~ Ｍａｃｉｎｔｏｓｈ Ｍｉｎｕｓ ~One thing that has been bothering me since watching Wreck-It-Ralph 2 and the She-Ra reboot is the realization that western media doesn't really have aspirational figures of feminine power for young girls that can't be fit into the label of "princess".
Elsewhere we have figures like witches or magical girls occupying the same space. We still use those tropes here - you can have western magical girls, for instance, but they generally ALSO have to be princesses of some kind.
There's nothing wrong with the archetype of "princess", but it does carry with it a lot of baggage: Historical, Cultural, and in the very power dynamics of its definition.
I'm just saying that I am tired of there only being one main archetype of feminine power in fiction for girls to aspire to.
Which is why the scene in WiR2 with all the Disney Princesses really bothered me - I read it as Disney bragging, showing off the power of their near single-handed domination and homogenization of young girls' mass media and the figures they can aspire to.
In the scene, Vanillope basically has to cram herself into the archetype of princess in order to move the plot forward. This is poked fun at, but the movie ultimately implies that it is the correct choice regardless.
This is honestly part of why I like magical girl or witch characters - they feel like genuine alternatives to the homogeneous princess trope.
Shekhinah@QuestForTori Yeah that bothers me.
Isn't Wonder Woman even technically a princess? Why can't she just be strong?