Angelina Jolie disappointed over lack of black Disney Princess
June 6, 2008 by Sherry
So, apparently at some point, Angelina Jolie commented that she is let down that none of the Disney Princesses are black. She had said:
“There still isn’t a Disney princess that’s African and it’s very difficult because our daughter’s getting into princesses right now and it upsets me.”
I’ve seen some fairly snotty responses to this comment. A talk show host (Laura Ingraham) actually went on a big rant about it, making reference to the world having larger issues to worry about and does Angelina really have to make such a big deal over something like Disney.
First of all, I don’t think anyone needs to remind Angelina Jolie that the world has a lot of serious problems. I’m not sure how often Laura Ingraham has headed over to Iraq, Darfur, or other war-torn regions to talk to refugees. I’m not sure how many conferences have had her as a speaker to address human rights. On the other hand, Angelina has been to those places, and she has raised awareness and money for human rights issues. Honestly, that entire statement was absolutely ridiculous. If it was Paris Hilton, then I could maybe understand, but Angelina champions people’s rights and the issues standing in their way on a near-constant basis. Does this woman even know anything about Angelina at all?
Second, yes, actually it does matter. While I hope my daughters grow up with better role models than a cartoon princess, at their young age they do love to watch Disney movies. I can quote Cinderella and Snow White by heart now because of all the times they’ve been played. I’m sure that Shiloh and Zahara both enjoy watching DVDs. The Jolie-Pitt family is very serious about making sure all their children have an understanding of their own culture of origin as well as others. Is it truly that unreasonable to be disappointed, as a mother, that your black daughter can’t watch a Disney film featuring a black princess?
I don’t know much about Laura Ingraham (other than the fact that the video cast her in a very obnoxious light), so I don’t know if she has children or not, but I would think that if she did she would grasp the importance for children to see dolls and cartoons and television/movie characters that look like them sometimes.
You can get all varieties of dolls in every skin color and ethnicity that there is. I don’t think it’s outrageous for Angelina to wonder why Disney hasn’t caught up yet.
So there you go PittWatch readers! Some of you have been asking for a new discussion thread. It’s the weekend, let’s discuss!
Here’s the video clip debating whether this is an important issue or if Angelina Jolie is making too much of it.
What do you think?
Image used with permission: Splash News Online
(source)
Technorati Tags: angelina jolie, zahara jolie-pitt, laura ingraham
Celeb Watcher, I don’t believe that Angelina’s focus was on this subject. She was probably asked a Mom type question and that was her answer. I hardly think she is going to go with a picket sign and stand in front of Disney’s Corp. building.
Angelina is doing alot of resting right now, and if she was to surf around on the computer and came across Pittwatch, started reading this thread and others before this one I think that she would be real impressed with all the intelligent and thoughtful comments.
We see the link between the body images popularized by women’s magazines, fashion runways & Hollywood with the epidemic of anorexia, bulimia & morbid obesity. When Asian/Asian American women have eye surgery so their eyes are like whites’ eyes, and they & black women like Janet Jackson & Patti Labelle have nose surgery so their noses look more like white noses, I think the connection between that and poor self-image, self-hatred & internalized racism is easy to see.
Yes, real women & men are the best role models, and popular culture like the Disney princess toys are important too. Sandra Day O’Connor as the first woman Supreme Court Justice and Nancy Pelosi as the first woman House Speaker are important role models. And so was Lt. Uhura, the first black woman in space. She was part of Star Trek’s multicultural crew with Vulcans, Asians, Russians, etc. Lt. Mae Jamison, the first real black woman in space, credits Lt. Uhura with inspiring her to become an astronaut. And when NASA found out that Nichelle Nichols, the actress playing Uhura, was planning to leave the show, they told her she was their best recruiter for women & minorities into the space program, and asked her to stay on the show. And she still inspires people today.
For starters I am an African from Zimbabwe and my little one is two next week. I watched Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Princess and the Pea, Little Mermaid etc (am 27) and was also plagued with the question as to why there werent any African princesses and now wonder how I if I should answer my daughter’s question abt the colour of these characters like how my mom did.Someone wrote that historically people in the US have been taught of only European monarchies but all around the world monarchies have existed. We have so many princesses in our country not to mention South Africa,Botswana, etc so it really isnt an excuse as to why Disney hasnt any reflected. Also the lady who wrote abt Black Americans churning out hip hop and gangsta rap etc how many of those record labels reporting and making staggering profits are owned and managed by the Black community. It is ludicrous for Americans to believe that its not always abt race ..its like South Africans saying that apartheid is dead and buried!
oh yah i forgot i love your site Sherry and am a huge angelina fan pre and post brad!
Susan,
Celebrity Blurbs is what sells. I used to like Fox because it really did provide a chance for both sides to air their views. Now, it is just Tabloid TV. I agree, it is sad that this is what is being seen as what is important.
Amen, Susan!
Amen to you all!
@MaryAnn
That’s what happened. It was in Cannes apparently! A second set of interviews set it up by Dreamworks, because the press complained that they were not all able to attend the press conf!
From the article I read she was asked about her children enjoying the movie. She answered affirmative and added that they love Disney, her daughters were into the Princesses. She then said she wished they was an African princess for Zee to relate to. From a Mother who wants her children to feel confident in who they are, that’s not a bad thing to wish for. Child Development & Psychology 101 as pointed out by Ligaya.
The article generated a lot of discussion on the other board, because the language didn’t sound Angie-like to some. So it’s possible she is being slain, tarred and feathered by this Fox news woman for something she did not do.
But hey that’s the JPs life!
@Rob
$15m figure is what the tabs are throwing around, Brad and Angie have not encouraged this. Shiloh’s pics like someone said earlier was done to remove the bounty from her head! Brad and Angie did NOT handle the selling OR the money. Getty Images did, and they forwarded the money to the designated charities directly.
I remember some magazines saying she would sell the “bump pics and confirmation”. Guess what Rob, SHE HASN’T! They say these things to generate negative reactions, and it seems to be working.
Personally, I could care less about taking a comment from an actress and making it so important. I am African American and I will tell you that regardless of how important the world feels this woman is, Ms. Jolie is not a god and her opinions should not hold such importance. Our race has found ways to educate our children without relying on whether there is a black princess in any of Disney films. I thought this woman wanted a rainbow family and had the maturity level to understand that in this society there is discrimination and not ever race is represented equally. I also doubt that just because Ms. Jolie has now become enlightened because she has a black child that the world will suddenly realize this default and change due to her popularity and importance.
@June
Well you are here! Why?
Nobody, least of all Angie, said that just because she expressed a wish it should immediately become law!
The people who made an issue out of an innocent sentence, at the end of a long paragraph, are Fox news! Please go and tell them to go back to school. Because they failed in this respect.
As an African American you should ask your parents, why, they felt the need read you books with black characters? Not only as co-characters but as main characters. This “being able” to associate and emulate is an important part of a child’s development. Look it up!
Yes there are other ways to help her children do that, but you know what her children enjoy Disney. Just as you are entitled to your opinion and wishes, she is too!
june, i see some of your points, but when angie made that simple statement, i don’t think she set out to change the world’s view about race and discrimination, and i doubt she was using her popularity to create that change. i think that opinion was more out of concern for her children, not necessarily society. and the point is, it was a simple opinion that others have also shared and still do. it’s just an opinion, a simple thought. nothing more, nothing less. so, there is no need for anybody to make such a fuss over it.
i’m sure she’s trying to raise her children to be color blind but at the same time, allow them to also treasure the beauty of their individual race, culture, etc. that’s just my take on it. i can’t quite relate because i don’t have a multi-racial family, much less children of my own. i just imagine she’s just trying to be the best mother she can be, and really, i think it’s hard to say what’s the right and wrong way of parenting on something like this, especially when one is raising children of different races. i think everyone has a certain idea of how to raise their children the proper way w/ regards to race and such. i don’t think we’ll all agree 100%, not even parents/guardians/adults that share the same background would probably practice the same approach or have the same stance. for example, there are at least two of you on here that are african americans and even the two of you have dissenting views or takes on angie’s statement. what matters most is that in the end, regardless of their parents’ occupation, fame and views and regardless of the persistence of discrimination, angie’s children will grow up loving the human race, that while they can appreciate the richness of their individual heritage, they will see and treat everyone as equal. and if they grow up to be such outstanding individuals that embrace all races, all cultures, etc., then, brad and angie would’ve done something right as parents.
btw, i think cesaria and a few others offered a pretty great explanation of the psychology of this topic … about children and relating to visual representations.
june, obviously you do care other wise you wouldn’t be here .. And who said Angie is God .. Idiot like Fox only make me admire and repect Brangelina more.. Did you watch the way they talk.. they are a grown up people and yet they acted like a third grader wanting atentions and so envious and so jelous of Angie .. yes she is wanting a rainbow family and good for them and they are popular and more famous than some and she is trying to make a better world and help the poor and no the world not suddently relize this default but Fox who make Big deal out of it and that ugly women laura who is so hatefull and so full of envy and jelousy had to bring up Angie tatoo blood vile the new chateau for what..
Why the hate.. what has Angelina ever did to them.. ?
Dolls are important, especially the “big name” dolls such as Disney. I’m African American and know that little things such as dolls can enhance your self esteem and they are just one type of “image” showing you this is what’s beautiful. That’s how I perceived it anyway as a little girl. Sure parents reinforce these values, but these little girls do put these dolls on high pedestals, which is really part of their early learning experience. Let’s just test the importance of this. Take away ALL of the white disney princess dolls, replace them with all black disney princess dolls, and watch all hell break loose starting with the talk show host in question.
I know this has nothing to do with disney but I was reading the news, and I bumped into this. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/09/ethiopia.hunger.ap/index.html
Its very sad, and I just keep thinking to myself how wonderful angelina is. that she was able to safe someones life. Zahara is safe now, thanks to her mommy. But its also heartbreaking that those are children are going through this, Im sure angelina would feel the same being that its where her daughter is from.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/09/ethiopia.hunger.ap/index.html
this is what she would be worried about
I am sure if we could find the actual interview where Angie made this comment, we would see how innocent it truly was. We always have to remember that news networks pull snippets out of entire statements and interviews which can be misleading and cut and pasted so much that the true meaning is lost. But for Fox to spend so much time over a comment that really means nothing in the scheme of things is a waste of airtime and space. The problem with a lot of news networks is the fact that they even have portions of the show featuring celeb news. Isn’t that what ET, Hollywood Access, E! News, etc. were designed for? Leave the celeb gossip to the entertainment programs and focus on the actual news headlines that affect this nation and the world. Somehow, Barbie dolls register nill to nothing on my list of important issues and it should as well with Fox.
As far as Angelina’s actual comment, she is (of course) entitled to her own opinion. And I am sure she was speaking only of her own daughter and their experiences rather than attempting to speak for all minority groups. I believe it was a casual comment and is now being taken out of context and given a significance she did not mean to imply or create. I am sure Angelina was not attempting to create a Disney Barbie doll war or boycott. It was simply an opinion and now other people are making more out of it than needs to be.
Well, first of all, I do love Brad and Angelina, especially Angelina. However, in this issue, I’m a little hold back in chanting for her comment. Disney’s been around for a long time and do have it’s integrity. I am Asian, and I loved watching those beautiful Disney princess growing up as a little girl in Hong Kong, their beautiful blonde hair and big blue eyes amazed me. I never would think my race would worth less just because we’re not being used as a Disney princess character (well that was before Mulan). I think people just have to learn that being a good and respectful person is all it takes to be respected, you don’t have to be some sort of icon to be known or felt being treated fairly.
If I’m a mega star like Angelina, does that mean I have to make comment that Disney should make a Chinese princess???
Sorry, but I’m still a big fan for Angelina.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, RULANI.
Just to clarify, there are no Disney Barbies. Mattel makes Barbies, and Disney makes Disney Princesses. They are 2 separate toy companies.
Lisa, we should worry about famine in Ethiopia & other places too. We should worry about China’s earthquake victims, Myanmar’s cyclone victims, Iraqi refugees, Darfur refugees, Katrina survivors, and our Iraq war veterans - 18 of whom commit suicide every month.
One person can’t do it alone, and it would be unfair to expect Angelina to. Entire governments haven’t solved many problems. And if we’re going to criticize Angelina, then it’s only fair to criticize ourselves if we’re not doing what we tell Angie to do.
I also think it’s out of place & unfair to tell any mother - Angelina included - what to think & how to raise her children.
@june and lovethetwo
Disney is a corporation that has exported its image and idea of western beauty worldwide and hasnt left a stone unturned in its wake. Because this isnt 1940 or 1980 it shldve have realised some level of corporate responsibilty to its international consumers because like it or not on shelves in Zimbabwean shops you will find some disney dolls, in South African shops ditto and that comes with a level of accountability. In addition dolls have always been used by all cultures and races so whether it is an antique doll, one found in the Inca ruins or one fashioned with maize rusks they still were cherished and treasured by a little girl somewhere some time and in some period. To say they arent important is just plain stupid and then to further insinuate that they play no role in the psychological development and identity of a little person is just….weell.. angelina is famous and if she says something pple are bound take it and run with it . Yeah some of us have publicly expressed dissatisfaction with products to shop managers and stuff and to say pple are one dimensional they only care abt certain things and only those is really narrow minded. At that time she made a comment that was pertinent to the discussion at hand if she had said something like save the whales she wldve been bashed. thanks for the space am putting my soap box aside now.
Lovethetwo, why would being a megastar mean you have to comment on anything, including that Disney make a Chinese princess? I don’t get the connection.
“I think people just have to learn that being a good and respectful person is all it takes to be respected.” If this is your experience, you’re very lucky. I wish so much this was true – we wouldn’t rob, beat, rape, kill each other, there would be no wars. I think what you say is true sometimes – but not for the most part. I’m sure the slaves who were brutalized, the black men & women who were lynched, the Native Americans who were imprisoned in barren camps like the Japanese Americans in WWII, the Chinese who were lynched & burned during the Gold Rush, the lesbians & gays murdered were in the majority good & respectful. But evil men & women do exist, and they do evil things – we only have to look at the Nazis & Rwanda.
I’m Asian too, I grew up in the Philippines. Almost all the movies we saw were from Hollywood. I went to kindergarten on the U.S. Naval Base. My teacher was blonde with, yes, those big blue eyes and white skin. I’d never seen anyone like her before. I can’t remember being told that whites were better, more beautiful or superior. I think I just absorbed it from the way adults talked. And from things like a fellow student being the darling of the teachers & administration because she looked like Snow White, dark hair, white skin, rosy cheeks. She had special privileges. Her mom was Filipina & her dad was white. She wasn’t allowed to play with us Filipino kids.
I don’t think there’s any one factor that would make someone feel worthless because of her race, I think it’s a combination of things. And probably it’s a different combination of things for each person. But when so many Asian/Asian-American women feel they’re ugly and inadequate because their eyes are too small and noses too wide and resort to plastic surgery, I know something’s wrong.
Lovethetwo, my reply to your post is under mod.
You know children don’t start wars, they don’t cause hunger, they don’t care about politics.
And in some cases other races feel that black children are ugly. So I say, hey Disney give me a African Princess , strong, who is willing to fight for not only the rights of black children, but all children. Give me that image baby, cause we all know that images influence our society and the world.
I think you guys are taking Angie’s doll comment way too far. Angelina did an interview with Anderson Cooper/CNN on Africa’s violence, rape, hunger. She did not mention any “doll” issues as this is not Angie’s top passionate topic okay, I beleive she understands this is not the worlds top agenda issue right now, okay. She has contributed to our awareness of suffering around the world, this is her true passion. Please people let’s get this doll thing under control.
I’m I the only one here who thinks that Angelina’s comment about a black Disney princess is actually just a pointer to bigger problems in our society “Race, Identity and self esteem” for young black women in America and the world”. It may not seem important to most of you because you or your daughters don’t struggle to find their identy and self esteem in a society that dictates to our children that the dark skin is not beautiful. If you are a black woman, you have to be mixed with some kind of white to be considered beautiful. For young black women all over the world, this is a very important issue as it is about their self esteem. So yes, she may be talking about disney princesses, but in my opinion, that is just an outlet to the bigger problem and by identifying themselves with a princess of their kind, that could do a lot for their self esteem.
Sgirl- I think you’re confused. No one here made a big uproar, it was a woman on Fox who made it into a huge deal. Meanwhile, here on this site we’re fans and we’re just discussing the topic. I’ve read every comment that has come in and I think we’re all keeping it very well under control while having a meaningful conversation.
I believe there is story on an AA “princess” of color coming out soon.
NEW ORLEANS - The Walt Disney Co. has started production on an animated musical fairy tale called “The Frog Princess,” which will be set in New Orleans and feature the Walt Disney Studio’s first black princess.
yaya,that’s a good point. if there are more important things in the world to talk about why does this idiot woman talk about what Angie said. Also, Angie has the right to say whatever she wants. People don’t have to agree with her but she has her right. Furthermore, Angie does care about the important things that happen in world; otherwise, she wouldn’t have travel to Iraq, Dufer, and other third world countries to help out.
Nabi & Rulani, I completely agree with you. I hope you continue sharing your views, because I think they are valuable contributions to our discussion.
I’ve tried to get the same points across in my posts. And I think there are others who agree with you, too.
As a black woman…I really find it interesting that you have FOUR white people in the video discussing whether Angelina had a point about there not being enough Black characters at Disney. Angie is OBVIOUSLY right, but as usual, the dominant race is insensitive to what is lacking in our society, because they’ve ALWAYS had references to what THEY look like. GOD BLESS ANGIE…this is why i love her. If Laura Ingram…that ignorant self-righteous YENTA…had a little girl that was of African descent, she might be a little more sensitive to the issue…which is Angelina’s point. People & companies like DISNEY dont notice the lack of diversity if they are part of the MAJORITY. It was also a cheap shot to ridicule Angie’s tatoos and things she did several years ago. The woman has a lot of carma coming to her…
Sgirl, this has gone past Angie’s comment and has now become a international forum for all of us to express our feelings. I find it so great that so many interesting expressions have been offered here. Nabi, Rulani so happy that you have joined us and hope that you will continue to comment. We have alot of these interesting threads here all the time. CNN was talking yesterday about Obama and how he sees himself, since he is bi-racial. He has stated many times that he sees himself as a Black American. Black princesses, black presidents it is about time. So I hope we continue to have these great conversations, they are all learning experiences. Many times I have changed my thinking because of what I have read here.
Queenbee - that’s an excellent point! I also thought it was a little ridiculous for a group of white people to be blowing off the lack of black princesses at Disney as though it was completely outrageous.
Ditto, Queenbee.
Sgirl, I thought your suggestion early on of replacing all the white Disney princesses with black princesses, then watching the fallout was brilliant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/magazine/24princess.t.html?emc=eta1
Earlier, someone said they didn’t particularly care for princesses as role models. Here’s something that addresses that (I didn’t quite follow everything the author said):
MAGAZINE | December 24, 2006
What’s Wrong With Cinderella?
By PEGGY ORENSTEIN
One mother’s struggle with her 3-year-old daughter’s love affair with princess culture.
I have never ever posted anything on this site before but I am moved to comment for once. I’m a supporter of Angelina all the way back to Cyborg 2 but my feelings about this have little to do with her. Children look to the people in their lives, the stories they are told, the strangers they meet to learn how to be people. They learn their values, their VALUE, and their place in thier culture from all of the people and media they encounter everyday and Disney is part of that media. The fact that it’s 2008 and Disney just now has a Princess film in production featuring an person of color who is also of African descent is shameful. I am a Caucasian woman with caucasian children who don’t need a Disney princess of color and African descent to validate their own lives but I still think it is essential for them to understand, to experience and to learn to love all people of all colors and it would be nice to buy them “Disney Princess” bedding and pillows and wallpaper that show them the colorful world where they live with all types of people they share it with included. It’s an important step for them to accept the world as it is and with all the unrealistic things in the Princess films which upset me but are nearly unavoidable if your daughters are age 3 -8, it’s the least Disney can do to finally produce a film that includes the people who have so obviously been excluded.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17524865/
This has been a very wonderful discussion, and I’m glad to read the opinions of everyone. I agree with many, don’t agree with some, but it’s been a good exchange. I still think Fox made a mountain out of a molehill, and once again chose one small sentence from Angie and amplified it to make it sound like she’s so high and mighty. She was probably just expressing her disappointment, and rightly so, but Fox had to make it like she was on a warpath with Disney. Thank you for the many posters who enlightened me even more.
HI ALL ITS WEIRD A READ THESE COMMENTS ALOT AND WAS AMAZED BY THIS IT WAS MY NEICES BIRTHDAY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND BOTH MY MAM AND I GOT HER DISNEY PRINCESS CARDS AND ON BOTH JASMINE WAS NOT ON THEM AS FOR EVERY OTHER DISNEY PRODUCT I HAVE EVER SEEN IT IS ALWAY THE THREE “WHITE DISNEY” PRINCESSES WHICH I DO BELEIVE AND AGREE IS SLIGHTY WRONG I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT AS MY MAM AND I HAD THIS DISCUSSION AT HOME A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO!!!
Sherri,
Thanks for giving us a forum to express our views constructively.
Nabi
I think Laura Ingraham is completely justified in her opinion, especially since the talk show host recently went over to Guatemala and adopted an orphan from there(Maria Caroline). I don’t think her point was so much that Angelina Jolie is completely off base but just that she didn’t need to share that opinion with the media. Angelina gets so much media for everything she says and does, and I’ll agree that she does use her fame for good in her charity work. But this issue was better discussed privately and not to the media. Bringing attention to something like this is not really neccessary. Topics like this are best left out of interviews. And I highly doubt the question was directly about that, so it was Ms. Jolie’s choice to bring that into the discussion.
Has anyone seen the fabulous Makeda, The Queen of Sheba doll with her storybook and audio CD at ethidolls.com? Even the fabric for her traditional dress is hand-woven in Ethiopia. Now there’s a worthy African doll for Zahara representing her native land. I hope Angelina finds her.
A. Jolie didn’t “bring out a debate” or try to “bring up an issue”, she made an offhand comment about something that was frustrating at that time: kid wants a black princess - can’t find a black princess. As a parent I know, kids always seem to be able to want the one thing there’s NONE of at the store.
And she’s right! There AREN’T any Disney black princesses. (Lioness is kinda close though right..? “NO. Princess!” defines the kid.)
This Laura character is straight up ignorant AND obnoxious. What would she even know about being a black child in America. “We had that…’Mulan’ character, that’s enough!”
I don’t think many people would confuse a comment made while shopping to a campaign/political/racist agenda.
Agreed, Nite Gazer. Glad you found your way here.