Disney's "First Black Princess Movie": Should We Be Worried About This?

In a word: no. Or at least, probably not, but from the looks of the first five minutes of Disney's upcoming The Princess and the Frog - the movie that's being called its "first black princess" movie - it seems that Disney might come out okay on this one. Sure, it's just five minutes - which leaves somewhere in the area of 75 to 90 minutes for Disney to trip-up with some dodgy racial sterotypes - and we are, after all, still talking princess movie -  but these are a pretty good five minutes.

Watch them after the jump:

The Princess and the Frog - First 5 Minutes Preview
by theanimationblog

So we have a interracial friendship, which is maybe a bit heavy on characterizing white girls as princess freaks - but hey, if my daughter's junior kindergarten class is any indication, it's maybe not an entirely inaccurate stereotype (my daughter, for the record, loathes princesses, and only accepts them under duress. Just wanted that on the record) - but is otherwise fully commendable for being hitherto entirely unknown in Disney's princess canon (interspecies friendships being the usual go-to for companionship arrangements). We have a main character who is skeptical of kissy-kissy princesses (which in my opinion just shows better judgment than, say, those other Disney chicks who just hook up with the first guy who lays lips on them), and parents who tell their daughters that wishing on a star just isn't enough to make your dreams come true. And it looks gorgeous.

I'll reserve judgment until I see the finished product - it is, after all, a princess movie, and this being Disney, we can't expect it to entirely subvert its own archetypes - but based on this five minutes, I think I might actually be looking forward to this flick.

On my kid's behalf, of course.

Source

Comments

[Alyssa]

archetypes like a parent dying while the child is young... Tiana's father is a goner for sure after that sweet little talk.

[Her Bad Mother]

yeah, I'd say that's a given. betcha her mom kicks it, too.

WHOLE other post there.

[DianaCLT]

LOVING the New Orleans setting! What a great twist!

[Angela]

Oh jeez, that's my first thought too. Disney characters always have only one parent at most by the end of the movie. Crap!

[Renee]

Just thinking out loud, but... Will Disney's First Black Princess show up in Fantasyland, or will she be New Orleans Square specific? How Disney handles this will be telling, and you're a fool if you don't think they've argues the hell out of this in the boardroom.

[mommymae]

i can't wait to take my princess-loving girls to see this.

[Walt Disney World Vacation Packages]

Thanks for sharing the video. I'll wait for that film that film will be a reunion for the family.