Disney changed a lot of things in fairy tale's. He took the fairy tales and brought them to life by putting them on the big screen. He took the stories and gave them a voice and a look. Disney took these tales that were full of sex, violence and horror and turned them into stories for children. According to Jack Zipes article. " Breaking the Disney Spell," Disney ruined these fairy tales. Zipes believed that he took them and changed the oral traditions that came with these stories. They were traditional stories that many used to teach a lesson to people. But through his changes to make the fairy tales his own he did keep the view of women the same in every story. He kept the classic sexist view of women. All the women in the films like the stories were domesticated. They were all waiting for their prince charming to come and rescue them from their horrible situations.
Snow White and Cinderella were a great example. Snow White got to the Dwarfs home and became their maid to pay them for letting stay in their home. Disney kept that in his film and he also kept the competitive view that women had in these stories as well. The wicked witch being vain in the mirror and the beautiful helpless young girls damsels in distress.Just like Lieberman's article "Some Day my Prince will Come", women are portrayed according to their looks. If you are beautiful then you are good and you will get rewarded. On the other hand, if you are ugly you are mean and evil. This is what you still find in the fairy tales that Disney presents in his films. This formula has not changed and although there are some Disney films that have strong women in it the formula of a man's interference still remains. The prince will always come and save the princess, marry her and live happily ever after.
Did Disney ruin fairy tales? No, not really the only thing I believe he is guilty of is keeping women in the same category instead of providing young girls a different view of women.
References:
Zipes, Jack. " Breaking the Disney Spell"
Lieberman, Marcia. " Some Day My Prince Will Come"
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