I'm sure right about now every girl reading this just gasped and very likely may have stopped reading.
The movie The Princess Bride is a classic princess, fairy-tale where Princess Buttercup is forced against her will to marry Prince Humperdinck and her true love Westley saves her, and they live happily ever after.
First of all, let's start off with the name: Princess Buttercup?! Are you serious? Buttercup? What kind of a name is that? Now I'm really not going to take this movie seriously.
Second, Princess Buttercup takes the damsel in distress role too far to the point where all she does is stand on the sidelines watching men decide her future for her. Her only role is to faint, gasp, or delcare her love for her beloved Westley - what a role model for our young girls who we are trying to mold into strong, independent women.
The only thing The Princess Bride does is encourage this fantasy that women have that one day a man will come in riding on his white horse, sweep you off your feet, solve all your problems, and ride off with you into the sunset.
Now I am all for great love stories and am like every girl who is excited to fall in love and get married one day, but The Princess Bride only gives Princess Buttercup one role: to fall in love and thereby, become dependent on one person. She has no life outside of the one that includes Westley.
For a healthier, more realistic chick flick, I suggest my favorite, Ever After. A re-telling of Cinderella starring Drew Barrymore, this Cinderella does not sit around all day waiting for her Prince Charming to come, and the best part (spoiler warning): she saves herself.
In the very end, she wins her freedom herself, and just as the Prince is riding in on his mighty steed to resuce her, she is leaving her master's house a free woman.
Also, the Prince does not fall in love with her just because she is beautiful and fawns over his every word, but she challenges him intellectually and inspires him to become a better person. She is his partner, his other half in every sense of the word: now that's true love.
And that's my two cents.
guess i'll have to sell my white horse?
ReplyDeletejoking aside. good article.
I kind of like the Princess Bride, but I never thought of it as a chick flick really. I like it because it's funny.
ReplyDelete"The cliffs of insanity!!"
Ok, I must say I disagree with your article very strongly:
ReplyDelete1. This movie is not meant to be taken seriously. Buttercup is a silly, girly name, and is meant to make the girl seem more sweet.
2. That's great! A man needs a woman who will love him and cherish him. Girls shouldn't necessarily learn to be dependent. They should respect their husbands and love them. Men are the leaders of the family.
3.Isn't that what all fairy tales do? It's meant to be a happy romantic movie, so just enjoy it!
4.Women should completely depend on one, single man. As soon as women tried to start being independent, men began to become more lazy. And them comes the welfare, single mothers, etc. Feminism is the downfall of America, and this movie at least tries to maintain how true love and a marriage should look.
5. This movie is enjoyable, but I do not like the feminist touch. The man would have been much more proud if he had saver her himself, and she would have respected him more.
6. But anyway, I appreciate your attempt to cut down the Princess Bride, but it's just too good of a movie. Why criticize it?
And that's my five cents.
Wow, seriously? "Oh, it's the *women's* fault for the men becoming lazy." Bullshit. If the man's frickin' lazy, then that's his flaw -- it's not the fault of the woman, you stupid, sexist moron. That's the biggest bullshit I've ever heard.
DeleteWomen and men are equally smart and capable. This is the truth. The notion of men being the head of the family is old and sexist. Women should not become dependent on men, and dependency is not true love. True love is equality. Gender roles do not matter; women can be breadwinners and men can be stay at home parents. You are stuck in the gender roles of the past. Women are no longer conforming to your sexist ways of thinking. Feminism is the radical idea that women are people and just as worthy as men. Because we are.
DeleteI totally agree with this blog. I hated the Princess Bride even before I was old enough to resent how it portrayed both women and men. I have nothing against having a healthy relationship with a man whom you love. That is wonderful. But women would be a lot happier (and men too) if both take part in equal amounts of responsibility and reap equal benefits. A woman should be able to adventure and better herself and discover herself just as a man should. And if I recall correctly in the novel, near the end, the character Wesley mentions that he slept with numerous women while he was out adventuring, while Buttercup did not sleep with anyone other than Wesley. Wow. Just wow. I guess the author of this book believes that respect and loyalty is a one way street. That's just sad. As for me, I'm going to teach my daughters to study many subjects and experience the world so that they will grow confident and happy. And so that when they find a husband they will have a mutually respectful relationship full of genuine love, an equal give-and-take relationship where both encourage each other to improve themselves and find happiness. NOT based upon one spouse making the other feel weak and inferior. That's a form of mental slavery, and I believe every human being has the right to carve out their own future. And guys should remember, if we aren't happy and fulfilled, you NEVER will be. And you know, vice versa, I suppose the female perspective is where I'm coming from though, so any guys reading this, it is not in any way meant to insult you or suggest that you don't want women to be happy, I'm just trying to make a point that both men and women will be happiest when everyone is treated fairly.
ReplyDeletelol, but enough procrastinating, I need to study. ^_^
I love this blog post and this comment. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my feelings ;)
DeleteHere freakin here. I hated The Princess Bride, it was not funny and you are right that Drew's character in Ever After was a far better role model. Also Anon1 is a toolshed. cheers
ReplyDeleteI didn't like this film because every time the camera showed us Princess "Buttercup's" empty, cattle eyes, it just reminded my vagina of how much the Mantocracy that is Hollywood is snuffing out the fires of independence of our sisters and daughters.
ReplyDeletePrincess Buttercup is the antithesis of all that we should strive to be as womyn. When surrounded by armed guards with no hope of escape, should we bite our nails and wait for some big strong MAN to rescue us? Or should we take the initiative and begin plotting how we will break free of our bonds?
Even though the film is a period piece, set in a time when women were naught but property, and if a woman were to retaliate against her father, husband, or royal lord, she would be stoned to death or beheaded, I still believe there is no excuse for their portrayal of her. Why couldn't Princess Buttercup be a Wizard level swordswoman seeking out the 6 fingered woman who killed her mother?
Hello, my name is Buttercup Vagina Moonbeam, you killed my mother, prepared to die! And as she stabs her sword (yet again, another male creation, phallic much?) into her mother's slayer's chest, she utters gently, "I want my mother back, you daughter of a bastard..."
Now THAT would be a movie I would gladly take my daughters Wildfire and Brighid to see.
There seems to be some paralyzing factors that come into play with those who herald the banner of the Princess Bride film as I have noticed. The most discerning one is their like-mindedness. It is apparent to me that the followers of films with cult-like following are drawn to them because they lack the ability to discern for themselves and are more susceptible to following the flock.
ReplyDeleteAn experiment was conducted not long ago which involved five monkeys. A ladder was placed in the room with the simians containing a treat on the top. Whenever one of the monkeys would climb the ladder, the others would be doused with water. As this progressed, the monkeys were not likely to attempt to claim the treat, when one would, the others would beat the one who attempted such a feat in apprehension of undesirable wettage. Later, a subject would be replaced from the group, and the new arrival would attempt to climb the ladder which, as soon as this had occurred, he/she would be beaten by the others. Another monkey was introduced to this experiment, and when trying to climb the ladder, the previously new recruit would contribute to beat the new arrival. Soon, all monkeys were replaced and any simian attempting to climb the ladder would be beaten. I see this very trait in those who adore this film. Blind followers of the masses.
Correction. I am a girl and ALL the girls I know hate this movie. I know mostly guys that like this movie for some stupid reason (apparently it is very quotable) I hate it with every part of my body. the bad acting, sucky story, cheesy moments, stupid names (especially hers) unrealistic turn of eventa even for a fantasy, as in him appropiately being immune to the poison he put in the cups (come on that's just stupid) and I the annoying characters. I also hate the main protagonist's attitude, he seems very selfcentered during the film and "oh so witty and perfect" I wanna puke all over him. (I did like him in men in tights, cuz it was MEANT to make me laugh) but this movie is so laughable it makes me sick. I hate the kid liking the book when he apparently didn't like cheesiness and this story is nothing but but most of all I hate this movie being in the top fantasy movies lists often listed NR 1 before lotr or harry potter which I think are decent fantasy movies that kicks this movies ass so bad it should be dead by now. HATE IT SO MUCH!!!
ReplyDeleteI think you would love kung fury, or kung pow!
DeleteThat's a joke. Nothing wrong with having a different sense of humor, I personally love movies like this that are so ridiculous its funny. The Rodents of Unusual Size? stuff like that is hysterical imho.
Doesn't make a movie bad though, other people enjoy the cheese and silliness :)
The movie I loved but the novel was so fucking bad because of how Goldman writes it and the fact that he interrupts with his past experiences. Like who gives a fuck let me read the damn book.
ReplyDelete