Friday, October 17, 2008

"If The Love Is True, It Will Just Show Up"

The Feminist Underground beat me to the newest Target Women. I had such a streak going, too! Anyway, it is a good one about Disney princesses:

Now, as everyone who knows me is aware, I love children's films. Especially animated films, and especially Disney films. And everyone who knows me and who will go with me to these movies with me has mandated we have to go at "kiddie" times, because otherwise I laugh obnoxiously and am a great embarrassment. Pathetic, I know. However, my love for these films in no way stops me from recognizing the gender-normative and heteronormative issues present therein, and the extreme whiteness of it all. And Sarah Haskins demonstrates those incredibly well - along with illustrating how all of those empowering songs the modern Disney princesses sing can be melded into one. Which is as cool as it is freaky. 

4 comments:

habladora said...

HA!

You know what's funny - as soon as I saw Sally had posted a new Target Women, I raced over here to see if we'd beaten you to it...

petpluto said...

You did!

John said...

my, that's quite the rivalry you have going there.

When did they add Mulan to the Disney Princesses lineup? She seemed entirely too strong and independent (and uninterested in being a princess) for that crowd. What would she have in common with them, other than having gone on an adventure with Sora in Kingdom Hearts 2?

petpluto said...

Mulan's been considered a Disney Princess for a while. Where have you been, John? Don't you peruse the toy store shelves or sit up and pay attention when Disney Princess products are advertised on the tv?! What kind of 23 year old guy are you?

And what she has in common with them... well, I think she has quite a lot in common with Belle, actually. Both are strong minded, independent, into sacrificing themselves for the sake of their fathers, and both teach the men a thing or two. Mulan's also got a few things in common with Jasmine -who also has a few things in common with Belle. Both Mulan and Jasmine don't want to play by the gender roles their family and their society decrees they do. Both Mulan and Jasmine sneak out of the house in order to obtain a bit of freedom (though Mulan's was less self-centered, due to the whole "saving the father" bit). Is it evident I've watched these movies more than a few hundred times?

The only thing Mulan doesn't have in order to be a Princess is, well, the guy who is actually a prince. But I guess that doesn't matter much any more. Plus, I'm pretty sure she's an attempt to diversify the Disney Princess line up.