I find it ironic that we think that our thoughts can’t be controlled. This is because what we think is influenced by various stories and experiences surrounding us, which control how we think. Our perception of reality is not based on those stories that can reach out to us, but on the stories that are ”made” to reach out to us. Judgments can affect our slightest thoughts, but the broadcasting of a single story repeatedly can make us think twice and alter our thinking patterns for better or worse.
Many children, including me, have spent our childhood watching Disney movies. We as kids fantasized our life to be that of a fairytale—to live in a castle, to have long hair, or to wait for a knight in shining armor on a white horse? Maturing throughout the years, the thought that ‘a princess is always a damsel in distress that needs saving by a prince’ struck me.
I now have found my answers to it. I, as a young girl, dreamed of the life Disney showed me, not because I wished to be a princess, but the make-believe of the life of the character framed through its movies. Disney, a mass media and entertainment conglomerate, has produced 13 movies each with a designated princess, most of which highlight gender inequality and unrealistic beauty standards. Due to the power Disney holds, it has managed to overpower the cinema with tales like Cinderella and Snow White, and replace the real stories of heroic women who deserve to be seen and heard by the younger generations. Fairy Tales inspire children to desire a life that stereotypes women who can only move ahead through the help of a prince and their unrealistic perfect bodies with skinny, long hair, and most of the time whitewashed.
Why do stories like that of Gitanjali Rao, a 15-year-old scientist and inventor who was named Time’s first-ever Kid of the Year for her work on tackling issues like contaminated drinking water and cyberbullying (Time, 2020), or Jordan Romero, who climbed Mount Everest at just 13 years old (The Guardian, 2010), rarely make it to the big screen? While Disney has the creative liberty to tell the stories they choose, its dominance in the industry means that children between the ages of 5 to 14 are primarily exposed to its idealized narratives. Through vibrant animations, engaging storytelling, catchy songs, and emotionally compelling characters, Disney frames its princess tales in a dream-like manner that resonates with young audiences. At an impressionable age, children naturally attach themselves to these characters, internalizing the repetitive climax of ‘happily ever after.’ But does this framing normalize these portrayals rather than highlighting the stereotypes they reinforce?
Even though Disney is trying to change its routine of movies by producing ones where princesses are saving their own kingdoms and embracing all kinds of body types, these movies still remain underrated due to the oldest fairy tales, which have set their place in society. To break this pattern, Disney needs to prioritize such stories and use effective marketing, PR strategies, and social media campaigns to ensure they receive the recognition they deserve. By leveraging social media, they can also influence younger generations to appreciate and idealize all kinds of princesses, celebrating diversity in strength, appearance, and character. As audiences, we play a crucial role in supporting and celebrating these films, helping to amplify empowering narratives that can reshape the way fairy tales are told for future generations.
