An observation about The Princess and the Frog

[nenena]

Maybe it's because I've watched more formulaic romantic comedies this weekend than any sane human being should have to endure, but somehow or other my thoughts have lately been preoccupied with how race usually is dealt with in said romantic comedy formula, and how - although I didn't realize this at the time that I first saw the movie - The Princess and the Frog rather delightfully subverts the usual romantic comedy racial paradigm.

We have to start with, of course, the typical romantic comedy heroine. She is always intelligent, hard-working, good at her job, perhaps too good at her job, slavishly devoted to her career, professing little to no interest in sex/men/dating/having fun, and of course destined - through a series of contrived and utterly ridiculous, unbelievable circumstances - to end up falling into the arms of the movie's leading man-child hero, eventually falling in love with him.

In almost every romantic comedy film that I can name, this character is a) white and b) of middling to high socioeconomic status. Also, she is approximately 90% likely to be played by Sandra Bullock and/or Jennifer Aniston.

In The Princess and the Frog, however, that exact role is filled by a poor, black woman.

And next, of course, we have the heroine's Black Best Friend. Sassy, brassy, loud-mouthed and sexy, the Black Best Friend is usually materialistic and man-hungry, although of course she has a heart of gold lurking beneath all of that crass, raunchy exterior. Her role is to cheerlead for the *real* heroine, whether throughout the movie or possibly just at the eleventh hour, not really to get a happy ending herself. Also, at some point in the movie, she must either a) take the heroine shopping or b) give the heroine a sexy change of clothes.

In The Princess and the Frog, of course, the role of the Black Best Friend is fulfilled by a wealthy white woman: Charlotte.

I don't know if Disney did any of that on purpose, but still, how cool is that?!

Comments

[spongefan1.livejournal.com]

I know, right? Such a nice change of pace from the usual, but still so cute (dimples <33).

Speaking of which, were people in the theater like "D:" when Mama Odie tongue-kissed that snake on your end?
They were where I went at least: "EEEEWW, AHH, OMG."

Oh, Disney.

[neocloud9.livejournal.com]

That's awesome.

I don't watch many romcoms, so I wasn't really aware of the tropes... But now I wanna watch the movie again with that in mind! XD

[ladykleo.livejournal.com]

So I guess from your description this movie is worth watching?

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Oh god yes, definitely. It's not a perfect film and there are certainly some problematic aspects to the way that it portrays race, but it's still fantastic in many other respects. Definitely worth spending money on.

[peachyindeed.livejournal.com]

Ever review makes the movie that much more appealing. I love that the Disney writers are playing with tropes like this. I was hesitant at first, thinking the movie was just going to be a half-baked attempt at selling Princess toys to a wider demographic. Clearly I was very much mistaken. I can't wait to see it!

[thegrapeofdeath.livejournal.com]

I think it was done on purpose. This will be a first for Disney. Our god child who is black loves the Disney princesses but wondered out loud why none of them looked like her. Now she no longer has to wonder.

Also, it's finally up: http://www.bolis.com/onyx/starmaker/

[nenena.livejournal.com]

Yaaaay, it's up!

Also, yeah, I realize that Disney was very purposeful in their decision to make a movie about a black heroine. I'm wondering if any of them realize, however, how perfectly Charlotte fits the role of the "Stereotypical Black Best Friend" that appears in most non-animated romantic comedies.