Growing up, I loved Disney princesses. I had a Princess Jasmine doll and a Beauty And The Beast sticker book. I watched Sleeping Beauty obsessively. I knew all the songs from The Little Mermaid off by heart.
My parents never thought my obsession with princesses was a problem. Had they raised me in 2011, they may have felt differently. The tide is turning against Cinderella and her tribe, with books like Cinderella Ate My Daughter and media commentators claiming they’re unhelpful role models for girls. The argument has some legs. While Dora goes exploring and Bob the Builder has a co-worker named Wendy, Disney princesses teach young girls to sing, simper and run away when the going gets tough. Oh, and wait for Prince Charming to come along. Because he always does.
I do wonder if critics have been fair to Disney. For starters, not all the princesses are passive. Ariel is ambitious in her determination to live in the outside world. Jasmine refuses to be married off to the first available suitor. Belle is intelligent and bookish. Need I go into Mulan? It’s also clear our culture favours certain personality traits over others. Nearly all the princesses are kind, compassionate and patient when it comes to suffering. But rather than being a strength, these traits are seen as weaknesses; inferior qualities compared to sassy, ‘gutsy’ or financially independent modern-day heroines.
I do have some niggling concerns about the Disney princess phenomenon.
1. They’re heavily marketed to young girls. While some argue they’re just fairytales and parents should just stop renting the DVDs if they’re concerned, Disney’s rampant marketing means it’s just not that easy. Princess pencil cases, Princess pyjamas, even Princess tubs of yoghurt can be found in most supermarkets and department stores. Is it just harmless fluff, or are there implicit messages being sold to our children? (P.S. read Mark Hadley’s piece for a great article on raising kids in an age of mass marketing and consumerism, found here.)

2. Beauty – more specifically long hair, heels and a tiny waist – is celebrated as what makes these women special. While there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with a girl wanting to be beautiful, it can be hard to help daughters look beyond physical appearance when they’re fed a steady diet of dainty figures and golden hair.
3. The central role of Prince Charming. I’ll admit, there are some positive aspects to the tall, dark and handsome man who inevitably sweeps a Disney princess off her feet. He’s chivalrous. He’s loyal. He protects his beloved as a precious object, rather than treating her like a one-night stand. But I wonder if Prince Charming is a precursor to the rom com’s Mr Right – an object to be idolised, waited upon and hoped for. I wouldn’t want any girl to grow up thinking she needs a wedding and Prince Charming in order to have a happy ending.
Unless you’re Amish or live in a yurt, I’d wager it’s impossible to steer your daughter away from all things Disney. Nor would you necessarily want to. Girls do grow up, eventually. I did. Although I loved watching Disney princesses as a child, I also read widely and had other ‘heroines’ (Anne of Green Gables, Lucy from the Narnia Chronicles and Gee from Captain Planet spring to mind). I went to a school which encouraged young girls to pursue different interests. And I certainly didn’t spend my teenage years waiting for Prince Charming. While there may be aspects of Disney’s princess culture to be wary of, perhaps the answer lies closer to helping daughters navigate through life, rather than boycotting products.
But really, I’d love to know what you think. Is the Disney Princess harmless fun, or a dangerous role model for girls?