Disney’s Potrayal of “Other” Women

Disney stories and princesses have always been filled of subtle or not so subtle racism, (horrible stories), and not knowing how to not reinforce stereotypes.

After looking at the previous post’s video, I wanted to express what I think of Disney princesses. Most people don’t like to hear what I have to say about Disney because it ‘ruins the magic’.

Let’s take a look at the major princesses of Disney:

From Left to Right: Jasmine, Snow White, Mulan, Tiana, Aurora, Cinderella, Pocahontas, Belle, and Ariel

Most of the skin tones are light. The only ones who are different are Jasmine, Tiana and Pocahontas. If you notice as well Jasmine and Pocahontas (in my opinion) are the least clothed out of all of the princesses. There’s something ‘exotic’ about them because they aren’t common. Looking at it from a USian perspective, Native Americans and Middle Easterners are rare. Just interesting that the other less exotic princesses are almost completely covered up.

Ariel, oh the beloved, Ariel, the only red-head out of the group. One major problem I have with her plot… she’s not even ****ing human! Let’s remember that “Gingers Do Have Souls”. At least all the other princesses are human. This is just a giant ‘face-palm’. I think it would have been a more acceptable story if the prince was a mermaid and she went after it.

Belle, I feel this is typical view from many USians, which is that if you don’t date a white man he must be a beast. Note again, none of the princes are of color, all are white. The only time the prince doesn’t have a race associated, he’s a beast. I totally forgot that, the Beast is white as well. Great way to lie to little girls telling them the only good dates are white men. When I heard Disney was FINALLY going to have a Black princess, I was already gearing myself for disappointment. Whoever wrote the story was walking on egg shells for every stupid, stereotype-reinforcing thing they wrote. A couple of questions for the author are: Why New Orleans? Why 1920’s (definitely not a good time period for Blacks)? Why do you insist on having a white prince?

It’s the 21st century and we still don’t have a Latina princess or a lesbian princess. I’m assuming the second half of my wish won’t happen (soon) since parents are so touchy on things related to sexuality, even though the princesses are already highly sexualized and most of their fortes in the movies is their sex-appeal.

BET: What Is It Really Doing?

Why am I shocked when I hear about how BET is a horrible channel? I can’t find any good in the channel. I guess the only good thing that it is assigned to a pretty awkward number, 54.

I can’t believe that Black Entertainment Television didn’t air Coretta Scott King’s funeral. It seems extremely disrespectful and ungrateful for a channel, supposedly, dedicated to black people to not show such a historic person’s funeral. I wonder who decided that would be a great idea. I always get the feeling the younger generation doesn’t appreciate anything. I feel they don’t understand how much struggle and pain someone had to go through so that they can live more comfortable lives.

That has always been a problem. It’s extremely difficult to have anything dedicated to one race, since not everyone is the same. Also, what is BET trying to say? That black people only like crap rap/hip hop music, misogyny, low-brow ‘entertainment’, stereotype-re-enforcing? BET probably causes people who has never met a black person in their life to react like this when they finally do:

I can also understand how BET is trying to cater to an audience but the content is just BAD, real bad. The blogger does make a point that Telemundo a very popular Latino channel doesn’t degrade Latinos, it simply caters to the Latino audience.

I really don’t know how to say this any better, than the blogger themselves:

They should take the initiative and change the station’s name to Young Misguided Black Men’s Entertainment Television(YMBMET for short), as that’s who 90% of it’s programming is geared at anyway. Would you believe me if I told you that the religious shows appeared immediately after BET Uncut’s 1 hour block. (BET Uncut’s cancellation had nothing to do with protests of it’s content, claims BET.)

2 things said in that quote, the more educated blacks are not watching BET and BET continues to make stereotypes and make black people look like hypocrites.  I don’t think the more educated population is spending time watching MTV or BET and enjoying it. It don’t understand how you could possibly have such degrading content on so many different levels throughout the week and then on Sunday have ‘religious’ shows. (I guess this also points out religious hypocrisy).

I went through some of the comments and someone mentioned Viacom. I keep hearing Viacom in relation to money and the destruction to all that is good.