Gender Roles in Disney Films

We all can admit that we wanted to be a Disney Princess growing up. I always wanted to be Ariel, because I was so fascinated with how she can turn into a mermaid. Or Belle because she was so beautiful. What we didn't know is that these Disney Princess' were setting us up in gender roles.

Society today, there is so much pressure to have a certain "beauty". We are inundated with all types of media telling us who to be and what to look like. It starts off when you're young because it is easier to process things and seem it's okay. Being a Princess means you have to wait around until a Prince comes to the rescue. 

Why does it seem that Princess' have to be helpless and need a man to save them? It's absurd. Women should be seen as strong figures to the younger generation. Although one of the newest Princess' from Brave, Marida - is the first to actually be the only one who can do things on her own. She proves a point to her father that she can do things better than someone that is suited to marry her. 

Here is an article about how a women feels about her daughter being called a Princess everywhere and why she can't be something else. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/magazine/24princess.t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0