Princess Culture And Gender Stereotypes

Many young girls have grown up watching their favorite princess in movies and on T.V. They dress up in the corresponding attire and act as if they were that princess. While such actions are deemed normal behavior, some believe that the princess culture in the United States could have a significant impact of the future behaviors of these young girls. Not only can the princess culture affect the participants, it also may create a mass gender stereotype among girls that they all like princesses thus eliciting responding behaviors in boys. Princess culture has had a role of negatively impacting young girls by showing how they must conform to bodily perfection, increasing stereotypical behavior among boys and girls, and also developing unrealistic
Each princess has their own signature dress, signature hair, and signature look. Undoubtedly, each one was portrayed as beautiful, or as beautiful as a carton depiction could be. The princesses were known for these quality traits and people associated a princess with beauty, royalty, and sophistication. Disney did a fantastic job of creating this branding and associating it with poise and beauty. The princess characters have been quite popular with young girls. Every girl often has their “favorite” princess. One they relate to the most or just like the most. More often than not, girls would then play and imagine as if they were that princess. Dressing up in corresponding dress and heals and a tiara. That’s where the negative effects of princess culture come into play. Girls are taught at a young age, by these cartoon characters in movies, that they most look a certain way to be a princess.
All princess stories are based on a fairy tale. The princess must usually go through something difficult to then achieve either the most attractive prince or something of great significance. This may give children the message that if they put up with difficult circumstances or a beast he may eventually turn into a prince. Crystal Liechty, on the other hand, is in favor of her daughter learning how a man should treat her from the movies she watches. Liechty says, “…These princess movies give me a great chance to talk to her about what kind of guy she should marry…” (Rottenberg and Winchell 472). Some of the men in princess stories are great and have many wonderful qualities, but how often are men in the real world like that. They don’t ride in on a horse and save the day, or most of them don’t anyway. “[The Disney brand] also implies that girls should be sweet and submissive, and should expect a man to come to their rescue in an act of love at first sight.” (Haynes “why Disney princesses and ‘princess culture’ are bad for girls). This article written by Rebecca Haynes from the Washington Posts reveals findings from a recent study of how princess culture effects young girls. Not only with self image portrayed by the princesses but also how they may have expectations that life is the fairy tale portrayed in the movies. Even when a girl thinks she has