But eliminating the Prince Charming element is still read as a statement, consciously or not, about the kind of role models and aspirational figures that can be made available to young girls from the start. The Princess characters have stood the test of time, aided by liberal sprinklings of Disney’s proprietary blend of nostalgia, fantasy wish-fulfillment and marketing know-how.Īnd, it should be said, romance and strong female characters are certainly not mutually exclusive many young girls love Princesses and grow up to be strong, independent adults, too. The line, as of the middle of last year, had brought in over $4 billion in sales. The Disney Princesses are emblazoned on clothing, bedding, dolls, straight-to-DVD films, MP3 players, theme park attractions and a laundry list of other brandable consumer products, over 25,000 in all. It’s a rich fantasy, and a lucrative one, as well. The franchise stresses the romantic elements throughout its promotional material its promotional material states that a young fan of the line “dreams of a place where clothes are spun of silk and gold, where balls are held in her honor and where princes fall in love at first sight.” Still, the princesses share plenty of archetypal DNA, which includes a propensity for falling in love. The division isn’t just ethnic in more recent years, and represented in Mulan (1998) and Pocahantas (1995) in particular, the Princesses have become more willing to embark on adventures far bolder than marches with dwarves and rides in pumpkins with mice (though that carries its own risks). Say What? How Kevin McKidd Brought Scotland to Brave But the last two decades has seen the group diversify to include Persian, Native American, Chinese and African-American characters. The senior class is comprised of caucasian maidens from the company’s early adaptations of mostly Grimm Brothers stories. There are currently ten young royals in the Disney Princess lineup, the studio’s officially trademarked and licensed franchise of fairytale damsels.

If the premise sounds less than revolutionary in 2012, just consider the source. “She makes her own trouble, and then she gets herself out of that trouble, and I think that’s a very good message.”

“ makes her own mistakes and then she doesn’t need a Prince Charming to come and make things better,” MacDonald recently told The Hollywood Reporter.

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