In a piece for Newsweek's website, parenting writer Po Bronson explains that his 5-year-old daughter is excited for the Princess And The Frog. But:

My daughter's been infatuated with Disney princesses since she was 3, and she's also now showing some early concerns with her body image. It's important to her to "look pretty," or "look cute." She's said things like, "Those sneakers make my feet look fat."

Bronson admits that he doesn't know where the body-image stuff comes from, but wonders: "Do Disney princesses make young girls obsessed with thinness?"

A study released this week by Drs. Sharon Hayes and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn attempted to answer that question:

Hayes and Tantleff-Dunn brought 121 girls aged 3 to 6 into their lab and showed them video clips for 14 minutes. Half the girls watched princess clips; half watched nonprincess cartoons like Dora, Clifford, and Dragon Tales. Then each girl was given 15 minutes to enjoy herself in a play room, and the scholars recorded how many of those minutes were spent in appearance-related play, such as sitting at the vanity or changing clothes in front of the mirror.

You're probably thinking that the princess-inundated girls immediately went to play dress up and admire themselves, but they didn't. The reasearchers found no statistical difference between the girls who watched princess scenes and those who watched Dora and Clifford. Bronson writes, "Watching Anastasia and Cinderella and Belle didn't make them play longer at the vanity or try on more dresses afterward. It didn't make them more likely to pick the thinnest figure as the 'Real Princess.' It didn't exacerbate their desire to be thinner."

Despite the results of this study, staring at wasp-waisted cartoon ladies has to have an effect — maybe it's subtle, cumulative? Because 31% of the little girls said they always worry about being fat; 18% sometimes worry about it. If Disney's not giving them ideas, who is? Someone closer to home, perhaps? Bronson claims the girls said things like, "Being fat is bad." And, even more telling: "My mommy thinks she's fat."

The good news is that thinness wasn't the biggest concern on the minds of these 3, 4, 5 and 6 year-olds. The bad news is:

Asked what they would change about their physical appearance… these girls wanted to change their hair color, their clothes, and their skin color. According to these young girls in Orlando (40 percent of whom were nonwhite), it helps to be a princess if your hair is blond and skin is white.

Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty: Looking at you.





Do Disney Princesses Make Young Girls Obsessed With Thinness? [Newsweek]

Earlier: Disney Princesses Rely On Good Looks, Little People & Men For Salvation
"Practical Character Reader" A Lesson In Xenophobia, Racism & Disney Villains
Is The Princess Problem Even A Problem?
Age Of Innocence? 3-Year-Olds Think They're Fat
Addressing The Princess Problem
Researchers: Disney Movies "Elevate" Heterosexuality
Playing Princess Is Just A Phase... Except When It Isn't

He writes:

…Why has Disney brought out a black princess now? It's not as if the black population of the world has suddenly increased in size or spending power to attract its attention. No, it is sheer, commercial opportunism on the part of Disney.

And:

"…The high-profile nature of President Obama and his First Lady means that this princess is being launched against a heightened consumer awareness of the dreams of black people coming true and it will receive lots of press coverage."

Now, Mitchell is a professor at Cass Business School in London. So he's looking at this from a business perspective. But the concept of The Princess And The Frog — originally titled The Frog Princess — had been kicking around at Disney/Pixar since at least 2006. In fact, the decision to put Randy Newman in charge of the music of the film was made in November 2006; casting for voices started in December 2006. Barack Obama was sworn in as a Senator the previous year. It doesn't quite add up. Plus, Disney's first princess, Snow White, was "born" in 1937. So the question shouldn't be "why now" but "why so late?" Why, for an all-American movie company, does the black princess come after an Asian princess and a Middle Eastern princess?

Is Disney interested in making money? Clearly. But the company is also interested in telling interesting stories, and a fairy-tale set in America, with black characters, qualifies. Even more troubling is this, from Mitchell:

With the increasing rise of successful black American women - think Tina Turner strutting her stuff at 70, Whitney Houston's recent comeback, the Oprah phenomenon and now Michelle Obama all being seen as "princesses" in their different ways - the aspirations of black American women to transform themselves have never been higher.

Really? black American women aspire to "transform themselves"? From what? Into what? This man writes as though every black American woman is living a gangster life in a ghetto, dreaming of being Princess Michelle Obama. There are millions of successful black women in this country, with millions of different journeys. Ms. Obama is not the sole role model black women have. Plus, she is admired by women of all colors. And if any black woman "aspires" to "transform," what the hell do Tina Turner and Whitney Houston have to do with it?

Upon showing parts of this article to Anna, she declared over IM:

"Heightened consumer awareness of the dreams of black people" is the stupidest thing I've read in a long time.

I can't agree more. If you want to argue that black Americans are being covered more by the media, I'd say duh; our president — and his race for office — did call a lot of attention to "being black in America" and resulted in lots of articles about How Black People Live Today and Who Black People Really Are and What Black People Want. But consumer awareness of dreams? The black experience is not a monolith; not a product. Dreams vary, and ONE black Disney character doesn't — and isn't meant to — represent them all.

Don't worry, though, Mitchell expects that any excitement about black people will pass:

Tiana is likely to be a niche as opposed to a mass market product in the long term. So, just as black American first ladies have a finite period of office, so, too, will Tiana.

Look, admittedly I have not seen the film, but it's so dismissive to think of this project as "niche" because it's a black princess. Time will tell, of course, but it's upsetting to assume that mass-market = white. Was The Cosby Show niche? Is Oprah niche? Is Beyoncé niche? Is the wise Latina known as Dora The Explorer niche?

But you know, arguing about Mitchell's ridiculous essay is pointless, really — the man is OBVIOUSLY a little… off. To wit:

…Depending on how many hearts she wins over, someone is bound to make the connection between Princess Tiana and Princess Diana, which will resonate even more strongly with consumers and give the character an added dimension of stardom.

Yeah…no.

Disney Cashes In On Obama Era With Princess Tiana [Times Of London]

Earlier: 11 Cool Things From The Princess And The Frog
5 Possible Problems With The Princess And The Frog
How About An Animated Movie With A Female Lead Who Isn't A Princess?
About That Princess And The Frog Spoiler…
Disney's First Black Princess Is A Little Green
An Early Look At Characters From Disney's Black Princess Movie
Why Has It Taken So Long For Disney To Create A Black Princess?
The Princess And The Frog
Why Is Disney's First Black Princess Such A Challenge?

Not only are characters from the movie already greeting guests, but they will star in "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee," a "rousing, colorful procession with a jazz-filled Mardi Gras theme." The bead-tossing procession heads for a paddlewheel riverboat, where singing and dancing and pyrotechnics continue: The full Disney treatment. (The show will also happen at Disneyland in California, because princesses are magic and can be in two places at once.)

Right now the show is set to run through January 3, but there's always a chance that the movie will be incredibly popular, and they'll add the attraction as a permanent feature.

Even though I've expressed a few concerns about the plot of the film, I think it looks beautiful and I'm excited to see it. And knowing that Tiana will be celebrated at the park through the Christmas holidays makes me really happy: Just imagine the thousands of little black girls who will go to Disney World and, for the first time, see a princess who looks like they do.

Princess Tiana Attraction Opens At Disney [UPI]

Earlier: 5 Possible Problems With The Princess And The Frog

1. It begins with a star. "When You Wish Upon A Star" was sung by Jiminy Cricket in the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio and has become the anthem and theme song of The Walt Disney Company. There's lots of star-gazing in classic Disney films, but I can't tell if these stars hold a Hidden Mickey, like the ones in The Lion King did.

2. There's an Interracial friendship right off the bat. Tiana and Charlotte are BFF, and surely there's more to come about their relationship: One is black and one is white, one is rich and one is working class. But in this first scene, they're just two little girls who love a story.

3. Tiana's mom could win Project Runway. I just know it.

4. Tiana is a realist, not a romantic. When her mother is talks about the Princess kissing the frog, Tiana is justifiably squicked out.

5. Doting dad #1.

6. The gorgeous panning shot of the quiet transition of neighborhoods. From rich to not-so-rich.

7. Doting dad #2.

8. Foreshadowing of the jazzy, awesome nightclub to come. Also, this illustration of an illustration is just gorgeous.

9. "That old star can only take you part of the way. You've gotta help it along with some hard work of your own… Then you can set anything you set your mind to."

10. Two loving parents who also love each other. Of course, they're probably going to die very soon. This is Disney, after all. And as an ONTD commenter points out, Joseph Campbell's Hero With A Thousand Faces, which we studied religiously when I was a screenwriting major, is a pretty much the rule in Disney flicks.

11. Ridiculously beautiful hand-drawn animation. CGI can suck it. (Click "full size" to enlarge.)

Here's the video clip. As you'll see, it's not final; some scenes are missing color. But after pointing out possible problems with the movie, I have to say that seeing actual footage beyond the trailer is still really exciting. Then again, there's no toothless firefly in this clip.

First 5 Minutes Of The Princess And The Frog [ONTD]

Earlier: 5 Possible Problems With The Princess And The Frog
How About An Animated Movie With A Female Lead Who Isn't A Princess?
About That Princess And The Frog Spoiler…
Disney's First Black Princess Is A Little Green
An Early Look At Characters From Disney's Black Princess Movie
Why Has It Taken So Long For Disney To Create A Black Princess?
The Princess And The Frog
Why Is Disney's First Black Princess Such A Challenge?

Although the New Orleans Jazz Age and bayous make a gorgeous backdrop for this story, some of the elements in this (admittedly short) new trailer made me knit my brow. Of course, these snippets of scenes are taken out of context, and no one is expecting the film to be perfect. But after years and years of Euro-centric stories, this American tale should be told properly — without being offensive.

Here's what's troubling:

• The witch doctor's "curse" seems to involve some kind of African-esque masks; because African people are spooky and scary and have magical powers! Or at least, that's what we want young, impressionable children to think.
• "Women like a man with a big back porch," says the firefly, slapping his ass. Cut to: The Prince's butt, growing huge, and a white lady screaming.
• As previously mentioned, it seems like the "princess" spends most of her time on screen not as a black girl, but as a frog.
• Does Mama Odie, the "good" voodoo lady and the fairy godmother-ish character, look a little Mammy-ish? I mean, she could have been tall and willowy, or hunched and crone-y, or lots of different body types. Just saying.
• I've said it before and I'll say it again: That toothless firefly is bothersome. Someone needs to get him some low-cost dental care, ASAP.

The good news is that the Princess seems smart, bold and fun — and the doll is sure to be a big seller at Christmastime, giving little black girls who wish upon a star a shot at believing dreams come true.

Here's A New PRINCESS AND THE FROG Trailer!! Hand Drawn Animation Still Looks Nice... [Ain't It Cool]
Earlier: An Early Look At Characters From Disney's Black Princess Movie
Why Has It Taken So Long For Disney To Create A Black Princess?
Why Is Disney's First Black Princess Such A Challenge?

Every few weeks, we deal with the Princess Problem. We wish there were fewer pink toys. We see commercials told like fairy tales; women wear tiaras to get married and some even choose Disney bridal gowns. As Hortense mentioned in May, this year alone, Disney believes it will make nearly 4 billion dollars internationally off of its "Disney Princesses" brand. For years, the Disney princesses were white and passive. Ebner writes:

Snow White, for example, in the film first shown in 1937, is cleaning the dwarves' cottage within minutes of arriving, while the key to Sleeping Beauty is her waiting to be brought back to life by a Prince's kiss.

Of course, more "modern" gals like Mulan, Ariel in The Little Mermaid , Belle, and Pocahontas may act differently in the movies, but when marketed as Princesses? It's just about being pretty. While Disney will finally present its first black princess this Christmas, Sarah Ebner notes that young girls are being set up in a dangerous way:

The Women and Work Commission, reporting on the gender and opportunities gap, found that while girls are outperforming boys at school and at university, they still earn less than men - and the pay gap may be widening. One of the main reasons for this, says the Commission, is that little girls spend too much time in the Wendy house, playing with dolls or pretending to be nurses while their little brothers want to be Bob the Builder.

From an early age, girls are being socialised, it seems, for the caring, soft "feminine jobs" that perpetuate gender stereotypes, job segregation, and lower pay rates.

It certainly is a problem if little girls are steeped in fairy tale culture, worshipping heroines who don't do much else except sing to woodland creatures and wear big dresses and jewels. Not everyone can be Paris Hilton.

Dr. Melanie Waters, lecturer in English literature and specialist in feminist theory at Northumbria University, absolutely has a problem with the princess culture. "[Princess dolls] are promoting a very narrow and prescriptive view of femininity, and one that ought to be outmoded in the 21st century," she tells Ebner. "I think they are regressive. They encourage girls to be passive, and to nurture. There's an aggressive focus on beauty, hair accessories and other images that promote the idea that girls should be concerned with their appearance".

On the other hand, whenever we post about princesses, people inevitably comment that they watched just as many Disney movies as the next gal and managed to be a functioning member of society. And in Ebner's piece, Lizzie Gorham says: "Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is my favorite princess because she marries a handsome prince and because her dress is pink. I like the Princess dresses and the stories. And I want to marry a prince." But Lizzie is three. Tastes and attitudes change, children grow into adults, and can be encouraged to shed ideals, beliefs and fantasies (Santa Claus, digging to China) formed years before. Perhaps the overwhelming princess-ization of toys and media for girls is a problem, but can be solved by a good education, complete with teachings of critical thought and tossing aside of unrealistic expectations.

Is The Princess Sterotype Harming Our Daughters? [Times Of London]

Earlier: Fairy Tale Heroines Return To Dark Roots In Modern Setting
How About An Animated Movie With A Female Lead Who Isn't A Princess?
Addressing The Princess Problem
Disney Pushes Princess "Lifestyle" In Ladymag Form
Researchers: Disney Movies "Elevate" Heterosexuality

In a paper in the latest issue of Gender & Society, University of Michigan sociologists Karin Martin and Emily Kazyak report that Disney films (emphasis ours):

"…depict a rich and pervasive heterosexual landscape," despite the assumption that children's media are free of sexual content. The movies repeatedly mark relationships between opposite sex lead characters as special and magical.

"Characters in love are surrounded by music, flowers, candles, magic, fire, balloons, fancy dresses, dim lights, dancing and elaborate dinners," the researchers observed. "Fireflies, butterflies, sunsets, wind and the beauty and power of nature often provide the setting for-and a link to the naturalness of-hetero-romantic love."

When you take into consideration that thirty percent of children under the age of three have a TV in their bedrooms — many with a VCR or DVD player (and that the number increases with a kid's age) — you have a potential problem. At a very young age, children are learning that heterosexuality is normal, and homosexuality is abnormal, unusual and unexpected. Something that requires explanation.

Obviously not every kid weaned on The Little Mermaid grows up to view homosexuality as an aberration; but it is interesting to ponder that these G-rated films (and the toys associated with them) — supposedly without sexual content — actually expose children to cues about sexuality, gender roles and feminine beauty. The researchers looked at how the movies depicted bodies, kissing, jokes, romance, weddings, dating, love, where babies come from, and pregnancy.

It's worth noting that in our opposite marriage, post Prop-8 world, DisneyWorld is one place gay people have made a point of making themselves visible: Gay Days are when thousands of gays and lesbians visit the theme park — a tradition started in 1991. Lately, there have been protests from organizations like the Florida Family Association, which argues that Gay Days (emphasis ours) "offend[s] tens of thousands of unsuspecting guests… regular patrons who expect a normal day at the Magic Kingdom."

"Normal," huh? Sounds like someone was raised on Sleeping Beauty.

Disney Elevates Heterosexuality To Powerful, Magical Heights [EurekAlert]
Disney World Gay Days Protest Letter [Orlando Sentinel]

When the story hit USWeekly's site, the commenters came out in force to announce their hatred for Miley and to warn Nick to run from her "slutty" ways:

2:47 PM Anonymous Says:
She is pathetic- way to dump one & move on to the next. Justin is much better off without a tramp like you.
Please remind me why girls look up to her. She is UGLY and ANNOYING!

10:33 PM Old School Woman Says:
I have to agree with some of the posts here. She is another DISNEY talent that shows she is nothing but a S*UT! I fault her parents. What parent in their right mind allows a 15 year old CHILD to date a 20 year old MAN! She didn't dump him, he dumped her. She was no longer of any value to his GOALS as a celebrity. Also, they probably had NOTHING in common being that he is 20 and when they first dated she was 15! Does the word PEDOPHILE come to mind. She is no longer of any use to him. He got his 15 minutes of fame and will receive more because now the media will follow him around to get his take on the breakup. He will spew all about their personal relationship to the tabloids to make his money. What idiots the parents where to condone this relationship. He will probably talk about their personal lives too! Now Miley wants to go back to protecting her image by being with the cellibate Jonas brother! Give me a break. Miley you got USED! Deal with it!

I suspect that several of these "anonymous" commenters were fans of the Jonas Brothers who didn't want to see their imaginary boyfriend hook up with Hannah Montana. But sadly, I also think there were several adults on the site who, for some reason or another, seem to think that a 16-year-old who—gasp—dares to split from her boyfriend and "reconnect" with another boy is a total slutbag who should be shunned, Hester Prynne-style, for even daring to associate herself with more than one man before someone puts a ring on her finger.

There has always been an obsession with youth in this country; the weird fascination with teen starlets is really nothing new. And it can easily be argued that the public's obsession with Miley's sex life (as well as the sex lives of the Jonas Brothers) can be traced to the Disney "purity ring" marketing machine, which pushes sexualized images of children while attempting to rectify the situation by insisting that none of their stars are sexually active whatsoever. It's totally okay to sell sex, you see, as long as you aren't having it.

The vitriol spewed at Miley Cyrus is all too familiar: Britney Spears' career began flailing soon after her breakup with Justin Timberlake, and even now, years later, whenever Britney hits a rough patch, people seem to expect Justin to come to the rescue. It's a very peculiar setup: we, as a society, expect famous teenagers to remain teenagers forever, and we expect their relationships to stand the test of time, which is a pretty unfair burden to put on kids, as I'm pretty sure none of us would want to be stopped on the street and asked embarrassing questions about our boyfriend or girlfriend from 9th grade.

I have admitted in the past that I hate the Disney machine and what it does to young girls, and though I often find myself annoyed by Miley Cyrus (and most of that annoyance is aimed at the machine behind her, including Disney and her parents) I think this particular incident, especially the vitriol being thrown at Miley, for daring to date around and—gasp—perhaps even have sex, compared to the "protective" comments being geared toward Nick, just shows how these young women are being set up to fall, hard, just for going through the normal transition from being a teenager to being an adult. At least one commenter had Miley's back:

8:03 PM Becky Says:

I cannot believe some of you people! How can you call a girl you have never even met, and who, as far as I know, has never had a sexcapade flaunted over the rag mags, a slut? She seems like a fairly well-adjusted teenager to me. What exactly makes her a slut? Her dating an older man? My husband is four years older than me, yet no one blinks an eye at that. Or is it that she has a nose ring? Oh no! Self-expression!!! Bless my buttons and call the exorcist! Or maybe her dating an ex again makes her slutty...have none of you gone from one boy to the next quite quickly when you were teenagers? You people are pathetic.

Amen, Becky. Bless my buttons and call the exorcist, indeed.

Miley Cyrus: Nick Jonas And I Have "Reconnected" [USWeekly]
Earlier: That's Enough, Disney Girls

Martha Irvine of the Associated Press explores the sociological impact that the princess push has had on young women over the past few years, finding that several psychologists (and parents) worry that the current state of princess overload is leading girls to embrace gender stereotypes and have unrealistic expectations about their lives, with parents actually buying into the princess hype and placing their daughters on a "princess pedestal." "It just encourages parents who put their kids on a pedestal - and who encourage their kids a lot and rarely criticize," says San Diego State Associate Psychology Professor Jean Twenge, "You could label that kind of parenting 'princess parenting."

But are princess toys (and books, and films, and clothing) really to blame for the entitlement these children are feeling? Or is it a lack of intervention from parents who don't know when to draw the line and separate playing princess from actually being a princess? Chris Gale, a father, says he and his wife have tried to balance his daughter's desire for princess toys by adding princess elements to real life situations in order to get their daughter more interested in nature: "We've taken advantage of this by saying that mundane locations like a tower at the end of a hike is a princess castle," Gale says, "Invoking Ariel has actually gotten her to try and enjoy eating octopus at a local restaurant."

Much like the debates over whether Barbie contributes to body image issues or whether videogames incite violence in children, the trick here seems to be a sense of reality infused into make-believe time, and a need for moderation and the encouragement of other hobbies and interests to off-set the mythology and often overwhelming marketing barrage that comes along with the Disney Princess lifestyle. Girls may want to climb on to that "princess pedestal," but it's up to their parents to be there to gently knock them off.

Princess Pedestal: How Many Girls Are On One? [AP]

As seen in the clip, Princess Tiana kisses a frog… and turns into a frog. She then, according to reports, "spends a significant chunk of the movie not as a black princess at all but as a frog." Guest contributor Shannon Prince has brillliantly articulated what's wrong with this, on Racialicious.com:

After decades of waiting, would it be too much to actually see an hour and a half of a black princess on the screen? I can't help but think that Disney would never hide a non-black princess away in animal form for a large part of a film – maybe because they never have. This is a fairy tale with a white prince and a black princess who, for much of the movie, isn't a black princess at all. Perhaps in the scenes where Tiana is hopping around in her toady body whites in the audience will forget how melanin-endowed she was in the movie's opening and identify with her. Still, I can't help but wonder […] if this was Disney's way of saying to white audiences, "Yes, Tiana's black, but not really."

When you add this to the toothless firefly sidekick, the fact that Tiana was originally a maid named Maddy (to close to mammy?) and the lack of a black man as a hero (but a black man as a villain; the bad voodoo "magician,") do you get the feeling Disney should have spent some more time at the drawing board?

The Princess And The Frog And The Critical Gaze [Essay] [Racialicious]

Earlier: Disney's First Black Princess Is A Little Green
The Princess And The Frog: First Look
Why Has It Taken So Long For Disney To Create A Black Princess?
An Early Look At Characters From Disney's Black Princess Movie
Why Is Disney's First Black Princess Such A Challenge?

Earlier: The Princess And The Frog: First Look
Why Has It Taken So Long For Disney To Create A Black Princess?
An Early Look At Characters From Disney's Black Princess Movie
Why Is Disney's First Black Princess Such A Challenge?

While the intent appears to be good, in that Disney is backing away from junk foods and attempting to steer children towards healthier options, there's still something icky about the Mouse's insistence on branding every single bloody thing children come across. As Susan Linn of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood tells the Washington Post :"If we think about children's well-being, the best thing we could do is to stop marketing any food to them and let parents make choices about what their children eat without being undermined by advertising."

The art of using likable, popular characters to draw children to certain foods is clearly nothing new: when I was a kid, I bugged my parents until they bought me cereals with Toucan Sam and Tony the Tiger on the box. When my parents were kids, they followed the advice of The Cheerios Kid. And when my grandparents were kids, they looked to the Campbell's Kids. There will always be tie-ins between food and inoffensive characters, mostly because it's good business: since starting the line last year, the Disney Garden line has seen a 70% increase in sales.

While I am not a fan of Disney, by any means, I suppose at the very least we can be glad that they are steering kids towards healthier options. But if, in 30 years, the only foods we have to eat have pictures of the Jonas Brothers on them, I'm moving to Saturn. And I'm taking all the Efronocados with me.

A Hannah Montana Banana? [Washington Post]
Disney Rethinks The Branding Of Food [PSFK]
Disney Eggs: They're Eggs. By Disney

[Los Angeles, April 23. Image via Getty]

According to the blogger at Sociological Images, these items look like magazines, but they're not. They're framed images meant to be hung on the walls of a girl's room. They blend the tabloidy, ladymag celebrity culture with the Disney brand into the ultimate mindscramble of a fantastical dreamland with no basis in reality pretending to be real.

Ariel, with her impossibly narrow waist, is next to a "cover line" which reads "swimsuits that fit every shape." It's meant to be amusing, but "dress for your shape" stories are often an epic fail in women's magazines. Do little girls need Disney's help in looking forward to that? One of Snow White's cover lines, "Stepmothers: Evil Or Just Misunderstood?" is supposed to be a joke, but what if you're a kid who has a stepmom? Don't even get me started on Sleeping Beauty's line, "Find Your Prince."

The blogger writes:

The product suggests that while it is all well and good to be a princess, you should aim to be a famous princess. In addition to occupying castles and fantasy forests, you should grace the covers of magazines. You should aspire to inspire the lust and admiration of the masses, not just your prince.

Aren't little girls who think that tabloid popularity and a man will make everything better little girls with unrealistic expectations? Can't they wait until theyre older for this kind of brainwashing? When they watch Carrie Bradshaw get the man who buys her a shoe closet, everything will seem quite clear.

Modernizing The Fairytale [Sociological Images]
Earlier: Vogue Swimwear
In Which We Explore The Ridiculousness Of "Dressing For Your Shape"
Lucky's "Best" Swimsuits Also The Smallest, Least Supportive
Having Conquered Girls, Disney Moves On To Boys

According to the New York Times, Kelly Peña and a "team of anthropologists" are trying to help the Walt Disney Company be relevant to boys. They've got a new channel and website, Disney XD, which seems to have a skateboarding theme.

But with the exception of Cars and Pirates Of The Caribbean, most of Disney's major successes — while called "family friendly" — are really marketed to girls. What does it say about Disney that they're shilling stuff like princess fantasies and body-dysmorphia-inducing dolls, while the boys play with cars and pirates? The Times claims that boys 6 to 14 account for $50 billion in spending worldwide; the "kid whisperer" discovered that boys like to "push boundaries," have "fun with a purpose," and really like to "crash," which means after a long day of doing nothing, they do nothing. How will Disney find a way to put a price on that?

Disney Expert Uses Science to Draw Boy Viewers [NY Times]

This is Princess Tiana, our heroine. Love her lilypad gown! Chances are, she's going to learn a lesson. They always do.

This is Naveen, the handsome prince. He has a secret. They always do!

This is Ray, Tiana's sidekick. He can't afford good dental care, as seen in the trailer.

This is Mama Odie, the "good" voodoo priestess of the bayou. She is wise. We know this because her head is big, she is old, and she is wearing white.

This is Louie, a trumpet-playing alligator whom Tiana befriends. One can only guess his last name is Armstrong.

This is Facilier, the "evil" voodoo magician. We know he is bad because he is wearing black. Also: Good guys don't show off their clavicles (see: Naveen). Plus, there's a skull on his hat.


And here's the trailer again, just for fun, and in case you haven't seen the dentally-challenged firefly in action.

Earlier: The Princess And The Frog
Why Has It Taken So Long For Disney To Create A Black Princess?
Why Is Disney's First Black Princess Such A Challenge?

The movie, which is due around Christmas this year, is set in the "jazz age" in New Orleans. Oprah is the voice of Tiana's mother. Anika Noni Rose says of Tiana: "Not only is she the first black princess, she's the first American princess. We've never had an American princess. So, the scope and the significance is larger than people even realize." Uh, Pocahontas was American, though, right?

In any case: Looking at this timeline of "Disney's multicultural royalty," something seems off. The "Princess" movies started in 1937 with Snow White, and the first non-white princess was Jasmine, in 1992. Then Pocahontas in 1995 and Mulan in 1998. More than ten years later, Princess Tiana, of The Princess And The Frog. Why did Disney have a Middle Eastern princess before a black princess? Or an Asian princess before a black princess? Sure, the Disney films tap into fairy tales, folklore and myths — most of which come from European sources — but there are plenty of myths and fables involving black people. American stories, tales from Nigeria, Egypt and South African/Zulu folk tales. Yoruba goddesses of love, Caribbean legends. Why has taken Disney 72 years to come up with a black princess? And will this movie — especially the toothless firefly character — insult, or uplift?



Disney Reveals New 'Princess & The Frog' Toy [Concrete Loop]
Meet Anika Noni Rose: Disney's First Black Princess [People]
Earlier: Why Is Disney's First Black Princess Such A Challenge?
The Princess And The Frog