Dr. Rebecca Hains
Author, professor and speaker | Children's media culture, media literacy, and media criticism
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Disney faces backlash over new “sexy” Merida; pulls new image from web site as a result
UPDATE, May 16, 2013: Disney has stated that 1. the 2D image was never on their official web site in the first place (though, oddly, it’s all over the official Australia/NZ version of the Disney Princess site–which may have been the source of any…
Read MoreBut… the Little Mermaid gave up her voice!
Ah, Ariel. I love many things about your movie, particularly the music. But as a character, you made such poor choices. Giving up your voice to get a man? That set a really poor example for girls. In a society…
Read MoreSofia the Not-So-Latina-After-All
Months ago, Disney announced that a new Disney Channel cartoon, Sofia the First, would be released this year, targeting girls ages 2 to 7. With the title character a little girl, rather than a teenager, Disney promised that Sofia the First…
Read MoreDisney Princess Prom Gowns and Cradle-to-Grave Marketing
Just a few months ago, I wrote about how Disney Princess-styled extravagance among toddlers reflects the extraordinary extravagance of today’s proms, which now cost families an average of $1,000 to $2,000. But until Mouse on the Mind brought it to…
Read MoreReimagining Disney Princesses with racial diversity: From Tumblr to D-Tech
A couple of weeks ago, a young woman named Lauren reimagined the white Disney Princess characters as women of color, posting recolored images of them on her Tumblr blog. Her inspired designs quickly made their way around the blogosphere. Responses ranged…
Read MoreDisney-Pixar’s Brave: Critiquing the criticisms
I saw Brave the day it debuted in theaters, and I’m glad that Merida is a different kind of princess–one who can be read as a critique of both the trope that princesses are passive and the trend to tell…
Read MoreLifestyle branding and the Disney Princess megabrand
Did you know that Behr produces a line of Disney Princess interior paints? Here are some photos I took of Behr’s Disney Princess – Disney Color catalog. Introducing the Disney Princess bathroom: And, of course, the Disney Princess bedroom: While…
Read MoreKatniss vs Merida: Mattel’s doll versions of strong girl characters
Last month, Mattel released a Katniss Everdeen doll, inspired by the look and style of Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games film. Compared with Mattel’s typical fare, the Katniss doll was refreshingly unsexualized–reflecting the character’s positive portrayal in the film (which…
Read MoreThis week’s round-up: CSMonitor.com, princess seeds, and princess week
A few quick things to share: I’ve joined the Christian Science Monitor’s Modern Parenthood blogging team! Check out the blog here; my contributor’s bio is here. Yesterday, Peggy Orenstein blogged about my post on the Disney Princess seed packets–and she…
Read MoreDisney Princess flowers: coming soon to a garden near you.
Imagine this scenario: Four-year-old Madison is obsessed with princesses. She wants to eat, sleep, breathe nothing but Disney Princess products, and it’s becoming a point of contention in her household. Her parents are tired of all the little battles over…
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Dr. Rebecca Hains 
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