Your evidence should cite specific elements of Disney films that feature princesses. Two paragraphs, please! Don't forget to respond to your classmates' viewpoints!
Friday, November 14, 2014
Are Disney Princesses Bad Role Models?
A simple question. What do you think? Are Disney Princesses bad role models for young girls? Why or why not?
Your evidence should cite specific elements of Disney films that feature princesses. Two paragraphs, please! Don't forget to respond to your classmates' viewpoints!
Your evidence should cite specific elements of Disney films that feature princesses. Two paragraphs, please! Don't forget to respond to your classmates' viewpoints!
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In my opinion, Disney princesses are good role models. They teach little girls the trait of courage and risk taking. For example, Mulan became a warrior for war because she loved her father. She didn't want to let her father go to the war because she loved him. Mulan was courageouss enough to send herself to war so her father didn't have to. Mulan was selfless and she did it for the love of her family.
ReplyDeleteFurther, Ariel the mermaid also showed courage. She explored the unknown even with the dangers of humans capturing her. She had the courage to explore what was frightening in her underwater scociety. At the end it paid off and she was no longer afraid of land. She even made a human friend that she had a strong relationship with. This teaches girls that taking risks and working hard can pay off at the end. They might struggle on the way, but there is always a solution. These movies teach girls how taking risks an be rewarded.
I think that Disney princesses are very good role models. They teach very important life lessons to many people, NOT just little girls, such as to follow your dreams, always be courageous, do what is right, follow your heart, ect. I agree with John that Mulan and Ariel both exhibit courage, and they are not the only Disney princesses that do so. In the Disney movie Pocahontas, Pocahontas, a Native American, shows courage as well, by not being afriad to follow her heart and help out her friends. She even risks her own life in an atempt to save Captain John Smith, who she had fallen in love with.
ReplyDeleteAnother Disney princess who teaches an important life lesson is Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. She is courageous and kind throughout the movie. She goes to live with the formidible and fearsome Beast in order to save her father from this fate. She is the first one to show any kindness to Beast. She teaches people of all ages about some very important character traits, as do all the other Disney princesses that MOST of us know and love.
I also think that Disney princesses are good role models. For, Disney princesses show courage, bravery, and what can be done right and wrong. For example, in Tangled, Rapunzel left her tower to find the floating lights, with a stranger, when she was told not to leave the tower. Her "mother" said because of the strangers and dangers of the world. Even though she broke a rule she did it because of her courage and wanting. Which didn't change anything.
ReplyDeleteAnyone can learn from them by their actions and characteristics, not just kids. Some people don't even take in that the Disney princesses are role models at all, they see them as just another person, with royalty, doing some courageous action(s). Or, just as another princess movie. Yet in the end, they have a lesson for us to learn and how to act courageous and brave.
Disney princesses have been a part of many young girls’, and occasionally, boys’, lives. They were the films we have (or have not) watched when we were in our own imaginative world; when we were young enough to believe that Santa Claus was real and the tooth fairy exchanged our teeth for coins {1}. Of course, there’s a small question that lingers with these films; are they good role models or are they not?
ReplyDeleteThe films are neither very helpful nor very harmful, but there are important factors that need to be considered when choosing between yes or no.
-|-|- Disney princesses teach young children of the importance of taking risks and standing up for what is right or what you believe is right. Take Rapunzel from “Tangled”, for example. {2} She, although knowing that great trouble awaited her if she were to be seen by her “Mother”, still ventured with a stranger named Finn Rider. The risk of venturing out with one she did not know and the risk of her mother discovering her, was pushed aside. Rapunzel decided to take the risk and escape from her confinement in the tower. Now, of course, her actions could spur young children to take risks, which is not entirely good. There are consequences to taking such risks that many do not know of, and those consequences may or may not lead to a nasty outcome.
-|-|- The princesses stress the concept of loving others for who they are and not their physical appearance; the princesses show young children the importance of putting aside imperfections and focuses on what is good about a certain person. Pocahontas and Belle are perfect examples of this concept. Belle learned to love the Beast and the reason behind his actions; she began to see past his feared appearance and concentrated on the traits that made him good and wholly. Pocahontas, knowing of her tribe’s disapproval and the mysteriousness that shrouded Captain John Smith, still loved him for what he was and not for what others thought of him {3}. Now, although this is intended to be good and encourages children to accept others for what they are, it can spur children to trust the wrong people.
There are many other traits that can be helpful or harmful to children in Disney Princess movies, but the traits listed above are by far the most common in the films. If you have any other traits to suggest, feel free to do so.
|-FOOTNOTES-|
{1} I do want to inform you that I personally do not believe in either of those entities and do not wish to insult those who do.
{2} Other examples are Ariel from “The Little Mermaid”, Mulan from, well, “Mulan”, “Cinderella”, Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog”, and etc.
{3} Of course, Pocahontas had very inaccurate information and I do not support the Pocahontas and John Smith love whatsoever. I only used the reference for educational purposes.
|-NOTICE-|
My opinion is not shown very often in this piece and I want to state that I am stuck in between the two choices. As one that enjoys contemplating the ethics of things and the philosophy it holds, I do not take sides likely. But if required to state my choice, although I would much prefer to be neutral in small things like this, I would side with the bad of Disney Princess movies just to give a nice contrast to those who say yes. I’d be happy to debate over reasons and “back up” my claims and information.
|--Jun H--|
Really excellent response, Jun!
DeleteEven though this is a light-hearted topic, I love seeing you guys think critically about your world, including pop culture! :)
ReplyDeleteI think princesses are both good role models and not so good role models and by this I mean some of the princesses are good while other may not. Now for the good role models I shall use Rapunzel from Tangled, Mulan from Mulan and Merida from Brave. Now one thing they all have in common is that they all show courage, Rapunzel by trusting a stranger to be her guide to see the "lights", Mulan by taking her father's place in the army even though she is a female, and Merida by helping her mom turn back into a human after turing into a bear. In addition, these actions also show other traits like selflessness, and kindness for both Mulan and Merida, and Rapunzel shows these traits later on. Not to mention, Merida is the only Disney princess to my knowledge that does not get married or fall in love showing you that you can still be a courageous and kind person without having a man or woman with you to help you.
ReplyDeleteNow after explaining some of the good role models I shall now show some that are not so good. For this I will be using Aurora from Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine from Aladdin. These two are not very good role models.because they don't do very much. For example, Aurora doesn't really do anything besides being a damsel in distress because she doesn't do anything important besides singing and falling into an eternal slumber just to be rescued by the prince. As for Jasmine, she actually does do something courageous which is escaping the castle however, she does go back to the castle to fall in love with Aladdin and does nothing else that is courageous. Due to this, they are not very good role models because they are showing you that there is someone there to help if you do nothing. Now this is just a few examples and this is my own opinion, so feel free to disagree or to agree with me plus, I felt like being on the fence with this one seeing as everyone else is saying that they are good role models and I just wanted to show something different.
I believe Disney princesses can be good role models because in about every story, they do something courageous or give hope. For example, in Ariel, Ariel adventures into the human world outside of the ocean. This shows how taking chances can lead to good things.
ReplyDeleteIn the story Cinderella, she is mistreated and never given a chance to be anything but a unhappy stepsister. But, she finally gets a chance and her dream comes true. This can give hope for young girls or at least show them that good things can happen. Overall, Disney princesses can be good role models.
I believe that most Disney princesses are good role models, while others may not be. Most show courage and other traits, while others show nothing in their roles. As Jaime said, some good role models would be Tangled's Rapunzel, Mulan's Mulan, and Brave's Merida. Rapunzel takes the advantage of going on an adventure with a stranger, allowing her to escape the tower. Mulan disguises herself as a man to be able to take her father's place in the army. Merida tries everything she can to turn her mother back into a human after the curse of being a bear. They all show courage as well as other traits such as, love, care, and hope.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, a few Disney princesses are not quite great for role models. They would be Snow White's Snow White, Aladdin's Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty's Aurora. For Snow White, who would eat an apple from a complete and untrustworthy stranger? For Jasmine, it's not quite a good idea to show that you have a tiger. Then for Aurora, yes she loves animals and sings, but then she just falls into everlasting sleep just to be rescued by a prince. They don't have much traits.
By the way, I have nothing against any of the Disney princesses. ;)
In my opinion, Disney princesses are great models. A princess is supposed to radiate characteristics such as perseverance, courage, and kindness. Disney does an excellent job of portraying them with such qualities. Take Cinderella for instance. She endured every nasty and hate filled taunt and act by her family. In the end, she came out as a beautiful, eloquent princess with her own prince charming. Cinderella encourages perseverance throughout her whole story from enduring constant punishment to earning her well deserved prize and showing that perseverance is rewarding and pays off.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, courage is thoroughly demonstrated in all of Disney’s movies. Anna was very courageous in Frozen. She was very brave to go after her sister Elsa. Anna was aware of the dangers, but her bravery and love for her sister won out. Furthermore, you can credit Belle with kindness, as well as all princesses, because she fell in love with the Beast. Her kindness saw the Beast for what was on the inside and did not judge him just based on his appearance.
Personally, I think that Disney princesses are good role models, especially to young girls. I think Disney's message about the princesses is that everyone can be a princess. Why else would they have so many stories and different princesses with different backgrounds, nationalities and personalities? It's a good reminder that everyone is different and that's the beauty of the world.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in "Beauty and The Beast" to everyone the beast is an ugly monster with an ugly heart and is a terrible living thing that should be dead, but Bell sees the beauty in him, that he is also a living thing that looks scary, but actually has a heart that isn't evil. It teaches young girl the classic saying, "Its whats in the inside that counts" or "Treat others the way you want to be treated", because who actually wants to be judged by their looks rather then personality?
The Disney princesses are good role models for everyone, but its perfect for younger kids because it lets young girls know or learn these important life messages about being comfortable in their own skin and personality is more important compared to looks, that its about the substance not the surface and it also is still magical and happy, which young girls love. Magic is something unreal and in life there are going to be feeling that are "unreal" as well as moments, they bring up your mood when you are feeling down and knowing "magic" is "real" gives people hope.
Everyone is different and learning to accept it and enjoy the difference and seeing how its a good thing, rather then something negative at a young age is something important everyone should know. It'd make people think down upon themselves and for others, to not treat others so badly as if they weren't as important as themselves. In the princess stories, they treat others equally even if they were "royalty" and they were talking to "commoners".
-Nikamarie F.
Disney princesses are horrible role models. They disobey orders and customs, and fall in love with people just for their looks and wealth. The biggest example of this is Ariel. She disobeys her father to fall in love with Eric, a rich, handsome prince. She discards all of her ancestor’s customs just to be with him. She marries him after only knowing him for a few days, the gold digger! Another example of this are Anna and Elsa from “Frozen”. Anna invades Elsa’s privacy and is always annoyingly asking her if she wants to build a snowman. Also Anna marries an evil prince at first sight just because he is rich and handsome. Elsa also like Ariel disobeys her parents and abuses her powers to the point where she freezes her whole kingdom during summer.
ReplyDeleteAnother few examples of the princesses being bad role models are Snow White, and Cinderella. Snow white runs away from her guardian mother and goes off into the forest in hiding, despite her orders. She also takes an apple from a very suspicious person and falls into an eternal slumber. She is then saved by a prince and falls in love with him and they get married a few days later. Cinderella disregards what her stepmother tells her to do, so she goes to the princes’ ball so that she may marry him and become rich. She loses her glass slipper and later when it fits her, she marries the prince after a few short days.
Although most are horrible role models, a few like Mulan, and Belle are better examples. Mulan joins the army to save her father, and risks her own life for his. Belle also risks her life for her father’s, and goes to the castle in the order of the beast. Unlike other princesses, she falls in love with the beast over time instead of over hours, and loves him for his personality and not wealth and looks. She kisses the beast and is rewarded by her actions by finding out he is actually a prince. They get married after a few weeks. Although most are not, Disney princesses can also be good role models.
-Jack S.-
I think Disney princesses are bad role models. I agree with Jack in how he says they disobey there parents or guardians. They act like this because they are supposed to be young that i can understand, but they should still know when something is going to far. In the movie "Frozen" Anna tries to marry a man she pretty much just met, Anna was very persistent, and would not take no for an answer. This shows children that this could be okay when it's not.
ReplyDeleteThey also are very irresponsible. So many times have they put they're own people in danger or themselves in danger. Again just like in "Frozen" Anna was being irresponsible since she was trying to marry the prince. Also when Elsa was little Elsa was using her magic when she probably already knew she shouldn't have or it could be dangerous.
I think Disney princesses are great role models. They show courage bravery smarts and what is right and wrong. A great example of this is Cinderella. She had nothing and she became the princes wife . She wanted something and she went out and got it.
ReplyDeleteAnother example is tangled. Rapunzell wanted to se the lights so she went out with a stranger. She had mnay adventures along the way. she was very brave to do this. Therefore princesses are good role models.
Disney princesses are good and bad role models. I think that Disney princesses are not good role models because they teach kids to trust strangers. For example, Snow White teaches kids that you can trust strangers and live with them. But if you did that in the real world, you might get kidnapped or something like that. Another example, is that in Beauty and the Beast, Belle shows signs of Stockholm syndrome by falling in love with the beast.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Disney princesses can be good role models. For example, with Snow White trusted a stranger because she was kind. So Snow White teaches kids to be kind and trustworthy. Another example is that Merida shows that girls are as strong and brave as boys. Many boys believe that girls are weak and can't defend themselves. But Merida shows otherwise.
Disney princesses are bad role models. Cinderella lied and snuck out to a midnight party. If this were to happen I'm pretty sure if any kid did that, they would get in trouble, a lot of trouble. In real life she probably would have been kidnapped before she got into the car.
ReplyDeleteAnother example is Jasmine. She loved a homeless man. If you can prove me that this is kind, then why don't you do this? He stole and lied just to married to a princess. Why do we have these role models, I don't know? However, I do know that these are role models that we cannot trust.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteInteresting concept. I agree with you, but Disney princesses could also be great role models. For example, Elsa and Anna from Frozen. Everyone thought Kristoff was going to save Anna when she froze, but Anna and Elsa's sisterly love was stronger. In the end, kids learned that you don't need a man to save you.
Delete~Karina V☼
(the other one i accidentally posted and didnt finish... sorry :D)
It really depends on what your point of view is. In a way, Disney princesses are good role models because they show that you must be kind to others and other characteristics. For example, in Cinderella, Cinderella is treated very poorly by her step mother and step sisters. Yet in the end when Cinderella becomes a princess, they forgive her for all they've done and she accepts their apology and is kind to them even after what they did to her. Also like Elijah mentioned, Merida from Brave shows people that girls should be treated just as fair as boys are for girls can be as brave and strong and courageous like boys.
ReplyDeleteOf course, theres a bad side to the princesses too. In the movie Frozen Anna just meets someone and a few hours later she wants to marry him. That teaches children to just marry someone and not get to know them, because in the end maybe they'll try and let you die by freezing to death like Prince Hannes did. Elsa is actually the first one to admit that you cant marry a man you just met which is logical. Also, in Tangled Rapunzel just leaves the tower with a stranger to go see the floating lights and next thing you know shes traveling with a stranger whos also a criminal thats wanted. Overall, Disney princesses can be good role models by teaching kids good things, but they also teach them silly things that they dont need to know, making them a bad role model.
~Juliana P.
Disney princesses are both good and bad role models. For example, Elsa , from Disney’s Frozen, shows us running away from your problems is okay. After the whole kingdom found out she had ice powers, she ran away into the mountains and froze her whole kingdom. Also, Snow White from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves shows us that it is fine to go into strangers houses and clean their house. She also shows us that taking food from old people is okay. These actions happen throughout the story. Snow White goes into the 7 dwarfs’ house and cleans it, cooks, and takes care of all dwarves. When the Evil Queen, disguised as an old lady, offers Snow White an apple and says, “One bite and all your dreams will come true.” Snow White takes the apple and dies. Snow White also teaches us always depend on a man to save you. This happens after she dies and the prince gives her a “true loves kiss.” The little mermaid teaches us that you have to change your whole appearance just so you can find love. This is show when Ariel gives up her voice to change into human and find love. Another Disney movie is Cinderella. She teaches us to marry the man you just met. She only knew him for that one night, and after that, he couldn’t just recognize her, he had to get every girl in the kingdom to try on that shoe that fell off of her. I believe Cinderella only has one moral to it, that is, “No matter how your heart is grieving. If you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true.” The lesson is believe in yourself and never give up on your dreams. There are many other Disney princess stories with good morals also.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, many Disney movies have good morals. For example, Disney’s Mulan shows that you can save yourself, your family, and all of China, even if you aren’t a man. In this movie, everyone believes a women’s’ purpose in life is to stay home and slave for the man. This is shown when Mulan gets a makeover to see the matchmaker. Mulan also shows that friends and bravery comes in all shapes and sizes. This is shown through Mushu, the small dragon, guides Mulan through her journey of being a man. The Disney movie Beauty and the Beast also has a good moral. Belle falling in love with the beast shows that appearances don’t matter, it is what is on the inside counts. Tiana from Princess and the Frog shows us that dreams come true through hard work and determination. This is shown when she doesn’t give up on making her restaurant, just like her father wanted her to. There are many other good and bad Disney examples, but all in all, Disney makes great movies with mixed messages.
~Karina V☼
Given I have little experience in the very tough decision on wether to choose disney princesses as my role model or not, I resulted to ask my sisters. One of my older sisters (who would like to remain unamed) said "little girls look up to disney princesses because it makes them feel that anything is possible." While I see the reasoning in that argument i choose to side with ny other older sister when she counters by saying "Yes it tells them anything is possible, but it also says to achieve these things you have to disobey guardians and other misdeeds." Looking back at this conversation I notice that there could be heavy bias by the second sister mentioned because she has a daughter.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jesus Franco mostly, but I must take into account the sketchy examples in his arguments. The numbers aren't completely accurate, but i recall hearing on the news that less than two-fifths of girls fourth grade and under are interested in carrers in science or mathmatics. This could be because the little girls believe that some day they can be a princess. I'm not saying its entirely bad for a little girl to dream of being a princess, but she must have a dream thats much more achievable.
In conclusion, while I choose to remain neutral because I've never given the argument consideration, if I had to make a decision I'd say disney princesses are NOT good role models for girls.
~Marcus F
Disney princesses are real bad role models. These princesses often show disrespect to their guardians. For example, in Tangled, Rapunzel left with this total stranger. This is really bad because your parents usually tell you not to leave or even talk to strangers. Also, she left her home when her guardian told her never to leave. Rapunzel disobeyed her parent. This is a really bad role model, because girls will follow these princesses actions, and if they do it will lead to bad things in the home.
ReplyDeleteAnother princess that is a bad role model is Cinderella. She was working hard for her step mother. But she wanted to go to the ball even though her step mother told her she couldn't. Cinderella left anyway, I don't think parents want there kids to randomly leave the house just because a princess did it too. If people followed the examples of these disney princess people would be disrespectful and disobeying their parents. In my opinion Disney princesses are not the people to look up after.
In my opinion it depends on the type of Disney princes she is. The maker of the movie or show has intended on what impact he/she wanted to make on the audience. For example, Snow white shows that you can make friends out of anyone you meet making your way somewhere. Then, you'll end up living with them? No, I don't think that's how the real world works. On the other hand you have Cinderella.
ReplyDeleteCinderella came from a family where her own sisters hated her with all of their their gut. It was a tough road there but in the end her willingness to fight through and the mental toughness she had payed off. It also depends on the type of girl watching the movie or show. If it is a girl that believes everything is real and believes that movies will give you the same outcome a princess gets, that is where it turns bad. This is where the parents have to come in and let there child know what is real and what is not. Anyway, to sum it up Disney princesses can be bad or good role models it really just depends on the viewers opinion.
Throughout our childhoods,we've heard of Disney's princess' stories. Although some people see the princesses as bad role models,their intentions and motives are good. Disney princess movies capture the risks the princesses take and show that the characters strive towards whatever they think will lead to a better future. For example, in "The Little Mermaid" , Ariel taught us that even the littlest things can make us happy. In this case,when Ariel finds a fork,she finds joy in it. This shows that happiness can be found in little things.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in "Tangled" , Rapunzel goes with a stranger because she trusts him to bring her to the outside world. In this story,Rapunzel goes with her instinct and risks her life to a stranger just to go outside and find her happiness. "Tangled" showcases bravery and risk-taking. Even though the Disney princesses went through many ups and downs in their adventures,it all was worth it in the end. Through the examples I've explained to you,you can see that Disney princesses are good role models for all children and for our future generations.
-Kayla A. #1
In my opinion I don't think Disney princesses are bad role models. Disney pricesses show a lot of bravery. For example in Mulon she goes to fight the war so her father isn't forced to go. She had good intentions and it is teaching that boys are not the only ones who can be courageous. It also shows that girls are powerful for Mulon saved all of China.
ReplyDeleteAnother example is Bell from "The Beauty and The Beast". She saw the brighter side of the beast. Teaching not to judge a book by it's cover. To save her father she goes to live with the beast when many others would not dare. In my opinion I think Bell is extremely brave because she chose to save her father over herself. I think that Disney princesses are rather good role madels for girls.
I think that there are two real answers to this argument. One is that Disney princesses and the people in the stories have flaws, but all over come their flaws and realize that they do not matter. For example, in Beauty and the Beast, the prince is a monster for for crying out loud! In the end, they "love" overcomes this difference and they live happily ever after. A lot of what you think of the message of the movie depends on how you interperet the princess. If you see that she overcomes her flaws, odds are that it will impact the way you think of the movie. In contrast, if you see that they disobey some more powerful being to do what they want (Tangled, Cinderella, etc...), the movie probably will leave a more negative impact on you.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, in a movie like Tangled, the princess sneaks out with an unknown man to an unknown place. Usually this doesn't end well in the modern "non-fantasy" world... Leaving a message this clear, this out in the open for children to see is probably not the best influence. When your brain is still developing, you are more likely to be impacted in habits and behavior from past events or witnessed actions. When you tell a child that to achieve success, you must sneak out and leave your home with a stranger, you're not leaving the best impact on them. All of this argument is really based on how you interperet the princesses and movie. In my opinion, I think that if Disney wants to include stuff like this in their storyline, they should mask it or hide it.
I would like to argue that Disney princesses are not good role models. There are lots of reasons for this, but two of them are that it is ok to run away from home, and you can give up everything for a man.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Tangled, Rapunzel doesn't like the way she is treated and runs away from home with Eugene. This act of rebellion isn't a good message to young kids. "It demonstrates that running away is safe and that if they do happen to run into danger, nothing bad will come of it save a few minor wounds" (http://thecelebritycafe.com). It also shows that it is ok to trust a stranger, as Rapunzel continues running away with Eugene after she finds out he is a burglar. This movie doesn't show what would actually happen if a child ran away from home.
In The Little Mermaid, Ariel sees a handsome man, (Eric), by leaving home and sneaking next to a ship. She automatically thinks that he is "the one" by asking Ursula to turn her human. "She doesn’t know anything about who he is as a person but goes for him because he seems to be a great guy"(http://thecelebritycafe.com). This is dangerous because she doesn't know if his was really bad, or anything else about him. Jut after she sees a beautiful stranger she thinks that she will be with him forever. Also, she gives up her family, and who she is as a mermaid to meet a man that might not be the perfect guy for her.This isn't a good message to send to children at all. It teaches young girls that you can give up who you are and your family for a stranger.
I think that Disney princesses are both bad and good role models. For example, in Tangled, Rapunzel runs away from her mother with a stranger. This shows little kids that it's ok to run away from your parents and that if you do, you'll become a princess.
ReplyDeleteThis also shows that rebelling against your parents is beneficial, which it isn't. Although these things are bad actions, the princesses show lots of bravery and courage.
You wouldn't think that princesses would have the guts to run out of their castle and go adventuring, but they do! Merida from Brave fights a bear and *cue Scottish accent* she took the chance to change her fate. Mulan disguises as a man to fight in her father's army, and saves China! Pochahontas isn't afraid to follow her heart and help her freinds.
I believe that Disney princesses (for the most part) are good role models,though the older princess movies can be a little worse than the newer ones. Long ago when most of the princess' stories were written, people had a very different view on women than we do today. This can explain why some stories make the characters seem "helpless" or simply "damsels in distress". Even so, I don't think we have the right to bash Snow White or Cinderella for teaching girls to disobey their parents. Their parents hated them, and snow white's step mother tried to murder her. Their disobedience was understandable.
ReplyDeleteIn Beauty and the Beast, they teach us that you shouldn't fall in love with people just because of their looks. Merida from Brave taught us to love our families no matter what arguments you end up having (in this case, her mother was not trying to kill her). I disagree with Apolo when he says that Rapunzel teaches kids to disobey her parents. Mother Gothel was not her actual mother, and as ScreenRant.com puts it,"She is only equipped with an arsenal of emotional manipulation and self-esteem grenades, designed to keep Rapunzel afraid of the world and herself". She was abusive, and Rapunzels actions were justifiable. I do agree that princesses like Ariel had no right to disobey her parents for love, but if you pay attention to Cinderella, Snow White, and Tangled, you would see the actual child abuse happening. Cinderella's name is Cinderella because they made her pick lentils out of the cinders of the fire as a punishment, for crying out loud. Then her parents try to suck up to her to join in on her fortune when she married the prince in the original fairy tale. SERIOUSLY GUYS. SNOW WHITE'S MOM ORDERED SOMEONE TO LITERALLY CARVE HER DAUGHTERS HEART OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST. People may argue that it is Snow White s fault for getting poisoned, but guess who poisoned her?? Her mother. She's the one to blame for the princess's actions. I don't understand how these three girls get the bad role model label. Another example of a good role model would be Mulan, because she shows girls that you don't need to act "pretty" or be ladylike to honor your family. Overall, Disney princesses are pretty good role models.
~KA2
((Sorry I posted so late! I typed it up last night but never published it))
I think princesses are good role models for little girls. They grow up watching movies such as Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast for reasons. Disney princesses such as Belle from Beauty and the Beast show that true love isn't what's on the outside but on the inside. Her love for the beast was meaningful and told a very important lesson to little girls.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, Mulan showed her people that even though she was a girl, she had the will to fight like men to protect her family and the entire village. She showed courage in her actions, whiling risking her life to protect her village. Her acts of bravery resulted in saving China. Little girls would take this as a lesson to be learned in real life. They would see Mulan as an amazing role model who went through so much doing what she knew was right even though others thought otherwise.
~Shreya S. (sorry I posted this late)
I believe the Disney princess are terrible role models. Almost every single princess acts in a selfish way and/or unforgiving way against some other being who they see as better. For example, in Cinderella, she has to prove that she is pretty and better than the house keeper she is, so what does she do? She goes to some fairy and asks to change how she looks. She didn't need any body's approval to go.
ReplyDeleteAlso, why were most (not all) of the classic Disney movies villains of each princess ugly, saying that if you are ugly, you are evil. This will lower the self confidence of just about any girl, making them think that they always have to look prettier than anybody else. This also gives the "pretty girls" an "excuse" to make fun of anyone they see as ugly. But it doesn't matter to Disney I guess, as long as they are selling merchandise.
Sorry This is Late! :(
ReplyDeleteI think that Disney princesses are HORRIBLE role models. They make all people who watch the movies feel likes its OK to run away from home just for a random man you spent a long hour with. You might barely know this man, but you found him nice. Then every girl will run away from home for some random person. They also betray their family for this person. An example would be Pocahontas. She and her love nearly started a war. A WAR!!!!!! This also furthers the false statement of love at first sight. Love at first sight is one of the most illogical and fake statement of any movie. People don't just look at each other and start loving each other. It is what is on the inside that counts. This makes it even more complicated because some movies were love on first sit which is based on the outside and others were based on what is in the inside.
Another reason is that the Disney movies teach people to put faith in random strangers. For example in the movie Tangled, Rapunzel met this random person. She told him everything about her and how she wanted to see the world. The man was then like, "I can show you the world"(from Aladdin not Tangled, just suits the situation.) And then Rapunzel fell for him. She decided to completely forget about her mother and run off with this totally random person. If everyone in the world was a honest and caring person, then it would work. Unfortunately, the world has evil and dishonest people. If you follow the rules from the Disney movies, you might get kidnapped. This is another part wrong with Disney movies, they allows have happy endings. They never show the bad side of life or what might have happened if luck was not on your side. They make everything seem to also have a happy ending.
P.S. They are very boring. At least the darker reboots are interesting.
Eh
ReplyDeleteThis is a super old post and I'd hate to keep beating a dead horse, but I would also like to point out that Ariel had wanted to have legs long before Eric came into the picture. Why else would she have an enormous shrine filled objects from the human world?