So I have been doing some deep thinking this week, in
particular Disney and Disney Princesses. But not all of Disney's tiara-toting ladies were
created equal, however. I found an
analysis from starpulse.com and I completely agree with their opinions.
The Worst
Cinderella
Sure,
it's true that the title character of Disney's 1950 film definitely deserves a
certain degree of sympathy for the humiliating and abusive servitude that she
suffers under her stepmother's dictatorial rule. However, what separates
Cinderella from the aforementioned Disney princesses is that she lacks the
spunk and backbone to do something about her situation. Rather, she opts to
retreat to her attic alcove to sing about her sorrows to her posse of talking
rodents. When it comes to getting herself to the ball to meet Prince Charming,
Cinderella takes the entirely flaccid approach of "wait and see,"
selecting to rely on outside catalysts, like her Fairy Godmother, instead of
her own ingenuity to make her dreams come true.
Aurora
In the
1959 film "Sleeping Beauty," the shy and naïve protagonist, Princess
Aurora, comes across as being very dull and flat. If this granola princess had
a Facebook account, one could surmise that her list of interests would include
things like cute puppies, bottled water, and new shoes, or as the fairytale
case may be, glass slippers - but in Aurora's example, probably Keds.
Throughout the duration of the film, her character demonstrates virtually no
development and only actually appears in 18 minutes worth of footage. So,
rather than serving as a commanding female lead, this Disney leading lady's
primary role is that of a drowsy damsel in distress who needs to be rescued by
her prince.
Snow White
As the
central character in 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Snow
White's display of cream-puff naivety and goodness is the visual equivalent of
being gagged with a spoon for 84 minutes. However, like Cinderella, Snow White
is the victim of a very unfortunate stepmother, so she does garner a few
sympathy points there - plus, she is proactive about her situation and does try
to run away. The only thing is that when she does decide to flee, she winds up
taking refuge with a band of seven very lazy men, and then, basically becomes a
little Suzie-homemaker for them, doing all of their cooking and cleaning. If
that weren't frustrating enough, Snow White subsequently demonstrates a total
lack of common sense when she eats the apple from the outstandingly
creepy-looking old lady and ends up turning into another damsel in distress
relying on the aid of a male character.
The Best
Ariel
Ariel,
from the 1989 Disney classic "The Little Mermaid," is the spunky sea princess who refuses to
take no for answer when it comes to realizing her dreams. With her fiery mane
of hair, this packrat rebel wants more out of life than what her
oceanic existence can afford her, and she isn't about to let anything break her
feisty spirit. Not even a domineering dad or the ever so slight matter of
appendage substitution can stand in Ariel's way of going after what she wants.
So, for her optimistic and tenacious moral fiber, this maritime monarch earns
some richly deserved kudos.
Mulan
Mulan, the protagonist
in the 1998 Disney film of the same title, is not your typical Disney princess.
Inspired by the legendary Hua Mulan from the Chinese poem "The Ballad of
Mulan," this leading lady is plucky, outspoken, and super independent.
Plus, she gets major props for not making her central, life goal revolve around
locking down a mate, like most of the other boy crazy princesses. Rather, Mulan's
main aim is to bring honor to her family by taking her ailing father's place in
the Imperial Army so that she can help save China from the barbarous attacks of
the Hun.
Belle
(My personal favorite)As
indicated in one of the opening songs, Belle is the "strange, but
special" heroine of 1991's Oscar-nominated "Beauty and the Beast." She is found to be a bit of a deviant by
most of the people living in her town, but this free-thinking non-conformist
can't really be bothered with other people's opinions of her. As the princess
with the most gumption and solid sense of self, Belle embraces the things that
make her different, like her vivid imagination and love of knowledge.
Additionally, Belle should be commended for her ability to look beyond external
appearances to see a person's internal goodness, because, let's face it, the
beast is no Prince Charming, and had any other princess been in Belle's shoes,
the ending probably wouldn't have been quite so happily ever after.
Who is your favorite and why?
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