If Disney Princesses listened to their parents 

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One of the arguments against Disney princesses is that they don’t listen to their parents/feel a need to rebel or break the rules. Well, let’s go down that path.

If Ariel had stayed home and listened, there would be no movie. Her father would have continued to see the human world in black and white, there would be no peace between humans and merfolk, Ariel would be depressed, and Eric would be dead. (If there was no one to follow Eric as king when necessary, there could be a civil war which could have adversely effected the mermaid population, particularly if the war had gone to sea.)

If Mulan had stayed home and listened, there would be no movie except her dad dying. She would have stayed home, been miserable, and hated herself. When her and her family found out her father had been killed in the line of duty, they might not have any food or money. Mulan might have to marry simply so that she and her family would have somewhere to go. Oh, and maybe no one would have stopped the Huns and China would have completely changed/emperor would be killed.

If Belle had listened to her father, she would be free but he would be the prisoner of the Beast who would have never been saved. She would have hated herself forever for not fighting to save her father. She may have been so depressed that she might have married Gaston who would have been a sexist husband that could have ended up abusing her. The Beast would have eventually died along with everyone in his castle. And Maurice would die alone in the dungeon.

If Jasmine had listened to her father, she would have been forced to marry Jafar who may have killed her in order to get her to shut up after he killed her father. Aladdin would be dead. Instead, she stuck to her guns and her father came to his senses about Jafar as well as overturning the unfair, sexist law.

Pocahontas not listening is a historical account, but if she hadn’t John Smith would have died and so would a lot of other people because of war. It’s a little interesting to go into this one since it is American history. But if she had not listened, it’s possible that if the settlers won the fight that she would have either been killed or raped.

If Rapunzel had listened, she would have stayed in that tower with an abusive kidnapper forever. She never would have made her true parents happy by discovering the truth about herself. She never would have helped Flynn discover that he is a good person. She never would have been free from Gothel and she would have been used and unhappy for the rest of her life.

If Cinderella had listened, she would have continued to be abused and kept as a slave in her own home. Her stepsisters never would have married the prince and probably would have taken their frustrations out on her, as well as Lady Tremaine. One day, the stepsisters might manage to marry and then Cinderella would be left alone with her abusive stepmother who would have nothing else to focus on and make Cinderella’s life a living hell.

The reason they didn’t listen were twofold: to make a movie and to not make them doormats. When something is wrong, you do what is right. Every princess I listed did the right thing in a situation that was wrong. Mulan fought against her father being forcibly drafted. Ariel fought against discrimination for a world not her own. Pocahontas fought for a \'stranger\' who didn\'t deserve to die. Rapunzel fought for freedom, as did Cinderella. Belle fought for her father and Jasmine fought against sexism/being an object.

Snow White and Aurora should have listened. But they were created before the 50s so we need to cut them some slack. Disney has done a much better job growing more progressive with their princesses through the years.

August 27th, 2012 at 10:23pm, folie a dru.