Alissa Wilkinson, of Vox, called last year’s Oscar winner, “an allegorical film about embracing the other.” E. Oliver Whitney of ScreenCrush said the film’s characters “transcend barriers and prejudices to find strength, love, and connection.” And Kenneth Turan, of The LA Times, said the movie had “moral overtones.” They were talking, of course, about The … Continue reading ‘The Shape of Water’ Is Not ‘Beauty and the Beast’: How Feminism Ruins Fairy Tales →

It’s a mistake, I think, to confuse fairy tale princesses with real-life princesses. A fairy tale princess is an ideal. Her princesses-ness is symbolic — her high-born status represents her high morals and inner beauty. But a real-life princess is different. It is simply by accident of birth or marriage that she has come to … Continue reading Katherine of Aragon: Real-Life Fairy Tale Princess →

Before Frozen was released in 2013, an adaptation of “The Snow Queen” had been in the works at Disney for over seventy years. Walt Disney himself loved Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale and hoped to adapt it for film. But neither he, nor others at Disney throughout the years, could figure out how to do … Continue reading Why Make ‘Frozen’ About Sisters? The Original Story Was Already Feminist! →

One of the ways that Disney is trying to stay relevant in a world that seems to be antagonistic toward princesses is to create princesses who openly mock their more traditional counterparts. When Frozen’s Elsa, for example, scoffed, “You can’t marry a man you just met,” and then became so overwhelmed that she accidentally condemned … Continue reading Hey Feminists, Please Watch ‘Enchanted’! →

For all the feminist complaints that fairy tale princesses are victims of the patriarchy, it’s really the women — rather than the men — in fairy tales that are mostly trying to control the princesses. The Evil Queen tries to murder Snow White in a fit of jealous rage. Cinderella’s wicked stepmother forces her into … Continue reading We Can Be Princesses If We Want To: The Fairy Tale — And Real Life — Oppression Of Women By Women →

Disney is in full live-action remake mode. Within the next two years, there will be no less than five live-action remakes of Disney animated classics, with an additional three films planned but not yet scheduled. This isn’t even counting films like Cruella and Maleficent II, which aren’t remakes per se but are tied directly into … Continue reading Disney’s Focus On Live-Action Remakes Tells Us Something About The Stories Audiences Want →

If you had told me five years ago that I was going to publish a work of non-fiction I would have laughed in your face. It’s true that, five years ago, I had just quit my teaching job in order to focus on my writing while (hopefully) getting pregnant and becoming a full-time mom. But, … Continue reading Saving Cinderella: The Making Of →

An old flame came back into my life this week. On social media, of course, (is there anywhere else to reconnect with old flames?). It was very unexpected. In fact, back when I’d been in love with him I’d been sure he didn’t even know I existed. How could he? We lived in two completely … Continue reading “My What A Guy!” — Real Life Lessons From Cartoon Crushes →

Movie critics, parents, and filmmakers have been trying, for years, to redefine what it means to be a princess. From pretending that little girls mean Princess Leia and Wonder Woman (instead of Snow White and Cinderella) when they say they want to be princesses, to rebranding Disney princesses as athletes and warriors, the prevailing narrative … Continue reading ‘I’m A Princess Too’ — ‘Ralph Breaks The Internet’ Proves Disney Doesn’t Understand Its Own Princesses →

Hi everyone! I'll get back to regular blog posts next week, but this week has been all about my brand new YouTube channel. Princess State of Mind -- fiction, fairy tales, and the fairer sex -- debuted this week with special guest C.S. Johnson. We talked about love stories, female characters, and her upcoming book One … Continue reading Princess State of Mind Is Now on YouTube! →