Consider:
The titular princess is referred to as “Sleeping Beauty.”
The wicked step-sisters are constantly referred to as “ugly."
Snow White is “the fairest of them all.”
Belle’s “name means ‘beauty.’ ”
When the Beast learns to love, he transforms from a monster into Fabio.
Glenda (the good witch) is smoking hot, while the Wicked Witch of the West is fugly.
What a terrible message to send to our youth! It is no wonder that we have such a shallow and judgmental culture. We have been telling children all along that one can indeed judge others based solely on their physical appearance. While I have yet to hear anyone site these examples as contributing factors to the serious social problem of bullying, they surely must play some part. These messages are—at best—wrong and misguiding. At worst—poisonous to all young developing minds, and damning to any children who do not fit society’s definition of “beautiful.”