As for princesses... I apologize in advance: I am probably putting too much thought into this but I am over-tired and I have actually thought about this before, wondering what Disney was thinking.
I can't say that I am really impressed with most Disney princesses. If you think about it, almost all of them are disobedient, disrespectful, selfish and/or rude.
Cinderella. Yea she worked hard but she really wasn't as sweet as we are led to believe. Think about how she mocked her stepsisters and stepmother and complained about doing all that work (I would complain too, but I am not in the running for favorite princess).
Jasmine. She wasn't too bad, however, she did run away from home and we NEVER want to encourage girls to do that. (Her brief stay in prison may have helped to cure her I'm-going-to-do-whatever-I-want-to-do attitude.)
Snow White. OK. Not very smart. And was she a child or a teenager? Throughout the movie she shows signs of both. The hunter called her "the little princess" and she sang and acted like a small child... but there was the whole love thing... And she was just plain annoying. (Sorry SW fans.)
Aurora. Although Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney film, Aurora, was not a very good role model. She was told, probably every day, not to speak to strangers, and what did she do? Uh huh, DANCED with the first guy she met in the woods and invited him over to her house for dinner! And think about how ungrateful she was after she found out about everything that people gave up for her. For 16 years her parents sacrificed the joy of being her parents and were constantly worried about her, knowing an evil witch was after her and never being able to get any report of her, not knowing if she was dead or alive. The three fairies gave up their lives as they knew them and the magical powers that they used as we use our limbs, just for her. The entire kingdom was preparing for an unparalleled celebration in her honor. And what was her reaction? Just like a typical teenager she put up a fight, pouted and cried.
I think Ariel is the worst princess/role model for a girl; in fact, I can think of nothing good about her except that she had a nice singing voice. Because of her almost the entire kingdom was lost to evil, and not because she was in love, it started because she didn't want to stay in the sea as her father told her (for her own safety). Turns out King Triton was right but he was still willing to sacrifice everything for her... and of course she got everything she wanted in the end. Brat.
*There should be a thread on the most tolerant King or Queen.
A little independence and free-thinking is a good thing. But they should be used in moderation along with intellect, kindness and common sense. Belle is your answer.
Belle was devoted, kind and self-sacrificing (to the point of offering to give her lifelong freedom for her father's). At the same time she was smart, independent and proud (not willing to accept a man who was considered a prize for all the wrong reasons.)
Mulan, although not an actual princess, comes in at a close second, for the obvious reasons.
Sorry again for the long post, but these are my thoughts on Disney princesses.
