Disney Princesses: Good or Bad?

The following is a transcribed Video Q&A, so the text may not read like an edited article would. Scroll to the bottom to view this video in its entirety.   

I have two daughters and a grandchild who as a young lady wants to be a princess. I think Disney has evolved their princesses. I think they are good, from the standpoint that we discover princesses and a desire to overcome and achieve. But I also think on the flipside of that we have embraced this idea that a princess needs to be pampered, entitled, and it all needs to be easy.

I think the princess we need to emulate is not a Disney princess, it is Wonder Woman. So how do you become a Wonder Woman in a princess world? Wonder was a princess, right? I think maybe we have lost that edge in the Christian community because we have this idea that its all about tiaras, fancy dresses, and things like that. It is not.

We are princes and princesses because we have been adopted by the King. But I think that idea of royalty means that we roll up our sleeves and we get down and we lead as Jesus did in transformational and servant leadership. That is the roll of a princess—to make change.

I think the model is good because they are strong and tough women, and that has evolved over time. If you go back and look at Sleeping Beauty, who was the lead character of the film, had less screen time than any princess ever, she’s not really the star of the story. Or Snow White, why did she eat the apple? She should have known better, what’s up with that? Why would you do that? That’s silly. I think over time they are not so much a damsel in distress now as they are these women who are making change and stepping up and making change and being strong and proud. And I think that is a good thing. 

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