Media really does change how we view relationships and what
we deem as acceptable behavior in them. Watching Porn gives you unrealistic expectations
of sex but watching romantic movies also gives you unrealistic notions of what
a relationship and romance should be. Another study even showed that women who
read romance novels used the "bad" behavior of the male protagonist
to help interpret and excuse the "bad" behavior of their own significant
other. So what do Disney movies teach children about relationships? Disney
Princess movies actually represent a myriad of unhealthy relationships that are
made to seem fantastically romantic and therefore normalized. Here’s what the
relationships from each of these Disney princesses teach us:
Tiana -
Being a driven women with dreams of independence and personal success is
not enough. So marrying a womanizing, spoiled, shop-a-holic is much better than
being single. This also perpetuates the trope that woman can "change"
men if they just stick around long enough, try hard enough, and put up with
enough of their crap.
Rapunzel -
Literally falls for the first guy she sees. It doesn't matter that he is
a criminal. Flynn actually isn't a bad character but it isn't like he initially
helps her purely out of the goodness of his heart, he does it for money.
Princess Jasmine - It starts off ok with a Princess not
wanting to be forced to get married. Then it ends badly with her wanting to get
married to a guy who lied to her for most of the movie and actually at one
point tried to use magic to make her love him (although she doesn't know that
little detail). So I guess the moral of the story is that it is okay to start
your relationship on a huge lie, and guys who lie, cheat, and steal will
eventually change. Why couldn't Aladdin just get a job?
Belle - Book smarts really mean nothing here. Yes she likes
to read but that apparently doesn't count for much as far as her character
goes. She is basically the hostage of an emotionally abusive man-beast whose
main motivation is to have her fall in love with him for his own personal gain.
He yells at her, breaks things when he gets angry, and is physically
threatening to her. It isn't like saving her from those wolves was a completely
selfless act either; he needs her to break the spell. We are made to think that
he doesn't want to be abusive; he just doesn't know any better. The Beast even
gives her the library in his palace, but when you really think about it it's
really an empty gesture. It is rather like a Warden "giving" an
inmate the prison library. So eventually Belle looses out to Stockholm syndrome
and falls in love with her captor. Again, a woman is told she can change a
"bad" man with love and tolerance.
Princess Ariel -
First she gives up her voice for a guy and then she gives up her family
and the only "world" she has ever really known for him. Eric actually
seems to be a nice guy but he sacrifices nothing for her. In fact he comes out
better in the end because he has powerful King Trident as an ally and father-in-law.
I wouldn't have a problem with this story if it was about her finding independence
from her controlling father but all she ends up doing is running from her Daddy
and straight in to the arms of a Sugar Daddy.
Princess Aurora -
Again this girl falls in love with the first guy she meets. She can't
save herself and he can only really save her after receiving tons of help from
the Good Fairies. What other reasons does she have for liking the Prince?
Cinderella - So he is a Prince and he can dance, I guess those
are good enough reasons to marry somebody. Cinderella also has no backbone and has to get saved by mice.
Snow White - She works as a maid for her stepmother, then as
a maid for the dwarves, and then she is kissed by a prince (is he looking for a
new cleaning lady too?). The Dwarves seem to like her because she is their
docile housewife and I guess they kill the Evil Queen because they are upset
about losing their maid. She is completely passive and has no choice in who she
marries. The Prince picks her by kissing her; then her story is over.
Contributing writer: Rainbow S. Coan
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