I have a soft spot for Disney's princess movies. I loved Snow White because she could talk to the animals, Belle for her love of books and beasts, and Jasmine for her independent attitude. Over the years, though, I lost faith in princess movies because of the ridiculous over-marketing of pink, pretty-princess merchandise to young girls. Most stores I walk into get cursed up and down for participating in this overt gender reinforcement. Still, that soft spot for princesses and fairy tales remains...but is liking them the same as endorsing rigid standards of femininity? I think not, and while Disney's merchandise is largely behind young girls quickly becoming slaves to "pink" and "pretty," their movies depict the princess personality as something wholely different.
Today, while mindlessly browsing Facebook, I found a BitchMedia post about Disney's latest princess movie--Tangled. My subconcious was thirsty for a feminist perspective on the flick, which I had not seen. I must have been growing increasingly bitter about this princess stuff, because I was surprised to find that the article was in praise of the movie. It discusses how the conflict of the movie is not necessarily that of finding true love--it is more about Rapunzel and her relationship with Mother Goethel, which is a clear example of emotional abuse and control. This peaked my interest, and I just had to watch the movie I knew was recently added to Netflix Instant Que (yes, I am shamelessly endorsing Netflix...for free).
Tangled was more than I had expected. The plot did largely revolve around Rapunzel's struggle with her over-bearing Mother Goethel, but it was also about so much more: about following a dream, about a young girl finding adventure and independence, and about the strong bonds of not just love, but of family. From a feminist perspective, I most enjoyed the fact that Rapunzel was excited about taking an "adventure." Throughout the movie our heroine points out her longing for adventure beyond the tower and she definitely participates in it. What's most special about this princess is her appreciation for freedom, and also for the little things--rolling in the grass she'd never known, dancing in city streets, and reveling in her dream-come-true...no, not true love, but something else (though, of course, that comes later). The modern spin on the classic princess ending was that the princess delayed her "happily ever after" until she was ready, allowing herself to do and experience more than just love and marriage.
Adventure, independence, and love of not just men but of life is something all girls can proudly aspire to. Tangled is just one film example of how a Princess can be the embodiment of those qualities. Another great example (one from my childhood and also on Netflix) is the 1995 version of A Little Princess. Though the main character Sara is not actually a princess, she represents the kind of princess personality that goes deeper than fame, fortune, and beauty. The message conveyed by the heroine of A Little Princess is that all girls are princesses regardless of age, class, race, looks, etc...but that being a princess is about believing in it, having an imagination, protecting and loving your friends and being strong enough to never let anyone or any hardship make you feel like anything less.
Princess toys, dresses and merchandise are a poor reflection of princess characters. All that stuff tends to revolve around the color pink and "the look"--but as reflected in the books and movies starring princesses, being a princess can be about more. Being a princess is and should always be about craving adventure, friendship, and independence; and never settling for anything less than your dreams--love or otherwise.
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