What do Disney princesses and urban fantasy girls have in common?

[seanan_mcguire]

I think everyone is familiar with the Disney princess by now: a collection of boiled sugar girls in sparkly dresses and high heels who happen to resemble the spirited, interesting heroines of the movies we love, all of them posed to perfection in big groups of rainbow loveliness. They stare soullessly from bookstore walls and supermarket shelves,

Comments

[lunalelle]

*L*

I'm laughing because I'm writing a story that centers around one person, but she's hardly the uber-awesomest of her little group, and as the series goes on (at least as I plan it), she loves other people playing in her sandbox. What can I say, the girl is personable and since she's far from the most powerful, she has to depend on other people.

It does make managing the cast effing difficult, but my protag is far more sociable than I am, so it's actually kind of fun to balance her little group.

For the princesses, I think part of it is that they're all from different stories and different times, so maybe they really don't see each other, because then we'd have a dimensional paradox and chaos would ensue. :)

But hard to say the same for the urban fantasy heroes and heroines, and maybe Avengers addressed that in its own way: Bringing a bunch of Type As into one group is damn hard, and that's why none of them are looking at each other in the poster.

[seanan_mcguire]

Except that the Princesses do appear in media and stories together, usually under the veil of "Disney Princess Storytime," and in those instances, they supposedly interact, sort of in a Disneyland-esque "outside of time" setting. And even there, they never look at each other. I think that's a good guideline/justification, but it doesn't change the imagery we present, and hence the message it conveys.

I don't want equality, or even necessarily friends. Just multiple girls. Much as I loved The Avengers, their omission of any female heroes beyond Black Widow was where that movie let me down.

[pickledginger]

I know they call them princesses, and that's the baseline story, but really? all that jewelry, all that makeup, all that decolletage? the swooning at feet of men? I can't help thinking: Disney prostitutes-in-training.

[ext_1409155]

This was also a problem of mine with avengers. They had Maria and Natasha who I ADORE BOTH GREATLY, but was surprised they didn't interact at least once. And yet another problem why I don't like the line up of guardians of the galaxy/Ant-man when they could introduce Wasp, Valkryie (I'm hoping they add her in Thor 2 but it looks doubtful) along with Ms.Marvel and other female heroes of the marvel universe. This is why I took it upon myself (for nanowrimo) to write an all female ensemble of superheroes with strong friendships outside of it and I just really want some ladies on the screen that kick ass and have great friendships.

[seanan_mcguire]

The ongoing lack of Janet Van Dyne makes me stabby.

[ext_1409155]

SERIOUSLY. YOU HAVE ALL THIS GREAT MATERIAL AND YOU GO WITH ANT-MAN WHEN REALLY, I'VE STOPPED CARING ABOUT SOME OF THE DUDES (heh sorry hulk, I haven't seen the movie in forever).

#WaspMovieorBust ---- that should totally trend just saying....