The Mouse and The Castle... (Tails) of a Disney Princess

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(yes i'm very impressed by the title of this blog)

 View my Disney Princess Conventions Chart here. 

Notes from Gen: Going through this assignment reminded me about this video I had come across before regarding Disney Princesshood. It is not a perfect video but definitely interesting and worth watching. 

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I love Disney - since I was very young to now being an adult. I have definitely bought into the magic that Disney has been selling to us over so many years. But as recently as 2016, I have learned to think critically about the media I consume and Disney wasn't counted out of that. In 2016, Zootopia was released, and while i enjoyed the story and the music, i also thought about what the message was behind it. What was it teaching us about race? Who were the characters afraid of? Why were they scared? I took film courses in school so I was able to engage in conversations, and dissect these meanings in my favorite films. 

That, however, did not diminish my love for Disney. Some of my all-time FAVORITE films, admittedly,  are also some of the more problematic. But this brings up the idea, that we can enjoy something and still criticize it. I think we often struggle with this idea because of things like "cancel culture" - we think if something is in some ways problematic and reinforcing norms we need to dismantle, means we can no longer enjoy it- we have to throw it away and burn it. This just isn't true. We constantly balance enjoyment and disapproval with almost everything - because nothing is perfect. I will admit - I know how problematic companies like Chic-Fil-A and Amazon are... but I also enjoy a juicy chicken sandwich and affordable housewares.  I think part of making progressing and dismantling these systems lie in demanding more from companies we invest in. 

Disney is an example of what can begin to happen when we push. If you ask me, i think recent Disney films have touched on topics that are heavy and deep. Coco deals with death. Soul deals with life and death through Black experience, Black Panther touches on African culture and the potential of an alternate uncolonized land, Luca deals with belonging and acceptance ( in-explicitly about the LGBTQ+ community). Although some ideas and outdated norms are still carried through the company and their films, I think it is important name it, call it out, and demand better. 


Disney is still very important to me and my idea of magic and fun. So I will continue to enjoy these films and look at them a little more closely. 


Left: My sister and I dressed as Mulan and Belle for Halloween

Right: Me dressed as Mulan

Comments

  1. mightymacrostudentJuly 13, 2021 at 8:47 AM

    I love the photos, Gen! Yes, great point about cancel culture. I didn't think about that in this context. I agree that a better way to hold companies / corporations accountable is to, as you say:

    "Although some ideas and outdated norms are still carried through the company and their films, I think it is important to name it, call it out, and demand better."

    Thanks, Alexis

    ReplyDelete

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