“A Princess We Can Call Our Own?”

Exploring the Significance of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog and its Effects on the African-American

Girl

Lena Foote University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Literature ReviewDisney’s impact on popular culture and children’s culture.

- “Walt Disney himself wanted his brand to define the essence of being an American and he wanted to

produce American culture and produce American children”………Sun and Scharrer (1999)

Disney’s portrayal of racial groups, especially women of color- “orientalization”…………..Lacroix (2004)- Significance of color symbolism……Hurley (2005)

The effects of Disney Princesses on young girls - Unrealistic ideas…”happily ever after”

Methodology

• Continued research from McNair Scholar Program

• Fairy Tales course

• Watched movie approx. 20 times- Commentary version of movie

• Blogs…people’s opinions of the movie

(Princess) Tiana

Our Black Princess

• “Modern-Day Princess”• Hard-working/Ambitious• Prince Charming??• Future Restaurateur

- father’s dream- waitress

• Left-handed and has dimples just like the actress Anika Noni Rose

• Human time vs. Frog time

Aspects of Negro Life (1934) Aaron Douglas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAVM-vwX8Pk&feature=related

Prince Naveen

Tiana’s Prince

• Prince of Maldonia- “east of Sun, west of Moon”- exotic place- own language

*Achidanza – “cool”• Purposely racially ambiguous,

“but not Black like Tiana”- White Brazilian actor- Naveen – Indian for “new”

• Cut off from family fortune

New Orleans as a Character• Film a “Valentine” to the city of New

Orleans• Walt Disney’s favorite city to visit• Rich in (African-American) culture

- Architecture, food, music, Mardi Gras- Film was originally set in Chicago

• Animators spent years in N.O. to make movie as authentic as possible

• 1920’s sharecropping history

Voodooism

Dr. Faciliér (Shadow Man)

• Witch doctor• Based on Baron Samedi• Facile – French for “easy”• Creole??• “Friends on the Other Side”• “Bad” voodoo

Mama Odie

• Fairy godmother of the film• Blind, 197-years old• Grandmother essence

- candy, sleeps on the spot• Spiritual aspect of voodoo

- “Good” voodoo

Other Racially Controversial Characters

Raymond the Firefly

• Stereotypical African-American???

• Cajun- Not Black

Louis the Alligator

• Big jolly (dumb)character• Wants to be human• Louis Armstrong• Trumpet player

Tiana and Naveen’s Relationship• Interracial Love

- Why important??• More realistic about

dating and marriage• Was not Love at First

Sight• Both learn from each

other - Compliment each

other• Working towards

“Happily ever after”

Is Tiana the One??• Significance of Princess Tiana

– African-Americans self-image and the media

– Relevance in Disney culture

– Consumption of Tiana

• Disney’s understanding of race and ethnicity and culture

• Can African-American girls see themselves in Tiana and want to be just like her?

Acknowledgements• University of Notre Name

- Annual Midwest Undergraduate Film and Television Conference

• Mentor, Dr. Ruth Nicole Brown

• Walt Disney World College Program

• The African-American girl in the store who inspired me to conduct this continuing research.

Thank you!!!