12 Ways Disney Movies Brainwashed You

Disney has little girls wrapped around their finger. I can remember distinctly wishing I was Princess Jasmine because she seemed relatable at that time. Brown skin, dark hair, dark eyes. That was my Disney princess! (we all had one, right?). What I didn't realize was that I compared distinct physical features and invited the notion that my life should be about finding Prince Charming, singing everywhere I go, and having an animal as a friend. No, but really. What were these Disney movies really teaching us girls, and did it actually impact the way that we carry out our lives today? Here are 12 ways Disney movies brainwashed you.

12 You Can't Use A Fork To Comb Your Hair

It's not effective. You're better off grabbing something more civilized from Target. How awkward would it be to take your fork at dinner and begin combing your hair in front of a date. I'm pretty sure they'd have a lot of questions, but I'm sure they'd know exactly where it came from.

11 Cutting Your Hair Is Okay

We all go in for a trim or an a-symmetrical bob these days. When we meet someone with super long hair, we tend to ask how long it's taken them to grow it (or if it's even real) and get annoyed and meticulous about whether she's got any split ends after all that growth. Girls these days will typically go in for a chop here and there.

10 No One's Ready To Propose After A First Date, But If They Are, Run

He holds the door, he takes you ballroom dancing, he even buys you dinner. He's not going to drop down on one knee just yet. I know, it's a crazy favor to ask for more than one date. It typically takes a year, some even a decade, to pop the question. Don't lose hope. He's just being a little more realistic.

9 Ample Breasts Aren't For Everyone

In the real word you've got women with a variety of cup sizes. Not every chest is going to be a plentiful C, so why didn't Disney dispel this idea sooner? Who knows, maybe this could be another reason women are going under the knife for perfection. Way to go, Disney.

8 Being Skinny Is Not The Only Way To Go

In a society plagued by weight disorders, why are we encouraging young girls that you'll only be swept off your feet if you're petite enough for Prince Charming. Disney reduced girls to their physical features, thus, the most beautiful one, even without having as much as a conversation, gets the guy. Was Disney the birth of douchebags?

7 You're More Than Domesticity

A lot of Disney princesses are portrayed as domestic and obedient, but aren't given any roles beyond housework. Women today are entrepreneurs, pilots, doctors, you name it. There is not a single thing wrong with a woman who thoroughly enjoys baking and tending to her children, but the idea Disney failed to expand on is their capacity to take on a variety of roles.

6 Don't Wait For A Prince To Save You, Especially In 2016

Disney movies will show you that a prince will slay dragons, witches, and fight soldiers to win your heart and save you. This aggressive, macho, and male-dominated stereotype is another way manipulation played heavily in Disney movies. You do not need a man to be happy, nor do you need one to save you from your bills etc.

5 Ditch The Dress, Babe

We're way past this, and yet Disney continues to keep their princesses in long dresses to remind us what a true "woman" looks like. The reality: We aren't generally going about our day to day in gowns. By the 60s, we realized a pair of functional trousers is much more convenient than toting yards of "free-flowing" fabric to every meeting.

4 Not All Women Are Submissive, Not All Men Are Dominant

You've got a pretty clear pair of roles. One is that of a man who is strong, aggressive, and dominant. Then you've got the meek and shy princess. What this illustrates is the idea that somehow our sex is predestined to fill those societal roles. By now, as adults, we can see this is not always the case, while there are plenty of healthy relationships who do without this prescription.

3 Hard Work Is For Everyone

A lot of Disney films will show princesses in distress and working their jobs, and their only way to escape is either a man or magic. This teaches young girls they can't really work hard for what they want, and that they won't make it through society without the help of those two things to aid them to a safer and more pleasant life.

2 Racism

This is a heavy hitting one. Many of the early Disney films featured minorities in the form of animals or servants, but never as a prominent character until Princess Tiana came around in 2009. Disney used latin, asian, and black stereotypes and did not find it necessary to expand their character plot past being the butt end of a racist joke. This teaches children that minorities are not as influential as a white character's role in the film should be.

1 Not Everyone Lives Happily Ever After

As the saying goes, happiness is fleeting. Not everyone will live happily ever after. Although Disney films were produced and spread for upper-class Western world viewers, but not everyone in the world can even visit Disneyland. It's troubling to know that every young girl of every societal class is watching a princess' life unfold into wonderment, and a tale of happily ever after when there are so many issues like divorce and violence that Disney has the power to expand on, but instead, they reduce life to only merriment and only getting things your way and forever more.