Walt and Me

Oh, how I lived for Sunday evenings! With a tap of her wand, Tinkerbell transported me from my modest home in western Massachusetts to the wonderful world of Disney. That was back in the late 1960s and early 1970s yet to this day, my husband and I can wax nostalgic about the anticipation we felt waiting for that castle, the fireworks, and the tiny blonde fairy that signaled the launch of a magical hour. It's funny, but I remember the open more than I remember the television shows that followed.

What I can vividly recall is watching the annual television broadcast of Cinderella and a rare trip to the cinema to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. These were magical experiences for a little girl who would only begin to question the content and messages of these films as a teenager growing jaded about societal norms, particularly sexism, and beginning to think critically about...well, everything.

When I was a child, the equation was simple: Disney = GOOD. Christensen's article resonates with me because as a young adult, I began to scorn the messages telegraphed through the "innocent"fairy tales: that a man can save you from your ordinary life, that your purpose could be found in the home (typically cleaning in between waiting on men or women in higher positions), dark people are scary or bad, and that you should be, above all, nice. Hard work and good character are rewarded by the arrival of a knight in shining armor. And yes, Cinderella, a makeover (complete with high heels, of course) will change your life.

 In terms of Princess culture, Elsa is a step up, I suppose. From a feminist perspective, I see that the creators resisted the Knight in Shining Armor reward but Elsa does pay a price for her power before she embraces it. The transformation into heels and a tight, beautiful, princess-worthy gown was a bit of an eye-roller for me. Based on everything I had heard about this movie, I had actually expected a stronger Princess. I found the "modern girl" qualities I expected in Elsa in her younger sister, Anna. She is the resilient, buoyant, feisty, independent go-getter in this film. I like Anna, but there was something about her that bothered me. I could almost sense a bunch of Disney guys trying too hard to get the strong female character right, particularly when she stops Christoph from punching the villain Hans and does it herself.  A female adopting the physically violent behavior more commonly seen from males to signal her strength: why would we want to send that message to our children?

 

I would love to discuss the Elsa character more in class because I'm wondering if anyone else finds her...disappointing. I did absolutely love that the writers gave us the bond between siblings as the surprising, lovely example of true love in this fairy tale. Nice twist.