Disney Princesses have been a mainstay in the entertainment industry for decades. We loved them as kids, and most of us still love them now. The most recent additions to the Disney Princess franchise, from The Little Mermaid to Frozen, have seen some big steps in the direction of feminism. But despite the competent female leads and emphasis on more than just romance, a problem persists: Male characters spend significantly more time speaking than female characters, according to The Washington Post.
There was a 30 year gap between Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid. Reviews touted Ariel as a spunky independent type, even though this was the first Disney Princess film where men talked more than women, The Washington Post reports. The trend continued through the 1990s, with a whopping 90 percent of the dialogue in Aladdin coming from male characters, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Newer additions to the franchise, Tangled and Brave, did better about including more female dialogue and complimenting characters on skill rather than appearance. Unfortunately, in Disney’s latest royal hit, Frozen, only 41 percent of the talking came from female characters, Entertainment Weekly reports.
In a society making great strides toward feminism, why is a franchise aimed at young children belittling the voices of women? Researcher Karen Eisenhaur told The Washington Post she thinks it’s a result of “carelessness” and the ingrained societal idea that “male is the norm.”
Maybe the next Disney Princess will have quantifiable skills AND be given the opportunity to speak up.