Disney movies oppress women. Really?

I’ve heard several people insinuate that Disney movies promote oppression on women.  Really?  Let’s just take a look.

The Little Mermaid.  Who saves who in this movie?  Yes, the prince does kill the witch in the end.  But who saved the prince from drowning…twice?  Who fought for her heart and her dreams? The woman.

Beauty and the Beast.  Again, who fights for her dream?  Belle.  Who saves the day? Belle.  In fact, she saves the PRINCE from his curse. 

Cinderella.  Who saves her?  Mice.  Lol. But actually she saves herself. 

Now, are there instances in these fairytales where the prince saves the princess? Absolutely.  But what is so wrong with that?  Why is that considered to be such a terrible thing?  It’s not like the princess is just sitting around waiting to be rescued.  She’s either under a spell or being held prisoner.  She’s been attacked by an enemy (usually a female enemy who is jealous of her beauty).

Why is it bad that our daughters should dream of having a husband who fights for them?  Who faces an enemy for them? Who would be willing to die for them?  I guess I just don’t see why this is such a bad thing. Never in these movies do I see the woman not going after her heart’s desire, or her dream.  In fact, chasing her dream is usually what gets the heroine into a pinch in the first place.  She goes after it anyway, knowing there will be danger, but she’s willing to risk it. That’s a wonderful lesson for my daughter to learn.  Finding love along the way is always an added benefit that they discover in the process. 

Despite all the obvious things, these stories give us a look into what OUR enemy, Satan, tries to do to us.  (The book Captivating talks a lot about this). The Bible describes Lucifer (Satan) as the most beautiful angel.  Which sex of homosapien is the most beautiful? Women. Which sex do you think Satan would be bitterly jealous of then?  Which sex has been attacked more in our history?  Women.  So which sex would God try to protect more?  Women.  And if you were Him, who would you assign to that job? Men.  So who has Satan tried to use against women more than anything? Men.  But thanks to Jesus, even THAT can be different.  Who saved her from that oppression? A man named Jesus Christ.  And when men obey Jesus, they love and respect women like Christ loved the church…willing to fight for them, to give their lives for them, to see them not as subjects but as friends, as equals. That is beautiful. A Godly man is not oppressive to His wife. He is willing to help her in any way he can to be free from attacks that fall upon her from a bitterly jealous enemy. 

Could we do it alone? Sure. But we don’t have to if we don’t want to.  That’s what a Godly relationship is.  The heroine saves the man, and the hero saves the woman.  It is mutual.  It is beautiful.  And I don’t have a problem with my daughter dreaming of that kind of relationship.  In fact, I promote it.  She deserves a prince.  And she’ll grow to be strong enough and wise enough to fight for him as well.  She is a princess. And not the kind that sits around brushing her hair all day, but the kind that fights for her father the King, for her dreams, for her family, and for her husband.