Fairy Tales: Magically Misogynistic
Tales of imaginary characters with magical powers have been told for thousands of years. The tradition itself is harmless, but with a modern perspective a lot of the stories are questionable if not controversial.
Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came out in 1937, making her the very first Disney princess; the whitest of them all.
For context, let’s picture the year 1937. Stay with me.
The women’s suffrage movement was in the middle of a long fight for our rights to vote (granted in 1920), own property, work with equal pay, use birth control, wear pants freely, etc.
Racism was socially acceptable and the Great Depression had obliterated the economy.
It was a dark time but we’re here to talk about princesses.
Based on a fairy tale written in 1812 by the famous Brothers Grimm, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the story of a lonely princess and her evil step-mother, the queen, who is jealous of her beauty.
After running away, Snow White finds a small house in the woods that belongs to seven dwarfs and naturally decides to clean it.