So pretty much it’s for everyone, regardless of age.

Surprise, surprise. In addition to not having a lectorial this week, we also were not given any set readings. However, to make up for that, we were asked to make a blog post on a reading that we found in relation to our project brief 4. So here’s my two cents on the reading which I found on the RMIT Library Online Catalogue — ‘Diversity in Disney Films: Critical Essays on Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality and Disability’, in particular this one essay on Race in relation to the film The Princess and the Frog.

This essay discusses how the film The Princess and the Frog depicts colour blind racism, which in the reading states ‘denies difference based on skin colour by simply refusing to see colour; therefore, Tiana is “just a princess”, not a black princess.’ I think that this is such a powerful statement and one that holds great meaning. I’m not going to lie here, but when I was watching the film, I literally thought to myself that for a Disney film that has their first black princess, you don’t see much of her. And after having found this essay, it made me realise that the film isn’t about having a black princess, but rather having a princess who happens to have black skin, something that is also mentioned in this essay.

This is quite fitting to the film as it continuously states, by Tiana, that in order to get what you want, you have to work for it, regardless of your skin colour. I also think that this idea of not looking at this princess, or anyone at that matter, based on their skin colour is such an important lesson for young kids. So kudos to you, Disney.