The Corset and the Curriculum: Four Feminist Readings of a Strong Disney Princess

• In Event: 46.053 - The Disney Curriculum: Pedagogies of Being and Buying

Abstract

Once upon a time there were four feminists and a Disney princess. The Princess, Merida, was “independent and brave”, a “Princess by birth and an adventurer by spirit” (Disney, 2014). Indeed, Merida was born of the 2012 Disney franchise Brave, a trailblazer in the portrayal of strong royal heroines. The four feminists were intrigued. They wanted to embrace a new type of Disney heroine but knew that despite years of criticism for the gendered portrayal of females in Disney films and marketing (Do Rosario, 2004; Dundes, 2001; Giroux, 2010; Peterson & Lach, 2011), the Disney princesses continued to be one of the corporations’ most iconic and lucrative cultural symbols. Could Merida represent a significant departure from a successful formula after all? How could four critical readings understand the curriculum of gendered messages surrounding Merida?

Each of the four readings in this paper considers a different aspect of Princess Merida. While some of her most defining characteristics (ie. bravery, independence) diverged from the traditionally gendered Princess (ie. obedient, dependent), her story, her image, and Disney’s marketing products are as bound to female gender roles and stereotypes as her corset was bound to her torso. All four readings point to a corseted curriculum, whereby the Princess’ body, her story, her assumed heterosexuality, and her application in merchandise continue to be constricted by the impositions of a male technology of gender control.

Authors

• Annette Furo, University of Ottawa

• Nicole Grant, University of Ottawa

• Pamela Rogers, University of Ottawa

• Kelsey Catherine Schmitz, University of Ottawa