This second episode has Imo and James return to the '90s! Disney wanted a 'Whole New World' for the next era of Princesses, but it's not quite as wholesome as they remember.
Focused on the next four Princess franchise films, our intrepid critics discover why King Triton's concerns for Ariel might be justified in the unknowingly genocidal 'The Little Mermaid' (1989); how 'Beauty & the Beast '(1991) is NOT a tale about Stockholm Syndrome but captive to other gendered conventions; where 'Aladdin' (1992) makes progressive steps forward for Jasmine despite drowning in racism; and how 'Pocahontas' (1995) paints intercultural conflict and romance in broad strokes while marking a turning-point for the Princess model.
This is the second of a four part series that will overanalyse how the representation and values of the Disney Princess franchise have changed from the Classic Era (mid 20th Century) through the Disney Renaissance (late 20th/early 21st Century) and into the Revival (2010s).
