I Want To Be A Princess Too (McNair 2009 Final Paper)

“I Want to be a Princess Too”
“I Want to be a Princess Too”: Exploring the Blackout
of Disney’s Princesses and Controversies Surrounding
The Princess and the Frog and its Effects on African-
American Girls
Lena Foote
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ronald McNair Scholars Program Summer 2009
Mentor: Dr. Ruth Nicole Brown
Gender and Women’s Studies/Media Studies/Sociology/Communication
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Abstract
Disney’s impact on children’s lives is a critical issue in Media Studies and Sociology (Giroux,
1995; Sun & Scharrer, 2004). Children of color, especially African-American girls and darker-toned
girls, cannot racially identify with Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Princess Aurora, and Ariel because
these princesses are not African-American; therefore, when these girls see their reflection in the mirror,
they do not see a white princess, but someone of color. Although children are able to relate cross-
culturally with the white princesses and princesses of color (i.e. Pocahontas and Princess Jasmine), it is
necessary for African-American girls to have a princess that resembles them physically. In general, the
media plays a huge part in how girls view themselves; therefore, if African-American girls are not
represented within the Disney Princesses, it affects their level of self-worth and importance (Milkie,
1999).
In December 2009, Disney released the highly anticipated movie, The Princess and the Frog,
featuring Disney’s first African-American princess. However, there have been multiple discussions
regarding the controversies about the ways race, gender, and class dynamics are represented in the movie.
In this research paper, the following characters are analyzed: Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre
Dame, the girls from The Cheetah Girls, and the muses from Hercules in order to explore how Disney has
previously portrayed African-American females and darker-toned females in their films. This is done in
order to frame the analysis of the discussion of race and gender in The Princess and the Frog. My
findings strongly suggest that the portrayal of racist and sexist stereotypes is still an issue for the Disney
Corporation despite the social advances African-Americans have had since Disney’s first movie, Snow
White, was released in 1937. More practically, this analysis suggests that African-American girls and
darker-toned girls deserve to have a Disney princess that they recognize as meaningful and significant.
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Introduction
The impact of Disney Princesses on children’s self-image is something I understand, not
only as a scholar, but as an African-American woman who grew up watching Disney movies and
wanting to be a princess. When I was a young girl, all I ever wanted was a pair of glass slippers
like Cinderella, have my Prince Charming rescue me from harm, and live happily ever after. At
the same time, I also wanted to have blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, porcelain white skin like
Cinderella, and a white boyfriend to become my Prince Charming. Like a lot of people, I was
obsessed with everything Disney. My obsession was so strong that I risked graduating on time
by withdrawing from school and participating in the Walt Disney World College Program during
my Spring 2008 semester. I thought I had seized the opportunity of a lifetime, and it surely was
an experience that would change how I looked at myself and how I viewed “the happiest place
on Earth”.
*******
During my semester participating in the Walt Disney World College Program, there was
one moment that really caught my attention. One day while I was working at the World
Showcase gift shop at EPCOT, one of Disney World’s parks, an attractive African-American
family came into the store with their daughter costumed as Cinderella, in the famous glittery pale
blue gown. Although it was not surprising to see little girls dressed as the classic Disney
Princesses, there was something about the little girl and the dress that just did not look right. All
of a sudden I saw myself in her. Although she looked just as cute as the other girls did in their
Cinderella dresses, she was not going to look identical to Cinderella or the other girls because
she was African-American and Cinderella was white. She had the dress, but not the skin, eyes,
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or hair color or style, for she had braids and beads in her hair.
After this incident I started questioning my supervisors about the need for an African-
American princess so that girls like the little girl in the store could physically look like a Disney
Princess. Cinderella, Snow White, and Belle from Beauty and the Beast, or even Pocahontas,
Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, or even The
Cheetah Girls did not represent African-American girls completely. After talking to a few
executives in higher positions at Disney World, I was pleased to find out that Disney was finally
going to release an animated movie starring their first African-American princess, titled The
Princess and the Frog slated for a December 2009 release. I was a little nervous because as
Feng Sun and Scharper (2004) point out, Disney has given many people happy memories, but
Disney has also been responsible for problematic portrayals of minority groups, specifically
using racial stereotypes in their films (p. 35). As soon as I heard the news, I immediately heard
rumors that this movie featured the same racial and gender stereotypes Disney has shown in their
other films featuring minorities. For example, in the movies The Hunchback of Notre Dame,
Hercules, and The Cheetah Girls, women of color are portrayed as over-sexualized exotics, the
foreigner needing saving by the white male, and overtly stereotypical ethnic characteristics. Once
again Disney’s newest princess has the potential to crush African-Americans’ girls dreams of
being an enchanted princess like the others.
Since Disney already has a poor reputation for portraying non-Whites inaccurately in
their films, with the highly anticipated movie, The Princess and the Frog, Disney’s first African-
American princess may already be doomed from the start. Rumors of stereotypical
representations of African-Americans are already circulating the internet and blogosphere. Since
Disney plays such a huge role in how children learn about themselves and others in society,
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Disney’s lack of African-American princesses has caused many African-American girls,
including myself at a young age, to question their relevance in Disney culture (Hurley, p. 221).
African-American girls deserve a Disney Princess that they can be proud of; likewise African-
American parents should not be ashamed of taking their daughters to go see this movie. In this
research paper, I analyze the following characters: Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre
Dame, the girls from The Cheetah Girls, and the muses from Hercules in order to explore how
Disney has previously portrayed African-American females and darker-toned females in their
films. This is done in order to frame the analysis of the discussion of race and gender in the
highly-anticipated movie, The Princess and the Frog. Will this movie be a potential dream
crusher for African-Americans for a princess they can be proud of? I want to see if Disney’s
representations of African-American/darker-toned females are still stereotypical and over-
exaggerated. Since The Princess and the Frog will not be released until December 2009, I will
analyze the official trailer of the movie and the discourse surrounding the movie discussed by
different people on different blogs.
Literature Review
Since the Disney Corporation has been prevalent in popular culture for many decades, the
amount of research done on Disney is endless. From Snow White to Wall-E, specific topics of
interests of different research projects related to Disney range from how society has been
“Disnified” to the effects of Disney on animation. However, the majority of the research focused
on Disney is primarily focused on how the Disney Corporation has transformed popular culture
and capitalism (Ward 2002; Steinberg & Kincheloe 2004; Giroux 1999; Artz 2004; Sammond
1999; Giroux 1995; Sun & Scharrer 2004). For example, Lee Artz (2004) states that;
Disney has sold more that $2 billion worth of toys based on characters from animated
films and cartoons…[also] Disney theme parks have more visitors than 54 national parks
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combined, [and] using profits from its animated feature film, Disney acquired the
American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), dozens of AM radio stations, and cable
holdings such as the sports network, ESPN, the History Channel, and Arts &
Entertainment (A&E), among others. (p. 117)
Chyng Feng Sun and Erica Scharrer (2004) and Nicholas Sammond (1999) argue that Disney has
become the quintessential proof of being an American. In fact, Sammond states that Walt
Disney himself wanted his brand to define the essence of being American and he wanted to
produce American culture and produce American children (p. 32).
In addition, Henry A. Giroux (1999) talks the following areas of research in his book,
The Mouse that Roared; “ What role it [Disney] plays (p. 1) in shaping public memory, national
identity, gender roles, and childhood values; (p. 2) in suggesting who qualifies as an American;
and (p. 3) in determining the role consumerism in American life” (p. 10). The focus of these
scholars is overwhelmingly on the impact of Disney culture on Americans, specifically on
American children. For the purposes of this research project specifically, there is also a good
amount of research focused on how Disney portrays race, sex, and gender in their films and their
effects on children (Kamalipour & Carilli 1998; Byrne & McQuillan 1999; Gutiérrez 2000;
Hurley 2005; Towbin, Haddock, Zimmerman, Lund, & Tanner 2003; Faherty 2001; Lacroix
2004; Eschholz, Bufkin, & Long 2002). The rest of the literature relevant to Disney focuses on
the effects of the Disney Princess on girls (Do Rozario 2004; Zarranz 2007; Tanner, Haddock,
Zimmerman, & Lund 2003).
Many researchers will argue that Disney has defined childhood (Sammond 1999; Giroux
1995). Many argue that Disney is hegemonic because parents and people in general think that it
is “normal” for their kids to fall in love with the same beloved characters they loved when they
were younger (Sammond 1999; Giroux 1999). In fact, “these adults have grown up with the
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Disney culture and often ‘discover some nostalgic connection to [their] childhood’ when they
enter into the Disney cultural apparatus…Disney’s power lies, in part, in its ability to tap into the
lost hopes, abortive dreams, and utopian potential of popular culture” (Giroux, p. 5). Disney
movies, like all movies, reflect the dominant thinking of the time. This is true for how people
thought about gender, class, and racial roles especially, for instance, the controversial “Jim
Crows” in the movie Dumbo were criticized for portraying racist stereotypes of African-
Americans, even though the film was released in 1941, pre-Civil Rights Movement (Ward 2002).
Much of the research focused on the effects of Disney on popular culture and children do
recognize that Disney is a force to be reckoned with on the corporate and capitalist level, but
they all agree that it is imperative not to be passive about what children are learning through the
movies. Since Disney has not been as moral as they should in regards to portraying different
cultures, parents, teachers, or any other “cultural educator” need to be aware of Disney’s power
(Ward 2002). Parents still need to recognize that although these movies seem innocent and just
entertainment, children learn just as much about society and people from Disney movies as they
do in school, church, or even their parents. Consequently, if Disney movies reflects the
dominant ideologies of a time when it was acceptable to discriminate against people of color or
portray people of color as inferior to Whites as Jezebels, Mammies, Uncle Toms, unintelligent,
or the jive-talking entertainer…that has an impact on children today.
Another topic that the majority of the researchers agreed upon is how Disney has
inaccurately portrayed minorities in their films by using racial and ethnic stereotypes. Many
agree that The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the most problematic film. In the movie, Esmeralda
is portrayed as a tempting, exotic gypsy who dances for money and attention on street corners
and is the object of the three main male characters in the film (Davis, 2006). The term
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“orientalization” is used to describe the most prevalent type of stereotyping, women of color
being overly sexualized and exotic (Lacroix 2004). This is evident in The Hunchback of Notre
Dame, Hercules, and The Cheetah Girls, as well as other Disney films. In Hercules, Disney’s
version of the Greek myth, the five muses, or storytellers, are all African-American females but
they have some obvious African-American characteristics that are considered stereotypical. For
instance, they do not just narrate the story of Hercules but they sing it in a gospel-inspired tune
throughout the whole movie. They are also sexualized as well by their costumes, for their
dresses all reveal legs, thighs, and cleavage just like Esmeralda (Ward 2002). Research also
recognizes that the minority women of color are also more adventurous and independent than the
White princesses, which can be a good thing, but children of color may want to be enchanting
and feminine like the white princesses and may see the female characters of color as tomboyish
(Hurley 2005).
Although there is a good amount of research done on this specific topic, there is limited
amount of research done that explores the effects of these racial and gender stereotypes on young
African-Americans. Dorothy Hurley discussed the effects of Disney Princesses on children of
color, mainly African-American children, in “Seeing White: Children of Color and the Disney
Fairy Tale Princess” (2005), and Gabriel Gutiérrez discusses the effects of Disney movies on
Latino/a children in “Deconstructing Disney: Chicano/a Children and Critical Race Theory”
(2000). Dorothy Hurley (2005) agrees that there is a strong need for an appropriate princess for
African-Americans and people of color. She specifically states that;
[the media] plays a role in providing visual images to children that give them cultural
information about themselves, others, and the relative status of group membership. In
other words, self-image in children is shaped in some degree by exposure to images
found in written texts, illustrations, and films. Moreover, it is clear that children, if they
are to develop a positive self-image, need to “see” themselves or their images in texts.
(p. 221)
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If Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog is represented appropriately, African-
American girls will believe that they are worthy of being princesses. Hurley also goes into
analyzing the significance of color symbolism in Disney films. For instance, in many Disney
movies “good” or “pure” is usually associated with the color white; white skin, blonde hair, and
blue eyes; whereas “evil” or “exotic” is usually associated with darkness, darker skin color, and
dark hair (p. 223). What do girls of color think when they see images like this? With the
upcoming release of The Princess and the Frog, there is going to be a need for more research
specifically analyzing the effects of Disney Princesses on African-American girls. Gabriel
Gutiérrez’ s research, although researching from a Chicano/a point of view, is still relevant
because there has not yet been a Latina Disney Princess either. He does bring up a great point
about how simply replacing the White characters with minority characters does not “lead to a
more democratic society”, but the ideology behind the representations have to be replaced as
well (p. 11, 34). He also explains that hegemonic images in Disney films force children to want
to belong to the “most prevalent” group because that group is not only portrayed in the films, but
because they, for the most part, portrayed in a positive light.
One of the main contributions Disney has given to popular culture is the idea of living
“happily ever after”, which happens when the enchanting princess finds her Prince Charming. A
good amount of research has been conducted concerning the effects of the Disney Princess on
girls in general, and there have been some debate as to whether or not the Disney Princess is a
gender stereotype or a feminist portrayal (Do Razario 2004). Libe García Zarranz believes that
the Disney Princess has transformed from the days of Snow White and Cinderella. She asserts
that what is happening now is “Diswomen”, or those multi-faceted female characters who go
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against the traditional Disney definition of femininity (2007). The research that is done in this
area of Disney focuses on the effects of the ideas such as “love at first sight”, “some day my
prince will come”, and “living happily ever after” on girls. It is typical in a Disney movie for the
female lead to dream about being rescued by her Prince Charming, or two people falling in love
and getting married after meeting once and kissing for the first time. These images give girls the
notion that they will be happy when they have a significant other by their sides, instead of
finding happiness within themselves. It also concludes that these unrealistic ideas about
relationships, falling in love, and marriage are making girls think that it is easy to gain a Prince
Charming, when in fact it takes hard work. In fact, research has proved that many couples do not
last because these ideas promote girls to have higher expectations for their mates (Tanner,
Haddock, Zimmerman, & Lund 2003).
Anyone who wants to read more about Disney cannot do so without reading the research
done by popular culture critic, Henry A. Giroux, who has done many articles regarding the ways
Disney has affected popular culture and the minds of adults and children. Articles of his used for
this research include The Mouse that Roared, “Are Disney Movies Good for Your Kids?”, and
“Animating Youth: the Disnification of Children’s Culture.” He states in “Are Disney Movies
Good for Your Kids” that he is not anti-Disney because it is difficult for parents to keep their
children away from Disney culture, but he is very precise about the fact that he critiques Disney
because they need to be held accountable for what they produce (p. 23). Giroux (2004) argues
that
While Disney provides both children and adults with the pleasure of being entertained,
Disney’s public responsibility does not end there. Rather than being viewed as a
commercial public sphere innocently distributing pleasure to young people, the Disney
empire must be seen as a pedagogical and policymaking enterprise actively engaged in
the cultural landscaping of national identity and the “schooling” of the minds of young
children. (p. 179-180)
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Disney should not be excused for what kind of content they produce, since they are such a huge
contributor to people cultural memory, and people need to stop placing Disney on a pedestal.
Another researcher of Disney who is quite interesting is Douglas Brode. What is unique
about his research is his defense of Disney. While the majority of scholarship is critical of
Disney, Brode defends it to the fullest. In his book, Multiculturalism and the Mouse, he argues
that the Disney Corporation promoted diversity decades before it was popular. They did so
through their movies, television shows, and theme parks (p. 2). He also claims that Walt Disney
believed he was an African-American in another life and wanted Mickey Mouse to be African-
American (p. 50). Honestly, I cannot say that I believe this since there have been so many myths
and legends surrounding Walt Disney as being a racist towards African-Americans.
The area that has generated the most debate is discussions regarding The Princess and
the
Frog is and whether or not people are taking this movie too seriously or if they have a valid point
in their critiques of the films. The blogosphere has become the new public sphere where people
can debate different topics of interest. This movie is no exception. Many bloggers and blog
sites, such as Shannon Prince from Racialicious, Jim Hill Media, and The Hollywood Glitz have
been very frank about their disapproval of the movie already due to the rumored racial
stereotypes involved. They believe that African-Americans have made numerous advances since
the 1930s, and that for Disney to give African-American girls a princess that, at first, written as a
chambermaid for a rich white family in New Orleans is very problematic. They call into
question the Disney Corporation’s understanding of race and racism. They would like to see an
African American character/princess who reflects the advances that African-Americans have
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made. However, bloggers such as Dominic von Riedemann from Suite101.com and Ashley
Demma from Film School Rejects think that people are taking this movie way too seriously and
must be reminded that this is an animated movie, not a social movement.
In reviewing blogs related to The Princess and the Frog, bloggers’ primary concerns
included the princess’ name(s), her occupation(s), her role in the movie, and the setting. Disney
was originally going to name the princess Keisha, which is the quintessential stereotypical Black
girl name. Keisha has been used as a name many times in other mediums for an African-
American female. Disney then changed the name to Maddy, which was short for Madeleine, but
people thought that it sounded too much of a slave name such as Mammy. Disney changed the
name again and her name is now Tiana. In addition to critiquing the stereotypical context of the
name, many people thought that Maddy did not sound as enchanting as the other princesses such
as Belle, Cinderella, and Jasmine. The next characteristic of Tiana that was critiqued was her
original occupation. It was going to be a chambermaid for a rich, white, spoiled debutante. This
is also considered a very stereotypical role of African-Americans. Instead, Tiana is now an
inspiring restaurateur. In addition, it is rumored that she is not even a princess for the majority of
the movie, but is turned into a frog at the beginning of the movie.
An additional point of contention in the movie is the location. The movie takes place in
1920s New Orleans in the French Quarter. Some people are offended because New Orleans was
also the site for one of the most devastating tragedies in American history for African-Americans
due to Hurricane Katrina. The aftermath of the hurricane involved politics, racism, and history,
and this city is still recovering. Ashley Demma quotes William Blackburn from the Charlotte
Observer that “this princess’ story is set in New Orleans, the setting of one of the most
devastating tragedies to beset a black community and then they throw in the voodoo theme [the
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villain is a voodoo witchdoctor] and an alligator sidekick. When you put New Orleans,
alligators, and voodoo together, there’s no beauty there” (Demma, 2009). Although Disney
executives claim that they are paying homage to the beautiful culture of New Orleans, regarding
its diverse food, music, and architecture, bloggers are saying it is a bittersweet claim, for New
Orleans is still an open sore that needs to heal (The Hollywood Glitz).
Undoubtedly, the biggest controversy surrounding this movie is the ethnicity of her
prince. Prince Naveen is voiced by Brazilian actor, Bruno Campos, who has white skin and an
accent. Prince Naveen’s skin tone is much lighter than Princess Tiana’s. Immediately bloggers
started reacting to this in different directions, even though Disney says he is not white; yet
people assert he is not of Black either (The Hollywood Glitz). Some people posted on the blogs
that since the movie is set in New Orleans perhaps he is of Creole heritage. However, Prince
Naveen is from the fictional land of Maldonia, which means he is not of the same cultural
background as Tiana (The New York Times). One interpretation of the casting decision of Bruno
Campos coupled with the whitened artistic visual portrayal of Prince Naveen is that Disney has
opted to reinforce the stereotypical and liberal ideology that Black people (and women
specifically) need to be saved by White men, in particular. This ideology is problematic because
it reinforces the idea that African-Americans cannot take care of themselves and need the
assistance of White people. However, bloggers are ultimately divided. Some people are
disappointed that an African-American princess cannot have an African-American prince, while
others are glad that Disney is showing an interracial relationship that might lead to a possible
marriage. This would be unlike the other interracial couples (i.e. Pocahontas and John Smith,
and Esmeralda and Phoebus). In either case, talk on the blogosphere basically agrees that Disney
has some serious work to do when it comes to portraying minorities in their films.
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To conclude this review, more research needs to be done on how Walt Disney felt about
people from different cultures. Also, more research needs to be done once The Princess and the
Frog is released on the effects of this movie on African-American girls and on girls in general.
As for the blogs, there needs to be discussion as to why Disney has yet to produce a film
featuring a Latina princess. Since Disney is releasing a movie about an African-American
princess maybe the Disney Corporation will read what people want to see in their movies before
they make decisions about future movies.
Methods
In the field of Media Studies, when conducting a discourse analysis of a particular film,
the methods often used are the theories of media literacy and the concept of encoding and
decoding. Media literacy usually examines the media and emphasizing the need for people to
become media critics to not only challenge what the media is displaying but also the dominant
ideology (Sun & Scharrer 2004). In the films analyzed, not only were the characters examined,
but the assumed reasons as to why they were portrayed the way they were analyzed as well. In
addition, the encoding/decoding explains how the producers of a particular medium encode
messages and how the audience produces their own meanings of the messages that are shown.
For the films used in this research, I analyze three possible decoding messages viewers can have
while watching these films; the dominant, negotiated, and/or oppositional, meaning that either
audience members are passively consuming the dominant ideology of the portrayals of African-
American women, partially accepting the images but may question some aspects of the
messages, or they completely disagree with the messages and have a reason as to why they
oppose.
The main method was finding discussions regarding The Princess and the Frog from
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various blogs, websites, articles, etc. I also analyzed the following characters in other Disney
movies: Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the girls from The Cheetah Girls, and
the muses from Hercules. I did so in order to explore how Disney has previously portrayed
African-American females and darker-toned females in their films. After reviewing the movies
once, I transcribed scenes that were significant to how their race/ethnicity was either stereotyped
or was made an obvious characteristic of the character. This was done in order to frame the
analysis of the discussion of race and gender in The Princess and the Frog.
I reviewed many different blogs that discussed the movie as a way to start off my
research. I chose a handful of them to use for my paper and I used the ones that had more
substance than just complaints. By more substance, I mean those blogs that had arguments that
made me think and were not just full of complaints. I used an article from The New York Times,
and blog sites such as Racialicious, Jim Hill Media, The Hollywood Glitz, and Film School
Rejects as my main sources about the movie since there are no actual academic articles regarding
this film yet. Although most of the bloggers agree that Disney is producing a movie that is
producing the same racist stereotypes of minorities in this film, they have valid points for their
arguments based on the history of Disney films. Whereas I do not believe those bloggers who
think that people are just being too sensitive about an animated movie I used these blogs because
I wanted to provide arguments from both sides of the spectrum.
The scholarly literature used for my research is pretty specific as noted above in the
Literature Review. I wanted to get a pretty broad perspective of the research conducted on
Disney. In addition to reading articles focusing on the way Disney has portrayed African-
American females and darker-toned females in their films, I also read literature that focused on
the effect Disney had on popular culture. This allows my project to start from the larger issues
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and work my way through the readings and becoming more focused on narrowing the topic
because there is so much said about Disney. Basically, I used the blogs to frame my analysis
about The Princess and the Frog and used the scholarly articles for background research, or what
Disney has previously done in the past in regards to the portrayals of African-American women
and darker-toned females.
Results
My analysis on Emeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame concurs with other
research that has focused on this character and the film itself. For instance, Ward (2002) states
that the film “may be the darkest, most adult animated films Disney has ever made” (p. 61). The
film displays many sexual undertones that children may not understand, even though Disney
representatives felt that they would go unnoticed by children and will just go over their heads
(Ward, 2002). Unfortunately, Esmeralda’s presence in the movie makes the movie seem like it
was made for everyone except for children.
Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is based on the book with the same title
by Victor Hugo, follows a familiar pattern that Disney has in most of their animated films; with
confidence and few good friends, anyone can become a hero/heroine, despite of what people may
say or do to you. This under-dog approach is evident in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as the
under-dog, Quasimoto, has physical, emotional, and social short-comings; therefore, this film
should have been seen as relevant as the other Disney films. Although the book was written for
adults, Disney tried its best to change the plot and advertise towards children; however, this film
instead made Hugo’s character, Esmeralda, the most controversial female character in Disney
history.
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When Esmeralda is first introduced in the film, she is shown dancing on the street-corner
for money accompanied by a fellow gypsy musician and her pet goat. In the movie, the gypsies
are portrayed as a group of people considered the lowest of all people in Paris due to their
heathen ways. For instance, the following lines occur when a little boy and his mother see
Esmeralda on the corner dancing:
- Boy: (Excitedly) Mom (runs towards Esmeralda)
- Mother: (Bringing him back towards her) Stay away child…they’re gypsies, they’ll
steal us blind.
(The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Esmeralda is considered dangerous because she is a gypsy. Gypsies are considered to be trouble-
makers. Esmeralda is considered especially threatening due to her appearance, her lifestyle, and
her actions. For instance, some of her “heathen ways” are that she earns a living by telling
fortunes (which is considered the works of the devil), dancing on street corners, and stealing
food and money. In terms of her appearance, Disney made Esmeralda very exotic-looking. An
audience member can see that she is very sensual in nature. With her long black hair,
curvaceous body, big jewelry, revealing costume, and androgynous ethnicity, Esmeralda is
obviously seen as being different from the French women in the film. Talking about women of
color in Disney films, Lacroix (2004) states that “the costuming of these characters reflects the
stereotypical images of each women’s ethnicity, the overall effect, taken with the increasing
voluptuousness of the characters, works to represent the White characters as more demure and
conservative, while associating the women of color with the exotic and sexual (p. 222). In
Esmeralda’s case, Lacroix’s point is proven, since all the French women in the film are covered
from head to toe, while Esmeralda walks around with exposed cleavage and barefooted.
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Although Esmeralda is seen as exotic-looking and sexual, there are two scenes in the
movie that moved this movie from being an “innocent” Disney film for children to being a movie
intended for adults that just happened to be animated and a musical. During the Feast of Fools, a
Mardi Gras-like celebration, Esmeralda appears in a ball of smoke and starts dancing very
seductively for the crowd of mostly men. In a sheer red outfit that exposes her huge bosom, legs,
and tiny waist, Esmeralda becomes the victim of the male gaze from both the men in the movie
that she is dancing for and for the viewers watching the movie as well. There is a very pivotal
part of the dance sequence that Lacroix (2004) also has taken notice of. There comes a point
where Esmeralda does a split and there is suddenly a close-up on her face as she winks at
Quasimoto and to the camera, as if she is winking provocatively at the film’s audience as well (p.
222). This is interesting because in Disney’s animated films, the extreme close-ups on a
character’s face are usually reserved for the villains in the films, unless the female characters are
of color. This is interesting, yet problematic because the whole purpose of a close-up shot is for
the audience to see the rage and evil in the villains’ eyes so they can be afraid of them as well.
However, when this is done to a female of color like Esmeralda, what is Disney trying to say?
Are they trying to say that women of color are threatening and evil to society? Like the villains,
women of color in Disney films are represented as different and not like the others characters.
In regards to this particular close-up shot, her trademark aquamarine eyes become the
focus of the shot. Although she is a gypsy, her nationality is mysterious. Her skin tone is very
dark, just like the other gypsies in the movie, but she is the only one to have an eye color other
than brown. Even though Esmeralda resembles “emerald”, in the original book, she has brown
eyes; but in the Disney version, her eyes are not brown or emerald but an awkward aquamarine
color that strongly contrasts with her deep brown skin tone (Prince 2009). I wonder how
18

different she would have looked if she was drawn with dark brown eyes like the other gypsies,
would she look more “ethnic”, or not as bombshell beautiful like she is represented in the movie?
Would females of color be able to identify with Esmeralda if that one detail was changed? This
concept is coined the “Esmeralda Eyes Syndrome” by Shannon Prince, Disney’s way of telling
people, especially people of color, that either Esmeralda is a minority and non-white, but not
really because she still has a distinguished European facial feature, or if they were reminding
people of color that the only way to be strikingly beautiful is to have an eye color that is not
brown or ordinary (Prince 2009).
In Disney’s Hercules, we actually see Disney’s first animated African-American female
characters, only in a minimal but noticeable role. The muses, which consist of Calliope – the
muse of epic tales, Clio – the muse of history, Melpomene – the muse of drama, Terpsichore –
the muse of dance, and Thalia – the muse of comedy, are the story-tellers of the story of
Hercules. Although they are Greek muses and have Greek names, they have some obvious
African-American characteristics, especially their physical appearance and personalities. For
instance, they are very curvaceous with huge breasts, tiny waists, and full hips, which follow the
common perception of African-American women having fuller bodies. It seems like Disney
wanted the muses to look similar to the Beyoncés, the Jennifer Lopezs, and Diana Rosses of
today. With that being said, the muses’ costumes do nothing but over-exaggerate their body
types. Every muse has a gown on that reveals their legs and thighs thanks to very high slits in
the skirts as well as having their cleavage shown as well.
In addition to their attire, hair becomes the center focus for the muses as well. In
following the tradition of Disney’s female characters having big, flowing hair, it seems as if the
muses were a part of this pattern but too the extreme, for they all have a different hair style that
19

reflects their African descent. For example, Melponene is reminiscent of Diana Ross because
her hair is extremely long, big, and textured, as if she is wearing a weave. This is a stereotype of
African-Americans, although women of other races wear weaves as well. In addition, Calliope
has hair higher than her own head, which is complimented with a white head band. Then there is
Clio who has 3 little ponytails on her head, one on top and two on the sides, and a long
ponytail that is draped over one shoulder. In addition, Terpsichore has short, kinky hair while
Thalia, who is the shortest and fullest figured, has a tiny ponytail on top of her head. With the
exception of Melponene (and her weave), Thalia, and possibly Calliope, all the other muses have
a very ethnic hairstyle, for kinky twists happens to be a hairstyle that some Africans and African-
Americans choose to wear. The muses are interesting characters because they are supposed to be
Greek, since they have Greek names, but they clearly have an African-American appearance.
Although they are the story-tellers of Hercules, they do not just tell a story, but they sing
it. What is more interesting is what genre of music they sing to tell the story of Hercules, which
happens to be the genre of gospel, which is very prevalent in African-American churches and
culture. However, what is most disturbing is that gospel music refers to the Gospel, or the “good
news” of the first four books of the New Testament. Annalee Ward firmly states that “what
Disney does with the Gospel content not only cheapens gospel music to nothing more than style
but also extirpates it from its religious roots” (p. 87). Instead of praising God and Jesus Christ,
the muses are singing the praises of a mythical god named Hercules. Purposely wanting African-
Americans as the singing muses can also be correlated to the stereotype of African-Americans as
being entertainers (singers and dancers). Once again it is interesting that the Greek muses are
represented as a Black Chorus-like ensemble that sings the praises of the god Hercules, not the
God.
20

Another disturbing aspect of the muses is their hyper-sexuality. From the way that they
dress to the way they talk and walk are done in a very inappropriate way, which is inappropriate
for a children’s movie, Disney or not. From the very beginning of the movie when they are
introduced to the audience, they are seen as being physically and sexually attracted to Hercules.
This plays into that stereotype that African-American women are promiscuous, flirtatious, and
are irresponsible sexually. When they are singing over a gospel rhythm, they sing that Hercules
is “a major hunk”, while shaking their bodies as if they are trying to get Hercules’ attention. For
a Disney film, too much emphasis on sexuality is reflected through the muses, even though they
are not the object of Hercules’ affection. Megara, Hercules’ object of desire, is no where near
sexual as the muses, but yet she still wins his heart at the end of the movie. What are these
images telling children and children of color? This is interesting because people like Libe García
Zarranz think that Disney should be applauded for portraying real women in present times,
women who own their sexuality and do not have to let a man define who they are. She calls
these women Diswomen, or Disney feminists, because they go against the domestication of
women, for they are multi-faceted women who represent a contemporary image of gender and
sexuality (Zarranz, 2007). On the contrary, there is nothing wrong with Disney showing women
as being more than a passive female who only dreams about being rescued by her Prince
Charming, but at the same time, sexuality should not be the only way to represent feminism,
especially in a children’s film. This representation of African-American, and their culture, is one
that Disney should be ashamed of and regret.
The movie that seems like the most innocent is actually even more problematic than the
previous ones because The Cheetah Girls uses actual human being females, not cartoons. Before
High School Musical, The Cheetah Girls was the highest-viewed movie on the Disney Channel
21

in 2003. Based on the popular book series by Deborah Gregory about a multicultural singing girl
group in their teenage years, the group is made up of Galleria- who is African-American and
White, Chanel – who is Latina with Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban heritage, Aqua – who
is a Southern African-American from Georgia, and Dorinda – who is White. I was particularly
interested in this movie because it is extremely popular amongst the African-American girls in
my life, and it also features a very racially diverse group of females. However, although the
book was praised for showcasing a multicultural singing group that girls can relate to, Disney
still managed to race and place stereotypes on the characters, including the White character. For
instance, Galleria, although biracial, is still seen as African-American with obvious stereotypical
characteristics, such as being overly bossy, loud and out-spoken, and disrespectful. Chanel, who
is Latina, has a thick accent like her mother, speaks Spanglish, and is very feisty. Another thing
about Chanel is that whenever she has a moment to shine, some genre of Latin/Salsa music
accompanies her words. Aqua, who is African-American, has the same characteristics as the
Galleria, but too the extreme, for she is a proud Southern Belle, but at the same time also talks
with her mouth open while eating, is loud and obnoxious, and carries a bottle of hot sauce with
her at all times. These characteristics are seen in a scene when after The Cheetah Girls try-out
for the school’s talent show, the director, Drinka (who is African-American) says this about the
girls:
- Drinka: Galleria, when I look at you, (hip-hop music starts to play) I see a biracial, hip-
hoppin’ version of me…And Chanel, when I look at you honey, (Latin/Salsa
music starts) I see a hot, Latin, spicy version of me…And Aqua, when I look at you,
(soft country music starts) I see myself as if I was from the Sassy South…And
Dorinda, when I look at you, I see you as if I was…..
22

- Dorinda: (interrupting) If you were what? Go ahead and say it, everyone else does.
“Dorinda’s like me if I was shrimpy and White”.
- Drinka: (in a very sassy voice)…if I was able to dance (Laughs).
However, the most complex character is Dorinda, who is White. She is an interesting
character because she represents the complete opposite of what is seen as being White. For
example, her name sounds like an African-American name, not a name that is common for White
girls. The second noticeable characteristic was that she was known as the best dancer in the
group, which is contrary to the stereotype that White people cannot dance and African-
Americans are better dancers. The last thing that I noticed was her social status, for she was the
least financially stable member of the group, meaning that the African-American girls and the
Latina were wealthier than the White character in the movie. Unlike the other girls, Dorinda is
the only one who has and needs an after-school job at the local dance studio. In the movie, it is
revealed that she does not want her friends to know her financial insecurity or that she has a job.
So when she has to leave for work, she tells them that she has to baby-sit. However, the biggest
secret that she is trying to keep is that she is a foster child who has an African-American foster
family. It is disturbing that her “Blackness” hindered her from being like her friends. If was as
if she was being pitied for having an African-American upbringing and if she was a regular
White girl with White parents, she would not be poor, have to work after school, or even have a
name that was as ethnic as Dorinda. I was confused as to whether Disney was trying to show
that financial distress did not have a specific face to it or whether they were making her
“Blackness” a burden for Dorinda.
There is very little research done on The Cheetah Girls franchise, and though Disney is
representing a multicultural group for children of color, the characters are still raced, even if their
23

racial stereotypes do not match their own race. This movie and these characters have the biggest
impact on African-American/ darker-toned females because they are actual humans in the movie,
not cartoon characters. They can see for themselves in human form how society and the media
portray their race and ethnicity. Hopefully, young African-American girls will not be like
Dorinda and feel like they have to be embarrassed by their family because they do not fit in with
their friends’ parents, since it seemed like Dorinda was ashamed of her family. Accordingly,
Melissa A. Milkie revealed in her article, “Social Comparisons, Reflected Appraisals, and Mass
Media: The Impact of Pervasive Beauty Images on Black and White Girls’ Self-Concepts”, that
studies have shown that when people see themselves and their race/ethnicity being represented in
the media in a positive light, their self-confidence and self-worth is higher than when it is
represented stereotypically or in a negative light (Milkie, 1999).
The Princess and the Frog
Set for a December 2009 release, Disney finally decided that they were ready to make a
princess that was African-American. The Princess and the Frog has not been released yet due to
all the changes Disney decided to make due to the complaints that some people had regarding the
racial undertones of the movie. Most of these complaints are showcased on blog websites that
focus on race in popular culture, where people can post their opinions regarding aspects in
popular culture. When looking into what people were saying about the movie, the debate is split
into two groups of people; most people believe that the controversies surrounding the movie are
relevant and need to be talked about, whereas other people think that people are taking an
animated movie too seriously.
Through this research I attempt to show that the controversies and disagreements people
have with the movie is relevant and should not be dismissed as being overly sensitive as some
24

people say. Blogger Ashley Demma stated that The Princess and the Frog is just an animated
movie, “not a social cry or political statement…it’s about a princess and her talking animal
friends…sounds like every other movie Disney has ever spit out” (Demma, 2009). What is
disturbing to me is that a lot of people feel the same way Demma does; that this movie will have
no effect on children because it is just an animated movie. However, when someone believes
that what children watch, regardless of whether it is a cartoon or not, does not affect them, it is as
if they are saying that children are passive to what they take in, which is contrary to what
researchers like Giroux and Ward are arguing. People, especially children, are not passive to the
media, in fact they internalize what they see on television and their confidence about themselves
is a result of what they see in the media about people like themselves.
When it comes to The Princess and the Frog, there are many things Disney could have
done differently and thought out more carefully. For instance, originally naming the princess
Keisha left the impression that Disney just went with the first name that they thought would be a
name for an African-American female; Keisha is also a stereotypical name for a token African-
American in the media. A better decision Disney could have made about the name was to keep
the name Madeleine, but not the nickname Maddy. Personally, I believe that it does not
necessarily sound like Mammy but it does sound like a lot like Addy, which was a common slave
name (Jim Hill Media). With the name Maddy, it reinforces the master-slave relationship within
the movie. Another thing Disney could have done differently was equate the magic in the movie
with voodoo. Even though Disney is known for having the villains perform some sort of magic
to get what they want from the protagonist, but the magic has never been related to a specific
group of people or religion. Also, the presence of a voodoo witchdoctor as a villain is
inappropriate for a movie that is aimed for children, since the imagery of voodoo will give
25

children an image about African-Americans, or those of Creole descent, that can be negative
towards voodoo practitioners.
The biggest decision Disney should have changed was the ethnicity of Prince Naveen. I
do not disapprove of interracial relationships, however, I would have loved to see a brown-
skinned princess ride off into “happily ever after” with her brown-skinned prince instead of an
androgynous male who is played by a European Brazilian actor whose character looks Latino.
African-American girls should be proud of their African-American males and should not be
ashamed of them. If the story takes place in New Orleans, it would have made more sense for
the prince to be either African-American or of Creole descent. African-Americans females
should not feel like they are prizes to be won by non-Whites. In addition, African-American
boys who may watch the movie should not have to feel like they are not good enough to be a
prince and win the heart of an African-American princess.
Conclusion
In 2009, there is no excuse for Disney to make Princess Tiana a chambermaid as her
original occupation. Disney has forgotten about the struggles and racism African-Americans had
to endure to be accepted as citizens in this country. They seem to have also forgotten how far
African-Americans have come and how much they have achieved. It is disturbing that Disney
actually thought they could get away with portraying Princess Tiana in a stereotypical way
without there being complaints from not just African-Americans but from all people who believe
that all people should be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of skin color.
As a result of the election of America’s first African-American president, Barack Obama,
there is no doubt that the confidence in African-Americans has increased significantly. I
personally feel like I am capable of achieving everything that I want to because of the
26

accomplishment President Barack Obama has achieved. However, at the same time, I do not
want this feeling of elevation to be disrupted by the Disney’s first African-American princess,
not only for my self, but especially for African-American girls. On a positive note, it does feel
good to have a brown-skinned African-American princess as opposed to a lighter-skinned
African-American, since there is this constant debate within the African-American community
where lighter-skinned African-American females are placed on a higher pedestal than darker-
skinned African-American in the media and in society.
By conducting this research, the final conclusion is that Disney needs to work harder at
portraying characters that are culturally relevant. The Princess and the Frog and its
controversies surrounding the characters and the plot of the movie, proves that Disney, in the
year 2009, has a problem with representing African-Americans in storylines that are affirming
yet complex. By Disney having an African-American princess, hopefully African-American
girls will enjoy what female my age, my mother’s age, and my grandmother’s age did not have
when we were younger. In the future, Disney needs to consider how minority groups want to be
portrayed in their movies. More importantly, Disney needs to have people in higher executive
positions who are minorities that know what is considered stereotypical and shameful to their
racial group. In 2009, there is no excuse for African-Americans to feel bad about themselves as
a result of how they are represented in the media, especially in a Disney movie.
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