By Jos Truitt • @jostruitt • 13 years ago

He’s the star of Disney’s next princess movie

A few months ago Kate Harding reported about Disney’s decision that their failure to sell The Princess and the Frog meant they should screw trying to sell to girls and go for boys instead. Well, the teaser trailer for Tangled, which used to be Rapunzel before Disney decided to turn the world of children’s films into an imitation of the dude-centric adult film market, shows they really, seriously, desperately weren’t kidding.

Transcript after the jump.
Besides being a terrible trailer, the message is painfully clear. Just look at the text:

He’s Fearless. He’s Dangerous. But the Kingdom’s Greatest Thief. Just Picked the Wrong Place to Hide. He’s Seen it All. She’s Been Grounded. Like… FOREVER. This Fall. It Takes Two to Get… Tangled.

(Oh my god barf. Seriously, who wrote this?)
“This movie’s about a dude. A manly man dude who’s a guy. He’s kind of like Aladdin. And also there’s a girl. I guess she can play too.” The trailer screams that this movie is for the boys. “It Takes Two” feels like a cynical acknowledgment that, well, I guess we do have to keep the girl. Rapunzel just lost the lead role, and the title, of her own story.
I know there are plenty of feminist critiques to hurl at Disney princess movies. But this is not a feminist win. Disney princesses aren’t always the best role models, but girls get to be the lead in the story. Disney deciding girls aren’t worth marketing their films to (or if the trailer is at all accurate, making movies for) is not a victory. It’s a reshaping of children’s culture into a more male-centric place. This is Disney deciding to consider girls about as worthless as Hollywood considers women.
Related:
Consuming pop culture while feminist: Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Consuming pop culture while trans: Disney’s The Little Mermaid
The Disney Princess Feminist Fail.
The Princess and the Frog: A Feminist Fairytale

He’s Fearless.
Rider: They just can’t get my nose right.
He’s Dangerous.
Some guy: Rider!
Rider: Enjoy Prison. I’ll miss the sound of your laughter.
But the Kingdom’s Greatest Thief.
Just Picked the Wrong Place to Hide.
Rider:Ah, alone at last… Who”s there?
He’s Seen it All.
Rider: Hi. Alright listen, I didn’t want to have to do this but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder.
She’s Been Grounded.
Like… FOREVER.
Rider: You coming blondie?
Rapunzel: Woohoo! Best day ever!
This Fall.
It Takes Two to Get…
Rider: Let down your… oof!
Tangled.

Boston, MA

Jos Truitt is Executive Director of Development at Feministing. She joined the team in July 2009, became an Editor in August 2011, and Executive Director in September 2013. She writes about a range of topics including transgender issues, abortion access, and media representation. Jos first got involved with organizing when she led a walk out against the Iraq war at her high school, the Boston Arts Academy. She was introduced to the reproductive justice movement while at Hampshire College, where she organized the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program’s annual reproductive justice conference. She has worked on the National Abortion Federation’s hotline, was a Field Organizer at Choice USA, and has volunteered as a Pro-Choice Clinic Escort. Jos has written for publications including The Guardian, Bilerico, RH Reality Check, Metro Weekly, and the Columbia Journalism Review. She has spoken and trained at numerous national conferences and college campuses about trans issues, reproductive justice, blogging, feminism, and grassroots organizing. Jos completed her MFA in Printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute in Spring 2013. In her "spare time" she likes to bake and work on projects about mermaids.

Jos Truitt is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Development.

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