, so I grew up with these movies." And it's like.... I'm trying to work this out here, are you saying there's a whole generation WHO HASNT?! The thought terrifies me that there are kids who don't watch movies or listen to music from before their own time. What a waste.

[@richtes]

My daughters are 20 and grew up with the DVD’s. Maybe saw Frozen in theater but none of the remakes.

[@MamaMOB]

My 19yo son hasn't seen almost any of the Disney movies. No VCR and I wasn't spending more rebuying them.

[@macmcleod1188]

There's too much content. I'm old and just getting to shows like M Squad ( just one episode of which starred Lee Marvin, James Coburn, *and* Leonard Nimoy).

[@Trentz2]

Thanks for pointing it out. Younger generation doesn’t want to see older classics because they find it difficult, because HD is the norm. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@clarenceandgennymcneil251]

To be fair, a lot of the Disney Classics were EXPENSIVE on DVD

[@chasehedges6775]

Disney is a fallen brand.

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

They didn't fall, they jumped.

[@chasehedges6775]

⁠The jumped, reached too close to the sun and FELL HARD!

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​@@chasehedges6775 nah they jumped right in the sun

[@chasehedges6775]

@@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman That too.

[@gishjalmr5628]

One of the reasons modern versions of these Disney fairy tales do not work is they lack the moral story. It's hard for an immoral person, the current Disney writer, to even comprehend the meaning of a moral story.

[@suzygirl1843]

Lack of moral story? Are you an idiot?

[@Attmay]

Boomers normalized this.

[@clarenceandgennymcneil251]

Unfortunately true😢

[@mazkeraid4039]

I, as Zoomer, even seen the problem.

[@casualcausalityy]

"True love? Ewww." - Disney

[@rthompson2783]

All of this is by design. Disney has embarked on a strategy to remake the image of the Disney Princess into the Disney Heroine. They want young girls, the younger the better, to change their aspirations and how they see themselves. True love and romance are out. These traits reflect a subordinate and submissive relationship to men. Not being "saved by the prince" is promoted as a selling point for a movie. It is something to celebrate. Not focusing on a "love story" is "really, really wonderful," and male roles are so unimportant that they can be potentially stricken from a movie altogether. Disney has adopted the philosophy that women only achieve their true potential when they out-compete men in male venues. Snow White's story is not about her finding love but about finding her "true self." It is distilled narcissism. At its core, Disney is driven by the idea that women are held back and held down if they are in a relationship that does not prioritize them. That includes not only male love interests but also children. These roles are domestic, and to be domestic is to be oppressed. After all, who respects maids, nannies, or cooks? Certainly no self-respecting modern woman. Disney does not want impressionable young girls to fall into the trap of being in a relationship that (as they see it) does not make them the most important person in their lives. So, the Disney Heroine is strong, independent, and a leader. Otherwise, in Disney's eyes, she is nothing.

[@vixxexo6855]

Honestly there is no need for romance in movies for kids. That part however should have been replaced by friendship or family instead of being selfish. But no need for romance in kids movies, so it is a good thing the new movies don’t focus on romance. But they could have focused more on Snowhite’s friendship with the dwarves instead of making Snowhite a warrior in the live action.

[@jaredray7034]

It is a great disservice to girls in need of proper female role models. A greater sin that Disney has committed however, is that against the boys. They offer no good male role models for boys. All the male sidekicks (there are no male main characters in these stories) stand vapidly to the side and nod along at everything the heroine does, regardless of merit. The boys are expected to be submissive, bumbling buffoons that are the butt of every joke. Worse in someways, they are the subject of abusive violence by female leads (I’m looking at you, Wendy!). This demotion of male characters into a subservient role is just as dangerous as relegating all women to the role of Damsel in distress.

[@talithakoum3922]

@@vixxexo6855 One vital function fairytales serve is portraying romance in a kid-friendly way. I think Disney took this too far in the 90s but the concept is good. Making family or friendship the focus in this genre gives us lame feminist stuff like Brave or Frozen.

[@daniapfel2825]

​@@talithakoum3922 What is wrong with you ? Why you are opiniated ?! Frozen is one of best movies of all time and Brave got lot of praise despite its flaws

[@rthompson2783]

@@vixxexo6855 Disney makes children's movies with content that targets mature audiences. Bluey is a kid's show. Teletubbies is a kid's show. Bambi and Lion King are not. These films have enough flash, cuteness, and energy to distract and entertain young children, but the actual story isn't for them. Nearly from the company's inception, Disney movies have covered mature themes such as death, depression, bullying, abandonment, imprisonment, ostracizing, treachery, betrayal, domestic abuse, cruelty, and murder, among others. They've conveyed positive messages as well, such as friendship, belonging, courage, coming of age, stepping up in the face of adversity, perseverance, compassion, self-sacrifice, and, yes, falling in love. These themes, including romance, are universal across all cultures, transcending time and place. Even "childish" cartoons like _The Amazing World of Gumball_ rely on these tropes. Romance is a two-way street--the lead characters fall in love together. It is a journey where each person learns to appreciate, value, and prioritize the other. What has changed with Disney (and Hollywood generally) is that approach is no longer in vogue. Instead, it is about an inner journey of self-discovery, and men are presented as obstacles. Romance is about loving others in a mutually supportive way. Disney wants girls to love themselves over everyone else.

[@NukeOTron]

That reminds me, I ended up buying the Disney Princess Stories DVDs. (...not to be confused with Enchanted Tales, or Jasmine's Enchanted Tales, and who-knows-what-else.) Pretty much, they were perfectly good excuses to put episodes of The Little Mermaid TV show and Aladdin: The Series on DVD, and some cheaply-made in-betweener stories by reusing footage from the Disney sequels and Snow White. That being said, the TV shows aged better than I expected. Even those shows handled empowerment better, and there were only two TV shows featuring Disney Princesses at the time.

[@WmJFaust]

An excellent commentary and qualified insights.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

Why oh why can't Disney hire you as a consultant?

[@zsolt2008]

She couldn't say anything they would want to hear.

[@Nyet-Zdyes]

Would you want YOUR name attached to a modern Disney product as a plot consultant?

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

She'd just be face

[@bengonzales1182]

Of course they would call a normal love story "weird."

[@theflyingdropbear2009]

The problem is, Disney is depicting these characters without weaknesses, all that does is make these character uninteresting and unrelatable. Just wish Disney can accept the fact that women have weaknesses too.

[@sachinraghavan4556]

Mulan is literally the only, only recent Hollywood movie that I agree was poor, in the context of ones with forced female protagonists. It also had nothing to do with her powers and everything to do with bland characterization, unfaithful, and forced illogical, out of character decisions.

[@tratzum]

The Cinderella remake was great. The only remake that was a true to story remake.

[@F-Zero-yf3bh]

Yeah Cinderella at least added the prince was as well dealing with problems.

[@HyJyncks]

The IDEA of what the post-modern live action disney movies are trying to push is not inherently bad. "There's nothing wrong with you" is not a bad thing to say. But I think the sentiment should be completed with "There's nothing wrong with you, don't be afraid to fail along the way as you improve yourself." They forget just because they have one good personality trait doesn't mean everything is good. It doesn't mean you have everything together. One should ALWAYS strive for self-improvement. But they try to make the Mary-Sue argument of "Oh they just didn't see how perfect you were. Which is hilarious because that's the same plot as 00's movies where girls get a make-over and suddenly guys fall for them. Now they just cut that part out. I mean the make-over AND guys falling for them, because there's no plot or romance, just a sequence of events. It's okay to want to strive for love. It's okay to want to break the mold and do something different. But saying that's the plot while they've actually been perfect all along is plain boring. "Having the power within you all along" should be the catalyst not a resolution. It doesn't mean physical power, it means the power to change things the way you need or want them to be. Stories are the journey, but now they only plan for the destination.

[@Attmay]

They support the TQ+ cult so they are saying "you are bad and you need to change."

[@muffineck9890]

and the race swapping of characters is complete bullshit and is ONLY allowed to go in 1 direction.

[@F-Zero-yf3bh]

What annoys me is that when they race swap they'll make terrible excuses into why they changed it but if it's in another part the world besides Europe they'll keep it authentic as possible.

[@clarenceandgennymcneil251]

There’s a plethora of stories and mythology from other cultures that I don’t even know. Disney could use those stories. That’s how Mulan and Aladdin started. Or create new stories based of different cultures like with Encanto Also a Princess’s race shouldn’t stop little girls from liking her❤

[@finland4ever55]

@@F-Zero-yf3bh And also a lot of European cultures have had their rights violated and have been hated in America. German people were hated in WW1 and WW2 and many people don't realize that Germans also were interned. Italians were hated pretty consistently until maybe the 70s. When Italians first immigrated they were demonized (along with the Irish, Spaniards, and Greeks) in very similar ways to black people and were actually attacked in the 20s. Italians also got jailed in WW2 initially, and while after the war many people loved Italy, some people changed their anti-Italian motivations from fascism to communism (communism was for a while becming more popular in Italy after the war). Slavs have been hated on from immigration to Ukrainian and Hungarians being hated in WW1, to the communist frenzy, to the modern day where people still can't shake off those old views. So yeah that makes this race swapping worse.

[@heyitsqueso3008]

The fact that the animated versions had more life in them than the live action movies speaks volumes about the artists and vocal actors efforts and passion for these projects. ❤

[@Pglarsen]

Thank you for the update. I haven’t watched Disney since 2007

[@sterlingjones1187]

First off NerdWord, awesome breakdown once again. Honestly, you covered everything of the perverted version of the Disney Princess and the damage this trope has caused. The only thing I would add to this discussion this: the reason why Ellen Ripley, Sarah Conner (and others) continue to be held in high regard in my book is for the simple fact that they were human. You saw them at their high...you saw them at their low. They weren't a "girl-boss". They weren't perfect and things didn't come to them magically. Also, the actresses that played these roles didn't insult the movie-goers/fans, which helped as well. This perversion that Disney unleashed has one (and ONLY one) positive: by serving as a "Beware, Danger!" sign to all future talented creators/storytellers/directors of what will happen if they go down this route. Have a good night. 😉

[@BrandonScott-mi5pz]

EXCELLENT NERDWORD WORK. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@shirw]

Exactly right- a good story makes connections on a human level. Funny enough, even if they aren't human. I can connect more with Wall-e's struggles than a magical Mulan!

[@finland4ever55]

Exactly. I make original characters, both for original works and fandoms especially Disney, and I make different types of girls. Some are girly damsels, some are tomboys, some are both, some are generally strong but still do need help or rescuing. Because that's real life. "Woman" isn't a "danger-free" label that magically keeps you safe. You can be tomboyish but can't change the fact that you have boobs and a pussy, and radfems really hate that.

[@Rachet87-yp7qq]

Disagree about Jasmine I feel the remake was actually an improvement on the original who ended up the damsel in distress and her story arc felt underdeveloped and not that interesting. The song does fit her character she also felt more relatable. She wasn't butchered like remake Ariel and her movie was remained faithful to the source material. Im also not a fan of Cinderella character in live action they made her more of an annoying passive doormat

[@whatsup401]

This video well thought out, I especially like how you pointed out these movies are love stories and essential to the story

[@IAmTrash1995]

Live action was promised to be just like what was on screen in the animated. They have failed to live up to that promise.

[@1simo93521]

The removal of heterosexual relationships is a massive problem.

[@macmcleod1188]

Yup. Since they are about 93 to 96% of the customers. They don't have to hate it to simply not be interested in spending time and money on it.

[@ThePrincessCH]

That might be due to the backlash of Disney Channel cutting "The Owl House" short.

[@victorcates9330]

1) Ziegler also brought in Palestine. I think there was a Disney related tweet (thanking people for watching the trailer) and then a follow up of "and free palestine" or something. She should have a) kept her mouth shut b) delivered a more thoughtful tweet with some substance to avoid the view that she's a mindless brat (as "free palestine" is a piety with a bumper sticker level of sophistication) or b) not accidentally related her personal tweet to disney. I can defend Ziegler for the Snow White stuff. It's moderately likely that she had been given talking points. I could defend her on the Palestine issue. But demonstrating something is a matter of conscience can be done well. She's the not-very-likeable face of weird Disney instincts. But she's young. My ire with her is limited. I was young once and silly. I'm not going to write her name down to boycott any production associated with her. If she demonstrated a little humility, I'd put her in on my nice list. 2) Plots about leadership or having careers would presumably appeal to corporate feminism ("you too can live in service to the machine"). But what if the point of life isn't the accrual of power and it's hard to develop a level of wisdom necessary to be a superlative leader, or the skill to be a superb fighter or whatever? If corporate femme bossery doesn't make you happy and is difficult to achieve (for non-prodigies), then it could be holding up a yardstick by which to feel inferior, which could be decoupled from the conditions of human happiness. A lot of women are in therapy and I think a common thread is perfectionism. Seeing someone immediately perfect doesn't provide anything to emulate and might contribute to a benchmark by which you'd fail. I don't know. I know remarkably little. But I would find it likely that it you had a figure of a wise male king, there would be decent odds that you'd be looking at someone who's aged. If men are given permission to take 50 years to accumulate experience necessary to become leaders, then a portrait of 20-year-olds becoming leaders seems... a little cruel. (I ran a couple images searches on my default search engine. Looking for a "wise person" seems to mostly return dudes who look like gandalf (or are gandalf). Doing a search on 'wise woman' did skew towards elderly women.) 3) As a dude I don't tend to feel demeaned by a desire for romance. One of my favorite films as a kid was 'Last of the Mohicans'. The empowered male character isn't compromised by romance.

[@suzygirl1843]

Palestine is being bombed. Have people forgot that USA was directly involved in the boycotting of Oppressive regimes in the 40's and 60's? Todays generation who forgets this is un-American and truly shows how the West has devolved. It's a good thing that the birthrates are declining, you lack any character and ethics

[@peterroe2993]

4:35 you guys see that guy wall-running then trip over and fall towards the wall? Can someone who understands physics explain that one to me?

[@ladylandlubber499]

You get two choices for female characters these days.... Adorkable or girlboss.... it's exhausting and entirely unrelatable...

[@JudgeDunfeeTheParkitecter]

Adorkable.

[@ArmyJay]

I don’t reckon Ziegler was saying anything she hadn’t been told to say. It’s par for the course now that actors are given talking points which they recite ad nauseam, on red carpets and pressers. Also, she didn’t turn Snow White into an insufferable girl boss it’s the writers and director whom are responsible for those changes to the character and story. That said, She didn’t exactly do herself any favours with the way she went about it all : “Weird, weird” and the like. But i blame her less than Disney itself.

[@daboz8753]

Well if she had an iota of self respect she just wouldn’t have said those things…she’s not a puppet with Disneys hand up her @ss…unless she chooses to be. Besides the fact I find it hard to believe anyone could fake being that narcissistic

[@DolphinWithIgloo-fg3ow]

The original Grimm story was more of a horror story. The 1939 version was watered down for the senses. The upcoming release is just another transformation. If it ain't the original, it's just another Sting remix.

[@angelacamack1699]

Nailed it! I have been a feminist my whole adult life, but the 'girl boss' thing gets on my nerves. Not every woman is a leader. Not every MAN is a leader. The new Disney princesses show no growth and development. In the attempt to change them, it's forgotten that strength doesn't mean you can't be compassionate and empathetic. Even in 2024 it's OK to want to find a soulmate for a happy ending. Instead of ruining the wonderful animated films of the past, Disney should actually try to think of something new.

[@Hedgie3]

This Girl-boss stuff has become an insufferable trash idea, so no studio (especially Disney) should be allowed to continue letting it be in future movies. It makes the female characters look like they can get away with doing anything and be praised by other characters instead of punished by them if any of those things were things that the female characters shouldn't have done in the story plot! like for example that Wreck it Ralph 2018 sequel that showed Vanelope as an insefferable selfish girl-bossy bratt who got praised for "Going Turbo" at the end, by game jumping when in the first movie there was a strong establshed rule that any character in their world was NOT supposed to do that especially because of the consequences that game jumping could easily cause! Yeah, greenlighting that Mufasa movie was a wrong idea by Disney, and they made their chances of it making a lot of money at the box office this year be even lower by refusing to delay the release date of it. They are still planning to release it on the same day as the movie that a multitude of people worldwide are very impressed with the first trailer of, and is suspected by many people on social media to possibly become THE MOVIE OF THE YEAR! (the Sonic Adventure 2 inspired Sonic 3 movie with Jim Carrey returning to play the roles of both Eggman and Gerald Robotnik, and Keanu Reeves cast in as the VA of Movie Shadow)

[@Sacto1654]

Unfortunately, these movies mostly failed because they were all made under former Disney VP LaTondra Newton’s _Reimagine Tomorrow_ DEI initiative inside the Walt Disney Company. I believe that the live-action _Beauty and the Beast_ was made before this initiative, hence the reason why that movie made US$1.2 billion in box office revenue.

[@RoseBaggins]

While that may be, the beginnings of it was there. They messed with the characters in that as well. Belle, for one, isn't as kind as she was in the cartoon, she, well, she's basically Hermione 2.0.

[@metronome8471]

Timeless vs modern.

[@paulbenthin8946]

5:20 modernism is the opioid of Hollywood

[@gioiacolli3407]

I agree. It's both sad and somewhat offensive that physical strenght is considered the only way to write a strong and memorable character, when it's painfully obviuos it isn't. I can't help but feel frustrated when, according to the writers, the only way to achieve victory and happiness is by being a woman physically strong and flawless all the time. Nobody is.

[@craignedoff991]

With each Dei-sney production, the Rat Kingdom throws another cup of poison into our communal well. Hold yourself better than to fall weak and accept that

[@WakenAngels]

whats your opinion on 'enemies to lovers' where the prince isn't evil but just ideologically different from the princess, and they both end up falling in love and broadening their worldview through shared hardship [over, say a trilogy]?

[@talithakoum3922]

@@WakenAngels That sounds fun!

[@megsley]

then it's not really enemies, is it? a difference of opinion doesn't scream enemies to me.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*_"It's Hollywood, baby."_* 🙄

[@Nyet-Zdyes]

And her attitude is *their* attitude. She's exactly what they want... Even if they don't want her to actually say it... yet.

[@etherealbladerx8153]

What about belle? 2018? I like that movie it was ok 😊

[@Ohmanwhyyourfeelingshurt]

Disney has always shown broken families. Especially in the animated films except one. The one they ironically don't want to remake. The Princess and the Frog.

[@Trentz2]

I have a question, every movie advocates show to be leader, boss, CEO….then who will be the team? Being a leader is not a status symbol or a badge to brag about. It’s responsibility. A true test of character, to not just rise above, but have mental strength to persevere and have clarity of mind to see things ahead of the rest . The fame is by product.

[@Leamichellefan2244]

And now according to Rachel, they’ve changed Snow White origin story so her name has nothing to do with her skin color according to Rachel Snow White got her name because she survived a snowstorm as an infant.

[@MamaMOB]

And that's just dumb.

[@Leamichellefan2244]

@@MamaMOB I agree with you. It’s incredibly stupid. It is incredibly stupid and also another reason why people are gonna take one look at this thing and run the other way.

[@vetarlittorf1807]

Why would anyone name their child after something that almost killed it? Honestly, is it too hard to just hire a German or a German-American actress for the role?

[@AdLockhorst-bf8pz]

Here in the Netherlands we have three actual princesses. Unlike Disney princesses; - their parents are alive - they are highly educated from a young age - they are fluent in several languages - they don't break into song randomly and the oldest has a gun permit so 🤔 ...

[@lukejohnston4666]

You must be referring to the House of Orange Nassau am I right?

[@MoonBunnyLovers]

I'd have more respect for Disney if they gender swapped the characters. Princess Charming and Prince Manderella. they would still make it a steaming pile of racoon vomit... but at least it would show SOME kind of balls

[@suzygirl1843]

That was the next phase of their plans.

[@jurgenschmidt2759]

For me what they are doing is proselytizing with a sledgehammer. They "KNOW" they are right and others have to be converted by force. And that leaves no room for story or characters.

[@MrProy33]

We have Disney+ because of the classics. I made a playlist of everything from before 1966, the year Walt passed, and it's been a great watchlist for the family. We ignore DisneyCorp products, even Star Wars and Marvel, because they are garbage fires. I constantly tbink about what influences my child gets exposed to, and I don't want her watching lazy, banal, and uninspired content that teaches her to appreciate mediocity.

[@cloiacano369]

There was actually a comical version of Snow White, the name of which eludes me, wherein both the Prince and Snow White were headstrong, but not in the modern way of storytelling. Well worth watching.

[@jessicapinto3817]

I haven0t seen the Ariel live-action yet, so I wonder if anyone here knows. The killing of Ursula by Eric made sense because while he was under the spell he was losing her. By saving her this way, he would rescue her which is why Triton grants her her legs to be wtih a man that Ariel has earned and vice versa, also showing how people aren't all bad and she seemed to pick the right one, again, placing trust in both of them. Does the live-action have this same deep sentiment and connection? I will watch it so maybe i'll come back to answer my own question 😄

[@Benito722]

😮

[@Kivrus]

Imo Aladdin Princess was fine in the movie

[@unbiasedcobra6672]

They stuffed up snow white as soon as they made the witch prettier. In what universe is zegler the fairest of them all? Gal Gadot is way hotter.

[@HarryPrimate]

All of these girl boss movies should end with the heroine living alone and childless in a castle, or mansion, full of cats.

[@subinhahnofficial]

❤

[@csillaszabo9458]

Feminists: unpaid and underpaid labor, mostly women are doing, causing a huge inequality, we must appreciate these works and compensate fairly. Disney: Let's make women men too, so we don't have to show on screen that someone is getting paid for domestic labour.

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

Is there some type of competition who can put the quietest videos on youtube now? If so, I nominate this one for grand prize.

[@chasehedges6775]

It gets a 10/10

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

You can't hear it?

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 I had to use earbuds and a sound booster to barely hear it. That's not true on most other peoples videos, It was a lot of effort to hear what she had to say,

[@Katetengen]

@@TheRadioAteMyTVI think that’s a personal issue because my phone volume is at one of the lowest settings and I can hear just fine while multitasking

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

@@Katetengen That's why I made the point of saying other videos on other channels are nowhere close to this. Some people just release terribly quiet videos and it's almost impossible, and sometimes is impossible to hear them. It would be helpful if youtube had a sound meter to show us all where our levels are before we upload them,, but I don't think that feature exists yet.

[@seylinyajoss3825]

mulan was my one of favourite disney movies. they destroyed it in the live action movie.

[@VeraxMusic]

The main problem is that these creators are hijacking popular franchises as an entry point/vehicle to gain access to a built in huge audience. Compare that to, say, them making their own movie/show/video game, and using that to tell their story. Sure, it'll be a way smaller audience, but you and I would likely not feel so much hatred and disdain towards them. Because they didn't use "our" product for their agenda. That's the problem in a nutshell. You're using fan favorite IPs to prove a point, not tell a story. You're shortcutting yourself to built in huge, huge audience. It's the sense of manipulation that makes people react so rabidly.

[@jessicapinto3817]

They are not written as leaders and I don't understand why they continuously seem to think that those attributes is what a leader is. Selfish, selfabsorbed, unable to empathise or see a bigger picture. Exactly what women are not but who are? bosses. And who do the workers unite against? bosses. What do hoardes of nerds fight against? bosses.

[@megsley]

8:05 i think this problem of deemphasizing or completely erasing romantic stuff in these movies comes directly from the bedschel(sp?) test. i had to see that mentioned about 50000000000 times on tumblr ten years ago.

[@arnesahlen2704]

To SING a song about being SPEECHLESS? Singing is speech set to music. Can you spell 'disconnect'? I *knew* you could!

[@craignedoff991]

The problem is that people get paid wither or not 80-90% of fans hate the product

[@LilyBowmen]

To be honest, I only liked one live action movie and that was Cinderella.

[@ice_fox]

Disney has some strange animosity toward character arcs. It's like playing video games with invincible cheat codes.. just a mindless, empty experience.

[@Annejali]

Cinderella is definitely, by far, the best live action remake. I worship that film.😂

[@finland4ever55]

What I always found odd was how feminists pick and choose which girls to criticize especially when "damsel in distress" is concerned. Here's almost every female character who gets in more danger than Aurora, Cinderella, or Snow White who is either rarely criticized or never mentioned at all (and I love all of these girls): "Modern" princesses: Jasmine: Almost gets her hand cut off, gets trapped in the hourglass, and often is put in jeopardy in the cartoon series. Belle: Chased after by Gaston, gets attacked by wolves, in the Enchanted Christmas movie she almost drowns. Merida: Attacked by a bear. Tiana: Gets captured with Naveen by rednecks as a frog. Rapunzel: The entire movie has her in danger, she was already kidnapped before the events of the main plot, and then she's actually tied up at the end, plus the cartoon puts her in danger a lot too. Anna and Elsa: ELSA ESPECIALLY. She gets in danger three times. Firstly, Hans' soldiers shoot at her. Then she's locked in the dungeon. Then she's almost stabbe by Hans. This third time instead of fighting, she just cowers in fear. She gives up. Anna on the other hand almost freezes to death. Other girls: Package film era girls: The harp from Fun and Fancy Free is kidnapped by the giant, the Once Upon a Wintertime part of Melody Time is all about a boy saving his girlfriend from going over a waterfall. Alice: Almost drowns in her tears, almost gets lit on fire, and almost gets her head cut off. Peter Pan girls: Wendy, Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, and Jane, Wendy's daughter from the sequel, all are damsels. Wendy gets kidnapped, Tink tries to bludgeon her to death via the Lost Boys, she's attacked by the mermaids, she walks the plank, and as an adult she is living during the Blitz where she can be blown up at any second. Tink gets kidnapped by Hook. So does Tiger Lily. Jane also is living during the Blitz and gets kidnapped by Hook. Eilonwy, Penny, Olivia Flaversham, and Jenny Foxworth all get kidnapped by the villains. Marian is chased by John's guards and Robin saves her. Jane Porter is attacked by baboons, gets held hostage by Clayton, and in the cartoon and the movie Tarzan and Jane, she's kidnapped a lot more. Kida: Gets taken on Rourke's zeppelin, and when Helga shoots it Kida could have been blown up, and in the sequel she (and the rest of the gang) get left in a cave that the bad guy tries to blow up, and then she's kidnapped by a dude who thinks she's his Viking daughter. Amelia from Treasure Planet gets kidnapped by John Silver. Meg is kidnapped by Hades as a bargaining chip and later is thrown into the death abyss to float as a zombified, dead soul forever. And many more characters I could mention but those are some examples. Radfems never care about them even though they are more damsels than the original three princesses.

[@clarenceandgennymcneil251]

It’s ok. I couldn’t remember his name either.

[@cynthiajohnson9412]

We used to have a term in our culture called 'born leader'. That was a person with a certain inborn nobility of spirit - humility, self-sacrifice, a sense of responsibility, and an unwillingness to gamble with other people's well-being - all of which engenders trust, loyalty, and frankly obedience. I don't think these are skills, they are character traits - which aren't really externally teachable, they come from internal motivations. The followers choose the true leaders, they are not self-appointed, nor does any authority get to bestow 'leadership' mantle upon someone. Ask any substitute teacher, first lieutenant, assistant manager, or older sibling left babysitting. Either the followers respect you enough to obey or you're sunk. And the manager who hasn't shown true leadership qualities (not learned through trial and error, by the by, the cost is too high) may rule by threat, but that is highly inefficient and a massive drain on resources - which is why DEI leaders without leadership qualities are destroying their organizations. 'The Watership Down' offers a great illustration of what it takes to be a true leader - it wasn't size, strength, skill, intelligence, or knowledge. Nope it was the concern for the well being of the followers.

[@paccawacca4069]

There are almost no women who fit this description.