Ariel

darling it’s better down where we don’t sell our souls for a boy we’ve never even spoken to.

Ariel, the most unfortunate soul of a princess I’ve ever seen. Sweet girl is just swimming around, exploring the ocean like I would if I was fortunate enough to be a mermaid. But then she stumbles across an undoubtably very cute boy who she “falls in love with” and literally trades herself for. Absolutely not.

I think Ariel is probably our most tragic princess, which truly is tragic because hers was one of my most watched movies growing up. However I can’t deny that nothing about her actions is empowering or something to look up to. She makes horrible, life changing decisions based solely on emotions.

Her curiosity was always fun, but she lets it put herself and her friends in danger constantly. Poor Flounder is almost eaten by a shark in the first 10 minutes of the movie. All to get a fork. Not worth it.

And then, Ursala makes the deal of the century by capitalizing on just how dumb sixteen year olds are. And while she is a villian, and always speaking sarcastically and with a purpose to manipulate, her words are destructive to any little girl who, like Ariel, is still too naive to know the difference. These lines from poor unfortunate soul destroy the feminist agenda:

The men up there don’t like a lot of blabber
They think a girl who gossips is a bore
Yet on land it’s much preferred for ladies not to say a word
And after all dear, what is idle babble for?
Come on, they’re not all that impressed with conversation
True gentlemen avoid it when they can
But they dote and swoon and fawn
On a lady who’s withdrawn
It’s she who holds her tongue who gets a man

^^ THIS IS NOT TRUE ^^

Ariel demonstrates no sense of self or purpose. She sells herself for the mere chance of speaking to Eric. Every magic quality about her – her curiosity, her desire to learn, her loyalty to her friends – is negated the second she decides she loves a boy more than herself and her entire life. She gives away an entire ocean of possibility for a world of silence.

Don’t sell yourself short. Your words and your thoughts are valuable. If anyone tells you otherwise, swim away. Don’t be a guppy – Speak your mind. Don’t apologize for the thoughts you share or space you take up. You are as deep as the whole damn ocean.

Don’t trade that for anything.

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I'm just a Nashville native who uprooted her whole life to work for a mouse. This blog exists because even in the midst of the most magical lives, we can't forget about the tragedies that built us ✨

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