The Other Size of Disney

JF, on "The Other Size of Disney:"

Disney has often been criticized for its one-sided representation of female beauty. Upon watching such films, it does not take long to see that critics and scholars have an ample amount of evidence to support such claims. With eleven Disney princesses all bearing unattainably small waists, large busts, and soft facial features, they are shown to embody the, supposed, ideals of female beauty. In the opposite corner, larger or plus-size characters are put in a neutral or unattractive role as either the sidekick (Lady Cluck, Mrs. Potts, etc.) or outright villain (Ursula, The Queen of Hearts, etc.), with some, but few, exceptions. Thus, Disney’s representation of the female form captures the focus of my fan video; however, it does not do so in the way one might assume. I wanted to present this ‘Other Size of Disney’ in a more positive and idealized light to find out if, in keeping with the theme of Disney, ‘the shoe fits’. Can such characters be envisioned as beautiful, idealistic, natural, positive, and worthy of their own happy ending? As you will see, I’ve taken short clips from a variety of movies and placed them to rhythm, euphony, and music, so these women appear to be dancing for themselves in a way that the other princesses never seem to do. Thus I move to revert and challenge the gaze, unapologetically celebrating these women. I see no reason why these characters could not act as a representation of female beauty, if only given the opportunity. Side Note: The point of this video is not to challenge the notion of women looking to men for acceptance, because the song “All About the Bass” does mention, in particular verses, what a man truly wants. My only intention is to see if these characters are able to fit into a role Disney movies tend to steer away from.