Board Thread:Off-Topic Fun/@comment-24863788-20150712021406/@comment-24863788-20150712144302

Eskaver wrote: My two cents (which are worth he same as any others) is different.

Belle wasn't terribly independent whatsoever. Strong, but not that independent. There was this Beast like growth (ahem, Stockholm syndrome). She wasn't that independent because she totally was the girl that wanted to like in the fairytales. She's pretty much Sansa Stark from GOT, except smarter.

Megara did not save herself at all. She became a damsel in distress. Snark and sass doesn't mean she wasn't saved by a man. She was kidnaaped, controlled, used and Herc had to save her.

Elsa is overrated as being a strong independent woman. She needed Anna to save her. Not a man, but clearly she was a damsel in distress and Anna had tried and did to save her TWICE! Elsa wasn't emotionally strong and she clearly isn't independent, if she was then she would be dead.

Cinderella was a damsel in distress but not like the others. Snow was a child, Mal's a powerful witch who mind controlled Aurora, Ariel's stupid (ly curious), and Jasmine fought back as best she could.

I dislike when others blame the other princesses on being damsels that need saving when echnically all needed saving from something, some put themselves into action, others couldn't no matter if they tried. I agree about Belle, I usually classify her as an in-between or a damsel, but most people seem to classify her as strong and independent, and she did break a stereotype in Disney princess history and I give her props for that.

Again, haven't watched Hercules in ages, but I do remember that she said "I'm a damsel, I'm in distress, I can handle this. Have a nice day!" to Hercules when he asked her if she needed help. I didn't classify her there because she's sassy, but she can clearly stand up for herself, and if I can recall, there wasn't much that she could do by herself when she got kidnapped. Just because you need help sometimes doesn't mean you're a damsel in distress and aren't strong and independent.

As for Elsa, she's definitely overrated, but I definitely classify her as strong and independent. She was locked alway for her entire childhood and teenage dreams to hide who she was, it's pretty obvious that she would get damaged emotionally. When she finally realized that she could be who she was, she showed her true colors and that she could be strong and independent. She seemed weak in the beginning but, with the help of Anna, she found out who she really was. Like Megara, she needed saving, and that doesn't necessarily meand she's not strong and independent, but this time, she needed saving from herself. And Hans' sword I guess.

I talked about Cinderella about my reply above this one, Snow was a 13 (or 14? I don't remember) year old stupid enough to eat an apple given by a creepy old woman, Aurora didn't really have the chance to fight back since she was, y'know, under a sleeping curse, but she's still classified (in my opinion, obviously) as a DiD because she needed someone to go save her, and she didn't stand up for herself. Not even once. In the whole movie. Like Cinderella, Snow White and Ariel, all she was doing was singing about finding her true love. And, in my opinion, that's one of the most defining things to categorize a DiD. About Jasmine... again, having watched Aladdin in a while so I don't recall. For what I know, she and Megara could be either one.

For me, that word is the key in this situation. Try. What categorizes a princess as a DiD in my opinion isn't just that they "needed saving", it's how they handle things. If they wait around for someone to save them, then they're DiD. If they stand up for themselves, they're SaI. Anyways, at least I think that we can agree that the strongest and most independent princesses are Mulan, Merida and Tiana (and I think Pocahontas, but again, I remember nothing from her movie), and honestly that's all that matters to me because I don't realy care about the rest.