Of Negation, Princesses, Beauty, and Work: Black Mothers Reflect on Disney’s the Princess and the Frog

Abstract

The overall response to Disney's The Princess and the Frog (Clements & Musker, 2009) was lackluster. The film served as Disney's first attempt to reify and embrace young Black girls’ identity; however, its box office performance did little to proclaim a vested interest of a Black movie-going audience in this particular princess film. Nonetheless, as this is the first such film to center a young Black woman as a Disney princess, the voices of its audience are invaluable. This audience reception study explored the reflections of a group of Black mothers upon screening the film with their daughters. Four themes emerged from their discussions: (a) film as negation; (b) princess as unattainable; (c) beauty as internal; and (d) work as virtuous. Recognizing the role that context plays in framing perceptions, the readings are analyzed in consideration of what some now perceive as a postracial society. Based on the findings, it is suggested that Black communities consciously interrogate the images used to represent them in media as well as develop opportunities with the use of media literacy, to empower themselves and counter the seemingly incessant, prevalent, and degrading screen images.