Dear Walt Disney,
Sleeping Beauty as your know it is from the year of 1959. Sleeping Beauty was my all time favorite movie when growing up. This movie was my favorite because of the fairy-tale as they live happily ever after. I am 22 years old now and as I begin to watch this movie I have a different opinion. At the end of this movie the final scene Princess Aurora is being rescued by Prince Philip. Because of a curse was put on Princess Aurora where only a prince could break with help of three fairy god mothers. The Prince had to go through some type of battle in order to rescue the Princess. There are multiple movies with a very similar plot, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and so on.
These movies are very popular to show to children because of the well-known factors. However; doesn’t this teach girls at a very young age of being dependent on a man? That in order to survive from a problem or situation a man must come to the rescue in order to save the woman from this. Shouldn’t girls be taught to be more independent and think for their selves? Perhaps if this was the message more and more women would be become more independent instead of trying to rely on a man. In other words if women are independent, they still can live happily ever after ending.
But in the year 2007, the movie Enchanted, at the very end the character, Nancy Tremaine who was
independent and worked with a fashion company, she did find her Prince who was Prince Edward not Robert Phillip who was played by Patrick Dempsey. By the end of the night of the ball, Nancy realized that Edward is the right man for her and they leave New York together for Andalasia to be married. However; this is not the main plot of the story, this particular scenario is in the background and still is more focused on Giselle the person who is in distress and waiting to be rescued by Robert Phillip. This movie has the impressions of Sleeping Beauty along with many other Disney movies.
How can we teach girls that this isn't the way real woman should act so they do grow up to independant female figures?
ReplyDeleteDo you think that there is one older Disney movie that shows an independent woman or do you think that there is no old Disney movie like this?
ReplyDeleteWhat would be one way to show young children to be strong and independent, while still being in movie form?
ReplyDeleteKarley,
ReplyDeleteFirst I think children should be taught by family members and also with the education in schools showing independent women like Rosa Parks and Amelia Earhart. With education children can have a better understanding and the knowledge of what women can be opposed to the films by Disney.
Brianna,
The oldest movie Disney created was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was in 1937. In the beginning it shows her as playing the role of the stereotypes of women's roles in life with cleaning the cottage. Later we find her being rescued by a man. I feel many of Disney's movies have the potential of women being independent but some kind of problem happens where the woman needs a man's help. With that being said, to my knowledge there is no older Disney movie that fits that description of independent women.
Kimmy,
Disney could make a movie about a woman with a strong, independent, and smart in a leading role. However; for so long we have only known women as the stereotypes Disney makes them out to be. If Disney was to develop a film based on what females actually are then perhaps children would have a better understanding of real women who can be strong and independent.