Disney Princesses Redux

In case you haven't heard, Disney has revamped the look of their princesses. 

For the most part, the differences are minor. There seems to be a lot more glitter/sparkles, and several princesses have this slightly messed-up hair. Which is definitely a different look. Is this supposed to be a statement that princesses are real people too? That's debatable.

I would now like to bring your attention to two of the princesses: Pocahontas and Mulan. #problems

This is the revamped Pocahontas. 

This is the original Pocahontas.

Problems:

1. Her clothes becomes more elaborately decorated.

2. Do I detect blush?

3. The earrings.

These changes are problematic because they contradict Pocahontas's character. This is a woman who preferred to roll around in the grass, talk to animals, and listen to the colors of the wind. It seemed to me like she could have cared less what was dangling from her ears.

This is the revamped Mulan.

This is the original Mulan.

Problems:

1. Is it just me, or do her eyes have a bluish tint?

2. Blush.

3. A completely new outfit.

4. Whitewashing.

Mulan's new look is completely out of character. We only see her dressed in traditional women's attire in the beginning of the movie, and the story clearly depicts how unhappy she is with conforming to society's expectations of her. She is definitely uncomfortable with the clothes, makeup, and hairstyle. She actually spends the majority of the movie in more traditional male attire. Which makes sense seeing as it's difficult to train as a soldier in a tight skirt. But in this new illustration, Mulan has been whitewashed to fit our expectation and standards of beauty. 

Frankly, I'm very disappointed in these changes. I don't know why the princesses needed to be redone. They seemed just fine the way they are. 

Why I Love Feminism

What I love about feminism is that it gives women the go ahead to be whomever they want to be. If I want to marry young and be a stay-at-home-mom, that's acceptable. If I want to hold off on having kids because I would rather pursue a career, that's acceptable. If I want to juggle kids and a career, that's acceptable. If I want to dress like Sandy in Grease, power to me. If I prefer the more demure styles of the 1950s housewife, power to me. I can dress, speak, move, and act however I want. But only if it's what I want.

When I put on a low-cut top, tight jeans, and killer heels, it's because I know I look hot and I like looking hot. It makes me feel confident. I'm not choosing that outfit in the hopes of attracting some boy's eye. I'm not going to the gym to meet some buff gym rat, I'm there to become healthier. When I pick out a Halloween costume, I don't go for the traditional "slutty" costume. This year I was Leslie Winkle from The Big Bang Theory. Obviously sexy? Nope. She's wicked smart, has the same curly hair as me, and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Bonus-the costume is ridiculously easy to put together (jeans, t-shirt, hoodie).

My cousin is a sophomore in college. We lead very different lifestyles. This year for Halloween, she chose to dress as a "slutty Snow White". Now, I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I say that she was not making a political statement about our oppressive patriarchal society and the pressure it puts on women to be sexy and available. She was just trying to look hot and get a guy's attention.

Like I said, feminism is about being who you want to be. But you have to dress, speak, move, and act that way because it's your choice. This is not about another man or another girl.

Who do you want to be?