Disney Princess of Perfection

Growing up as a girl who loved to play dress up and steal my mothers make up, I was obsessed with the Disney princesses and loved to act as if I was one of them. The countless hours I spent trying to make dresses to look just like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty seem like a far and distant memory now. Rewatching clips from these movies which I haven't seen in years brought light to just how ridiculous they seem now. As a child I never noticed how weird it was that these girls just fell in love with strangers and how all of their hopes and dreams relied on finding their one true love. Watching clips from these movies now I can see how flawed they are and how they might send young girls watching the wrong messages and ideals of how women should look and act. Disney has made huge strides from between the different eras of princesses but it is clear there is still more that needs to be fixed. Movies like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty are based on the idea of girls only feeling satisfied once they have found a man. They are dressed in modest clothing and have perfect make up. In era two princesses like Ariel, Jasmine, and Mulan start to break this trend of ditzy girls but they are still focused on bringing "honor" to their families by finding a man to marry. It isn't until 2013 that the main focus of Disney princess movies isn't finding love with another man but instead explores the relationships between sisters and grandparents in movies like Frozen and Moana. The changes have been significant over these three eras but there is still a lot to be done. The body images of all of these girls are focused on having perfect slim bodies and faces painted with makeup. They are portrayed in beautiful ways and are dressed in shimmering outfits. They are only ever seen as typical young women in the movie "Ralph Breaks the Internet". The clip of them in pajamas with their hair down and ready for a fight was very controversial because it was the first time they are seen out of their typical characters of beauty and perfection. Disney is one of the biggest corporations in America and has the power to shape dreams and fantasies of young girls.  I believe they should use this power to create movies with more women of color and should show these girls as more relatable figures to children growing up. These princesses should be heroes and woman who represent power and femininity in a mix of different kinds of beauty and strength. They should empower girls to be strong and independent woman who can save and shape the world and not be focused on our societies twisted standards of beauty.