Given the reliable repetitiveness with which these feminine archetypes are portrayed, the

storytellers at Disney were driving a clear-cut, but nevertheless subtle, agenda to groom the

masses into their ideals of femininity. The hypnotic messages which so effectively insinuate

themselves into sub-conscious core beliefs are simple: "Good women triumph over Bad

women"; "Good women bring out the best or worst in others"; "Good women win favours with

other through loving kindness"; and "Bad women are vulnerable to the betrayal of others". 

These core beliefs undoubtedly have a great deal of utility on an individual and collective

basis but what of the less-obvious and more insidious messages contained within, such

as: "Good women are passive and submissive"; and perhaps worst of all, "Good women

are young and physically beautiful".

On the right, we show a depiction of the Queen and the Magic Mirror by

 Gustaf Tenggren for his work on Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".

Certainly the spirit of the age is evolving on from these archaic ideas related to ideal feminine behaviour as demonstrated by the

changed-nature of the stories that are now being told where women and girls can take on the mantle of hero in whatever role she

chooses (as long as she is Good). The adult population driving society currently is comprised of Baby-Boomers and Generation X-ers. 

This demographic grew up on a diet of Disney-defined-femininity, and given the shift away from this trend, driven predominantly by the

Generation X-ers as they rise up through the ranks of social influence, it does seem that such fodder was deemed an unpalatable serving

suggestion for future generations. Nevertheless, the shadow-side of these messages, such as "Good woman is synonymous with being

young and beautiful", still repeats itself in our popular media, like a bad case of indigestion from too much spicy sausage.