Ms. Anti-Princess Does Disney

Can I get a chorus of people screaming, "For shame!" at me? That's how I feel just typing the title of this post.  Like a giant sell out. 

As a child I had nothing against princesses of any kind, be they Disney or a product of my own imagination.  The long flowing tresses, beautiful sparkly gowns and having every wish desired suddenly granted seemed like, well, a fairy tale.  Who doesn't want that? My fine, thin hair would love to be long and flowing.  A designer gown made just for moi?  Sounds nice. I'm quite sick of my Target ensembles as of late.   When I got to high school Disney princesses began to explode, their large-eyed, long-haired princesses in particular.  My best friend dragged me to each film and her little sisters sang the songs to each flick faithfully.  All day, every day.  As a young woman trying to figure out her beliefs and ideals those princesses became the epitome of bad role models to me.  I railed against them every time I caught a glimpse of them.  The more Disney cranked out those cartoons with their dashing princes and distressed damsels the more heated and adamant I became that I would not ever have them in my home when I became a parent. 

Almost four years ago I had my first little girl.  You think you know this story, don't you?  No, I did not cave and suddenly turn to mush around Ariel, Belle and Jasmine.  There still is not one princess in my home.  She knows to a degree who they are as we don't live under a rock though.  She has seen some of the movies as well during 'Friday Night Movie Night'.  When I heard her saying that she was, "Waiting for her prince to save her", I freaked.  I recalled Miranda's line from SATC, "No rescue!"  If Disney could come up with a different formula perhaps or depict these women as something more than pretty objects who give all, including their voices and legs, for something more than a prince I might not feel that these films are so bad.  It is not just that aspect that has me boiling over but it is the boxed-in type of play that these movies, their marketing, endorsements and toy lines produce.  Each birthday party I have gone to for a little girl in the past three years has had only one theme, princesses, typically Disney.  The gifts given?  All princess gear, figurines, dress-ups and accessories.  Not a single book.  I'm not generalizing. I've cataloged this information away.  It scares the heck out of me.  Toys that come from a singular line or theme leave little imagination in a child's play.  The children often confine themselves to roles from the film and therein lies the root of the problem.

When I heard myself suggest to my daughter that we should hit up the local cinema to see 'The Princess and the Frog' I was surprised to say the least.  What was happening to me?  I was giving in and giving up my beliefs.  Not really.  Yes, I am taking her to see the film.  And yes, I am excited to do so, but simply for this reason.  I remember the sheer excitement I had as a child when I saw a film, any film, with my mother or father.  It was such a treat and we did it each time a children's movie came out.  Now, I'm a movie nut. I want to share this same pleasure with my kids and my oldest finally seems ready for the experience.  I get the irony that the first film will be a Disney princess film but don't think we won't be discussing it after the fact.  What parent wouldn't discuss an outing with their child afterward?  Isn't that just good parenting?  And am I the only one who gets freaked out by this princessy lot?

Original DC Metro Moms post.  Victoria blogs daily at The Mummy Chronicles and Mummy's Product Reviews.