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Being kissed without prior consent? Are you madly in love with a new acquaintance? Validated for humans? psychologists argue
An Instagram post generated discussions on the Internet. The post interrogates and deromantises famous fairy tales in which women – such as, for example, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and Jasmine – submitting to abusive relationships and how this may have interfered with the way we normalize toxic relationships.
Have you ever stopped to think that the Sleeping Beauty been kissed without prior consent? That snow White “trusted” 7 men and gave everything in your life to complete strangers? What Ariel from the Little Mermaid, have you had to change physically to adapt to the life of your loved one? What jasmine agreed to marry Aladdin even after all the lies he had told?
So it is! It’s not just the Internet that believes these stories need to be rewritten. According to the psychologist and activist Gabriele Menezes, it is necessary to contextualize these stories. Most of them emerged in times when machismo and patriarchy were highly valued – Branca de Neve, by the way, was released in 1937.
“At that time women depended a lot on men. So these stories helped maintain the status quo of the male figure,” reflects Gabriele.
Normalization of abusive situations
Força Girls platform activist Deborah De Mari also points out: “Fairy tales often portray male characters as heroes who are rewarded for unacceptable behavior, such as harassment, sexual assault and control over women.”
Also, from Deborah’s point of view, these stories punish the independence, self-confidence, and pride of the female characters. “Matriarchs and female breadwinners are often portrayed as antagonists, conveying the message that women in power are inherently malevolent,” she analyzes.
Not to mention the intensifying female friendship and lack of sisterhood between the characters. “These narratives perpetuate the idea that women are motivated by jealousy and vanity, making them negative antagonists or secondary characters.”
Changing paradigms
For the two experts, however, this scenario is changing. “In recent years, we have seen an attempt to reshape fairy tales in a positive way, as was the case with Frozen, Moana and the new Little Mermaid,” says Deborah.
Gabi sees this new cinematic movement as the result of the feminist revolution of recent years. “Any time women get more of a voice, they too can say ‘oops, but I don’t need to perpetuate this anymore.’ That’s how we break the cycle.”
Deborah believes in revisiting traditional stories and telling them inclusively and comprehensively, giving new meaning to relationships. “Female characters can be protagonists of their own journeys, developing healthy relationships and overcoming challenges without depending on a savior. I also believe in the importance of embracing the diversity of experiences, bodies and origins so these stories are richer and can generate more identification in the public who observe them”, he concludes.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
