Start Making Girl Movies, Disney

hey, I totally agree. all of the girl movies Disney makes are about
helpless princesses and a pretty horse. I hope you don't mind, I cited
your article in my English paper.

wow, tht was a strong one... but u little one u seem to anti the
males... i think tht's their purpose in this worl...to rescure the
girls...yes i am a girl but u shld be down and respect guys out der..
wat's wrong in getting their aid to rescure girls.. anywy, i do
respect ur view.. porbably tht's ur opinion n dis is mine...

ans abt the clothes....??? it's just a story.. r u saying tht u are so
weak tht watching a movie with characters hving a minimum clothes
disturb u??? pls grow up little one.. there is a lot to go tru out
der... in todats advance world....

I think the majority of Disney's movies are the same story and same
characters with different names and settings.The beautiful main
character envied by every other female ie. Belle of Beauty and the
Beast,Ariel of the Little Mermaid,Jasimine of Alladin,Snow White etc.
She always thinks the grass is greener on the other side of the
proverbial fence although she has everything(even the whole ocean as a
playground)There's a handsome love interest,a slew of surreal
characters to aide her/them and a nasty villian who is defeated in the
end and everyone lives happily ever after or perhaps I'm just getting
cynical in my old age.

It might have been said, but this may have been in order to get a
higher audience of boys into Disney.

has anybody else noticed the irony of the picture? its Mulan, a Disney
movie about a young woman going off to war to save her father and then
ends up saving the empire, or somethng like that. how is that movie
sexist?

Have you considered that they do not make the "girly-girl" movies to
"keep the girl down", but to give teen girls and women a couple hours
to escape reality?

When I was a teenager I loved the Disney movies because they gave me
some time to fantasize about an easier life than the one I had. I
started babysitting 5 days a week 4 hours a day when I was 12. As soon
as I turned 16 I got a full time job after school and on weekends on
top of school, girl scouts, and my other extra-curricular activities.


I enjoyed watching the Disney movies and imagining what it would be
like to not have to work all the time, to have time to do what I want,
and having a fairy godmother to protect me.

Movies are about entertainment and fantasy. No matter what genre you
prefer the director's intent is to suspend reality and transport you
into a fantasy world.

I never really thought about it, but I agree. We need more girls who
can save themselves and not have to wait around for some prince to do
it for them.

your not giving disney enough credit mulan saved the world and she was
a girl

You want changes you make them. nice But if you want more girl heros
you write the script! Disney makes moies that will appeal to a whole
audience. Ant Bully with a girl that would be so stupid!!!!!! you
become a director and film your own girl hero movies! have fun

All full of piss & vinegar and all knowing. Yea, I remember being 15.


The Black Stallion (1941) was a book by Walter Farley about a BOY
stranded on an Island with an 'untameable' horse. Not a girl, a boy.
Incidentally, he DID write a book later about a girl in 1971 entitled
"The Black Stallion & the Girl". I don't think Disney has gotten
through the other 12 books inbetween the two yet. I would rather a
movie be based on the book and have no surprises.

Tarzan. He was a boy. Chicken little was originally a girl, but later
stories turned her into a boy. A boy chicken who was hysterical about
the sky falling. (typically a female role)

As for your "baby Island", you do a fine job of bitching about women
not playing lead/warrior roles in movies then want them to make a
movie about, what else? Women playing traditional female roles, taking
care of babies.

Disney has several female role model/heroine movies, as were mentioned
in several posts below. The fact that they do make "Happy go lucky
little rich girl stuff" just means that most girls LIKE it. Just like
boys like GI Joe & such (god am I showing my age here or what!)

For what it's worth, NAMBlA has nothing to do with Disney, and I think
you threw that in for shock value, though you shocked no one.

Next time you want to express something, please try to leave emotion
out of it, and get straight to the point. Later in High School and
college you will learn how to write an effective persuasive letter, I
promise. :)

Kim Possible. Sorry that I added to this stupid letter. In a way I
think a 15 year old wrote this, in a way I don't.

I can't take this anymore (& I'm sure I'll get flamed for contributing
to it's continuance, but here goes. . . )

Bottom line, pretty much EVERYONE here on PFB has reached out to
Sarah/Susan in an attempt to help her understand that while her
premise, though slightly misguided, was feasible with some adjustment
to her way of thinking, Sarah/Susan only wants to see what she wants
to see and refuses to budge from her point of view, even in the face
of cold, hard facts.

The PFB posters bring up example after example of both Disney and
non-Disney films where young females are heroines, Sarah/Susan
complains that a) they aren't young enough because they are in their
mid to late teens (How much younger do they have to be??? Newborn??)
or b) for whatever reasons, some of the movies take liberties with the
character's actual age vs. portrayed age.

Posters have suggested she look at media OTHER than movies.
Sarah/Susan, while politely acknowledging them, doesn't seem
interested in this.

Some offered up that Sarah/Susan might consider creating her own
films/stories. To my understanding, she has 4 pages done.

Sarah/Susan went so far as to reference an adult comedy show about a
highly controversial group (which I might add, was taken COMPLETELY
out of context!) in an attempt to bolster her credibility. Instead,
she didn't even get the reference right (calling them NAMBA instead of
NAMBLA )and I doubt that from the limited exposure she has to the
organization that she knows ANYTHING about the practices of the
organization she made mention of.

I wonder if she would have thought it so wise to include a reference
she picked up off South Park if she knew that the organization she
mentions promotes homosexual (consensual or otherwise) activity
between adult men and minor boys? Not to get all into THAT topic, but
not exactly the point that anyone, let alone a 15 year old should be
including to validate her stance.

Basically, Sarah/Susan wanted to get up on her soap box and fire off
an angry, allegedly feminist rant with no clear point other than the
company making ONE movie based on her suggestion.

Realistically, Disney (and every other studio around) gets AVALANCHED
with movie options and ideas on a daily basis and they have to pick
and choose which movies people will actually PAY to see. Like it or
not, Sarah/Susan might just have to face the fact that some of her
ideas might not be of interest to the mass public and no studio is
going to throw money after the production of a movie that only a
handful of people want to see.

And sadly, sometimes they have to take some literary license with
storylines in order to "sell" them to an audience. It might not do
the original story justice, but it's not like they aren't at least
trying to make people aware of the stories.

The truth is, a positive female heroine of ANY age, real or animated,
is better than no heroines at all. Look at Erin Brockovich, Jackie
Kallen, Lois Jenson, Norma Rae and Karen Silkwood! I realize these
ladies are considerably older than Sarah/Susan, but they are real,
live women who stood up and made a difference. They might not be
literally kicking butt or singl-handedly saving the world, but they
made changes to make life better for all women.

I'm not saying Disney shouldn't/couldn't consider Sarah/Susan's idea,
or even that they are remotely sufficient in the quality/quantity of
female characters they promote (after all, aren't they responsible for
launching Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears??), but really, what
company is going to take her seriously with a letter like this???

I have no axe to grind with Sarah/Susan and harbor no malice. She is
entitled to her own opinion, since that seems to be all she wants to
hear. I just want to see this post end already

So I implore you, can we let this post die already?

First of all, I have to say I LOVE the picture of Mulan next to the
letter!

Secondly, Sarah, you need to check out the series "Dark Angel". It
was the best series they ever cancelled, but thankfully both seasons
were released on DVD. I own both of them. Jessica Alba plays a
"super-charged" female superhero. You'll love it.

Sarah I agree with a lot of what you say but you should get your facts
straight when trying to make an important point such as you are.

The Ant Bully is not a Disney production and The Black Stallion is a
book written by Walter Farley in which the main character is a young
boy. Disney really had no reason to change it to a girl.

I think Disney did have some heroic female characters long before most
young people's movies made by other studios. Most have already been
pointed out here.

I would like to see more young heroines too. Even though she wound up
with the typical prince the girl in Everafter showed a whole lot of
courage and bravery getting there. More movies like that would be
great although maybe the girls don't always have to wind up with a
prince.

I posted this a few comments down under the heading "alright..." but I
figure Sarah wont see it so I am going to post it again. Maybe someone
else will get some use from it.

But I want to say also that the more I think about it I am beginning
to think there is a REASON why there are few to no teenage, female
hero type roles. Maybe it takes a female WOMAN to understand what it
takes to survive. Maybe it takes a woman to get past the teenage
attitude of gimme gimme gimme into the "what can I do for you".

The only helpless victim I see here is the letter writer. You want
what you want, how you want it, when you want it...but you certainly
dont want to have to work for it. And you certainly arent willing to
compromise on anything. You want it delivered to you on a silver
platter and spoon fed to you. You have been given countless ideas and
suggestions here but you STILL post messages whining about the same
thing! Guess what?! That isnt going to change or help anything! Its
like you are drowning and we are tossing you a life raft and you keep
throwing it away. You either want help and information or you just
want to complain about something.

So there might not be any female hero teenage girls. Big deal! There
are plenty of adult female heros! I would much rather you find an
adult woman who was an actual person and who actually did some good in
this world than to admire a fictional character. Stop ignoring the
true heros of this world.

With that...my earlier post.

Look...fact is young teenage girls dont STAY young teenage girls. So
most movie companies are going to make movies that a larger group of
people will want to see. There are TONS of movies with females in
strong lead characters. You are probably going to have to settle for
something like that. Girls your age arent real big on movies. They
would rather spend their money on clothes, jewelry, make up, ect.

I dont know where these movies are that you keep talking about where
the female is a helpless victim. I havent seen anything like
that....ever. Even the Disney "princesses" arent all victims.

I know you are young but its time you learn that life is what you
make
it. You arent a helpless victim unless you choose to be one. No one
can make you a helpless victim. Especially not a movie studio. Since
the dawn of time women have been achieving more than men have said
they could. We have been going and doing and surviving. And most of
the time we dont even talk about it. Thats the thing. Women dont have
to go bragging about the wonderful things we have done. For some
reason men seem to have to do that. Maybe to feed their ego. I dont
know. But there have been countless achievements made by women that
the world will never know about. Just because you dont hear about
strong, important, intelligent women as often as you do men doesnt
mean we dont exsist.

My grandmother took herself out of a horrible family life. She
brought
herself out of poverty. She was a self made woman! I dont know if she
went to college or not but she always did whatever had to be done to
take care of herself and her family. She was married 3 times. She had
3 children. She was practically in charge of a window company and
when
she was in her 50's was climbing ladders to check out windows. She
quit this well paying job to go work in her husband's flower shop
that
they had owned together for many years. She had worked in it for many
years before that. But he got sick and needed the help. So she ran
that place. She was the true definition of grace under pressure. She
could do 1000 things at one time and do it well. When she was
fighting
cancer she still went to work and when I called my mom down there one
day when she was helping out because I was sick my grandmother told
me
to hold on to the counter with one hand and keep working with the
other. And I have never forgotten that. If she could say and do that
while fighting cancer then I could do it while fighting off the
affects of cold medicine. And this woman was beautiful, graceful,
intelligent, and in control far beyond the last day of her life. She
is STILL one of the driving forces in my life and I draw strength
from
her now that I am going through a divorce and having to start my life
over again at 30 with a 7 year old son in tow. And I know that if she
could do it...so can I. She was so strong I cant tell you. She was
tough as nails but everyone respected her. Men practically cowared in
her presence. She has been dead 13 years now and I miss her still so
much.

My mother survived a severely abusive grandmother who raised her and
a
horrible first marriage. At 17 she was back at home with her mother
with HER baby daughter in tow. She went to school, got a job, helped
take care of her sister and brother. She could have let her past turn
her into a horrible person but she didnt. She was the mother all my
friends wished they had. She worked when she had to and stayed home
with us when she could. She played with us and taught us about music
and nature and God. She has raised 3 daughters and has helped to
raise
7 grandchildren. If I didnt have her I dont know where I would be
right now. She has been a concrete beam holding me up. Another female
who knows what its like to be broken hearted and knows what tears
tastes like...but knows how to keep going through it all and come out
stronger on the other side.

Like I said before...STOP waiting for what you are looking for to
just
drop in your lap. Go look for it yourself. To be honest...I dont have
heros. People are human and everyone will mess up and fail from time
to time. And if you are on a "hero" pedestal that fall is just that
much further.

You dont need some made up chick on a movie screen to make you feel
important and special to be a woman. Who cares what anyone thinks
about you?! Who cares how people perceive you?!

It bothers me that you are spending this much time and energy trying
to fight the movie industry. Go out and make a difference in this
world yourself! Go out and help those women and young girls who are
fighting for their lives in other countries who arent as lucky as we
are here!

By the way...here are some women you should investigate. From website
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/women/notable.htm

Louisa May Alcott:
18321888
Author who produced the first literature for the mass market of
juvenile girls in the 19th century. Her most popular, Little Women,
was just one of 270 works that she published.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=8


Susan B. Anthony:
18201906
The 19th century women's movement's most powerful organizer. Together
with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony fought for women's
right
to vote. She was also very involved in the fight against slavery and
the temperance campaign to limit the use of alcohol.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=13


Clara Barton:
18211912
Clara Barton got involved with tending the needy when she treated
injured Union soldiers on the battlefield during the Civil War. She
later was the founder and first president of the American Red Cross.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=17

Elizabeth Blackwell:
18211910
First American woman awarded a medical degree by a college. Attended
Geneva College in New York after she was rejected by all the major
medical schools in the nation because of her sex. Elizabeth Blackwell
later founded a women's medical college to train other women
physicians.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=20

Pearl S. Buck:
18921973
With her novels about American and Asian culture, she became the
first
woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=29

Cleopatra:
6930 B.C.
Queen of Egypt and the last pharaoh. She was 17 or 18 when she became
queen. Cleopatra was a shrewd politician who spoke nine languages.
During her reign, Egypt became closely aligned with the Roman Empire.

http://www.royalty.nu/Africa/Egypt/Cleopatra.html

Marie Curie:
18671934
This physicist was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize she actually
won it twice and the first woman to earn a doctorate in Europe. Her
investigations led to the discovery of radioactivity as well as the
element radium.
http://www.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/library/95nov/ curie.html

Amelia Earhart:
18971937
The first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, she opened the
skies
to other women. In 1937 while attempting to become the first person
to
fly around the world, Earhart's plane disappeared over the Pacific
Ocean.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/earhart/times/index.htm

Mary Baker Eddy:
18211910
Only American woman to found a lasting American-based religion, the
Church of Christ, Scientist. She worked successfully to solidify and
increase the popularity of The Christian Scientist movement.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=57

Elizabeth I:
15581603
Queen of England when England became a major European power in
politics, commerce, and the arts. Smart, brave, and determined to
link
herself to her country's fortunes, she cultivated the loyalty of her
people and united the country against enemies. During her reign the
"Elizabethan Age" England changed from being poor and isolated to
being among the most important nations in Europe, with a powerful
navy.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page46.asp

Ella Fitzgerald:
19181996
Considered one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, Ella
Fitzgerald was the winner of 12 Grammy Awards and was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=2

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GP

Indira Gandhi:
19171984
As the leader of India, the world's most populous democracy, Indira
Gandhi became an influential figure for Indian women as well as for
others around the world.
http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/whm/bio/ghandi_i.htm

LaDonna Harris (born 1931)
Harris is the President and Founder of Americans for Indian
Opportunity, a national multitribal organization devoted to
developing
the economic opportunities and resources of Indians. Raised by her
grandparents with traditional Comanche values, Harris has been
politically active all her life. She has crusaded for the rights of
children and women and for the elimination of poverty and
discrimination.
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/harris/harris_bio.html

Grace Hopper:
19061992
A computing trailblazer, Grace Hopper invented one of the first
easy-to-use computer languages, which was a big advance in the field
of computer programming.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=79

Dolores Huerta:
1930
A spokesperson for the rights of workers, Dolores Huerta helped
create
the National Farm Workers Association. Among other issues, she has
fought for the right to a minimum wage, unemployment insurance, paid
holidays, and retirement benefits for farm workers.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=81

Shirley Jackson (born 1946)
Jackson is the former head of the United States Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, where she reaffirmed the agency's commitment to public
health and safety. She is the first female African American to
receive
a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr.
Jackson's outstanding leadership in education, science, and public
policy demonstrates the capability of women to be leaders in the
field
of science and technology.
http://www.nwhp.org/whm/themes/ sjackson.html

Joan of Arc:
14121431
A national hero in France, Joan of Arc led the resistance to the
English invasion of France in the Hundred Years War. She believed
that
it was her divine mission to free her country from the English. She
cut her hair, dressed in a man's uniform, and led French troops to
victory in the battle of Orleans in 1429.
http://distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/ joanarc.html

Jackie Joyner-Kersee:
1962
She dominated the Olympic sport of heptathlon, a series of six
demanding events. Joyner-Kersee won the Olympic gold medal for the
United States in 1988 and1992, and set the world record. She was also
the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the long jump.
http://distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/ joyner-k.html

Frida Kahlo:
19071954
This Mexican artist survived childhood polio and later a bus accident
that led to seven operations. She began painting to escape her
lifelong pain and is considered one of the greatest artists of the
20th century.
http://www.nmwa.org/collection/profile.asp?LinkID=471

Helen Keller
18801968
A childhood disease left her deaf, mute, and blind. Helen Keller
became an expert author and lecturer, educating nationally on behalf
of others with similar disabilities.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=91

Maya Lin (born 1960)
As the designer of two of America's most powerful monuments The
Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, and The Vietnam
Memorial
in Washington, D.C., Lin has distinguished herself as the most
acclaimed site-specific architect of contemporary America. Because of
her concern for environmental issues, she uses recycled, living, or
natural materials and focuses on sustainable and site-sensitive
design
solutions.
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/lin/lin_bio.html

Margaret Mead:
19011978
This anthropologist who studied Samoan culture caused society to
rethink how it looked at adolescence.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=109

Mother Theresa:
19101997
Founder of a religious group of nuns in Calcutta, India, Mother
Theresa devoted her life to aiding sick and poor people throughout
the
world.
www.wagingpeace.org/articles/peaceheroes/rosemothertheresa.htm

Ellen Ochoa (born 1958)
As an astronaut and researcher of advanced optical information
systems, Ochoa flew her first shuttle mission in 1993 as a Mission
Specialist with the Discovery crew, conducting atmospheric and solar
studies in order to better understand the effect of solar activity on
the Earth's climate and environment. The first Hispanic woman to be
named an astronaut, she has logged over 500 hours in space. Read an
interview conducted by Scholastic students with Ellen Ochoa.
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/ochoa/ochoa_bio.html

Sandra Day O'Connor:
1930
As the first woman appointed to the position of U.S. Supreme Court
justice, she carved a place for women at all levels of the legal
profession.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=115

Rosa Parks:
1913
When she refused to give up her seat to a white person on a crowded
bus, Rosa Parks set in motion the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a
cornerstone of the civil rights movement. She has since been a strong
advocate for human rights issues.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/rosa/rosa.htm

Esther Peterson (1906-1997)
Peterson worked throughout her life for consumer protection, improved
labor conditions for American workers, and equal opportunity for
American women. Because of her work, working women have a legal right
to equal pay and food labels by law must now list exact amounts of
ingredients and the nutritional content. She served four U.S.
Presidents in various capacities, including Assistant Secretary of
Labor, and Vice-Chair of the first Presidential Commission on the
Status of Women.
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/peterson/peterson_bio.html

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QZ

Dr. Sally Ride:
1951
The first American woman in space was also the youngest American
astronaut ever to orbit Earth.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/space/sts7/index.htm

Eleanor Roosevelt:
18841962
As a champion of human rights, she strove to further women's causes
as
well as the causes of black people, poor people, and the unemployed.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=128

Sacagawea:
17871812
She was the interpreter for Lewis and Clark during the U.S.
government's first exploration of the Northwest. Sacagawea's role was
to help negotiate safe and peaceful passages through tribal lands.
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/
sacagawea.htm

Margaret Sanger
18791966
Founder of the birth control movement in the United States, Sanger
also started the organization that became the future Planned
Parenthood Federation of America.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=134

Sappho:
(circa 625 B.C.)
This Greek poet is considered one of the most important in Western
civilization. In addition to creating the "Sapphic stanza," which
consists of three long lines of poetry coupled with one short line,
she also invented an instrument the 21-string lyre.
http://www.loggia.com/myth/sappho.html

Muriel F. Siebert:
1938
Her advanced understanding of banking and finance led Muriel Siebert
to the first seat owned by a woman on the New York Stock Exchange.
She
created the Siebert Philanthropic Program, which lets investors help
charities in their own communities.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=143

Lillian Smith (1897-1966)
Honored in 1956 by the women who organized the Montgomery Bus
Boycott,
Smith was one of the nation's strongest European-American voices to
expose the vicious ways that racism destroys the human spirit. She
used her stellar writing talent and class privilege to expose and
challenge racism. Smith co-published the literary magazine South
Today
to help give voice to progressive black and white southern writers.
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/smith/smith_bio.html

Margaret Thatcher:
1925
This politician was the first woman in European history to be elected
prime minister. Known for her conservative views, Margaret Thatcher
was also the first British prime minister to win three consecutive
terms in the 20th century.
http://www.uu.edu/front/features/front/fall98/ mtbio.htm

Harriet Tubman
18201913
This abolitionist was born a slave. She eventually became a
"conductor" on the Underground Railroad a system developed by a
secret group of free blacks and sympathetic whites to help runaway
slaves get to free northern states. Harriet Tubman led more than 300
slaves to freedom.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=159

Oprah Winfrey:
1954
An actress and the host of a highly successful talk show, Oprah
Winfrey has won several Emmy Awards. She has started her own TV
production company and invested in media projects. She has also been
a
spokesperson for women's health and family issues and for the
prevention of child abuse.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=171

Victoria Woodhull:
18381927
First woman to be nominated and campaign for the U.S. presidency. She
was nominated by the Women's National Equal Rights Party. Woodhull
and
her sister were also the first two female stockbrokers on Wall
Street.

http://www.class.csupomona.edu/his/skpuz/hst202/ woodhull/WQart.html

Babe Didrikson Zaharias:
19141956
One of the greatest athletes of all time, Zaharias won track and
field
gold medals at the 1932 Olympics, played professional basketball, and
was a founding member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=177



These are TRUE achievements. Things that are important in life.

And if this isnt enough to get you going then by all means...go rent
Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider two.

And by the way...dont forget Ann Frank.

And I can agree with her. When you see young girls as *heroes* they
are in movies such as Matilda and Little Orphan Annie.

She wants to see girls take on roles that involve life and death
decisions like the before mentioned Lord of the Flies and Black
Stallion.

Some people are against it because it is not the classic role girls
play. This is part of why I am behind it. Its a change from the Movie
Industries same'ol same'ol drab. It would be something new, and lets
face it, females are no longer Susie Homemaker anymore. The Boy/Man
rescues girl/women had gotten old a long time ago.

Your suggestion of a Female Version of Lord of the Flies would be
interesting if not bloodier then the original. I remember my middle
school days with my friends and 'cliches' and all drama that goes on.


I read Baby Island and I agree, that plot would fit Disney 100%
Adolescent Girls not only forced to survive on their own, get their
own food, make what they are wearing last, but also have to protect
and care for those babies, something they have no experience doing at
all.

Anyone ever read the book 'The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon' ? It was an
excellant Stephen King book about a 9 year old girl lost in the woods,
stalked by some monster. She has to do everything she can to survive
including eating a raw fish. She gets stung by bees, very sick but in
the end she makes it out alive and on her own.

When I heard they were making it into a movie, I was excited.. Finally
a young heroine.

BUt guess what? Just when they were ready to start filming, Hollywood
turned it down..

Can anyone explain why??!?!? Is a young girl doing stuff that they
have shows noys doing in countless movies to much for them to
handle??!

When I heard that it was rejected... I cried. Seriously. Just goes to
show how 'Sexist' the Movie Industry it.

If it were 'The Boy who loved Tom Gordon' it would have been made the
same year the book came out!!!

Watch... they'll probably want the sex of the character changed or
make her an older teen character.. since they obviously dont want
girls being anything more then helpless victims in movies like this.

"Women are not people, they are devices built by our Lord Jesus Christ
for our entertainment."

Thanks.

p.s. I am of course just kidding. Good letter. I just haven't posted
much in a while and wanted to get my fair share in.

vc

I think you need some Pippi Longstocking! She's got a really cool
horse..

So... you want Disney to stop being "sexist"... and stop showing boys
in loin-cloths? Does that mean you'd prefer to see girls running
around half naked? Would that make them less sexist? And you thanked
PFB for posting a picture of Mulan with your post... um,
contradiction? Mulan was the hero of that movie. Don't know if ya saw
it?

Ok...here. This might be more your speed. Its a movie I bought years
ago and just found today and watched it again. Its called "True
Women"

It was made in 1997 and has Dana Delany, Angelina Jolie and Annabeth
Gish in it.

Its a 3 hour...2 part mini-series and it is a Hallmark movie. Its
rated PG-13 so you should be alright with it.

This is the story of three female leading characters and a whole bunch
of female supporting characters. The story starts with two of the
females as children and follows them...and history...on through their
entire lives.

Its definately a girl power kind of movie. It follows them for 50
years. They both come from different worlds and have vastly different
experiences. They are ALL put in positions where they are forced to
fend for themselves and even fight for their lives. I believe it is
based on a true story. Either way it was made from the novel that a
woman wrote.

I understand that you want young teenage girls in heroic roles but I
hope you understand that you are forever a woman whether you are
2....20....or 29 again. And being a strong, intelligent, independent
woman means the same to a 15 year old as it does to a 35 year old.

So...here is a link about the movie.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118499/

Here is a link to Amazon that has the book for sale.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804113084/002-6762669-5209629?v=glan
ce&n=283155

From what I can see you might have more luck ordering the book. I
couldnt find a place to order the movie.

Have you ever heard of a book called Island of the Blue Dolphins?

It's about an Indian girl left on an island after her tribe is taken
off of it. It's been years since I read it so I can't remember why
they were taken off. A girl is left behind and it's about how she
survives. Eventually, she's rescued.

They also made a movie of it. If you can find it you may enjoy it. I
saw the movie when I was a kid and loved it.

Ant Bully is WB you dope, do yer research before complaining.

>>used yet another boy in 'The Ant Bully' again running around in next
to nothing.


The Ant Bully IS NOT Disney.

"Girl Movies"

Snow White
Cinderella
Sleeping Beauty
The Little Mermaid
Beauty and the Beast
Mulan
Alice in Wonderland
Pocahontas

I know that I'm only 11 but what you said is really true!I think
Disney should put strong and determined women and girls that can can
kick butt on more Disney movies instead of men and boys!I'm a huge fan
of Disney and I'm gonna go against them on this one for every girl
that thinks Disney is being sexist.I think that the only movies I
heard of that Disney actually made that have women,and girls,are Mulan
(1 and 2) and Homecoming Warrior:Windy Wu or whatever.That is how
girls should be.Brave,strong,determined,and not afraid to fight back
or to fight for what they want.I'm gonna write Disney as many times as
it takes for them to stop being sexist!on email and hand written.I
really agree with you and I hope other people feel the same way.Disney
needs to stop being sexist.

Lets see there are, Ariel, Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Snow White,
Cinderella, Pocohantas, Jasmine, Mulan, and I am sure that there are
others that I have not even mentioned. Each of these characters
mentioned above has at least one Disney movie to their credit. Guess
what they are all GIRLS!!

Others have raised it, but I can't find an explanation.

Why are you sometimes Susan and sometimes Sarah?

Thanks for adding the picture of Mulan!!!

This letter is rediculously stupid.....why it it #1?

While I spent a LOT of time with my original post which I see was a
waste of time...I had one more idea to post to this letter.

If you are so passionate about this why dont you write your own book?
I am not saying that to be sarcastic. I am serious. If you do well
enough then maybe you could sell it even!

Then you get to choose the characters, the ages, the settings, ect.

You cant complain about things unless you are willing to do something
to change them.

what about Hermione Granger of the Harry Potter series? She's one of
the main characters in the books and movies, never a victim and the
brains of the operation. She's one of the reasons I love the Harry
Potter stories.

I really like your points. Ignore anyone who calls you a feminazi and
whatnot, because you own a vagina and you have every damn right to
feel how you feel.

And who cares if you're 15? Has anyone thought about the fact that
alot of people who watch these movies ARE 15? And even younger!

I think Disney will listen to you... although I'm not sure about the
loin-cloth thing. But hey, can't win them all, can we?

But yes, I also think Disney need to have more butt-kicking, female
heroes. Just because you own a vagina (Sorry, I love that phrase)
doesn't mean you can't kick-ass and save the day.

Puh-leeze. You're only 15. I'm more than twice your age...and you
have quite a LOT to learn about the natural differences between the
genders.

Men are naturally protective of women. Women typically like men to
rescue them and sweep them off their feet. Nothing wrong with that!

This "liberation" stuff is nonsense. Men and women are not free to be
men and women because of this. Women have to "grow a pair" so to
speak and men are encourage to find some fictional "feminine side."

Nothing wrong with traditional roles.

I am envisioning a 42 year old extremely short haired woman, with a
hairy back and unshaved armpits and legs, smoking a cigar and wearing
a "wife beater" shirt and oil stained jeans writing this from her NOW
corner office.

Or am I just being too over the top?

you are only 15 and you haven't had time to fully explore the world.
Incidentally why are you looking to Disney movies for strong female
role models? You are a little old for them anyway. I do understand
you trying to assert your feminist side. I did the same thing at your
age. But you are misguided. There are strong role models for women,
but don't look for them in Disney movies. Look to the women around
you, your mother, your female teachers, you get the idea. If you want
strong celebrity role models, look to real women. Jodie Foster, Julia
Roberts, Gynneth Paltrow, Raven Simone, you can put your mind to work
and think of others who do things and conduct their lives in ways you
admire. Explore women authors--Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, Jan Burke
are a few. There are lots of women, real women to model yourself
after. As a 49 year old, i look to women my age-- I think Gloria
Estefan and Katie Couric are two of the most awesome women role models
around.

First let me just say this so you don't get offended by the comment
that was made on your other letter, my friend came over and when I
went to the washroom Brett, (he says hi)posted something offensive on
your Target letter. Ignore that.

Second, if they made a movie about Baby Island I would go and see it,
I don't care if the hero is a boy or a girl, as long as the movie is
good. Also if you want to read another book about a girl hero, you
should read The Girl who owned a city. I don't know who wrote it but
we read it in seventh grade for language arts. It is about a ten year
old girl that is makes life easier for children after everyone over 12
in the whole world gets sick and dies leaving only children she
teaches people to survive without adults and learns how to drive and
everything.

Sarah,

All I can say is somebody's mommy and daddy should really do a little
better job of monitoring their Internet usage!

Firstly, as a parent and a female, I need to tell you that you are WAY
off base here and in WAY over your head.

Do you not remember the Disney movies Pocahontas and Little Mermaid?
Those are RECENT Disney movies that were both released in your
lifetime and they featured strong, female characters. What about
Lizzie McGuire, That's So Raven, Kim Possible and The Princess Diary
movies? They don't ALL have to be heroicly strong to get the point
across that girls can save the world. & don't even get me started on
all the princess movies (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty) that
started the Disney movie empire in the first place!

Next you will be complaining that Winnie the Pooh is demeaning to
women because the only female character is a single mother.

Secondly, you wanted to go back "many years" to before you were born -
Honey, that was only 15 years ago. As someone who has not even seen 2
decades pass in her lifetime, you haven't even been around long enough
to experience what it is like to be a woman in this society, let alone
to comment on it.

You want the world to stop treating women in a sexist, disrespectful
manner? Try knowing of what you speak before you speak on it. & stop
spewing whatever half-baked, pro-feminist rhetoric (and if you don't
know what that word means, its merely more proof that you are too
immature to make soap-box statements like this) you are being fed and
try thinking for yourself for a change. Ignorant, futile comments
like you just wrote will only undermine your point and cause people to
never take you seriously.

I looked for it but couldnt find it. Although I KNOW a letter almost
exactly like this one was written a long time ago. It was from a 15
year old girl and it went on and on and there not being any positive
female characters in Disney movies. It also went on and on about some
horse movies.

I should be sleeping now so I cant spend anymore time looking it up
but I am almost postive I have seen this letter somewhere before.

That being said...my most favorite Disney character is Belle from
Beauty and the Beast. She was a hero. So was Ariele (sp?) from The
Little Mermaid and so was Pocahontis. I wouldnt say that ALL the
Disney "princesses" were heros but there are a LOT of female Disney
characters. In fact, when I was at Disney World this past spring it
was ALL about the female characters! Everywhere you looked! The shows
and parades and shops all revolved around the female characters.

Now..being a female I can understand one side of this letter. Being a
mother of a son I see it entirely from another angle as well.
Truthfully, very little is given to boys. You go to Toys R Us and at
least 3/4th of the store is for little girls. Go to any clothing store
and the boy's department might have a couple of racks of play clothes
while there will be miles of racks for girls with everything from play
clothes to dress up to cute and chic. Go into a shoe store and its the
same deal. I never would have imagined this to be true had I not had a
boy.

Also, I think it is very important in this day and age for boys to
have positive role models. And that isnt always easy to find. There
are lots of positive females and the trend has been more on strong
women and the boys have been left behind. So having a couple of Disney
movies with boys as the lead character is not such a big deal.
Frankly, I think chicken little would have SUCKED if it had been a
girl. It wouldnt have made the same impact.

If you need a female role model who is strong and independent then
maybe you should start looking beyond Disney. They are mainly geared
towards little children and being 15 its probably time you started
looking in other places. Or you could just choose to be a strong
woman, learn as much as you can about as many things as you can, and
dont let anyone hold you back. Be your OWN role model!!

Check out Spy Kids. There is a young, female character who has to
struggle to survive. I know..my son made me watch both of those movies
about 1000 times last week! Also, the Disney Channel has a couple of
shows with strong female lead characters. As well as ABC Kids on
Saturday.

But if you are looking for Disney to fullfill you and justify you as a
strong woman then you should really look elsewhere. Its a valid
suggestion, certainly. But I really dont think they are going to
change anything because their demographic is probably the toddler to
10 year old. And you have just outgrown them. Go to the bookstore and
get some good books about strong women. Watch Oprah and Ellen and
check out the female reporters on the news. Check out WE and Lifetime
and sometime PBS and the History channel have stories about strong
women.

You are a teenager now. Not a child. You cant expect everything to
just be served to you anymore. If you want to find out about true
heros then you should surf the net.

http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine.html (very interesting. I
saved this one myself and plan to go back and check it out when I have
more time.

http://are.as.wvu.edu/lester.html (very interesting article about
muslim women and their roles in the world today)

http://www.codepink4peace.org/index.php (go here and be a hero
yourself!)

http://www.feminist.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

http://www.msmagazine.com/

http://www.gatherthewomen.org/gtw/index.htm

http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/

http://www.grannyd.com/

http://www.mothersactingup.org/

http://www.sisterevents.net./

http://www.wicej.addr.com/

http://www.wilpf.org/

http://www.womeninblack.org/

http://www.wmm.com/

http://www.coloredgirls.org/

http://www.coloredgirls.org/

http://www.worldmarchofwomen.org/index_html/en?set_language=en

Let me lastly say that I am not a "feminist" but I am all for GIRL
POWER! LOL! And I do NOT endorse any of these websites. Just
somethings I found in a quick search today. Maybe it will give you
some ideas and show you who REAL heros are.

Your letter was until you brought up NAMBA. What is NAMBA. If you
really mean NAMBLA, then you have a problem. I don't know how a 15
year old girl would know of this group.

You make an excellent point! I especially like how you make a
suggestion and cite examples. Most people, 2 or 3 times your age,
would not do this.

A few suggestions to help you better get across your important point.
Please take these as suggestions and not as criticisms.

(1) "The Ant Bully" is not a Disney film (at least according to what I
could find on the movie's web site). It is being distributed by
Warner Brothers. Citing this movie in a letter to Disney makes the
point about movies, in general. But Disney is likely to see your
comment about it as proof that another studio is bad; not that Disney
is in error.

(2) The phrase "Stop with the Namba crap ASAP" is best avoided.
First, it comes off as a demand (and a potentially unreasonable one).
When you write letters like this, making demands is not the way to win
attention. Being smart (which other parts of your letter are) is.
Being convincing, not demanding.

Second, there's a bit of a question about what "Namba" means. Some
have assumed that you meant NAMBLA. This is also my interpretation,
since you've commented on boys wearing loin clothes. While you point
about these boys may be valid (see below), citing NAMBLA is
potentially inflamatory. The word "crap" certainly is and it's
inappropriate to use in a professional letter.

If you didn't mean NAMBLA, then what does "Namba" mean? I did a
search on this term and it appears to deal with a Japanese store and a
model boat association. I'm assuming you didn't mean these.

(3) Your point about boys wearing next to nothing may be quite valid
and true, but it's out of place in your letter. You should focus your
letter on the issue of how girls and women and portayed. Using the
issue of boys in loinclothes a distraction. Now, if you are honestly
offended by how BOYS are shown in movies, another letter may be in
order.

(4) Keep in mind that Disney is in the business of doing what sells.
While we'd like to think they are a bit more sensitive that other
corporations, in the end, bottom line is what matters. Keep this in
mind when you write your letter. Do some research about the number of
girls who are consumers. Do some research about how culture has
changed over the past 50+ years and how gender roles are changing.
Then, use this to show how it's in Disney's best interest
(financially) to cater to a modern audience, which includes stronger
gender roles for girls and women.

(5) Being 15, your letter is going to go a longer way than one writen
by someone who is 60. You should balance being yourself with being
professional. Be honest about your age and your passion. But try to
write in a slightly more grown-up way. Now, in my experience, your
letter is significantly more "grown-up" than many of the letters I
read on PF. So good for you! However, I see great potential for you
to write supurb letters simply by watching phrasing. I forsee you
being able to write one of the better letters here. For example, use
proper punctiation (e.g., avoid "!!"), grammar, and spelling (e.g.,
it's "let's" not "lets" when you mean "let us"). We all make
mistakes. But re-reading your letter before you send it can make a
big difference in how YOU are perceived. A child (who is to be
ignored) or someone who has something to say?

(6) Once again, I want to say that your passion is good and should
carry through your letter. Make sure it reads as passion and not as
ranting. It's a fine line.

(7) You should recognize what Disney HAS done in terms of positive
portayals of girls and women. Some cite Mulan as a good example of a
girl overcoming sexist roles. Perhaps the fact that it's so often
cited is a reflection that it's so unusual. (Note: I haven't seen
Mulan, so I'm relying on what I've heard and not seen myself). If
Mulan does a reasonable (even if not perfect) job, you should tell
Disney. Tell that that you liked what they did and you want to see
more LIKE THAT.

(8) There has been a LONG history of "sexism" in literature and
culture. That doesn't forgive it, but it's important to understand
things in their historical context. Disney has hidden "Song of the
South" for it's racial content. I've recently been able to see pieces
of it and I agree that it's wrong. However, at the time it was made,
it reflected society. And, given that it was, even then, a
"historical" film, it very much reflected culture at that time. Same
here. In the years to come, we might be embarassed by portrayals of
girls in some movies and Disney (and others) will hide them. Your
words (and the words of others) will help Disney appreciate what's
historical and what's an embarassment.

(9) Do you really think "fighting" is a good trait? Wouldn't movies
be better off without so much fighting, from boys or girls? I raise
this because, perhaps, you want your letter to reflect making more
postive movies, where neither boys nor girls fight. Again, you don't
want to diminish your main point by going on a tear about violence in
movies. Rather, you should focus on how movies portray girls and boys
differently in ways that do not reflect modern reality (or what we'd
like reality to be since, of course, these are fiction movies).

So, I hope you take this as encouragement. These suggestions are not
to put you down or to disagree with you. They are to help you to have
a more effective voice.

Good luck! Someone with your passion is going to go a long way.
Maybe I can vote for you as President some day.

You make wonderful points and hopefully Disney will listen. I'd be
willing to be that most of their story writers are male, therefore
making your request a little more difficult.

What I really wanted to do is to suggest, with your wonderful writing
skills, that you write a story about a strong female coming to the
rescue of a man in distress. The female doesn't have to have super
powers, she simply needs to be depicted as a strong, real-life female.
Perhaps the story could depict the man (or boy) as super macho, one
who thinks girls are only here to serve men (or boys), one who makes
poor decisions in order to make himself look macho, he makes a poor
decision (the sky is the limit here) and lands himself in a pickle and
the female he's been mean to has the opportunity to come to his
rescue. Perhaps she teaches him a lesson before rescuing him (such as
giving him a lecture or something like that). Once you've written your
story and you think it's perfect, send it right on to Disney. Even if
they don't use the exact story, they may use the storyline. And even
if they don't use the storyline, at least you have the satisfaction of
knowing that you've written something wonderful. From what I've seen
from your letter you certainly have the ability to write a
well-composed story. I also suggest that you make a copy of the story
before sending it, if it's good enough perhaps another company would
latch on to the idea.

Good luck!

I agree. I've never heard of Baby Island. Who wrote it and why are
they stranded with a bunch of babies?

Awsome letter. I wish I had the writing skills you do when I was your
age. I would have wrote a letter like this by the time I was twelve if
I had been any good at writing. I hated all those movies where the
girl gets rescued by the guy when I was little. Have you ever seen the
disney movie The Cheeta Girls? They have that song in it about not
wanting to be like Cinderella because they want to rescue themselves
or something like that(I can't remimber the whole song just parts of
it).Anyway I LOVE that song. Your letter made me think of it.

I'm right with you. Let's have some good girl/woman movies, and not
the kind where some handsome prince saves the day for her!

And kudos for being fifteen and writing an readable and clear letter.
Yes, I know, I started a sentence with and.

While we're at it, can we get some black main characters? Please? To
date Disney has made feature films starring Europeans (a bunch),
Asians (Mulan), Mid-east Asians (Aladdin), Australians (can't remember
the name), South Americans (Emperor's New Groove), Hawaiians (Lilo &
Stitch - there was one black character to be fair, a big scary guy
with shades), and, of course, mermaids. When two movies were set in
Africa (Lion King, Tarzan) there was not a single black person in
sight. There are tons of native African fairytales/storylines begging
to be told. Can we get one? Just one? Pretty please???

Sarah, This is a Great Letter. You should be proud of yourself for
really putting in a lot of effort and supporting examples for your
agrument. I've followed a lot of disney movies and the thing that
really gets me angry all the time is that the evil, really evil dark
charachters are always portrayed as Female. Cruella De Ville, Wicked
Stepmother in Cinderella, Ursula, and many many others. Its a shame
that the old "fairy tale" stereotypes no longer apply to today's
society, and especially with different types of families. Why are step
mothers always villians when there are so many good role model step
parents in real life who do a fine job at parenting??
Anyway, I was really amazed to read such a good letter from a fifteen
year old. You really have a gift that needs to be nurtured. I could
see you making a great contribution as a strong woman tole model
(years from now) I'm really impressed.
Youth gets a bad rap and some really bad press as a whole but it's not
a reflection of the good people out there who don't have
acknowledgment or support when they do their best to make good changes
happen for everyone.
Keep up the good work. I'm sure you'll go far. And please keep us
updated. A lot of us really care. I have nieces who, much like you,
see a lot of sexist bias in the movies, magazines and advertisements
and they love writing letters to Editors, Opinion letters to
companies.
I've suggested before in a survey that PFB have some kind of section
devoted to children and teens. A place where they can learn about
spending, saving, having fun with being consumers, learning new ways
to look at issues... and have some fun stuff too.
Not to give a free plug, but my nieces are on Tweenland.com. Lost of
teens like you who have opinions and concerns. It's like My Space only
better, IMHO.

Anyway Congratualations on a great letter and please do keep us up to
date.

Fantastic letter!!!!!

I completely love this!! You are a gal after my own heart! I wrote an
essay in college on sexism in commercials and this letter is just
about the same in feeling and passion as when I wrote my essay.
In history, men recorded what men did and many things women did were
considered menial so therefore, it did not get recorded, documented.
Womens work was inferior. Just go to any museum, its all MEN and their
tools and work. I make old fashioned homemade soap like pioneer women
make. JUST TRY to find it in a museum!! You can't. I have looked,
spoken to employees there,people who run the museums, and nobody has
heard of it!! I thought you have got to be kidding me. Thank goodness
for the internet though. It isnt totally lost!
Ok I'm going off on a tangent here but bravo!!!

While I agree with you for the most part (but the basic premise in the
Ant Bully movie was that the boy was a real jerk and had to learn a
lesson - I wouldn't have characterized him as a hero, but that's just
my interpretation)

What I really wanted to ask you is what does "stop with the Namba crap
asap" mean???? What is namba? You aren't refering to NAMBLA are you?

I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but The Black Stallion
was a novel and the hero of the book WAS a boy. So this isn't Disney
just making something up. Your point about a lack of strong heroines
in Disney movies is legitimate, but I just wanted to point this out in
case you didn't know.

And I hope this isn't condescending, but it is very nice to read an
articulate, grammatically correct, and properly spelled message from a
teenager. I know all teenagers aren't illiterate, but most of the
ones who post on message boards don't do much to feed my optimism.

Good job, Sarah! Maybe you can be a leader and get into film making
and make the movies (even just a short, or a claymation or other
animated type of film) you want girls to see!

"Ever After" with Drew Barrymore was hideously written and acted (I
love her, but man she sucks as an actress), but I LOVED that in that
version, Cinderella saved herself. She didn't need a man to rescue
her.

Show 'em how it's done, Sarah!

Terrific letter! I couldn't agree with you more. If, as you said,
you are somewhat of a tomboy, sign me up!

Your letter is well planned and thought out. You obviously are
serious about your gripe with Disney, and I hope they see it that way.


Please, please, if you get a response, let us know. I would love to
hear what they have to say.

Maybe you should write a story of your own and submit it to Disney as
an example of what you'd like to see in future movies. You never know.
You could be the one to make a difference.

While I think you might be a bit too worked up over this it is rather
refreshing to know that not all 15 year old girls want to be like
Paris Hilton.