When I was eight years old, I had three loves — my colored markers, my Barbies and my Disney movies. Eventually the markers ran out of ink and the Barbies took a long vacation to an exotic place called storage, but I never really grew out of my love for Disney princesses and their stories. VHS may have gone out of style, but the fairy tale never did.
I’m not the only nostalgic one either. Walk into my friends’ apartment and the most noticeable poster isn’t of a cute actor or a recent blockbuster. It’s the six smiling faces of Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Jasmine and Aurora — otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty.
The fact that you can still buy paraphernalia for “Cinderella,” a movie that came out more than half a century ago, is a testament to its enduring cultural impact. When I first watched her lose that glass slipper, I wasn’t even entirely sure what a ball was. Yet I was entranced all the same.
There are, of course, a lot of things wrong with the old Disney classics, not the least of which is the unrealistic portrayal of hair. I mean, Ariel is underwater half the time and she still looks like she belongs in the second half of a shampoo commercial.
It’s also true that the Disney canon, before the age of “Mulan” and “Enchanted,” wasn’t exactly full of forward-thinking, feminist texts. But since this isn’t a SWAG class, we’ll set that aside.
The point is that despite the fact that the films don’t paint a recognizable picture of what it means to be a girl, they were still a huge part of my growing up. I shouldn’t have been able to identify with Cinderella — my singing ability was limited, and I had no evil stepsisters or experience scrubbing floors. But somehow I related anyway.
The typical Disney princess, aside from her kindness and beauty, is a weird role model. For one, she’s got no magical powers, unless you count that naturally glossy hair. She does her chores without complaint and her idea of adventure isn’t all that wild — she sticks to dancing, boy-watching or taking long naps.
She’s kind of a loner and tends to only hang out with talking rodents, fowl, fish or crustaceans. These creatures are friendly, dependable and though lacking opposable thumbs, excellent at hair-braiding. But at some point in time those squeaky voices have to get irritating, right? Eventually, a girl needs friends she can take out on the town without people thinking she’s schizophrenic or a spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
But the best sidekick to a Disney princess isn’t the strangely chatty mice or a charming prince. It’s the fairy godmother. She’s the truly helpful one, like Santa meets Mary Poppins with a dash of Carrie Bradshaw. She brings presents, sings songs and acts as your personal shopper and life coach. What could be better?
The fairy godmother in “Cinderella,” is a lot like Stacy London and Clinton Kelly on “What Not to Wear.” She shows up unexpectedly in times of crisis to give fashion advice and boost self-esteem. She just has a magic wand instead of a credit card.
The fairy godmother is a fan of elaborate methods of transportation — appearances out of thin air, squash-shaped carriages and the like. But she also can be pretty strict, doling out uncomfortable shoes and midnight curfews. And really, what sort of princess has to be home before last call?
Aurora, however, had it made. Not only did she have three fairy godmothers instead of one, but they baked cakes and were totally hilarious, like her very own Golden Girls.
In spite of all their ridiculousness — fairy godmothers included — these films have endured. No amount of analysis tarnishes them and advances in animation technology cannot completely leave them behind. They can’t be wholeheartedly dismissed as disempowering or outdated. Same goes with Barbie. Maybe that wafer-thin plastic Amazon is the root of all body image issues, but I still like her.
As for Disney, its legacy is that some part of that fairy tale mentality sticks with us, whether it’s when we twirl around in a fancy dress or when we finally get that pet tiger. Somehow, even after all we know about Cinderella’s masochism or Prince Charming’s savior complex, “princess” still sounds like the best — and easiest — job in the world. It is not, however, an appropriate response to the “What do you want to do after you graduate?” question. Trust me.
Rebecca’s column runs biweekly Tuesdays. She can be reached at r.marsh@cavalierdaily.com
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