What do you think of this image?

(Jeff Brunner)

I agreed up until Belle. Perhaps it’s my inner little girl speaking but I don’t have as much of a problem with Belle as I have with the others. She’s independent and intelligent and isn’t waiting for the right man to come along and make all of her dreams come true–she knows that’s something that happens in story books not real life. I do understand the criticism of the message it sends that no matter how terrible he is to you, you can change him (there’s also a hint that potentially violent partners are an adventure in themselves). At the same time, I never felt that Belle’s personal goal was to woo the Beast or to make him a suitable partner–she was in a crappy situation trying to make the best of it and saw that he had the capacity to be more than a jerk. I just feel that if this were an earlier Disney movie, the movie would have ended shortly after the Beast saved her because when the prince saves you, you just fall in love–the end.

I mean much as I liked the Little Mermaid as a little girl, what does it really communicate? Obsessive stalking is love? Men like it more if you don’t talk? Change whatever you must about your physical appearance to get the man?

Also I feel that Belle and the Prince spend the most time together/have the most conversations before deciding they’re in love than the other princesses do in their movies indicating that love isn’t necessarily instantaneous. Additionally, along with the issues in the story re: Beast’s dangerous character, a more positive message is about not judging by appearances but by character–I can get behind that. If I had to pick my posion, I’d pick Beauty and the Beast. How about you? Are any of the movies salvageable? None of them?