Disney's First Black Princess

We’re starting to see the marketing machine rev up for Disney’s new animated movie “The Princess and the Frog.” Gee. Another Disney princess movie. Yawn. Hard to get too excited because we know when it comes to gender, Disney has the imagination of a toadstool. What about race? Will this story be different, now that the princess is African American? Maybe, if you count the fact that she gets changed into a frog along with her prince and that this will be the first inter-racial coupling (he’s white-ish). But will pretty Tiana also talk to little animals? Have that thin but sexy hourglass figure? Sing in that lovely voice? Yes, yes, and we’ll have to wait and see. Brookes Barnes does a nice job of sorting through the not unexpected controversies in a New York Times article , but if you want a really great read, check out Linda Holmes' fabulous letter to Pixar. We already know Disney is hopeless, but maybe Pixar can give us what we want. While we wait — and it could be a very, very long wait -- we’ll take a reader's advice on the NPR site and go back to the best in good old 2-D animation: Studio Ghibli's haunting, imaginative, original films like Howl's Movie Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, and Spirited Away. All female driven with nary a princess in sight. Listen up Disney — and Pixar!

Comments

[Anna B]

Ah, Disney. I have just come from seeing "Up" this afternoon. ONE female character who has the privilege of being a fiesty, go-getter of a little girl who has BIG dreams. She is smart, confident and good-hearted.

Guess what...she dies before she gets to achieve her dream, but thank heavens her widower is there to realize the adventure.

And with whom does he achieve this? A delightful little girl like the one he met as a child and later married? No. A little boy.

The one other female character has no lines and is named "Kevin".

What a disappointment. Either of the leads could have been female.

[Brian H]

Ghibli's movies aren't princess-free. Nausicaa and Sheeta were both princess protagonists (though the latter didn't know it at first). I agree that princess-free is the way to be, and I think Ghibli is far superior to Disney, but Ghibli isn't innocent either.

[Lyn Mikel Brown]

Thanks! Good to know. My daughter loved the Kiki movies and also Spirited Away. So inventive and cool.

Lyn

[Jennifer]

Check out the movie Coraline. Strong female character.:)

[Jennifer]

I can't post my girl power songs. What's going on?

[Lila]

I'm certainly not about to argue for Disney princesses, but what's wrong with characters who have nice voices? It's not like the male voices in those cartoons aren't good, too. And parents can use a child's favorite songs from movies to get them excited to learn more about music.

[Jennifer]

Oh, and there's Monsters vs Aliens, Inspector Gadget (Penny saves the day), Enchanted, Bridge to Terabithia, Akeelah and the Bee (as a plus, she's African-American!), Race to Witch Mountain (one of the superhero aliens is female); most of these are Disney movies, so Disney does make some good movies.

[Alastair Robertson]

Anyone know if there are any books written about Princess Culture ?

[Jennifer]

Enchanted HAS a princess, but she decides to write her own ending rather than given what she doesn't want, celebrates the fact that she's angry for the first time, and even saves her prince. Waaay cooler than than African-American Tiana. I have never seen Coraline or Monsters vs Aliens, but I might see the former for John Hodgman. There's Ella Enchanted...but you already know of that.

[Lyn Mikel Brown]

I haven't seen a full book as yet, but there are lots of articles. One of the best is Peggy Orenstein's New York Times article, "What's wrong with Cinderella", Dec. 24, 2006.

Lyn

[Lyn Mikel Brown]

Good point, Lila, about voices. We love beautiful voices--Sharon has one, in fact. But we're talking about a stereotype that the beautiful princess has the voice (not other female characters) and that she usually sings about wanting romance. Also, the music may be fabulous in lots of these movies, but be careful about the words -- just check out one of the best Disney movies with a female lead, Mulan. Do we really need songs that give girls a "recipe for an instant bride" or that call weak soldiers "daughters" as a way to shame them? What's the message?

As always, we're not saying don't watch or listen--but we are saying talk about this stuff and question it when you hear it.

[Jennifer]

You may also want to use "Unwritten" (Natasha Beddingford), "Pocketful of Sunshine (also Natasha Beddingford), "That's not my name (The Ting Tings), and "Single Ladies" (Beyonce) for your girl power collaboration.

[Jennifer]

Not to mention "Sk8ter Boi" (Avril Lavigne.) Don't forget lyrics and commentary on the song(if you want to make the CD famous!)