Disney movies are a staple to our generation. A majority of us have watched Disney movies while growing up; we have watched Cinderella fall in love with a stranger, Ariel fall in love with a human prince, and Belle fall in love with a beast. However, most of us have never stopped to think about how these Disney movies gave us misinterpretations about happiness, love, and relationships.
In almost every Disney movie, the guy is almost always portrayed as a hero. That hero also gets the girl, and they live happily ever after. In Snow White, Snow White fell in love with the prince without knowing him and talking to him, depicting that his hero features won her over.
Aside from labeling the guys as “heroes,” these Disney movies also tell society that those who get the guys are gorgeous girls and of high status. For instance, in Aladdin, Jasmine, a princess, falls in love with a street urchin, and in Lady with a Tramp, the title gives it away.
Aside from portraying the guy as the hero or the girl as a beautiful princess, these Disney movies convince people that they will find the perfect love. For instance, Ariel was able to get her prince without speaking to him, and Cinderella found her prince charming after a run-in with him in the woods. But what is a perfect relationship, and do they even exist?
The answer is no. People need to acknowledge that situations like these usually only occur in fairytales. There should be no pressure in finding this “perfect” love or the “right” person. In fact, people need to understand that they first need to be happy with themselves before being happy in a relationship. No one needs to be in a relationship to be happy, yet because of social constructs and Disney movies, kids grow up believing that they need their prince charming to be happy.
Disney movies have glamorized and magnified fairy tales. People, more specifically young girls, have unrealistic expectations about what relationships are like. In the real world, love stories usually do not involve princes living in castles, a mysterious human who falls in love with a girl without hearing her voice, and a beast who no one would befriend. Yet, these Disney movies keep telling us otherwise, and we need to realize that 1) we are enough and 2) Disney romances do not equate to real-life romances. None of this is to say that we can not enjoy these movies; we can enjoy these movies since we grew up with them; however, we should be cautious in making personal connections with them, especially when they relate to relationships.
Photos: Her Campus Media