Is disney at fault for creating the princess syndrome?

[Aubrey De Grey]

What other impulses are there from society/media? Is the princess syndrome inevitable when some girls get things for free in life because of their looks and this gets observed by other girls? (Especially in movies.)

[harriet]

I wouldn't implicate Disney solely. I think that society had created these ideals much before this, with all of the original fairy-tales telling of the extraordinary luck that befalls the beautiful characters. Also, there has always been the nagging feeling that the ugly characters ALWAYS end up as the bad guys, so when we see someone ugly do we subconsciously apply this idea? And the same with the pretty people - do we automatically treat them with more respect than we would had they been less good-looking?
Media constantly presses the idea of beauty having something to do with status in this world. I feel that as long as this continues, Princess Syndrome will yes, be inevitable, because some people are just that shallow...
Hope this helps.

[Jody]

No. The Princess concept is nothing new, it's a common theme in the folk tales and legends of many cultures, in the West it has historical roots in the courts and aristocracy of medieval Europe. Walt Disney died in 1966, but Disney stock is steadily rising.

Disney didn't create Cinderella, story tellers such as Charles Perrault and Brothers Grimm offered Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, The Princess and the Pea, The Swan Princess etc. But Disney is one of the main "princess film" factories, and engages in aggressive marketing and merchandising campaigns, creating and feeding an enourmous appetite for pincess-based prpoducts.

Brett Farmer, Culltural Studies at University of Melbourne says "In its self-appointed role as her to and latter-day interpreter of that tradition, Disney arguably perpetuates the princess myth, though it hardly does it in isolation."

But Angela Ndalianis, associate professor of cinema studies at University of Melbourns says: "Of course it's Disney's fault. Not only are the films fostering the little-princess-aesthetic but they also breed cross-merchandising that's earning a bundle for entertainment companies who have rights to princess tales.

Causes of the Princess Syndrome

Poor parenting

Media, shows like Princess Diaries, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, The Prince and Me, Mean Girls, A Cinderella Story, Ella Enchanted

Guys that only accept a princess; heroic sagas like Lord of the Rings, Troy, King Arthur
Social networking sites, for a price anyone can set themselves up as a Princess

Other girls with Princess Syndrome

Fashion industry

Consumerism

Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan cater to non-white races/ethnicities.

Shrek to the less than beautiful princesses e.g. Princess Fiona