Anti-love rant

So this week I watched a YouTube clip of all of the princesses in real life (as in, they weren't animated) singing about love n' stuff. Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Jasmine, Belle and Elsa were there (Tho I must say, Elsa was a little random).

 So, in the clip, all the girls are hanging out in some house, and Ariel starts it off by saying, "Look at my flowers girls! Eric got it for me (giggle giggle)," and all the other girls giggle along with her except Elsa, who stalks off into another room to sing about how she doesn't need to hide behind a man or true love. By the end of the song, she has stalked around the entire house and has convinced all of the other princesses that they don't need men either and therefore are strong female characters.

Cute, in principle. Not accurate, however.

I don't mind when a woman saves herself in a movie. I might even applaud it. But I take exception to 2 messages this little YouTube ditty sends.

1) Love is silly and makes you dependent on a man for all of your rescuing.
False. Love is not silly; in fact, love between a guy and a girl is quite lovely, particularly when it's a healthy relationship (though that's an entirely different conversation). Love is about helping each other and being willing to do things for this person we normally wouldn't do. If that means rescuing you from a crazy octopus lady or helping you escape your palace walls, aight! Bottom line is; Love is not bad, and it's not crippling to you or your life. Loving a good man is a wonderful experience. It can be frustrating, yes, but loving doesn't mean that you have to wait for him to help you with everything. Heck, you might even help him.


2) If you have a man, you're a bimbo and a "Weak" female character.
Oh please. Didn't Ariel rescue Eric? Didn't Jasmine escape her castle all by Herself? Didn't Cinderella have the guts to disobey her stepmother and find true love anyway? Doesn't Belle read books? What bimbo reads books? Hm?

I understand wanting women to be strong and have their own identity and strength. I get that, and I support it, strongly.  But there's nothing wrong with loving or being with a guy as a part of that identity and strength. I do not believe one precludes the other, which is what a lot of media teaches. Women are fundamentally loving creatures; this love can (and does) include family, friends, children and yes, a man. Why downplay such a beautiful ability and power for good?