babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
Diablo Cody Vs. Disney Princesses
Diablo Cody, Oscar-winning artistic Wonder Woman behind the hit indy film Juno, recently had a baby girl. So now, like the rest of us moms, she gets to contend with all the joys and challenges of motherhood.
Including Disney’s array of princesses, minor dieties in the eyes of little girls everywhere.
Cody posted to Twitter:
Why are the Disney Princesses always grouped together arbitrarily? It’s like putting RoboCop, Tony Montana and Spock together on a backpack.
The answer, of course, is money. Those characters are worth a lot more to Disney clumped as an iconic lump of princess than they are as individual characters with their own identities and stories.
Cody probably knows that, but she continues to adorably imagine that the princesses are just like real girls. People with agendas of their own.
She goes on:
I just refuse to believe Belle and Ariel would have anything in common.
Disney should make a movie about a princess who’s totally complacent and has no dreams.
Oh, Diablo. Disney has actually made several movies about princesses who are totally complacent and have no dreams. Have you seen Snow White? Or Sleeping Beauty? It took decades for Disney’s girls to develop spunk.
But leaving that aside, what would those lovely tiara-wearing ladies have to say to each other atop a birthday cake, or while perambulating the perfect grounds of a fairy tale castle?
My kids have, of course, imagined thousands of conversations between these fairy tale creatures. Sometimes the encounters end in violence, but usually they’re fairly innocuous.
Here’s the main thing the princesses appear to have in common, Diablo, at least in the minds of three-year-old girls: Being Princesses. Forget dreams, princes and even tiaras. What these girls chat about is princess-hood.
It goes like this:
“Hello, I’m Ariel. I’m a dissatisfied younger princess in an overcrowded court, and I long to defect to the neighboring kingdom. I’m in love with the prince. It’s this whole star-crossed Romeo and Juliet thing, but with singing fish. I think I feel a musical number coming on.”
“I’m sorry, did you say something? I was busy reading about magic and adventure. I’m Belle. My fondest wish is to be caught up in great adventures like the ones I read about. I seem to be wearing a ridiculously pretty dress.”
“That’s a princess gown! You’re a princess, too! Oooh!” Ariel abandons singing in favor of enthusiastically embracing Belle.
Belle drops her book. “A princess! Just what I always wanted. Let’s stand next to each other and Look Pretty!”
Ariel, “Come on! I have some friends you should meet!”
Photo: Raymond Brown
Go Back To Strollerderby
0 Comments
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jul 07 10 at 3:16 pmEver notice that the groupings rarely include Mulan, Pocahantas, Esmeralda or Tiana? Jasmine seems to be the only token PoC that is allowed into the Disney Princess gang. Then again, the bar is set for low for that gang, maybe they’re better off on their own!
baconsmom commented on Jul 07 10 at 4:00 pmWell, Mulan and Pocahontas DID things. We can’t have them sullying the image of serene uselessness embodied by the other princesses. And wasn’t Esmeralda kind of – you know – a *slut*? Can’t have that, either!
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jul 07 10 at 5:24 pmWas the Disneyfied Esmerelda slutty? She had the hunchback, the bad guy and the good guy interested in her, but I didn’t get that she led each of them on either.
MaryAnn commented on Jul 07 10 at 5:26 pmwere mulan, pocahontas and esmeradla actually princesses?
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jul 07 10 at 5:39 pmMulan – earned the crest of the Chinese Emperor, giving her the title
Pocahontas – daughter of a Native American Chief, making her 1st American princess
Esmerelda – used to be included in the “princess” franchise (I have a cup with her on it), but since dropped. Nothing in the story indicates royalty, she marries a captain.
bettywu commented on Jul 07 10 at 8:23 pm“RoboCop, Tony Montana and Spock together on a backpack.”
I so want this backpack.
JesBelle commented on Jul 08 10 at 3:34 pmMulan, Pocahantas, and Esmerelda didn’t have fabulous ball gowns. It’s also pretty arguable that Belle isn’t a princess. The Beast was a prince, but I always thought that his kingdom was long since gone, absorbed by neigboring countries while he languished under his curse. Besides, his parents are deceased, aren’t they? If he still has a land to rule, wouldn’t he be the king now, making Belle a queen?
jenny tries too hard commented on Jul 08 10 at 4:28 pmI think it’s more telling that the movies associated with Mulan, Pocahantas and Esmerelda kind of sucked and the clothes aren’t near as poufy and fun. Belle never wears a crown or does anything princess-y in her movie, and I don’t think Snow White does, either (I never got into that one, so I don’t know). And Disney definitely did try to include Esmerelda with the princesses, and Tiana’s included now so it’s not really a fear of people of color, there…Esmerelda didn’t generate demand, probably because the Hunchback of Notre Dame is a little on the dark, gloomy side and generates questions like “Mommy what’s a gypsy?” and “Is Great Aunt Sally a hunchback like Quasimodo?”
uh commented on Jul 27 10 at 9:01 pmDiablo didn’t have a girl. She had a boy, 3 weeks after this was posted.
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Lori Garcia 
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
0