The Princess

While reading a friends blog, an article got me thinking. The era has arrived where achievements should be applauded purely for their merit and not as if to say, ‘it feels like an achievement because you’re a woman’ -  “woman president”, “woman CEO” etc. True the perception of today’s woman has evolved. She showcases far more substance than ever only written about. Today she is free, she is proud. Amidst all this, I can understand the anger vented towards Disney for it’s creation of little princesses, who still need to be rescued.

But I don’t necessarily agree.

A friend’s comment on the article was deep fried in concern on how kids today would yearn for that perfect world, the magic wand. Girls would grow up believing feminism could only be spelt with those 10 qualities.

What we ideally need to teach our little princesses is to READ BETWEEN THE LINES.

I think the world of Disney is feminist and you don’t need to sit by your bedside, waiting for moonlight to strike you through tainted windows to realize that.

Disney has empowered it’s women with the supremacy to navigate strings of vulnerability through a tool called ‘oomph’ (or some form of it)  like a kiss, or a promise to look after you, or Fructus long and strong thrown down as a rope (all of this eventually leads to the happy ending)

It’s those silly boys who fall for it each time, mistaking it for helplessness and are quick to jump on silver horses armour et all. Look at Cinderella, agreed, she needed a little help getting out, but once at the ball, she left him high and dry, only to walk around the whole bloody city with a shoe in his hand. Mochi banna diya bechare ko.

Sleeping beauty, too, very cleverly thought it better to roll over and play dead rather than waste her time doing menial jobs for an evil old fart. So, she just lazed, slept mostly, till somebody came around. She then took him home, traded him in to do all the work, while she basked in morning sunlight drying her freshly colored hair and painted toe nails. BTW that’s what happened in Cinderella as well. They just didn’t show it.

Snow White was the smartest, not one, but she had 7 dwarfs dancing to her tune and finally she chose to be with someone else. Go girl!

Beauty and the Beast, she only stuck with him cause he was a beast (get itJ)

Little Mermaid, decided to stop fishing around, not because she longed for the luminous yellow sun and the green trees of the distant land. Was no one paying attention when she sang:

“I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty

I've got whozits and whatzits galore

(You want thingamabobs?

I got twenty)

But who cares?

No big deal

I want more”

Yeah baby it’s the calling of the rich and the famous, ever seen a shell fish on the cover of Vogue?

So please, get real and smell the beer. It’s not really a Oh! Come rescue me world, while I flutter my eyelashes.  I could flutter my eyelashes too, if you promise to clean that spot under the table as well, I mean, whatevah!

My favorite is a line from the classic Pretty Women when Richard Gere finally climbs the iron railings with courage and a sense of pride on finally rescuing Julia, he beamingly asks “What happens after the Knight in shinning armor rescues his princess?”.

“ She rescues him right back” is all that was needed. And that dear friends, is the truth.