Sign of the sidekicks

Disney movies have always been in step with the times. In 1937, Snow White conquered the
hearts. In the movie, she befriends the dainty woodland creatures and  small, fragile birds.
She, herself is a model of 1937 symbol of femininity; she creates domestic bliss for the dwarfs
and patiently awaits her male savior, the prince.

In some of the movies, it seemed to me, like the animal companions were a reflection of the
princess's demeanor or portrayal. Snow white and sleeping beauty, for example, were
accompanied by dainty woodland creatures such as small birds, or doves, in Snow white’s
case specifically. In Aladdin, however, Jasmine has a large male tiger following her around.
Like the tiger, Jasmine is portrayed as a strong woman who is unafraid to defend herself and
take her life into her own hands. Unlike snow white or sleeping beauty, Jasmine is already
royalty, prior to meeting the man of the movie. She also dresses more provocatively than the
other two princesses and uses her sexuality to her advantage. The other two princesses are
passive and submissive like the birds that hang around them,  but Jasmine is fearless,
expresses anger, and tries to find an edge like her tiger. 

Only a few generations later, The Little Mermaid is a curious and independent explorer of the
late 1980's.  She is not modest or demure anymore. Ariel creates her own path and breaks
through the glass ceiling of her world.  Sebastian is not as helpless and the dove of Snow
White but he signifies Ariel's independent spirit and her willingness to be different. As the
women of her era, Ariel is not afraid to dress provocatively and to use her beauty to her
advantage

In the Little Mermaid, I also notices the use of conventional beauty to identify the good and
the evil. Ursula is known to be the evil antagonist in the movie, and her appearance, once the
connection to “evil” is removed, is not particularly frightening. She is a larger woman, with
short hair, not a particularly feminine fast or demeanor, and she acts in a very sexually
provocative manner. She is also written to be the only creature able to use magic, giving her
power, which is seen as dangerous. Ariel, however, has a small waist, long hair, and is very
passive. Ariel is depicted as an ideal woman, her looks, and unwillingness to push back,
meanwhile Ursula is depicted as the opposite, the villain, someone people should avoid. 

But still, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Ariel have a lot in common. They are all subdued
by older, strong and evil women.  The evil in these antagonists is portrayed as physical
unattractiveness. It is especially poignant in Ursula; she is purple, overweight, and overly
made up.  Despite progress in the characters of the princesses, evil is still depicted as an
ugly woman. It seems to say that a young and beautiful woman is always good but an older
and unattractive one is always evil.  Maybe this was not a conscious message of the film but
it certainly seems this way.

Jasmin is the true heroine of the 1990's. Her mascot is a tiger and she carries similar character
traits. She is strong and fearless; she is unafraid to assert herself and take her life into her
own hands.  Jasmine is royal; she doesn't wait for the Prince to rescue her. She becomes a
rescuer of the street urchin, Aladdin and commands him to do her bidding. What a huge
change in a female character achieved in just 40 years!

When I first watched these movies with my older sisters, we talked about gorgeous princes
and beautiful girls; we shared dreams of a romantic future and incredible wedding feasts.  We
were dreaming of meeting brave heroes like Eric; we didn't see Cinderella, Ariel or Jasmine as
symbols of feminine weakness. We didn't analyze reasons for their behavior or their demeanor.
  As young girls, growing up in suburban America, we saw Disney princesses' stories as
beautiful fairy tales. Looking back now, I think that these characters certainly influenced our
views of `ideal" females.  We wore Cinderella costumes for Halloween and tried to emulate
her walk and her mannerisms. It didn't occur to any of us to wear a costume of evil stepmother
or Ursula! 

None of the boys wore costumes of princes, Eric or Aladdin. They didn't particularly like these
Disney movies. They called them "chick flicks"! 

Each Disney Princess movie is a product of the time it was filmed in; the princesses carry the
signs of times and they show the traits of women of the times of the films. It is quite fascinating
to observe the differences in different films.

After this exercise, I made a decision to see these beautiful films in a few years again and 
analyze the differences of my own reactions.