As a little girl, my mother decided to never let me or my sister watch the Disney Princess movies. When all of my classmates would fantasize about becoming like Cinderella or Aurora, I never understood why they aspired to grow up to become these women other than the fact that they are pretty princesses. I can only recall one time when my mother allowed me to engage with the characters, which was when I dressed up as Cinderella for a Halloween party when I was five years old. Being a young child, I resented my mother for making me feel excluded from the knowledge of these characters, plot lines, and costumes that all of my friends adored. However, when I look back at the pictures of myself in the Cinderella costume, I am frustrated that I ever transformed into a stereotypical princess, even though it was only for one night. As a young woman now, I am grateful for my mother’s stubbornness. After years of resentment, I finally understand why she was so incredibly adamant that she would never allow her young girls to enter the fantasized world of Disney. Since 1937, the Disney industry has propagated a gender stereotype that targets young girls to believe that they are damsels in distress who must rely on men to be saved in times of crisis. But, the stereotype goes even further to depict women as maids and caretakers who live in a world where they have no voice or conviction. Reflecting on my childhood, I have come to the conclusion that I would most likely not be the independent and strong woman that I am proud to be today…
