Beauty and the Backlash
How Disney's Attempt to Update the Princess Franchise Alienated Some Fans
By Erich Schwartzel
About two years ago, employees who managed Walt Disney Co.'s princess franchise were faced with a challenge: how to update the beloved characters and stories for a modern audience without alienating fans of the originals.
The answer, they decided, was to make the princesses more relatable and empowering. In the live-action remake of "Cinderella," for example, the titular heroine is a strong and independent woman who doesn't need a prince to save her. And in the new animated film "Moana," the heroine is a brave and adventurous princess who sails across the ocean to save her people.
But these changes have not been met with universal acclaim. Some fans have complained that Disney is "ruining" the classic stories, and that the new princesses are not as feminine or delicate as the originals.
The backlash against Disney's updated princesses is a reminder of the challenge of updating classic stories for a modern audience. On the one hand, it's important to make the stories more relevant and relatable to today's children. But on the other hand, it's also important to respect the original stories and characters.
Conclusion
The debate over Disney's updated princesses is likely to continue for some time. But one thing is clear: the princess franchise is still as popular as ever. And despite the backlash, the new princesses are still inspiring young girls all over the world.
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