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Top 10 Disney Controversies

Disney's latest animated flick, The Princess and the Frog, is the first to feature a black heroine — but it's still raising some eyebrows. Disney's no stranger to controversy — here are 10 scandals from the company's past.

The Problem with Princesses

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The Disney princess has become one of the most iconic symbols of Walt's ever growing empire — and one of its all-time greatest brands. From dress-up dolls to bedding to silverware, the heroines are everywhere, and kids love them. But do the princesses really make good role models? A lot of parents — and feminists — would say no. The most prevalent characteristic of Disney's three original princesses (Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty) is that they spend much of their movies as damsels in distress, waiting to be saved by men. It wasn't until 1989 that Disney debuted The Little Mermaid's Ariel, a princess less passive and more defiant. But Ariel also gave up her beautiful voice for a pair of legs just so she could be with a man — who, of course, is a prince who rescues her in the end.
(Read "Show Business: The Princess Who Belched.")

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