Disney Promotes Stereotyping... Again

I was sitting in a movie theatre the other day and saw a preview that made me question the motives of the Disney Corporation. The words came on the screen, "For the first time in 75 years...". Without prior knowledge of the film in question, I thought, Disney is going to have a black princess. I was right... kinda. Yes, it is the first time in over 70 years that Disney has had a black princess, but the advertisement was stating that for the first time in Disney history, the Frog Prince was going to be retold. Though, I expect both assumptions make sense.

I really have to wonder at Disney's motives. Do they think they need, like affirmative action, to give equal time to each individual people group? If so, they may be in business forever. This movie, The Princess and the Frog has stirred up quite a bit of controversy. There have been some unsavory comments about the first "mixed race couple" in Disney history. To be completely honest, the major issue I have with this movie is that it promotes stereotyping. It takes place in New Orleans and has quite a "cajun zest" to it. That statement alone will most likely have brought up some sense memories (images, sounds, smells, tastes). Thanks to movies and television shows, stereotyping has become a major problem, even with more privileged groups. Take the movie and show Clueless for example. Though the idea of the "valley girl" had been around for a while, this show only promoted the stereotype for people who lived in the "valley". In the same way, Disney uses language and "common ideas" to promote a stereotype because people will be more familiar with it. Thus they are better able to connect with their audiences. Unfortunately for us, their target audience is generally small children. Disney has officially made stereotyping not only available, but commonplace in society.

Now the real question is, how does this movie promote stereotypes and how can you be sure if the movie isn't even out yet? Watch a preview of this movie, but pay attention to the things that you normally take for granted, like speech and humor. Though the movie is set in the 1920's, Disney, in an attempt to be politically correct, has been almost faithless to the historical accuracy. For instance, the Princess Tiana's language is a well-enunciated Creole English. No problems there, it does take place in New Orleans. It's the attitude of the princess that leads me to relate to a stereotype. It's the same attitude that is parodied in a skit on Saturday Night Live with the "4 snap, z snap".

Disney isn't the most generous of companies when it comes to their black princess. Instead having a transformation into something majestic and graceful (like the swan princess), they turn her into a frog. Quite a twist, eh?

Disney obviously felt guilty about not having a black princess, so they decided to make it up. Good for them, but could they have been more tasteful and less stereotypical about it, definitely. Perhaps setting it in the 1920's allows them to make excuses for their stereotyping. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Disney.