![]() This also implies that the opposite is true: Non-whiteness and non-thinness is unwanted, undesirable, evil and unattractive. Disney seems to (ever so slowly) be catching on and adding more variety to their characters, but there's still an incredible amount of work to be done if young women are to have relateable characters to look up to. This has a host of implications: That thinness and whiteness makes you valuable, prosperous, moral and beautiful. There's nothing wrong with being white and/or skinny, but growing up, we were exposed to heroines who all looked remarkably similar. Megara from Hercules has the most impossibly tiny waist you will ever see. While the Disney princess list now includes a handful of non-white women - Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, notably - the "major" Disney princesses that most 20-somethings grew up with were pretty effing white (white as snow, if you will) and very thin. (Everything pre 'Mulan')Ĭoncurrent with the notion that outward beauty is most important is the message that this beauty has a specific look: thin and white. Being thin and white is what makes women beautiful and valuable. Equally important: Though men don't play central roles in these two examples, being handsome is always a stipulation for being a desirable prince in a Disney movie. Attractiveness is synonymous with happiness. This sends a message that when it comes to love and affection, it's what's on the outside that counts. Sleeping Beauty is another big offender: Aurora and Prince Phillip instantly fall in love upon meeting, spend absolutely no time getting to know anything about each other, and then live happily ever after. Literally all Aurora does to receive "true love's kiss" is be beautiful. This is arguably the message of most Disney films, but it's exemplified most in Cinderella, where the basic plot of the story is that a prince sees her all dolled up, thinks she's super cute and falls in love with her on the spot. Outward beauty is what makes you special. Snow White saves these slovenly adults from their pigsty by dusting, sweeping, washing dishes, tidying and sprucing - tasks that the dwarfs apparently never learned from their mother (since women must teach men how to do all the things). In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, one of the seven dwarfs is straight up named Dopey, and each and every one of them is portrayed as a hapless dummy who can't take care of himself. Men are hopeless and need women to take care of them. The message here, kids: Don't be yourself if you want someone to fall in love with you. She ultimately "gets" the prince, but at the expense of having totally revised her personality and leaving her friends, family and world behind. Her demeanor changes from bold to submissive, and her former interest in human culture narrows to just seeking out a kiss. She literally becomes mute when she trades her voice to the evil sea-witch Ursula in exchange for legs (so that she can live a human life with Eric). ![]() ![]() Once she develops a crush on Eric and is briefly transformed into a human, however, she turns into a quiet, lovesick puppy, spending most of her time obsessing over the prince and staring wide-eyed in admiration at him - and he is totally into this version of Ariel. She explores the sea with her friends and saves Flounder and Prince Eric from drowning. In The Little Mermaid, Ariel starts out as a brave, curious, and adventurous young mermaid. You should change who you are for a love interest. From outdated ideas about gender roles, to offensive representations of other cultures, let's take a look. Disney seems to have learned from some of these mistakes, but looking at all these stereotypes together definitely sheds some light on the way of thinking we grew up on and what was considered normal just a decade or two ago. Below, you'll find nine of the most harmful Disney stereotypes we watched on repeat during our childhood. Sure, this new generation gets all the progressive glories of Frozen, but our Disney musicals were entertaining yet riddled with stereotypes. But don't be blinded: Beneath the smiles, flowers and singing woodland creatures of the classic Disney oeuvre from our youth lies a host of stereotypes that shaped our generation.
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