Ask any girl who her favorite Disney princess is, it is very likely that she has one. Watching Disney movies for many of us was an large part of our childhood. But do we ever stop to think about the lies that Disney princesses are telling our children? There’s something wrong with the way body image and expectations of romance are depicted in their films. 

According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, “53 percent of American girls are unhappy with their bodies. This grows to 78 percent by the time girls reach seventeen.”

Most Disney princesses display unrealistic physical qualities such as small waistlines, large eyes, long eye-lashes and petite hands and feet. These physical qualities are a reflection of what society values as beauty, and as a result young girls aspire to fit that image.

Disney started to take a step forward with the release of “Brave,” in which the main female character, Merida, is depicted as a curly-haired tomboy who stands out from the damsel-in-distress stereotype that Disney princesses usually portray. Her unique appearance made audiences feel that it’s okay to put less effort into appearance and still be beautiful. 

However, Disney took two steps backwards when they decided to give Merida a makeover before officially inducting her into the Disney Princess collection. In this makeover, Merida featured a smaller waist, her dress slid off her shoulders more, and her bow and arrow, a symbol of strength, were nowhere in sight. The makeover received so much criticism that it had to be pulled off the Disney website.

Not only does Disney create high standards for body image in a society where self-esteem is low in young girls, but they also distort the idea of what it’s like to fall in love. 

Most Disney movies feature the same story line: boy meets girl, girl meets boy, they sing a song about love at first sight, boy saves girl from the bad guy then they get married.

True love takes time to grow and blossom into a functioning marriage. It can’t happen in 90 minutes. 

Girls are being taught that romance is easy to find, that relationships are easy to maintain. They are being taught that their first love will be their only love. 

It was not until recently with “Frozen” that the idea of love happening fast was made parodied. 

It is unrealistic to tell parents to not allow their children to watch Disney movies. After all, a lot of adults have childhood memories of watching the Disney films and singing the catchy tunes that accompany them. 

Parents should take the time to instill in children some sort of media literacy so that they are not mislead by what they see in these films. Parents should teach their children that Disney does not happen in real life. Meanwhile, Disney should try to keep making progress in their films without making mistakes that would take them back to square one.