Next month Disney will release its latest cartoon musical, "The Princess and the Frog". People have been making a big deal about the princess, Tiana, because she's black. Hey, that's cool. Another beautiful princess to add to Disney's cast list.
This weekend I read an interview with Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana. I don't think Ms. Rose has ever watched a Disney cartoon. Why? Because she praises Disney for "finally" getting away from the notion that beauty means blond hair and blue eyes.
Finally? Really? Let's take an inventory:
1937 - Snow White - black hair, brown eyes
1950 - Cinderella - blond hair, blue eyes
1959 - Sleeping Beauty - blond hair, violet eyes
1989 - The Little Mermaid - red hair, blue eyes
1991 - Beauty and the Beast - brown hair, brown eyes
1992 - Aladdin (Jasmine) - black hair, brown eyes
1995 - Pocahontas - black hair, brown eyes
1996 - Hunchback of Notre Dame (Esmerelda)- black hair, blue eyes
1997 - Hercules (Megara) - brown hair, brown eyes
1998 - Mulan - black hair, brown eyes
Hmmm...it looks to me that, if anything, Disney is promoting the beauty of the dark haired/dark eyed woman.
Maybe the excitement is over the collapse of the Disney Aryan Nation?
But wait - there's a gypsy, Native American, Chinese, Moroccan, Irish-Mermaid...there's actually only one blond haired, blue eyed gal in the bunch. It's not like Disney has snubbed non-white nationalities. The first non-white princess appeared 17 years ago. Tiana is joining a long list of diverse princesses.
You who to know what I DON'T see on that list - a fat girl.
If there is any group of women who should be up in arms with Disney, it's the overweight population. We chubby-cheekers get to be the evil octopus, the old tea pot, or the ugly step-sisters (who still weren't the big).
Where's the fat princess???
If anything, I commend Disney for their continuing efforts to include all nationalities in their list of beautiful princesses. But would it kill them to include the "average" sized girl?
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