Queen of hearts

There was a report on National Public Radio recently about how Disney is marketing its Princesses to women. It got me thinking.
When I was young, I wanted to be a boy because the girls in all my stories just sat around and waited to be rescued and I that didn’t sound much like fun to me. As I got older, I found more positive female role models who taught me that it’s possible to be strong and feminine.
Disney has come a long way making the heroines in its stories more proactive and involved in their own rescue. They no longer sit around and wait for the prince to show up and slay the dragon.
There is something appealing about princesses. They’re beautiful. They’re clever and creative. They’re sweet and charming. They live happily ever after, at least until the next calamity befalls them.
And yet, I don’t think we should aspire to being princesses. They are naïve in their youth. They have no idea what the world can throw at them. It’s okay to want to be beautiful, clever and charming. But how about adding in wise and powerful? Enough with the princesses. Bring in the Disney Queens – smart, attractive, seasoned women who get things done, who create their own happily ever after and do it all while running the kingdom.