I really like this article because (a) it's in Forbes, which is a pretty mainstream and widely read site, so yay! discussing feminism in the mainstream! (b) while it addresses some of the critiques of Brave, it's main point (and one that I thought was awesome about Brave when I watched it) is that the story reflects the complexities of a real life, and that there is very rarely a totalizing "win" in the end for any situation.
This article discusses the fact that compromises, alliances, politics, etc are all very much a part of the real world, and Brave very much speaks to that. I think that being grounded in some kind of realism actually makes Brave more empowering because it can teach viewers lessons that they can actually use to accomplish something instead of just moral goodness or a self-esteem boost (not to devalue those either...).
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I'd also like to discuss in class the fact that Brave shows princess-obsessed little girls another side to being a princess. It shows the politics and power of the role of "princess,"it shows that princesses don't get everything they want, it shows that princess can be tough and still have to wear a dress, that princesses have annoying little brothers (that they still love), that you can fight with your mom and still love each other in the end, and that princesses screw up sometimes too, and I think that's pretty cool.
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