Damsels and Heroines: The Conundrum of the Post-Feminist Disney Princess

This research explores cultural shifts in the popularity of the Disney princess in American culture, especially its postmodern resurgence, as well as the complex relationship between Disney’s recent representations of women in the 1990’s and post-feminist ideology. My project begins by analyzing the historic appearance of the Disney female in relation to the women’s movements. I also examine lingering anti-feminist backlash in representations of what I call “New Wave” Disney heroines. Finally, I examine the implications of post-feminist discourse and advertising for young female viewers. When asked about Disney movies, many parents groan and launch into a familiar diatribe about the studio that transformed their daughters into princesses. The dresses, the tiaras, the pink; countless parents watch their little girl embrace the princess way of life, and struggle with the contradictory messages found in many of the films. Disney princesses have often come under attack for promoting harmful, unrealistic body types and the narrow ideal of marriage as the happiest of endings for young women. Viewed through this lens, the postmodern resurgence of films featuring these characters in the early 1990’s seems in-congruent with the increasing independence and visibility of women in our culture. Why, even when second-wave feminism has brought women unprecedented levels of equality, (Women's Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor 2011) do audiences of all ages remain infatuated with images of beautiful underweight damsels? Drawing on scholarship from cultural studies and gender theory, as well as ideological analyses of select Disney films, this paper will examine both the evolution of Disney heroines, and the complex relationship between Disney’s recent representations of women in the 1990’s and post-feminist ideology. While these new heroines appear more autonomous than their presecond-wave feminism predecessors, they also represent elements of the anti-feminist backlash agenda that sought to regulate and dis-empower female images through media and marketing in the late 1980’s. The first section of this paper analyzes the historic appearance of the Disney female in relation to the women’s movements. The second section examines lingering antifeminist backlash in representations of postmodern Disney heroines. The third section of this paper examines the implications of post-feminist discourse and advertising for young female viewers. 1 Stover: Damsels and Heroines: The Conundrum of the Post-Feminist Disney Princess