Even though Ariel is my all time favorite princess, I get frustrated when people say Snow White, Cinderella, & Aurora are bad role models. These movies came out in the 30s & 50s. Social norms were different back then so you can't judge these characters by modern standards. The world has gone so PC it's ridiculous!

Well...I'm one of those weird people who can see that each and every Disney princess is "a bad role model" in her own way. Though they single out the Classic girls, the Renaissance girls, and the Modern girls are not great role models either.

I think they are all good and bad role models. I get annoyed when people see them as ideas rather than three dimensional characters. Then again, disney films are for children and the ideas presented in the classics might not be good for young kids who don't understand that marrying the prince isn't the most important thing in the world.

People obssess too much over whos a good role model or not. I really dont care.

The idea of someone being a good role model is not that someone has to be a perfect character, or has to be the embodiment of a certain good trait with no bad decisions or flaws. A good role model is just supposed to be a person that has great qualities to look up to. I think Cinderella is a fantastic role model, Snow White is a really great one too. Aurora is also a really good role model. She may have not made a huge decision or did something big in the movie, but her overall character is one that young people should look up to, her respect, politeness, and the way she wanted to check in with her caretakers about the guy she met before running off with him.

Also, as Disneymagic said, social norms were different back then. Maybe those three were the embodiment or demonstrated certain traits that were considered very admirable at the time. However, even from this standpoint, I think they are good role models.

I think it's more accurate to say not that they're bad role models, but that they're somewhat outdated.

Movies are often a reflection of the society in which they were made and what that society values. And times have changed. (Seriously, Cinderella was made almost 70 years ago.) People are less likely to find that their goals and worldview match up with the older DPs. Fewer women are marrying and starting families, etc. And a lot of the tropes in these older films are kind of played out and predictable. The modern DPs will get the same backlash years from now (some of them are already starting to get it).

Not that these older DPs don't have anything valuable to teach -- I especially think that Cinderella handling her abusive family is a pretty timeless lesson. And it gets lost in all the "modern vs traditional" stuff.

@UnholyNoise I think what you said is true.

^^ I agree. Well put!