Disney Adds to Diverse Royal Court with Polynesian Princess Moana
The newest Disney princess has just been announced. (Photo: Disney)
It used to be that Disney princesses were damsels in distress who were in need of rescuing. Disney’s latest crop of animated princesses is changing all that. They are headstrong and adventurous. Any romantic entanglements she finds herself in are only secondary to her own adventures. From The Princess and the Frog’s Tiana to Frozen’s Elsa and Anna, these queen bees are speaking to a new generation of girls who dream of ruling their own empires instead of just frolicking around in pretty gowns, bippity-boppity-do.
Sketches shown onstage at the Disney Expo. (Photo: Instagram)
Another change is that Disney is trying to be more diverse when it comes to their heroines. At its D23 convention in Disneyland Anaheim on August 14th, Disney unveiled another princess to add to the court: Moana Waialiki, the only daughter of a chief of Polynesian navigators, and the main character in the film Moana, slated to be released November 2016. And announced earlier this year, one of the Disney Junior princesses, Elena of Avaltor, is said to be a Latina princess, confirmed by Disney. “Our creative team has delivered a universal story with themes that authentically reflect the hopes and dreams of our diverse audience,” Nancy Kanter, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Disney Junior Worldwide said when Elena was announced. “What excites us most is the chance to tell wonderful stories influenced by culture and traditions that are familiar to the worldwide population of Hispanic and Latino families and reflect the interests and aspirations of all children as told through a classic fairy tale.”
Concept art for the upcoming ‘Moana’ film. (Photo: Disney)
In spite of these new Disney heroines from around the globe, the entertainment company has received criticism for not doing enough to promote different body types, and just switching a princess’s skin color, but keeping her in an hourglass figure doesn’t change the narrow body image ideals involved. In her book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture, Peggy Orenstein reports, “’Princess,’ as some Disney execs call it, is not only the fastest-growing brand the company has ever created; they say it is on its way to becoming the largest girls’ franchise on the planet.” A narrow definition of femininity hurts young impressionable girls who are trying to find their identities and role models.
That said, being a princess doesn’t mean one gives up personal agency or empowerment, however. Meg Cabot, New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries series, explains to Yahoo Beauty, “Little girls are the most disempowered group in the world, and they’re constantly told that they can’t do anything, but then they see these princesses, who are ruling kingdoms and calling the shots — how is that not empowering? It’s an important part of female culture.”
Related:
What the First Latina Disney Princess Means for Young Girls
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