I keep going back and forth with the movie Tangled whether it is a step in the right direction for feminism in a Disney princess movie. So, what did I do? I wanted to see what my fellow feminists’ are saying.
Well, I’m going to get to the point. I believe that blogger, Whitney, of Not Another Wave, says it best:
“Tangled has small wins! And when it comes to Disney princess movies, any hint at feminist ideology is a HUGE win. And if nothing else, it at least passes the Bechdel Test”
This whole blog post is going to focus on one small detail that I feel that a lot of people discuss and witness. Why must Rapunzel knocks Flynn out with a frying pan? A frying pan used to cook food. A frying pan that a woman stays home and cooks and cleans for her family. Yes, everyone looks at this as an “of course a women has to use a cleaning supply to defend herself, why can’t she use a sword like everyone else in the movie?” Yet, I am going to be an optomist.
One can argue the frying pan gives signifies a form of empowerment within a female. A female can cook, while at the same time knock a guy out, ya know? Post feminism encourages a female to stick to her feminine roots, while at the same time showing her as a badass. I mean it might have been better in the eyes of some feminist for her to pull out a sword, but where would have poor Repunzol got access to a sword?
Oh, another thing while I stick to the aspect of a frying pan: why is Flynn holding this item in the promotional poster for this movie? (I must give credit to the wonderful Matt Ramsey for this)
This image actually makes me want to laugh. A man holding a frying pan. But, this is sad I want to laugh. A man holding a frying pan should not be funny simply because a woman is associated with the holding of a frying pan.
Ugh. Either way from a feminist POV I do not know exactly how I feel about this damn frying pan.
Feminism Through Film Animation 