The Nation takes on pervasive Disney princess trend
Wed, 2007-12-12 07:06
#1
The Nation takes on pervasive Disney princess trend
Wed, 2007-12-12 07:06
#2
[url=http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071224/ehrenreich]Bonfire of the Disney Princesses[/url]
quote:
the drug is in the concept, which was spawned in the Disney studios. Before 2000, the Princesses were just the separate, disunited, heroines of Disney animated films-- Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Belle, and Mulan. Then Disney's Andy Mooney got the idea of bringing the gals together in a team. With a wave of the wand ($10.99 at Target, tiara included) they were all elevated to royal status and set loose on the world as an imperial cabal, and have since have busied themselves achieving global domination. Today, there is no little girl in the wired, industrial world who does not seek to display her allegiance to the pink- and-purple clad Disney dynasty.Disney likes to think of the Princesses as role models, but what a sorry bunch of wusses they are. Typically, they spend much of their time in captivity or a coma, waking up only when a Prince comes along and kisses them. The most striking exception is Mulan, who dresses as a boy to fight in the army, but--like the other Princess of color, Pocahontas--she lacks full Princess status and does not warrant a line of tiaras and gowns. Otherwise the Princesses have no ambitions and no marketable skills, although both Snow White and Cinderella are good at housecleaning.
Thu, 2007-12-13 06:27
#3
[url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/70985]At $4 billion a year, the princess franchise is second only to Mickey Mouse as Disney's most lucrative venture.[/url] And it's not just for kids anymore.
quote:
You've heard of a bridezilla. Meet a new breed: the princesszilla. She was created and nurtured in the Disney laboratory, and for the company she has become a dream come true. "Princess" is Disney-speak—a sort of noun-adjective you'd hear in a sentence such as"Your hair is, like, so princess today!"—for its plan to market Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and the girls to world domination. They're almost there. Princess is a $4 billion business that's on its way to becoming the most successful marketing venture ever. (Mickey Mouse pulls in $6 billion annually, but he's been working it for decades.) When it was created in 2000, the Princess line was geared to kids and tweens, but in the past year Disney has begun going after middle-class women.
Thu, 2007-12-13 07:01
#4
When I was about eight I told my mother that I wanted to go for Halloween as Cinderella, so she had my grandmother make the costume for me. They were both floored when I got more specific, and had them make me the grimy, dirty Cinderella from before she becomes a princess, as opposed to the glamourous one in a tiara. Either way, looking back it probably wasn't my best decision for a costume, but I like to think that I was at least trying to reject the pervasive princess trend. (Though in retrospect, dressing up as the housecleaning Cinderella wasn't very progressive of me either!) [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]
Thu, 2007-12-13 07:40
#5
Yeah, I have a feeling "housecleaning chimney-sweep Cinderella" isn't featured in the line of Disney princesses. But they're expanding, after all, so maybe we'll see it in the future? [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img] [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]
Thu, 2007-12-13 09:02
#6
these types of dolls make me so angry- for the ideas about body image, gender roles- they're just evil. [img]mad.gif" border="0[/img] [img]mad.gif" border="0[/img] [img]mad.gif" border="0[/img]
Thu, 2007-12-13 09:25
#7
I can't get past the fact that they have different, special-occasion dresses tailored to each princess "personality" that [i]appeal to adult women.[/i] WTF? Who would order up a "Belle" or "Ariel" dress to wear for their wedding? I don't get it.
[ 13 December 2007: Message edited by: M.Gregus ]
Thu, 2007-12-13 09:26
#8
quote:
I can't get past the fact that they have different, special-occasion dresses tailored to each princess "personality" that appeal to adult women. WTF?
Sounds like an episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen to me!
Thu, 2007-12-13 09:31
#9
quote:
Sounds like an episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen to me!
Ugh, I loathe that show - it makes me physically angry. [img]mad.gif" border="0[/img]
But you're right - it would be the exactly where you could expect to see a princess dress.
Thu, 2007-12-13 09:39
#10
The glorification of 'Princess' by disney has always has been a dispicable... Nice to see articles like this. The reality of the life of 'Princesses' throughout the years is usually quite disturbing (Hey, you're father has decided you're marrying *insert royalty from another nation here* to create an alliance, have a nice life).
Extra points for the forum reading " The Nation takes on pervasive... (Noise) "
[ 13 December 2007: Message edited by: Noise ]
Thu, 2007-12-13 10:38
#11
That reminds me of the New Year's Eve party when I was in grade 12. The richest, most socially desirable girl in school and I shared a bottle of Dom she stole from her old man. She told me to congratulate her. She was getting married right after grad to the son of another rich guy. Her dad set the whole thing up. After the wedding, the two families were going to merge their businesses to take advantage of some tax deal. I was totally shocked that A: that sort of thing still went on in the 80s, B: the fatalistic way she accepted the arrangement and C: she decided to tell me about it. That was the only time in four years of highschool she spoke to me. I had this killer rep as "The Keeper of Secrets" so that might of had something to do with it.
Mon, 2007-12-17 10:44
#12
remind
Taking this subversive operant conditioning of society into the belief of patriarchial supremacy as fed to us by media, if one looks one can see it in a good many movies and TV programs.
Last evening I watched the XMen "Final Stand", within were at least 2 occasions whereby we were fed the pap male supremacy. one was were the girl gave up her mutant powers for her boyfriend, cause [i]she[/i] wanted to be with him, and at the end when the woman was killed by someone who loved her because she, and thus her power, was out of control. Say nothing of all the way through the show, men had to control her power for her.
Then later on, I was watching the new show "Kinks in My Hair, or something like that, I came upon it midway through so am not sure. In it was a segment, of the woman character, wilfully submitting to her partner's desires, as if they should naturally be her own. This was even though they were not intitially, until of course her partner withdrew his affection over it and she faced being without him and saw her life as meaningless and empty without him.
These types of messages slip beyond our immediate perceptions, but there is no doubt they impact upon our subconscious minds where we except the messages of this sort as true, when indeed they are not. We are just not picking up on them and deflating the erroneous message. We need to deflate and expose the false messages that a woman cannot exist without a man in control and a woman must give up her power and personal goals in order to have a relationship with a man. Moreover, it tells men they should expect this and have every right to, and if the woman says no, a man can do whatever it takes to control the woman. That message too must stop.
Mon, 2007-12-17 10:58
#13
[ 17 December 2007: Message edited by: CMOT Dibbler ]
Mon, 2007-12-17 12:04
#14
remind
Linked to this blog in another thread, but feel the message it contains applies here too.
quote:
We still are fighting the battle for control over our own bodies, uphill because there are those that would also not let women and girls know how to not get pregnant.Boys will be boys, after all. Girls will be quiet and docile. "Girl Power" often is portrayed in such a way as to make damned sure that it includes lots of cleavage and butt shots.
And before anyone goes all crazy on me here, I am[b] not condemning all men.[/b] I know there are many enlightened souls of the masculine gender. And I am grateful that although change is slow, there is change. My Tar brush is not all encompassing.
So.
Aqsa Parvez was probably murdered by her father because of some "cultural" battle. (the 911 tape has a man saying he had killed his daughter)
Culture? Yes. [b]The prevailing cuture of men.[/b]
[url=http://www.acreativerevolution.ca/node/527]http://www.acreativerevolutio...
* bolding mine, blog found from BnR
Wed, 2007-12-19 08:51
#15
agreed remind -its so pervasive we don't notice it and take it as normal, because we've been fed it from day 1
Wed, 2007-12-19 10:41
#16
quote:
I can't get past the fact that they have different, special-occasion dresses tailored to each princess "personality" that appeal to adult women. WTF? Who would order up a "Belle" or "Ariel" dress to wear for their wedding? I don't get it.
Never underestimate the hold this brand can have. They sink their hooks in early and often don't let go. Ever. Anecdote: I work with a young woman who just came back from a vacation with her husband. The destination: Disneyland. They have no kids.
I don't get it either.
Sun, 2007-12-30 21:14
#17
haha the Disney Corp are marketing ninjas.
Princess-Brides-Weddings spells ka-ching!
I predict they'll also go for the niche religious landmarks of a whole persons life (of course mostly targeting mostly females).
The Princess Baptism outfit
The Princess Communion/Confirmation outfit
The Princess Bat Mitzvah.
The Princess Graduation Dress.
The Princess Bride outfit (Done)
The Princess Funeral Casket Final Outfit.
Also ties in with the Princess Funeral Casket. Can Disney tombstones be far behind. Of course they will be all pretty pastel colours and with dazzling shining possibilities. Don't let your little light die and now it never will -with a Disney Tombstone.
Man - the possibilities are endless. Brand loyalty from birth til death!!!!
Sometimes in business you don't need to be original you can make tons o' money just by being tacky.
It really is a Disney world with unlimited possibilites. All they need to do is come up with their own religion and we're all done.
Sun, 2007-12-30 21:55
#18
The reason people like Disney is because they make good stories that people enjoy. Some of you may have been more interested in postmodernism when you were five years old, but most of us liked the escape of magic and monsters and good guys and bad guys and princesses. Brand loyalty is more than just good marketing. It helps to produce products that people enjoy and appreciate. I loved Mickey Mouse and The Lion King and Hercules when I was a kid. I've totally loved Pirates of the Carribean and Finding Nemo and The Incredibles in recent years. Why do you think google has a better reputation than microsoft? Because their products work better.
Not everybody wants to be intellectual all the time. I realize that at any given time there might be a dozen people across Canada reading babble. But a whole lot more are reading Rowling or Jordan or Tolkien - or even watching Disney princess movies.
quote:
Originally posted by remind:
[b]Last evening I watched the XMen "Final Stand", within were at least 2 occasions whereby we were fed the pap male supremacy. one was were the girl gave up her mutant powers for her boyfriend, cause [i]she[/i] wanted to be with him, and at the end when the woman was killed by someone who loved her because she, and thus her power, was out of control. Say nothing of all the way through the show, men had to control her power for her.
[/b]
I agree, with respect to stories that were designed decades ago such as xmen or spiderman, they reflect the social norms of their day. They keep the same storyline out of respect to the fans and to the original developers.
More contemporary work is more gender balanced and women take on more diverse roles. Uma Thurman kicked ass in Kill Bill. She followed in the footsteps of Mila Jovovich and Sigourney Weaver. The universe of the new Battlestar Galactica doesn't seem to care for gender. Unlike in the original series, Starbuck is a woman, and Commander Cain is now admiral [i]Helena[/i] Cain. Add President Roslyn. Two and a Half Men is about a single dad and his brother. There were powerful women in The Golden Compass. At the other end, other shows such as Everybody Loves Raymond are downright misandrist.
[ 30 December 2007: Message edited by: 500_Apples ]
Sun, 2007-12-30 22:27
#19
Pirates of the Caribbean, I'm hooked. I'm into buying the movies on CD, the gum dispensers, the t-shirts etc. I've had to make wooden swords for the nephews and the whole bit. Johnny Depp [i]is[/i] Cap'n Jack Sparrow, savvy ?
Tue, 2008-01-01 08:22
#20
rural - Francesca
My 17 year old daughter never bought the 'princess bit'. Hates pink, hates all things frilly and makes retching sounds when we're in stores and I pick up the latest "thing" to see if she wants me to buy it for her. It's our fun, as I'm a pretty 'girly' person (that's why they never see me coming, I wear pink).
She does Kendo, and therefore knows her way around a metre long sword.
When her grade 11 history class did Roman day, and everyone was doing togas, we got a gladiator outfit made for her and she went as a bodyguard for the 'ruler'.
When she graduated from grade 8, she started the year off with "I'm not wearing a dress". She wore black pants with a black halter top (front and sides sewn up so she didn't 'hang out'), black leather platform boots. We curled her waist length hair up and had a dragon tattoo done in henna on her bare upper back. The girl was dramatic.
Her teachers came over to me and told me how they were all a bit worried about her for graduation, as she wasn't a girly girl. They all knew the other girls would be in gowns etc. They were truly stunned that she was so dramatic, without the princess bit.
The "cool" girls who had dressed as mini brides in floor length white gowns, were pissed big time. Because the boys thought the leather boot wearing, tattooed all in black girl was worth their attention.
She on the other hand wouldn't give them the time of day - it really was fun to watch.
My neighbour's 3 year old is into the princess bit, we'll talk to her when we can.
Fri, 2008-05-02 10:02
#21
[url=http://www.slate.com/id/2190209/]Here's the latest from Disney, via Slate[/url]
Forget Miley Cyrus. Check out Disney's Chinese underwear ad.
quote:
couldn't help but think of an advertisement I'd seen a few months ago while on a reporting trip to China. I was walking from my Beijing bed-and-breakfast to a nearby subway station when I was stopped in my tracks by a billboard that made the controversial 1990s Calvin Klein underwear ads look artistic by comparison. Staring down at the throngs of shoppers on Beijing's Xinjiekou Nandajie Avenue, a busy commercial thoroughfare about a mile west of the Forbidden City, was a white girl who looked all of 12, reclining in a matching bra-and-panties set adorned with Disney's signature mouse-ear design. In a particularly creepy detail, the pigtailed child was playing with a pair of Minnie Mouse hand puppets. In the upper left-hand corner was the familiar script of the Disney logo.
The ultra-creepy photo can be found with the Slate article.
Mon, 2008-05-05 17:08
#22
I find it fascinating how Disney evokes such strong reactions from people [cough, 500_apples]... it's a sort of sacred cow of popular culture... Also just because people critique something doesn't mean they haven't also enjoyed it at some point. I'm sure a lot of people here have watched disney films or even [gasp] bought crappy pink plastic princess stuff for their kids [cough].
That being said the Disney princess brand is also pretty racist (seen any black princesses lately? Although I've heard rumours they're thinking about creating one... how progressive of them.) And with the whole Pocahontas re-writing history thing... and the Aladdin "evil arab bad guys" thing...
[ 05 May 2008: Message edited by: werestillhere ]
Mon, 2008-05-05 19:11
#23
Just fire in a copy of Bambi and once more Disney will be on the moral high ground. [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img]
Fri, 2008-07-18 09:25
#24
[url=http://jezebel.com/5026242/why-is-disneys-first-black-princess-such-a-ch... Is Disney's First Black Princess Such A Challenge?[/url]