Older women role models are missing from the Disney narrative. Perhaps they are not entirely absent all together, but they are certainly never given centre stage and are often found in very minor roles rather than being supportive players throughout the plot. Yesterday I saw an Instagram post by princess_disney_everything credited to @goldoxi21 showcasing Disney princesses on their wedding day with their mothers standing by their side. Many of these mothers are absent from the films, often due to death, such as in the cases of Ariel, Jasmine, and Belle. This got me thinking. Where are the women role models within Disney? Sure there are examples of older women such as Rapunzel’s biological mother or Mulan’s grandmother. Yet these women receive hardly any screen time and their character development is next to non-existent. Lately Disney has done a much better job of showcasing depth to women’s character, with films like Frozen, and the live action Aladdin where Jasmine is finally understood to have the capacity to rule as sultan herself, however there is still a long way to go. It seems that showcasing the ability of women means showcasing the ability of young women. It appears that in North American culture middle aged and elderly women are background noises forced to the corners of the stage of life. As a Life Coach Practitioner I have seen a stream of women come to my office, unsure how they fit into the North American world now that they find themselves somewhere within this category. Is it any wonder that there is tension and uncertainty surrounding this time in life when the voices of this group still remained silenced? These individuals have so much value to offer the world yet come in feeling like their time is already complete. Meanwhile, they are only half way done their lives! If we as a society fail to see this as problematic then we are simply sweeping those diamonds under the rug along with the dust we attempt to hide. Let’s also remember that this problem is exponentially more difficult for certain categories of ageing women, such as immigrants, people of colour, transwomen, etc. The list could go on and on. These individuals have been fighting for a place from the start, and suddenly find age as a new mark against them once they unexpectedly hit that wall. Rather than suddenly loosing privilege it is a matter of having one more additional barrier keeping them from privilege. This can be twice as debilitating. Yet all of these individuals have so much to offer the world, and SO many more years left to offer it! The fact that the film industry literally removes these characters through death encourages us to keep our blinders on to the aging women around us. It seems that even when they are present, such as the cases of Brave or Finding Dory, they are not even in human form! There needs to be representation within media going far beyond film, but it is one place to start.
So I ask us, why are we treating diamonds as though they have turned to dust? How rich would be if we were to peel back the corner of that carpet and count the worth that has been hidden below? Why are we not demanding that screen time be given to a diverse range of middle aged and elderly women so that our children can grow up knowing that richness? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Until next time, Katelyn Townsend Life Coach Practitioner 1-705-206-6786 [email protected]
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Life Coach Practitioner Katelyn Townsend helps individuals like you build enriched lives full of joy. Archives
December 2022
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