December 3rd, 2015, Atlanta, GA / Giselle Ave. Media — Once upon a time, there was a girl named Belle. Belle was a great girl, hard-working, educated, loving, nurturing, and even knew how to have an adventurous time! Belle was the It Girl of her day. Belle knew how to make people feel good about themselves, even when she felt like crap. Belle seemed to have it all together, except for one small– yet huge– missing element: her beaux. This unknown Beaux of hers would be the icing on the cake. So what does she do? She opens her heart to the idea of her beaux becoming a part of her reality. She dates potential beaux. She goes to dinner, to the movies, to sporting events, and even on weekend getaways– in hopes of one day meeting the beaux of her dreams.
Well, there’s another problem with Belle, she never meets her Beaux, until later in age. She goes through life, with high hopes of one day meeting her prince charming who sweeps her off her feet, only to learn that is only happens in the movies. Love isn’t always so sweet and charming. Belle isn’t giving up hope for real love, she is only being a tad more realistic about what it will look like.
My Little Princess
Belle suffers from the Princess Complex. She is under the impression that the world revolves around her, but it’s not totally her fault. She comes from a family that actually treated her as if the world– revolved around her. Her father caller her a sweet little princess, and her mother dressed her up in little princess clothes, until she finally asker her to stop.
The Princess Complex is a cultural term used to describe a female that places high, almost unattainable, expectations on her male counterpart, and expects to actually be treated like as a Princess. Like, what’s so bad about that?!
The Prince is hard, like really hard, to find. The idea of a fairytale ending has brainwashed little girls all over the world, including girls like Belle. Prince Charming is a fictional character, who is so handsome, rich, loving, caring, and a true leader in his kingdom. Of course, we shouldn’t take movies as fact of life, but let’s be honest— if these are the images we are sharing with children who love Disney movies, what do you expect? Let’s all blame Disney.
Belle is a Millennial, so she is in the awkward phase of should I be pregnant/I need a real job/why am I still unwed. But, there’s hope! It’s anew day, and movies are different now.
Let It Go!
Within the past 10 years, a light bulb went off, and change is happening– fast. Girls these days, ages 3-18, are WOKE! They are not being sold the old fairytale ending. Instead, they are being empowered through sisterhood, love, and the power of intelligence. Disney caught on to the New Little Girl, and created characters that girls these days can actually relate to. Disney’s Frozen (2013) was historical. Two years later, the Frozen brand continues to grow and inspire children across the world, but why? I noticed how much of a staple Frozen made with their Marketing efforts and I had to learn why. So I watched the movie. Five minutes later, I was singing so loud, and proud—
“Let it go! Let it goooooo!”
Frozen was a hit simply because it focused around sisterhood and girl power. Queen Elsa was the lead character, not some King trying to win her over. Princess Anna is her sister, who is a bit boy crazy, but finds herself grounded after reconnecting with Queen Elsa. No Prince to save her from her distress, just love for her sister. In fact, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna were already rich, so they didn’t necessarily need a male counterpart to rescue them from their financial hardships, etc. But, there was homage to the Male Figure throughout the film, he just wasn’t the focus.
Thanks Disney!
It’s a new day. Yes, the princess complex is real and a lot of women like Belle are holding on to their fairytale ending. The rest of us are singing lyrics from Frozen in the mirror, changing the face of womanhood. Dating evolves with every generation, I am so curious to see how younger girls will espouse confidence and girl empowerment. Just think, at some point Sasha and Malia Obama will have boyfriends? And their parents are, historical figures now.
Do you or someone you know suffer from The Princess Complex? Or are you Team Frozen and simply letting it go?!
Until we meet again, little princess…..
– Belle In The City Giselle
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