the madonna-whore complex in disney princesses
and how it presents itself in white characters
The Madonna-Whore complex theorizes that men, especially straight, cisgender men, view women through a lens that categorizes them as either the pure Madonna or the sultry, seductive Whore. This dichotomy perpetuates harmful stereotypes and disregards the complexity and nuance of women.
Although these two archetypes are polar opposites, in modern day media they are seen as equals, both appealing in their own way.
Jennifer from Jennifer’s body is a classic example of the whore. She is seductive and embraces her sexuality. Needy on the other hand, Jennifer's best friend, embodies the madonna. She is naive and has more of a ‘good girl’ persona. Although these two characters are completely different in terms of how their femininity is portrayed, they are both equally desirable.
However, this has not always been the case. Similarly to modern day media, in the ‘golden days’ of Disney, their female characters would often fall under either the madonna or the whore archetype. But these weren’t just different roles; they were moral opposites. The madonna was idealized, often taking the role of the hero or the protagonist, while the whore was villainized and presented as the antagonist.
Our beloved princesses, the unassuming madonnas, are pure and graceful, tied up with a pretty bow and presented to impressionable young girls as the embodiment of femininity. They are the ideal women, the epitome of what it means to be a princess.
In contrast, the whores are morally corrupt women. These antagonists are cruel and seductive, an element that is carefully hidden in these children’s films. Their moral failings tend to be linked to their sexuality in the narrative.
Snow White sings to the birds and sweeps the floors of the dwarfs’ house. Her innocence eventually leads her to be tricked by the Evil Queen who dabbles in dark magic. This villain uses violent schemes to get what she wants while Snow White wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Cinderella is hard working and remains kind despite how poorly she is treated by her despicable step-mother and step-sisters. She looks effortlessly gorgeous, almost bridal, in her glittering ball gown while her step-sisters look ugly in their over the top dresses.
Belle loves to read and puts no effort into her appearance which, to the great frustration of the other girls in the village, is beautiful. She dresses modestly while the other girls dress promiscuously in order to attempt to seduce Gaston.
Ariel, despite only wearing a shell bra on her upper body for half of the movie, is less sexual than Ursula. This seductress lures innocent people into her schemes. She applies dark red lipstick and dresses suggestively while Ariel blindly trusts her because of her good heart.
Using this formula, Disney carefully associates the characteristics of the whore, such as sexuality, confidence and promiscuity, with bad morals. These villains often meet a terrible fate which is presented as being a ‘punishment’ for fitting into the whore archetype. This subtly sends the message that women should be innocent, pure and kind. These movies teach little girls that the madonna is the ‘right type of woman’ to be.
The emphasis on female innocence and how it is portrayed in the Disney princess franchise also suggests that elements of white ‘purity’ are weaved into the narratives. In part 2 of this essay, I will discuss how the madonna-whore dichotomy manifests itself in POC Disney princesses and the blatant racism that was displayed in, for the most part, the early days of Disney.
hey guys! analytical essays aren’t my strength but i have so much to say about this topic so i tried my best. i’m thinking of doing 2 more parts, lmk what you think<3
also here’s a poem that i wrote to accompany this essay and the disney theme:
Never thought about this before. Thanks for sharing! :)
I NEED TO READ PART 2 RIGHT NOW