(Picking a reasonable person in the notes to reblog this from.)
Anyone who say things like that about the Princesses clearly hasnât watched any of these movies, or if they have, theyâve watched them through confirmation bias goggles. Hell, I like Disney, letâs go at this one at a time.
Jasmine was determined not to get married at the beginning. She chased off at least one suitor, told off her father and Jafar for speaking of her like a trophy, and eventually fell for Aladdin on her own. She made her own choice, and didnât marry someone just because her father told her to.
Rapunzel was trapped in a tower for most of her life and had never met another person. There was little chance she would have been able to handle setting out alone, especially considering the emotional abuse heaped on her by Mother Gothel. Flynn didnât come to save her; she attacked him, took the opportunity to make him take her to the castle, and held her own. Her eventually falling for him is inconsequential.
Snow White is the closest of the group to matching your ridiculous generalization, but Snow White as a film was also made in a different time, with different values, and the character was only fourteen. And yet, despite being a pampered princess, she handled herself well and was able to make a happy life with the dwarves.
Mulan saved all of China. Do I even need to elaborate on Mulan? Holy shit, guys. She fought Shan Yu face-to-face and won.
Aurora wasnât waiting for anyone to help her. She dreamed of romance, and being swept off her feet, but sheâs a teenage girl whoâs grown up with just fussy aunts for company. And really, is Aurora to blame for the conditions of Maleficentâs curse? When youâre put to sleep, you canât exactly save yourself.
Cinderella wanted to go to the ball. That was all. She made a dress, she got help from her fairy godmother and her friends, and for goodness sakes she didnât even realize sheâd danced with the prince until it was all over and she was home. She actively worked towards her goal; becoming a princess was an unanticipated but not unwelcome side effect.
Pocahontas saved John Smithâs life, stood up against her father, and fostered peace between natives and settlers. What more do you people want?
Tiana worked two jobs, saved every penny she had, was the one who eventually smashed Facilierâs amulet after a long chase, and eventually obtained her restaurant through hard work and perseverance. And hey, she managed to snag a good guy along the way.
Belle brushed off Gaston presumably multiple times, willingly took her fatherâs place when for all she knew she could have been locked in a dungeon forever, yelled at the Beast, didnât take any of his bullshit when he was being a grouch, left the castle to defend her father from Gaston, and went back to the castle for the final battle, having seen past the Beastâs appearance to fall for him. Belle is nothing but strong.
Ariel always wanted to see the surface. Her infatuation with Eric, combined with her fatherâs actions, was simply a catalyst to finally do something drastic about it. She saved Eric, twice over, and eventually they defeated Ursula together.
Merida doesnât even need me to say anything, jfc. Her whole movie is about her not wanting to be forced into an arranged marriage. She stands up to her mother, her father, everyone, and saves her mother primarily on her own.
And hell, letâs keep going:
Anna, though a bit naive, set off on her own to help her sister. She badgered Kristoph into helping her, confronted Elsa on her own, and turned away from her own salvation to ultimately save her sister.
Elsa experienced an adolescence full of anxiety and fear, and she chose to set off on her own rather than hurt anyone that she cared about. She was helped by her sister, most of all, and became a queen adored by her people.
Moana set off on her own on a dangerous quest to save her people and the other islands, reined in a barely-helpful demigod, and ultimately faced down and overcame the monster on her own.
And thatâs just the princesses that Disney counts in the official lineup. There are so many more female Disney characters that are great as well, and anyone who says that these girls arenât good role models is narrow-minded.