pinupgirlnextdoor: I absolutely hate to see this picture on my dashboard. - Belle is crying because she just gave up her whole life to save her father. She now has to spend the rest of her days as a prisoner isolated with only talking teapots and a monster as company. She did one of the bravest possible things she could have done. He’s hardly a prince, but she changes his heart and sees past his exterior. - Ariel is crying because she wants to be on the surface, she feels trapped, and her father just yelled at her in rage about her interests. He destroyed all her ‘treasures’ and now she is left feeling more alone and trapped than before. She didn’t ‘wait’ for her Prince. She sought out Ursula and gave up what was dearest to her just to meet him. She left everything behind for what she wanted, loved, and dreamed of. -Jasmine is crying because in three days she has to married, and she doesn’t love a single man who came for her hand in marriage. She ran away from her comfortable sheltered life in the palace to live on the street, and falls for a homeless man. How is that waiting for a prince? - I don’t actually remember Aurora crying, but through the course of the movie she learns that her whole life (with the three faries) is a lie, she’s not actually Briar Rose as she thinks, that she’s betrothed, and then theres the whole deal with the witch wanting to kill her. I think thats reason enough to cry. Finally, she didn’t even wait for her Prince. She was essentially  in a coma. - Cinderella was basically a slave, her family kept her locked in the attic, they were cruel to her, her only friends we mice. Even her name was demeaning, like the cinder girl. Finally she has a beautiful dress to go to a ball, and her step sisters tear that apart too. She’s got nothing. Isn’t that reason enough to cry? - First of all this is contradictory since Mulan is crying in this picture, and THEN she’s also the ‘fighting’ one. She’s crying because her elderly father is being sent off to war, and will most likely die. She goes in his place, defying everyone and everything from her culture, to save his life. (OH AND SHE DOESN’T MARRY A PRINCE) I will defend princesses until the end, it may seem silly, but this is silly too. Why is it bad to cry? Why does that make you weak? It doesn’t. It is not the crying that is upsetting, it is what the crying represents. All of these princesses gave up part of their autonomy or freedom for the sake of a man, and often must get saved by a man or marry a man in order to be complete and free. -Ariel literally and figuratively gives up her voice and a part of her body for a man she does not even know, eventually even giving up her life at home for him. -Belle gives up her freedom to be verbally abused by the Beast and is kept prisoner until a kind of Stockholm Syndrome occurs. -Aurora is stuck in deep sleep and only a man (excuse me, “true love”) and marriage could make her a completely free woman. -Cinderella is stuck as a perpetual servant by her family, and what frees her from her servitude? Marriage to a man because she has the right show size. -Jasmine is forced to choose a husband. Now, Jasmine is a little bit different because this is a movie where the prince and princess have an actual depiction of falling in love. However, this is only because the movie is not a princess movie, as it is about Aladdin and not Jasmine, so it is only a small improvement. Although I give her mad props for being picky about who to marry, her only means of gaining freedom from her father’s expectations and the only way to gain the crown was through marriage. (Also, minus points for needing to be a seductress for a minute there). And I know that everyone will say that it is all for “true love,” but where are the stories of princes sacrificing ANYTHING in the same capacity for a princess? No where! All the princes do is fight and then kiss, but there are never any great sacrifices. These Disney princesses perpetuate the patriarchal idea that women must sacrifice (or “put out” if you will) in order to get a man. The movies also suggest that women cannot be truly complete until they get MARRIED. Mulan in different from all others. Although at first she does give up her life at home for the sake of a man (her father), she ends up truly finding her own identity. She saves a whole nation and is not driven by a man to do so, only by herself. Throughout the movie, she is disguised as a man and must learn how to “be a man” in order to gain respect, however, she ends up saving all of China by fighting as herself and being herself. In fact, she does not even need to fight for Prince Charming. Mulan’s message is to fight for yourself. Of course, Mulan is not a princess and is never presented as such, so she does not exactly redeem the other princesses. But one empowering representation of Disney women is better than none.

pinupgirlnextdoor:

I absolutely hate to see this picture on my dashboard.

- Belle is crying because she just gave up her whole life to save her father. She now has to spend the rest of her days as a prisoner isolated with only talking teapots and a monster as company. She did one of the bravest possible things she could have done. He’s hardly a prince, but she changes his heart and sees past his exterior.

- Ariel is crying because she wants to be on the surface, she feels trapped, and her father just yelled at her in rage about her interests. He destroyed all her ‘treasures’ and now she is left feeling more alone and trapped than before. She didn’t ‘wait’ for her Prince. She sought out Ursula and gave up what was dearest to her just to meet him. She left everything behind for what she wanted, loved, and dreamed of.

-Jasmine is crying because in three days she has to married, and she doesn’t love a single man who came for her hand in marriage. She ran away from her comfortable sheltered life in the palace to live on the street, and falls for a homeless man. How is that waiting for a prince?

- I don’t actually remember Aurora crying, but through the course of the movie she learns that her whole life (with the three faries) is a lie, she’s not actually Briar Rose as she thinks, that she’s betrothed, and then theres the whole deal with the witch wanting to kill her. I think thats reason enough to cry. Finally, she didn’t even wait for her Prince. She was essentially  in a coma.

- Cinderella was basically a slave, her family kept her locked in the attic, they were cruel to her, her only friends we mice. Even her name was demeaning, like the cinder girl. Finally she has a beautiful dress to go to a ball, and her step sisters tear that apart too. She’s got nothing. Isn’t that reason enough to cry?

- First of all this is contradictory since Mulan is crying in this picture, and THEN she’s also the ‘fighting’ one. She’s crying because her elderly father is being sent off to war, and will most likely die. She goes in his place, defying everyone and everything from her culture, to save his life. (OH AND SHE DOESN’T MARRY A PRINCE)

I will defend princesses until the end, it may seem silly, but this is silly too. Why is it bad to cry? Why does that make you weak? It doesn’t.

It is not the crying that is upsetting, it is what the crying represents. All of these princesses gave up part of their autonomy or freedom for the sake of a man, and often must get saved by a man or marry a man in order to be complete and free.

-Ariel literally and figuratively gives up her voice and a part of her body for a man she does not even know, eventually even giving up her life at home for him.

-Belle gives up her freedom to be verbally abused by the Beast and is kept prisoner until a kind of Stockholm Syndrome occurs.

-Aurora is stuck in deep sleep and only a man (excuse me, “true love”) and marriage could make her a completely free woman.

-Cinderella is stuck as a perpetual servant by her family, and what frees her from her servitude? Marriage to a man because she has the right show size.

-Jasmine is forced to choose a husband. Now, Jasmine is a little bit different because this is a movie where the prince and princess have an actual depiction of falling in love. However, this is only because the movie is not a princess movie, as it is about Aladdin and not Jasmine, so it is only a small improvement. Although I give her mad props for being picky about who to marry, her only means of gaining freedom from her father’s expectations and the only way to gain the crown was through marriage. (Also, minus points for needing to be a seductress for a minute there).

And I know that everyone will say that it is all for “true love,” but where are the stories of princes sacrificing ANYTHING in the same capacity for a princess? No where! All the princes do is fight and then kiss, but there are never any great sacrifices. These Disney princesses perpetuate the patriarchal idea that women must sacrifice (or “put out” if you will) in order to get a man. The movies also suggest that women cannot be truly complete until they get MARRIED.

Mulan in different from all others. Although at first she does give up her life at home for the sake of a man (her father), she ends up truly finding her own identity. She saves a whole nation and is not driven by a man to do so, only by herself. Throughout the movie, she is disguised as a man and must learn how to “be a man” in order to gain respect, however, she ends up saving all of China by fighting as herself and being herself. In fact, she does not even need to fight for Prince Charming. Mulan’s message is to fight for yourself.

Of course, Mulan is not a princess and is never presented as such, so she does not exactly redeem the other princesses. But one empowering representation of Disney women is better than none.