Something I Said I’d Never Do

Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty & the Beast were released when I was a kid. I loved all three movies. I dreamed of swimming under the ocean just like Ariel, and I crushed on Aladdin. But Belle…she was my favorite, the one I identified with the most. She loved books and so did I, and I loved the way she looked beyond what’s skin deep to see the true character of a person. But my view of Disney Princesses changed as I grew up.

Once Disney started the Disney Princess brand, they...