Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Artist reimagines Disney Princesses as disabled to highlight social exclusion

From The Huffington Post UK:

Disney Princesses have long been held up as a blueprint for little girls to aspire to.

And while their quest to find the man of their dreams (in most cases) has been criticised by feminists far and wide, one artist claims there is another shortcoming of Disney's creations - one that is seldom discussed.

"Have you ever seen a disabled protagonist in a Disney movie?," Alexsandro Palombo asks on his blog, before swiftly answering his own question: "You sure don't because disability doesn't match Disney's standards!"

Through his work, 'Disabled Disney Princesses', the artist raises previously unasked (and unanswered) questions: would the princesses enjoy the same lifestyle if their bodies were different? Would the films be as popular?

Speaking to HuffPost UK Lifestyle, Alexsandro reveals the issue of disability and social exclusion is close to his heart.

"Two years ago I had a rare form of cancer and after surgery to remove it some parts of my body are now paralyzed. I am now a disabled person, and every day I have to deal with all forms of discrimination," he told HuffPost UK Lifestyle.

"Through this series I wanted to give visibility to this problem of strong discrimination directed to the persons with disabilities who live in our society."

The striking illustrations really hit home and serve as a sobering reminder - for both children and adults - of social discrimination of people with disabilities.