Disney Princess Culture
When you think of Disney, you most likely think of the nostalgic movies, entertaining amusement parks and rides, and overall sense of utter joy. Disney is a global cooperation that has reached billions of people around the world. Their demographic is suited more towards children. They have PG content that appeals to the youth with unforgettable cartoons and characters. One of the most recognizable features about Disney is their use of disney characters, specifically the princesses.
The brand Disney has had a massive impact on society, as it was one of the main uses of entertainment youth have. The iconic movies we all know and love from Disney were created from the Walt Disney Animation Studios. In 1923, Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. That was the start of the disney empire as they would soon come out with their arguably most famous cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, in 1928. They continued to grow this franchise as they released 58 full-length animations over the span of 90+ years, all iconic in their own individual way.
Disney princesses have been extremely impactful amongst the young generation of children across the globe, most notably with youth girls. These princesses all range from the original princesses like Snow White to Auroria, and to other impactful princesses like Anna and Elsa. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first movie to come out that involved a disney princess. It was released in 1937 and produced by Walt Disney Productions. While a young girl being chased down by a jealous wicked queen might not seem to be a big box seller, it is one of the best film productions of all time and is the highest-grossing animated film.
These princesses are role models for young girls all around the world. They have inspired generations of children to be loving and kind. These Disney characters have helped evolve and develop a child’s mind. It is guaranteed that everytime you walk through a disney park you can see young kids at every corner wearing a princess inspired outfit. However, as time progresses the views on disney princesses have changed.
Disney princesses have been under controversy for its lack of diversity and gender stereotypes. While within the past 20 years more diversity has been shown in Disney films, with popular films like Moana and The Princess and the Frog, the lack of POC representation is noticeable. Popular films like Aladdin and Mulan have been criticized for their racist attributes. In these films, the villains often had darker skin and were more ethnic-looking. This problematic attribute in movies being shared to children can cause them to have negative views towards people of color. This villainization of minority characters has not been uncommon in disney films. For example, villains also tend to be plus sized, like Ursela and The Queen of Hearts. This causes fatphobia and the narration that you need to be white and skinny to be acceptable.
Also, disney princesses have been heavily criticized for their gender stereotypes. In a lot of Disney princess films there is a young girl who is portrayed as a damsel in distress who gets saved by a male. They would then get married and live happily ever after. This promotes a narrative that you need to be saved by a male and married to truly be in love and feminine. The princesses tend to be kind and motherly people, while the princes are strong and heroic. There have been studies that have linked these stereotypes as harmful to children's gender development.
On the other hand, some have disagreed with these anti-princess beliefs and believe these characters are beneficial for the development of children. BYU professor Sarah Coyne came out with research that found that children who were exposed to princess culture were more likely to have progressive views and had less attributes of toxic masculinity. Coyne, a developmental psychologist, explained more on her findings, “What’s fascinating is that princess culture has some really deep and beautiful things about womanhood and relationships. If we can grasp onto that, it can be truly healing for humanity.” The study also showed that boys who were exposed to princess culture had better emotional management skills. The boys didn't shut down, and instead were able to express their emotions in non violent ways. Overall, the studies show that adolescents have a higher chance of regulating their emotions and developing anti-toxic masculinity traits when exposed to princesses early on.
No matter your view on Disney princess culture, it is undeniable the impact these characters have on society. Princesses have made their mark on pop culture and society since 1938 when they first came out with Snow White. Since then, iconic characters have entered our screens like Elsa and Rapunzel. While there is much controversy surrounding the princesses, let's never forget the magic and joy these films brought to us and never stop fighting for more representation in the media.
SOURCES
[1] The impact of Disney princesses on young girls [The Holy Spirit]
[2] Longitudinal study suggests Disney princess culture has a positive impact on young children’s gender development [PsyPost]
[3] Study finds that Disney princess culture does have a positive impact [Kiss 95.1]
[4] BYU study finds that princess culture can have a positive impact on child development [BYU]
[5] Why Disney princesses and ‘princess culture’ are bad for girls [Washington Post]
[6] Study suggests Disney princess culture doesn’t lead to stereotypical gender behavior [People]
[7] The Lack of Diversity in Disney [The Unread Initiative]
[8] The Origin and Evolution of Walt Disney Animation Studios [Disney Addicts]
[9] The Positives of Princess Culture [How Stuff Works]
IMAGE SOURCES
[1] Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (film) [D23]
[2] Disney Princess List (Hunks and Heros) [Featured Animation]