How Your Top Four Favorite Disney Movie Emulates Patriarchal Social Systems.
Hey, ladies, let’s be honest, a lot of us have a favorite Disney movie and or princess that we looked up to as a kid. I mean Disney was so ingrained in our psyche not to mention Walt owned half the media circuit anyway. Even if we wanted to we would not have been able to get away from Disney. Like everything, we consume it can all be tied back to a bigger plot and cause. Disney set us up, and he set us up good. You can find themes of broken trust, abuse manipulation, infidelity, racism, and more within all of these movies. Yes, this has been hashed and rehashed several times, but I thought I would still introduce my thoughts and opinions.
My favorite Disney movie, also reflected my life at home, what I witnessed growing up in my household, abuse and a sort of Stockholm’s syndrome. I already saw some things I should never have seen growing up, but then for them to be normalized through my favorite princess, who was intelligent and beautiful, but still ended up in a situation of abuse and isolation. It’s astonishing what that does to the psyche of a young girl. You probably already guessed my favorite Princess, but let’s go through and have a little chat about a few of them.
Cinderella
So basically Cinderella is a tale about slavery, maybe mental slavery or physical slavery. I just find it interesting that she had to deal with evil women and then get saved by a man, the handsome white knight if you will. She couldn’t save herself, she was completely domestic, and the only way to get out of this hell was to marry a nice rich man. If that isn’t anti-women empowerment I don’t know what is! I also remember a few themes of anti-blackness, but I am going to have to watch that piece of shit movie again to really remember that. In the end, the prince finds her, because he couldn’t remember what she looked like when she didn’t have makeup on and a corset and he slips a shoe on…they live happily ever after, after knowing each other for a week or less.
The END and the beginning of your perception of having to dress up for a man, competing with loads of other women for his affection (cause he has options, not you.), and needing his ass to ride in and save you. Thank you Patriarchy
Sleeping Beauty
She basically spends her whole life sleeping…waiting for a man to make her WOKE. I mean I don’t have much to say on this one, because I found it to be so boring and sleeping beauty was so basic, I couldn’t even keep my interest.
The END and the beginning of your perception of having to lie dormant your whole life until some man awakens your beauty, mind, body, soul.
Snow White
Another theme of women competing and sleeping until awakened by a prince. Snow White has to be one of the most helpless princesses of all time. At one point of the movie she finds herself lost in the dark forest, screaming and twirling around she falls and awakens to meet the seven dwarfs. My take on this is she meets a man with mood swings signifying that of seven men. Sometimes he’s happy, sometimes he’s grumpy, sometimes he’s an annoying know it all. She cleans while this man is at work and seeing as how she is used to having royal servants, doesn’t exactly know how to clean for herself. She enlists the help of cute animals to assist her in her wifely duties. Later she falls under a curse and is awakened by a prince, who she has never met before, and ditches the dwarfs to go back to her accustomed rich lifestyle.
The END and the beginning of your perception of being a domestic woman that needs things to be perfect, ending up in mentally draining relationships, and waiting for the right man to whisk you away so you can continue your behaviors of inability to do things for yourself
Beauty and the Beast
Belle was my favorite princess, which explains more than I am willing to admit. Belle is an intelligent woman who doesn’t fit in with the other girls, she rather hang out by herself and with a horse than sit and look at Gaston’s biceps all day with the other ladies. One day her father is held captive by a beast and well Belle is heroic enough to try and save him. She trades herself for her father but she messes up and also begins to fall in love with her capture. This has to be the most problematic Disney movie of all time. She is beaten, isolated, and mentally abused, but she waits..claiming there must be something better underneath. Well, she gets her wish and he actually is cursed. TOO BAD THAT IS NOT REALITY.
It doesn’t matter how kind you are and how intelligent you are..abuse is NEVER okay.
The END and the beginning of your perception that if you just stay long enough and do enough for him he will change, abuse is okay, and screw the family that raised you, because love is the most important thing in the world..even if it’s unhealthy.
This is a satire piece, but with some real meaning behind it. These movies were a huge part of our lives at ages when our personality and perception were at peak development. The real moral is that just because it was seen on tv doesn’t mean we need to buy into it. “Prince charming.” in real life will be honest, loyal, kind, imperfect, and never lay a hand on you.
If you are being abused please contact please look into the resources below:
National and State Wide:
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
NCADV’s Main Office
One Broadway, Suite B210
Denver, CO 80203
1 (800) 799-7233
1-866-331-9474
Minnesota:
Battered Women’s Justice Program
Suite 102
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