Wendy, one girl is worth a hundred boys.

So I'm kind of feeling all over the place today, so I've decided to focus my mind on something else.  

For Katie's birthday I know that she would love to have a Disney Princess Party - but she wants little boys there too who will definitely not be kept amused by 'Pin the Crown on the Princess' - so back to the drawing board, we will have to find a compromise.  Anyway, during my Disney Princess research I came across this:

These are all over the internet.  Women who call themselves feminists who devote their time to slating Disney Princesses.  Someone I know runs a Disney Princess Party Business and she was recently verbally attacked by a woman who claims that she will never let her daughter watch Disney Princesses.  But the first Disney Princess was created in 1939 and the latest one in 2012.  There has been a considerable difference in attitudes towards feminism over those years.  

 To be frank, I am sick of women consistently attacking men and claiming that it is for feminism.  It's about equality not a superior sex.  I do consider myself to be a feminist and I do think that we have a long way to go to reach equality - I've come across girls who refuse to cook because they feel that is detrimental to 'The Cause.'  Ok, sure go hungry that'll help.  Yesterday at work as I was doing the washing-up, I said to my male colleagues who offered to help that it was alright - women belong in the kitchen doing the washing-up.  They were absolutely astounded.  Obviously I wasn't being 100% serious.  I was happy doing it because I know that I can do a better job.  Not me as a woman necessarily, just me.

Quite a few women these days criticize other women for getting married and having a family.  I'll fill you in on a fact.  That's biology.  We're made to breed.  Not just women - men too obviously, don't be thick.  This is the purpose of the human race.  Just because a woman decided to have a family doesn't mean she is rejecting the work that feminists did for her all those years ago.

These photographs were taken by some photographer (not sure who, cannot remember), and it basically shows the Disney Princesses and the issues that they would face today.  It's funny how Cinderella is being gawped at.  Some women who call themselves feminists like that.  They say that it shows themselves in a powerful position as they use their sexual power over men.  I think that they make themselves little more than an ornament.  A blow-up doll if you will.

Two years ago in Britain 43,069 people had plastic surgery.  Sure, some of it was not for cosmetic reasons - but are you kidding me? Everywhere we see plastic surgery.  On TV adverts, in Magazine adverts, there's one on my high street and I don't even live in a posh area filled with people who can afford these procedures.

Now, see, I'm not going to be too judgmental here.  Would I change my face if I could?  Yeah.  There's nothing specific I hate about the way I look.  I guess that I just hate everything really - so I'd probably completely change it.  High cheek bones, more normal looking lips, bigger eyes, a normal nose, skin that doesn't look like I am about to die, skinny - size 0 like would be nice.

So it's too late for me.  I've been taken in by the world of plastic surgery, but what about our other girls?  What about our little ones now?  What can we teach them so that they don't grow up like us?

In 1939, Walt Disney made history by releasing the first ever full-feature cartoon film.  It followed the tale of Snow White adapted by the story by the Grimm Brothers.  Snow White is a Princess who I do find intensely annoying because she is a bit wet.  Look at the facts: She's chased out of her home by a bitter uglier woman, she cries in the woods for a bit, she comes across a house filled with 7 men and cleans it for them.  She eats an apple (pictured obvs.) and goes unconscious for a bit and is wakened by the kiss of a Prince.  They then leave happily ever after.  Not convinced?  Ok, let's look at the facts again.  Unintentionally she becomes the newer younger model and faces the wrath of her step-mother.  She doesn't exactly flaunt it in her face, it just happens.  Her step-mother then decides to have her killed, when the assassin can't go through with it he sends her into the dark and terrible woods with trees with evil faces that grab at her - who wouldn't be terrified?!  I'd be a nervous wreck.  When she comes across the house, what has she got to offer in exchange for her staying there?  She's got no money, she's probably too tall to go down the mines with them, she's been cleaning for most of her life anyway so she knows what to do.  Isn't it more feminist that she offers to contribute to her keep rather than just being like 'ahh help me take care of me I am so helpless' or just sleeping with them.  As with the being kissed at the end bit, go talking to brothers Grim about that - that happened in the original story.  And a guy saving a girl?!  How shockingly awful.  From now on we must only ever have girls save guys.  That is so much more about equality.  Are you kidding me?!

Cinderella is another one who annoyed me.  I think that it was the voices.  In 1950 this was made and she fitted the ideal American Dream woman.  I mean, which female star of the 1950's does she remind you of?  (Clue, she shares a name with Marilyn Manson.)  Ok, so let's look at the facts again: Privileged kid turns orphan shortly after her father marries evil step-mother.  Flash forward several years and Cinderella is a servant in her own home.  She dreams about falling in love and getting away.  She's invited to a ball and is like yey but then her ugly bitches of sisters decide to ruin her dress and go without her.  Boo.  Fairy godmother saves the day.  She falls in love with Prince after under five seconds because they're like 'ohmygoshwhoisthattheyarewellfit'.  She runs away and leaves shoe behind.  He sends a servant out to find the girl who owns the shoe.  Cinderella is found.  They live happily ever after.  So, let's look at it again.  People have issues with the whole cleaning side of things.  Like to point out guys, I don't think she has much choice in the matter.  I think that it's clean or be chucked out on the streets as a kid in a time where Social Services couldn't actually get involved because they didn't technically exist.  She worked for her living, isn't that more admirable than just sitting around all day looking pretty?  And as for dreaming about falling in love, don't we all?  Again, it's just biology.  She falls in love with the Prince after five seconds true, but please lets suspend belief here, there are talking mice in this film - falling in love instantly is the least of your realistic worries.  He dances nicely with her as well, it's not like a copafeel in today's nightclub.

1959:  Wait?  She is given the gift of beauty as a baby?  She is engaged as a baby?  She is rescued by a man who kisses her?  Eugh.  How will our young girls of today cope?  How on Earth will they learn to appreciate their womanhood?  *Blows raspberry*.
You know what?  Yeah, Aurora/Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty (whatever), is pretty wet.  But even though she isn't the strongest, she's humble and kind and honest - something that I think that we are all missing these days.  Whatever happened to a little humility?  She's pretty without having to slap on make-up and teasing her female companions so that she feels better about herself.

Disney then made a load of films featuring animals rather than people.  The Aristocats, 101 Dalmatians, Robin Hood, The Rescuers etc. etc.  So the next one was a compromise with someone who was half-fish, half-human.

'Bright young women, sick of swimming, ready to stand.'  Yes, of course I was talking about Ariel from the 1989 film The Little Mermaid, made 30 years after the last Disney Princess.  30!!  Well, things had been a tricky time then.  Women were fighting for even more rights and so you couldn't step on too many toes.  ANYWAY, so many people complain about Ariel which majorly sucks because she is my absolute FAVOURITE.  If you didn't call me Ariel as a kid, I would hit you.  I played being her all the time.  I sang all the time.  I even brushed my hair with a frickin' fork.  Let's look at their argument: She abandons her family, she changes her body, she gives up her strongest talent - ALL FOR A MAN!!  SHOCKING!!  Ok, backtrack.  Ariel longs to explore the human world long before she comes across the dashing and charming Prince Eric.  She feels more at home there than she does under the sea (see what I did there?!) and she doesn't abandon her family.  She simply moves away from home.  We don't all just live in our parents spare room when we grow up you know.  She changes her body - yes, into something that she desperately wants!!  It's like us dyeing our hair, putting on our make-up etc.  etc.  And also, as I have previously established, she doesn't move away solely for Prince Eric, and I hate to break it to you, but I seriously think that she would be hindered if she kept her tail whilst on land....And as for her strongest talent - yes, she sings, but is that what she loves most to do?  While her dad and his crab want to show off her voice to everyone, she is out happily exploring.  Also, Prince Eric isn't drawn to her because she has her mouth shut, he fell in love with the voice of the girl that saved him due to her courage.  And Ariel isn't purely drawn to Prince Eric because he is fit and a total babe, she sees his compassion as he plays with his dog, Max.  She falls under a little crush the way that most girls do - the statue she has of him is akin to the posters that girls have, and when her dad destroys it she, understandably, has a hissy fit of teenage rebellion and decides that she cannot live like this any more and the ideal of living on the shore becomes far more appealing.  I know how that feels.

1991 shows the first Disney Princess who is actively seen reading.  People went mental and hailed her as the first feminist Princess, but recently some people have criticized her for reading 'trashy tales about romance'.  She is also criticized for sticking with someone who is abusive to her - saying that it encourages domestic violence.
I personally think that it is pretty admirable that she sticks with the Beast.  She does it for her father, and she sees she can help him to become a happier person by getting rid of that anger.  She doesn't shy away from it.  Go girl.

1992: 'Not a prize to be won.'  When we first meet Princess Jasmine, she has just gotten rid of yet another suitor.  She doesn't want to get married, even if it is the law, even if it is what her father wants, even if it is her duty as a woman to do so.  She wants to marry for love.  But wait, what's this?  You mean she actually shows her midriff a lot in the film?!  In that boiling hot Arabian desert she actually dares to have some flesh on show?!  HOW DARE SHE?!  And wait, what's this?  You mean, she actually uses her sexuality to distract Jafar and kisses him?  Whataslut.
Shut up.  That bores me.  She does what needs to be done to save Agraba.  It's either kiss a disgusting old pervert or stand by and watch your country perish under a dictator.  Yes, it would be nice if she could get out a sword and beat him with it - but alas she forgot to pack one.  But then again, maybe if her top was a little longer she might just have gotten away with it.

In 1995 Disney based a Princess on a real life woman - taking liberties of course.  I'm fairly average about this film - I think the way that all the evil people are English but the good people are American annoys me.
Well, anyway, to cut a long story short, Pochahontas leaps in front of John Smith to stop his head being bashed in with a club.  At least she didn't just stand there and cry.

If this 1998 female isn't considered to be feminist then I honestly do not know what it wrong with today's society - other than we clearly enjoy moaning.  'The male rabbit is swifter of foot, The eyes of the female are somewhat smaller.But when the two rabbits run side by side, How can you tell the female from the male?' - is taken from the 6th century 'The Ballad of Mulan'.  When her father is too old to fight, Mulan steps forward to fight in his place.  Of course, it helps that she doesn't feel that she fits in with the traditional Chinese woman that she is supposed to be in the first place.  Some have criticized that Mulan had to become a man in order to fight - what they have missed out on is that in that context you had to be a man to fight - and she is risking her life in that respect.
Also, when her secret is revealed - she continues to fight for the Emperor - as herself rather than Ping.

2009 saw the first black/African American Princess. Yeah she wants to open her own business, but some idiots immediately jumped on this as a negative BECAUSE SHE WANTS TO COOK!!  HOW DARE SHE FIT INTO THE STEREOTYPE!!  SHE SHOULD BE A CAR MECHANIC!!
Seriously, shut up.
If you are so against women cooking, then you will go hungry.  Not because it's only women who cook - it's because female cooks will make up about 50% of cooks and that will seriously hinder you if you are continuously acting this way.

Rapunzel came to life in 2010 voiced by Mandy More.  She is eighteen, girly, and has been trapped in a tower all of her life - kept by the wicked Mother Gothel who insists that she is too precious and stupid to venture into the outside world.  But when the outside world comes in, she's fairly able to beat him unconscious with a frying pan and to tie him up with her hair.  Bit drastic.  What interests me, is that Disney show how Mother Gothel valued her youth - and therefore her looks - above everything else, and met a grim end.  Rapunzel cut off her gorgeous hair to save someone that she loved.  That's not changing who you are for a man.  That's realising that looks aren't as important as someone you love.

Finally, our 2012 heroine Merida battles against her mother not to go into an arranged marriage - and somehow turns her into a bear.  As you do.  It's about the relationship of mother and daughter - two strong women, but a generation apart.  Eleanor, her mother, is in no way a weak wife - she seems stronger than the King, but she still wants Merida married for the unity and the security that it can provide.  Merida isn't against marriage - she's just not ready, and she just hasn't met anyone whom she likes enough yet.  She wields a weapon and is 'Brave' (hence the film title), and yet she is still attacked for having got herself in the mess of her mother being a bear in the first place, and for not fighting with her father nearly as much as she fights with her mother.  Personally, I think that the message of this film to little girls is a strong one - it's not about a refusal to marry - it's about standing up and admitting when you've made a mistake - something that both mother and daughter have to learn.

So these are the lessons that the Princesses will be teaching Katie:

Snow White - Helpfulness
Cinderella - Hope
Aurora - Kindness
Ariel - Ambition
Belle - Strength
Jasmine - Even if the world seems against you, you still have a choice in your life
Pochahontas - What is right isn't always what is easy
Mulan - You can do anything if you put your mind to it
Tiana - Working together is better than working alone
Rapunzel - Value your looks and they will fade, value your love and you will glow
Merida - We all make mistakes, we just need to learn when to stand up and admit that

So come on girls, it's not about being better, it's about being who we feel comfortable being.  If you like cooking - cook.  If you prefer to let your guy do the talking - let him.  If you like cars - watch Top Gear.  If you want loads of kids - have them.  If you don't - don't.  It's really simple.  Feminism is defined as a movement to make women have equality with men.  But I also think it's about appreciating yourself as a woman.  Not trying to be any less or any more than what you feel comfortable being.  Don't be a porn star because it makes you feel empowered because of these men (and probably women) are looking at you - that's the wrong sort of attention.  Don't dress your little girl up like a dolly - dress her up like your little girl.

This post took me quite a while to write - and it's prolly still just ramblings.  In any case, it was Katie's birthday on Sunday and she had a great time.  And the cake was a Disney Princess one....