Fairy tales often portray stereotypical gender roles. The women are typically portrayed as passive princesses who are beautiful but helpless, waiting to be rescued by a prince. The men are active heroes who rescue the damsel in distress. However, some critics argue that fairy tales reflect the traditional roles and values of the time period when they were created. More modern fairy tales try to move beyond these stereotypes by showing women and men in less traditional or more balanced roles. Overall, while fairy tales frequently embodied gender stereotypes in the past, newer versions attempt to modernize the portrayals of both women and men.