When i was a little girl i didn't like Cinderella, snow white, or sleeping beauty. It seemed to me they were just pretty faces that were just dreaming about the man they would marry. That's it... nothing else. No ambition in life but to find their prince charming. Oh Disney...
I had my first movie theater experience when i was 7 years old. My mom brought me and a friend to see Beauty and the Beast. To this day it is hands down my favorite movie. I loved how the main character wanted "adventure in the great wide somewhere". She was Intelligent, strong-willed, outspoken and brave, everything i thought a woman should be. Not like the stupid air headed princess types of before. I loved how belle lost herself in books and dreamed of far off places. I also loved how she went in search of her father when he went missing and when she found him locked up, she sacrificed herself. TRUE BEAUTY.
When I was a freshman in high school the movie Mulan came out. Mulan plays a close second to Belle in my opinion. She refuses to be labeled and she wants to do something great... was the something great, find a price charming? NOPE. it was to take her fathers place in a fierce war and to defend her families honor and her country. TRUE BEAUTY.
In the process of these girls/women finding themselves there happened to be a man, and the man fell in love with her not because of her beauty, not because of her fabulous singing voice or the way that she danced. NO.. they fell in love because of the strength, courage and character that the woman possessed.
Maybe that's why i never liked or wanted to be Cinderella or any of those other frilly princesses. Because even from a young age i could see that i had worth, that i had courage, determination and i wanted to make a difference.
My mom never expected me to be the adventurous type that would go to college far away from where i grew up, marry a man and intend on living overseas. We did not move overseas, but i do live half a country away from my family. It's funny.. she thought i would be the one who would stay home and be a momma's girl forever. Nope.. this girl had a dream in her heart and a longing to see the world. Adventure, excitement, things I've never seen or experienced before. Of course i am cautious and do these things within reason. :) My mom things driving to Seattle to visit a friend and then driving back in the middle of the night is adventurous ( Seattle is about 2 hours from where we live). I just consider that a nice break! HA
I always thought i would teach my daughters not to be the Cinderella type. Well turns out we didn't end up with daughters so now i have a new task. Teach my sons how to find and love a woman NOT like Cinderella... more like belle or mulan. A woman with strong conviction, a woman with adventure in her heart and a dream.Not just a pretty face.
What do you think about the disney princesses? Do you feel like they have done an injustice to reality?
3 comments:
I took my 6 year old to see "Tangled" and that one movie skewed her whole view of women and men. she said to me " her mother locked her in the tower for her own good so she could be rescued by a prince" I questioned her on it and she said " Did daddy rescue you?" I almost burst out laughing. I said "noooo... daddy and I love each other for who we are and how we are, exactly like we are" I ended up with a half hour discussion about women's strength and how the mother locked her daughter out of her fear not "for her own good" I decided after that that disney movies or any movie that portrays women as weak and in need of rescuing or wanted for their beauty or their "gentle" natures are not going to be seen in our home. I don't find them realistic at all and for some kids they are taken literally and not for any deeper message. Parenthood arrgh.. sometimes so tricky. awesome post.
I love beauty and the beast. Love it! I am the book reading freak:) Unfortunately, I watched too much Disney and did dream of a prince...not to rescue me because I was a strong independent type but I wanted a fling ( ha ha I did not even want to get married!:) But Disney does do a disservice which is frustrating... That is why almost all women like Beauty or Pocohauntas and most men like Aladdin or the little mermaid (skimpy outfits) Sigh. Anyway! Great post.
I loved Belle too. She was always the best.
I watched it again not long ago though and realized how much my perspective has changed. Belle longed for "adventure in the great wide somewhere." Yet she found satisfaction in one place and with the love of her life. Seems like I never got that last part before... seems like there should have been a final song to celebrate the happiness found not so very far away. There was the adventure of finding the beast and living in the enchanted castle and all that, sure, but... what was the happily ever after? I picture it as living in one place, living well, loving well. I guess you can tell where I'm going with this... after all this time of thinking that adventure in the great wide somewhere is the best, I'm realizing that what I really want.. what I think even Belle found... is living well in the place where God puts us.
Oh how I long for a home, a place to dig in deep and settled down long and make our home a welcome haven and place of rest and creativity for our own family as well as for others!
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