Disney's First Latina Princess Exemplifies the Problem with All Disney Princesses

Disney is introducing a new princess, and she’s Latina! Specifically, half-Enchancian, half-Galdizianm and quarter-Genovian. Psych on the Genovian part, dreams that good just do not come true. There’s some controversy over the fact that the little Sofia is light-skinned and blue-eyed, and that’s okay, fine, there are lots of Latina women who are light-skinned and blue-eyed, but her ethnicity isn’t something that Disney really wants to draw attention to:

While producers say she is Latina, they don’t make a point of pushing that fact. “We never actually call it out,” said Joe D’Ambrosia, vice president of Disney Junior original programming. “When we go into schools [to talk to young students about the show], what I find fascinating is that every girl thinks that they’re Sofia.”

Two things here. First, almost every little girl wants to be a princess, it’s punched into our faces from day one so it’s no big surprise on girls loving Sofia. Second thing, I remember thinking I was very different from all the Disney princesses I grew up with because none of them looked like me. With their small features, tiny bones, and waists the size of my calf in elementary school, I already knew something was straight fucked about the situation. Plus, I could never relate to being the prettiest, most beautiful, and also gorgeous-est in the land — the three most important parts of being a Disney princess. Those just weren’t things that grooved with my little weirdo chub-a-lub self. Sure, I loved princesses just as much as the next girl, but it was more of an envy and aspiration thing, and that’s not anything I’d wish on most people. Except maybe Prince Phillip, what a turd.

I think, the (main) problem isn’t whether Sofia is or isn’t “Latina enough,” but the fact that the majority of Disney princesses are way too similar looking; they don’t look like me and they don’t look like anyone I know, and that sucks. Throw in the many terrible messages about what it means to be a girl, or poor, or woman with ambitions — it’s just hella problematic.

Finally, the best part of this whole thing is that it looks like Tim Gunn voices the part of a royal footman (?). There better be at least three makeover montages in this piece of crap or I swear to GOD, I will only watch it twice.