I hate that Mulan gets included as a Disney “princess.”
As a mother of an Asian daughter, I’ve always loved her story as an example of the empowered girl — she’s not a princess (even though she is marketed that way), both of her parents are alive in the story (unlike most Disney princesses who are motherless), she’s smarter than the boys, she saves herself AND she saves China from the Huns while the men poo-poo her efforts and look like a bunch of ninnies. She rails against wearing her society’s version of a gown, doesn’t ride her horse side saddle and has killer aim!
So as the media make much of the soon-to-be introduced new African-American Disney princess, (first her name was supposed to be Maddy, now it’s Tiana) I have to wonder whether we can really look to her as a role model for our daughters, whether they are girls of color or not. Of course, girls should know that princesses can come in any color, but why can’t we get past the whole princess thing when storytelling involves girls?
I know it’s all about money and profits and what works when trying to attract children and their parents to the movies and the merchandising. But what if Maddy/Tiana didn’t need to be a princess?? What if our daughters (and sons) could see an animated tale of a girl who meets life’s challenges head on without a tiara or a man, like Mulan?
Call me crazy, but there have to be more Mulans out there. If Disney and others would make movies about them, maybe we’d have to stop worrying as much about how real women are portrayed, say like Sonia Sotomayor? If we didn’t have the Disney version of womanhood running through so many aspects of our lives, maybe we’d be a little closer to terms like “assertive” would be considered positive compliments, instead of demeaning insults.
UPDATE: For all the new readers coming over for this post, just a reminder that this was written in July, much before the movie was released and the few details that were out about the movie are the ones reflected here. Thanks! But there is still MUCH to discuss about the world of Disney princesses!!
June 9th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I agree!
BAC
June 9th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
I love Mulan! It's one of our family's fave films. For both daughter's I used Mulan — the part of the film where she climbs the pole after many failed attmepts — for a Daisy Girl Scout on courage. The kids loved watching the film.
June 9th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I agree in principle… and then there is that piece of me that loves a fluffy gown. It is tough to be both respected and allow ourselves that "girly fantasy."
June 9th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I completely agree with you.
My daughter never wanted the fluffy girl princess stuff…she wanted to be a ninja turtle. I loved it. As a woman who'd gone through Army basic training back in the late 70's, I knew what it was like to feel strong in body and spirit and the satisfaction of hanging tough through difficult situations. I preferred having my daughter see a strong can do ninja turtle as the one to emulate instead of a pink princess who never broke a sweat.
Great post!
June 9th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Mulan rocks!
June 10th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Kari, I agree — it is hard to balance. I can't deny that there is pull in my life sometimes toward fantasy of the fluffy gown!
June 10th, 2009 at 9:01 am
There is no wrong with being girly and liking girly things and girly stories (bet you didn't see that coming from me). It's the balance that we are lost and the sense of perspective. Because my daughter likes princesses, fairies, Barbies and ballet does this mean she isn't smart enough to be an engineer?
No one questions the obsessions and likes of little boys in terms of their potential and when it is the same for little girls, then we will know we are really all equal.
June 11th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
They make princesses because everyone has a secret desire to wear a princess dress!
I'm kidding
when I was a child I liked movies with talking animals better.
I loved your blog. I'll visit it again!
*Sorry for my english.*
June 12th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
As a black woman ( I HATE the term africian american, afirca is a continent that I, my grandmother my great grandparents my great great grandparents have NEVER been to) I am excited about the prospect of disney paying homage to black women. The name Maddy was an insult, her southern drawl is a slap in the face – she's the only one who doesn't speak in near perfect english diction and where is her strength and empowerment?
June 13th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
So where do we turn in popular culture for empowerment for our daughters, especially ones of color?
August 3rd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Don’t forget about Pocahontas and Belle, they both didn’t wait for a man to save them, they faught there own battles, and took their own destiny’s in their hands.
August 4th, 2009 at 11:02 am
I love Mulan and I think you feel her strength, as with all the princesses of Disney. Cinderella, stayed strong, even with the wickedness around. I think they are all strong in their own way…just as our daughters are.
August 12th, 2009 at 6:22 am
I don’t see anything wrong with Mulan being one of the princesses. As a girl who grew up watching and loving Disney movies, I never thought the princess label had any implications one way or another. All I saw on the screen were strong, smart girls who never gave up throughout their struggles. I loved the Disney princess films and I never had any insecurities about needing a tiara or a man.
August 13th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Like it or not popular culture is an influence on our children. My daughters love the whole frilly princess thing and will fight dragons and monsters wearing their tiaras making me proud. They can be “pretty” and still kick evil butt. As for the Black Princess, I am waiting and hoping they do her justice. Every girl needs a role model who looks like her. I had Cleopatra Jones. Can you think of any super heroes that are Black females before Storm?
September 20th, 2009 at 12:10 am
Actually Mulan married the prince right? so she’s in a princess position until the emperor dies and she becomes empress.
She is a legitimate princess unlike Pocahontas.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
This movie, much like mulan, is about a woman who saves her prince. And then marries him, so then they became a princess. I can’t wait to see it!
I prefer this to the story of a princess like cinderella who was saved by the prince simply because she was pretty.
And I love the name Maddy.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
If you’d like to see some great female empowerment in the form of a cartoon I would like to recommend to you the films of Hayao Miyazaki.
My favorite of them (Possibly my favorite movie) is called “Spirited Away” The protagonist, a pre-teen girl named Chihiro, is accedently whisked away to a mythical bathhouse and forced to work there. She meets Gods, Spirits, Witches, and monsters, and through it all overcomes her trials with her own determination and grit. She’s not a princess or anything of the sort, just an ordinary girl thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Very good film. My three year old daughter loves it as much as I do.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
It is negative for men as well as women that women are portrayed in this manner. We should all wake up and take a risk, get over our fear of female empowerment… women are holding half of the puzzle pieces we need in this world and should not be consigned to a limited number of roles…. cause then the puzzle stays unfinished… and that is no fun.
: )
November 29th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Considering the overwhelmingly negative light African-American/black women are too often painted in, I as a black woman, am overjoyed that Tiana is a princess. I am overjoyed that she is portrayed as something beautiful, and worthy of love and protection. I find that black women are too often shown to be ‘tough’ and ‘independent’ (not that those qualities are bad, but it’s to the point where the women become almost masculine). I’m glad that she gets to be just as stereotypically feminine as the other princesses.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
As a teenage boy who was raised on Disney Princesses, I always wanted to be the dashing hero with a voice of gold. Now that I’m father to a young girl, I see the drive of Disney in its attempts to sell sell sell while providing the consumer with a saccharine reality that teaches children a moral code their overbearing parents think is best for them to idolize. Let’s take control and instill an understanding in our children that Hannah Montana is not a role model, nor is Miley Cyrus. The only animated movie I can suggest is The Secret of Nimh. And don’t come crying to me, “princess”, if it’s too dark or scary.
November 29th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
There are plenty of folk and faery tales that involve empowered women such as certain tellings of Tatterhood, Kate Crackernuts, and plenty others that I’ve read but can’t recall the names of this very moment. It’s sad that these colourful stories aren’t being given a Disney treatment – or not, given what Disney does to female characters.
November 29th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I couldn’t agree more!!
November 29th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Personally, I’m looking for a film where a main character is a lesbian and NOT stereotypically so. How do you think GLBT kids feel growing up? We already get a lot of bad rep and underlining messages (as well as blunt, in your face propaganda) that it’s wrong to be attracted to some one of the same gender or that it’s wrong to feel that you’re in the wrong body. (Seriously, Prop 8 and 1 were slaps in the face…) We need less stereotypes in movies and tv shows.
There’s a reason why the GLBTIQ community has so many issues, they’re basically ostracized and when they are represented they’re shown as either really butch, femme, sluts, flamboyant, or any other stereotype out there. It really doesn’t help at all when society needs to learn from each other rather than rip people apart. Yeah, so what if Bobby down the street has two moms who love him and care for him? How is that such a huge issue that it can’t even be shown in movies with out AFA, FOX News, NOM, Rush Limbaugh and all the other people in the far right chewing them out for showing truthful messages.
We need more strong, independent people out there with brains to be role models. I actually even love how some people think that Carrie Prejean is a good role model despite all of the scandals and the lack of intelligence she has. “I didn’t mean to offend anyone, so I made sure I said ‘no offense’ I can’t help it if it still offended people that I think in MY country that same-sex marriage is wrong”.
@ Kass, she didn’t really marry him until the second movie I believe.
November 29th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
You should watch some of the Neil Gaimen movies. The heroines of them are always smart and clever girls. Also anything by Joss Whedon. He is one of the most avid writers of strong female characters today in Hollywood.
November 29th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Annie, I think you’re missing the point.
It’s about girls being allowed to do what they want, not have to do what is socially acceptable for them. If your daughter wants to do those things and does them because she wants to, not because she thinks she has to, then that’s fine.
November 29th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
I agree many (not all) girls & boys love frilly dresses and fantasy, but how many would trade them for equal rights and opportunities in the real world. Balance is the missing element.
Check your toy stores. What used to be “kids toys” are now boys toys. Toy stores are segregated.
How children play forms who they become and what skills they excel in. Through play todays boys learn they can be anything from superhero to architect to race car driver. In the pink section of the toy store, Girls learn through Disney type toys and princess fantasies to be hookers, puck bunnys and trophy wives. Wealth & happiness comes not from their own hard work or creating something of value, but in being ‘beautiful’ and finding favor in the eyes of a wealthy man. –even if the fantasy only lasts until she ages and a younger more beautiful princess takes her place. (Young beautiful princess–ugly mean old queen)
To enjoy toy-toys, like ninja turtles etc. girls have to leave the pink/turquoise/yellow girls section and wander into the black/blue/red boys section…a clear message this isn’t really for them.
This has happened so quickly, only the last 10-15 years. Wait and see what this does to the engineering class of 2020-all boys again?
November 29th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Thank you for sharing this view. I also have a serious issue with the portrayal of women in Disney and the obsession with the princess culture.
@Rei – I wonder if girls really are choosing that kind of role when there are no other models being presented on a consistent basis. It is pretty hard to choose differently when there is nothing else to choose from.
If you are looking for another great story to share with young girls about (non)princessesness, check out the book “The Paper Bag Princess” by Robert Munsch. I think you can also listen to the story on his website. It is one of my favourite stories of all time!
November 29th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I have to tell you, Mulan holds a special place of hate in my heart. You are right, she lives up to all you listed – independent, smart, daring… so you are ever hopeful that it will end not as a romance novel but as an example to your little girl that women can and do achieve the same things men do. Then you realize that no, Disney tricked you again because for some reason, Mulan ends up with this man who literally LEFT HER FOR DEAD in a &$%#@* avalanche because she didn’t have the right equipment. I mean, yeah, he apparently forgives her (WTF?) and now they are going to have some kind of life together. Oh, yay!
November 29th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Well, technically, if you want to go into Mulan’s original fairy-tail, she marries the emperor’s son. While that’s not true in Disney’s version, where she marries a general, it’s still true to call her a princess if you still go by the original story.
November 29th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I am glad Disney has included more than just caucasian people in their films. Pocahontas is Native American, Mulan is Asian, but yes, most of them are caucasian. Ariel, Cinderella, Beauty, etc, etc.
November 29th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
I can’t get passed thinking Princesses=Trophy wives or hookers. i.e. young, attractive, lots of makeup and clothing = success.
or Pre Civil war, Young black women in Louisiana ‘matched’(sort of married-at least she was) to young white men at a dressy ‘ball’ The men supported them and any children for as long as they wanted, but they were never acknowledged by their white half brothers and sisters or white society. Big family secret.all the men knew about.
Can’t beat the power of advertisement.
My grandaughter decided a princess was a wonderful thing to be. Convinced her to be a ‘fighting princess’ kind of a super-hero that helps people in trouble. She liked that.
I asked her what the princess did for a living…after all, a castle is expensive and somebody has to pay for it. So the fighting princess is sometimes a doctor, a vet, a garbage recycler and a fish scientist.
If this was a race thing, everyone would ‘get it’-at least I hope they would.
November 29th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Another thing came to mind…all of these ‘princesses’ only seem complete once they have found a man. What about those who choose to be fiercely independent? They all seem so young as well! Are we really condoning child brides? How many choose to pursue an education or a career?
All I would like to see is a little diversity in our role models besides Disney princesses and Britney Spears.
November 29th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I think you need to look a little more into the movie the next time, because the movie you talked about in here, the girl (Tiana) isn’t a real princess. She just got dressed up for a ball of some sort, and she was looking to open up a restaurant, until she gets turned into a frog herself and then has to fight to get back so she can open her restaurant. There’s nothing wrong with any of that.
November 29th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
When I originally wrote the post, none of the plot was clear — it was just being marketed as the next princess movie.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Thanks for clarifying @Ilia, It sounds like a movie we could and should support. But, this was a really great discussion. Our fantasies and dreams help form our belief system and character. Glad to see people are beginning to think about the dreams we encourage our children to dream. Neither boys or girls benefit from a belief system where women depend on men for safety and financial support. Boys must feel burdened and girls must feel like leaches. A girls life adventure should not be a straight line leading up to and ending with marriage. Sadly, this is the product being sold to children and their parents. Glad this movie will be different. Open discussions like this directed to the right people can make this movie the norm..instead of a rare and welcome oasis.
November 30th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Pah! I don’t see why a princess can’t have parents and kick everybody’s butt.
Give the princesses a break I say. They come in all shapes and sizes.
November 30th, 2009 at 2:02 am
I saw a thing about it today. It said her name is Princess. It takes place in New Orleans, and the creators of the movie described her as, “Someone who doesn’t stand around waiting for a prince to come and save her.” She is a waitress who dreams of owning her own restaurant. The “prince” is a jazz musician, and when she kisses him, the voodoo spell that turns him onto a frog turns her into one too. I have always admired Disney princesses, because each and every one of them has a redeeming quality that it is good for little kids to emulate.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:00 am
If it’s admirable, why do parents think its cute when their daughter says she wants to be Spiderman, but cringe if their son says he wants to be a princess.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:08 am
I totally agree! First off, I have loved Mulan more than any other Disney movie prior to it. That says a lot because I am a HUGE Disney fan, but I didn’t realize (I only have sons) Disney was marketing Mulan as a Princess. I loved her story because she was of the common people. That’s what the majority of the world is–the common people. And there is nothing wrong with that. I agree with you that we should not be making every movie so Princess Themed. Disney should really take a hint at how popular and wonderful Mulan is and they didn’t market her as a Princess (at least not at first). Disney should reconsider their ever-growing definition of Princess and focus on storylines moreso than royalty.
I’m not saying anything against the new movie. I have not seen it. Therefore I have no grounds for judging it. I am also not saying the other movies with Princess’ have no merit or moral. I do enjoy them all, I just agree with the original poster’s post. The focus should not be all Princess’ and Palaces.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Our language is very important.
A man, speaking of his sister or mother-in-law says “she is a ‘real princess” The characteristics are, high maintenance, thinks she is better than others. Entitlement.
But if he describes his brother or father in law as ‘a real prince’. the character profile is very different.
A princess is just lineage, breeding, pedigree, an accident of birth. This is important for horses and dogs, but describes nothing of the girls character. We should encourage our girls to build their character by contributing, not by their breeding and in turn being bred..to the right sire.
November 30th, 2009 at 10:58 am
@Kass
Mulan and the general’s son got together, but never married in the first film. Somewhere someone mentioned she married a prince in the non-Disney versions, but that’s not what’s mass marketed and what kids will remember. So Disney’s Mulan isn’t a princess.
Pocahontas was the daughter of the closest thing the Native Americans in that area had to a king so really she’s more of a princess than Mulan.
I never really saw Belle as a princess personally. She marries the Beast Prince but I just thought he was some rich guy. If he’d been a prince people should have noticed he was transformed or there should have been some local lore about it or something.
The whole thing is stupid really. It’s supposed to be something ground breaking that Disney is making a black princess. It only took them how many years to realize we’re not promoting racism anymore?
November 30th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
As a kid that was my favorite Disney movie because I felt that I could relate to her. I wish ALL Disney movies were like Mulan.
November 30th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I, and my friends grew up watching Disney movies, and even enjoyed the princess ones. Both my friend and I are studying to become scientists, obviously not influenced too heavily on the “princess” idea. In order to be an open minded adult, is it not important to be exposed to multiple stimuli and learn to make one’s own decisions?
November 30th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
I firmly believe that as girls, God created us with the desire to be princess and to be told we’re special. He created us this way so that we can come to Him to be completely fulfilled and cherished. That is what most princess stories are about. They were created with the story of the handsome prince coming to rescue the princess from a life of misery and pain. The princess decides to give up her current situation and follow the prince to his kingdom. She would have been comfortable with her own situation even though it was hard, it was what she knew, but that didn’t matter. because love conquers all!
December 1st, 2009 at 5:42 am
Good. She’s another kind of Princess. I am not into animated movies with prince and princesses….
December 1st, 2009 at 6:54 pm
I think everyone else’s comments pretty well covered what I was going to say, but I think this music video by P!nk adds another interesting thought: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEZtiW8oUh8
December 2nd, 2009 at 11:31 pm
I agree wholeheartedly. As a kid, i LOVED Mulan and Pocahontas, although I was always a little upset that the Disney movie made Pocahontas look more like a lovestruck child than a uniter of cultures, if only temporarily.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:33 am
I completely DO NOT agree with you. When I was younger I loved princesses. Disney makes movies and the whole princess thing because kids like movies about fairy tales and happy endings. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH PUTTING PRINCESSES OUT THERE. I’m so sorry your child is one of the exceptions..
December 5th, 2009 at 11:40 am
You know…. I grew up watching every disney movie out there. I loved them. I loved my barbies, i loved my dress-up clothes and i LOVED my play make up…. I ALSO LOVED wearing camo, learning to shoot guns, going to Hunter’s Safety Course, and finally going hunting with my dad. I loved making mud pies and castle sin clay, playing with tonka trucks and helping skin and cook deer. My parents never read me ‘feminist books’ never made me play with girl or boy toys… they just met me be. I came out okay. I think everyone worries too much….as an adult woman I now have a wonderful education, a family that supports me, a boyfriend who loves me, a rather heavy make up collection, and I STILL go hunting with my daddy. I ride ATVs, and roll around with hunting dogs……. just let kids be, they will find their way.
December 5th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I completely agree with Kyo. I too grew up watching Disney movies and I had a particular love for the Princess movies. I spent months learning to walk and read at the same time after watching Beauty and the Beast. I am the first to admit that I am a girly girl. I love to dress up, my dorm room is covered in pink, and I have a shoe collection to rival a shoe store. I don’t particularly enjoy watching sports, but I will always go to games if I have friends playing. But I don’t consider any of these things to be the result of watching princesses; I never enjoyed playing sports because I am a klutz. These are all part of who I am. I have never felt the need to have a man to “save me.” I am a single college student who is very involved in student activities and am well respected and liked within my college community. It’s true that I loved to dress up like a princess as a child, but I also dressed up like Peter Pan and Aladdin. My parents were always supportive of anything that I wanted to try whether or not it fit into the established gender stereotypes. I still love princesses, but I don’, nor have I ever, thought that I was one.