Melting the Stereotype: Introducing Disney's 'Alternative' Princesses

Last December saw the UK release of Disney’s Frozen and, having received far from a frosty reception, the studio’s latest animated feature has been heralded by some as one of Disney’s best in their entire canon. Apart from melting the hearts of critics and audiences worldwide, the world-renowned studio’s 53^rd animated classic has also been lauded by feminists for its positive portrayal of women. No, really. For the first time in forever, Disney present us with a reworking of the whole ‘true love’ concept, with the traditional male hero and handsome prince taking something of a back seat for once.

Surely this can only be regarded as a step in the right direction. Let’s face facts – Disney hardly have a good reputation when it comes to gender representation, not that it can always be helped, of course. With more than a handful of their features based on traditional fairy-tales, it’s unsurprising that women often get the short end, not to mention that even the films themselves were released in periods when patriarchy was still commonplace and went unchallenged – features such as Sleeping Beauty (1959), The Little Mermaid (1989) and even Tangled (2010) hardly shy away from promoting the concept of male hegemony. Sure, it comes as no surprise that the man should step forward and save the day, but what perhaps is surprising is that these arguably sexist notions of power are still perpetuated in contemporary film. It wasn’t until 1998 that we saw Disney’s first animated female protagonist pitted directly against a male antagonist, in Mulan. It may have taken sixty years and thirty-six features, but Disney finally had their first female hero, a feat worthy of applause.

Today’s alternative Disney heroine is something to be admired, and I don’t mean in a visual sense, although just how ‘alternative’ she is, is nonetheless open to debate. The sad truth is, as you’ve probably noticed, while Disney’s gender politics may be improving, this improvement is gradual at best. The two protagonists in Frozen, Anna and Elsa, while independent and strong enough to carry the film without a male lead, are nonetheless beautified, adorned with those same, clichéd ‘feminine signifiers’ found in the likes of male-oriented cartoons of the 1940s, and the theme of ‘true love’s kiss’, so often criticised for subjugating female characters, does arise despite the fact that it isn’t needed to further the narrative and restore the frozen land to normality. And you cannot ignore the fact that there is a romance, despite its not being necessary. So, there’s progress. It may not be ideal but feminist theory seems to have had some influence, albeit rather insubstantial.

So maybe this idyllic concept of equality is more than just a pipe dream. There’s no doubt, of course, that women will continue to be subjugated and shunned in contemporary media, at least in the foreseeable future. But what we see here is indisputable progress. It would appear, dare I say it, that Disney’s fixed female identities, once frozen in time, may finally be beginning to thaw.