In the 1950 Walt Disney film, Cinderella explains: “A dream is a wish that your heart makes. » During their childhood, countless girls dream of becoming Disney princesses in response to their exposure to animated films like Cinderella. This fascination with the princess lifestyle is generally considered a phase that young girls go through and is encouraged by Walt Disney's $4.4 billion princess merchandise line, which includes toys , clothes and even pink paint for the house (Smith). Although princess products, primarily comprising the original princesses Belle, Jasmine, Ariel, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty, are often viewed positively as being an essential part of a girl's childhood, the commercialization of princesses Disney is actually harming American society's movement toward gender and racial equality. Feminism in today's society believes that women are strong individuals, capable of achieving their dreams. A significant problem with Disney princesses is that even surrounded by the idea that women have the same inherent dignity as men, they continue to be portrayed as passive women with limited aspirations. For example, in Snow White, the character Snow White is glorified by her ability to sing beautifully and cook for the seven dwarfs (Hynes). In Beauty and the Beast, Belle is ignored when she tries to make conversation about a book she is reading, suggesting that an educated woman is not worthy of attention (Hynes). And, in The Little Mermaid, Ariel sings about all the wonderful treasures she has, which encourages valuing material goods (Hynes). These films give rise to the belief that a woman's worth depends on her ability to maintain a home,...... middle of article ......tian Science Monitor: n/a. 2009. Web. Neal, Kelle. "'Part of Your World': Disney's Portrayal of Ethnic Minorities." Tennessee State University, 2010. United States -- Tennessee: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. Internet. November 29, 2011. Smith, Ethan. "Corporate news: Disney product chief resigns --- Andy Mooney credited with creating $4.4 billion Princess toy and clothing line." Wall Street Journal: B.7. ProQuest. September 7, 2011. the web. November 29, 2011 Tucker, Neely. "The beginning of a fairy tale: Snow White, she is not. Among Disney's royal ladies, Tiana is a notable first." WashingtonPost.com, April 19, 2009. Web. November 29, 2011. Wohlwend, Karen. “Damsels in discourse: girls consume and produce texts of identity thanks to Disney Princess Play.” Reading Research Quarterly 44.1 (2009): 57-83. ProQuest Research Library. Internet. November 29. 2011