Imagine a strong, independent young woman. Is she a devoted wife or a stay-at-home mother? Does she cook and clean for her household? Is she a “girly girl” who enjoys feminine clothes, makeup and activities, like shopping? In today’s society, many would say no. They would instead envision a single woman with a powerful, high-income career. The media often portrays these women as strong, and traditional, feminine women as weak. In reality, society and media should empower all women, rather than targeting them for their personal dreams.
As the internet continues to grow and become a part of everyday life, several common terms shift and change meaning in accordance with newer audiences. With online debates and discussions, the point of feminism has been changed to exclude its original message. Per Merriam-Webster, feminism is the “belief and advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes, expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.”
In recent years, internet movements have misapplied that meaning, instead using it to promote misandry, which is the idea that women are superior to men rather than equal. By using these terms as synonyms, individuals are warping what was once a social justice movement. Feminism is meant to fight for equality;however, modern internet feminists tend to encourage complete independence, pushing as far as to rid women of male partners.
Women, as equals, are entitled to be free and independent from men, pushing back against the traditional gender roles of society. If a woman chooses to remain single, the power resides in her. The problem is that not all women want that. Many desire to fall in love and depend on their person, creating and holding a special bond that potentially lasts forever. With that also often comes the desire to embrace motherhood and sometimes play a role in caretaking a home. These aspirations have been sculpted by human nature, yet are demonized by modern feminists on the internet, with the supposed idea that traditional life perspectives are setting women back decades.
Not every woman has to succumb to the “strong” stereotype to be a strong woman. Strength can come with femininity just as much as it can with masculinity. One instance where the media tends to portray women as strong or weak based on their goals and characters is the buzz revolving around Disney movies, specifically in their princesses.
Groups in society portray characters such as Elsa from “Frozen” and Merida from Pixar’s “Brave” as strong. Others, like Mulan and Jasmine, are considered strong, even though they have love interests. Most of these women are designed to have masculine characteristics, especially shown through their interests and aspirations.
Other princesses who show their femininity, such as Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Ariel and Snow White, are deemed as weaker characters. These internet users fail to acknowledge many vital aspects of their stories. For example, many portray Snow White as weak or problematic, especially during her infamous kiss scene and her participation in cooking and cleaning for the seven dwarves.
As demonstrated at the beginning of the movie through the opening song “I’m Wishing,” Snow White and her love interest are established to have already fallen in love. The scene in which the prince saves Snow White is meant to be solemn and romantic, as his character is grieving the loss of his lover. The kiss was a creative decision made by Disney in their film adaptation, which was based on a story written by The Brothers Grimm. In that original story, one of the prince’s servants struck Snow White in the back, causing the apple to fly out of her throat. Additionally, Snow White’s traditional caretaking role for the dwarves is misinterpreted by many as an act of submission, when instead she chooses to not only care for them but also teach them how to maintain their home, in return for their hospitality.
Despite this, modern media figures, such as the 2025 live-action adaptation of Snow White, have reframed the protagonist to align with contemporary feminist ideals. While live-action films were meant to deviate from the original stories, making too many changes can be damaging to the audience by altering beloved characters in ways that can undermine the value of femininity and traditional living. This can be striking to audience members who viewed the characters as role models.
Individuals who create exaggerated distinctions between strong and weak female characters create more division than unity. They form stereotypes, failing to consider that there are women who can have both. In the Disney princess brand, characters such as Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” are strong and feminine at the same time, enjoying romance while still fighting against the antagonist. Belle is not an outspoken feminist character. She is instead a quiet bookworm whose intelligence and emotions drive her actions, and it works for her. She embraces her femininity and love while still being a strong influence.
These representations of young women are vital to the way they learn to live and thrive in society. Without proper portraits of feminine women who aspire to become mothers and partners, individuals can become discouraged from their achievable dreams, no matter whether they are traditional or not. Not everyone is cut out to be single and completely independent. Many seek lifetime partnerships and other values.
Female empowerment is supposed to be about bringing women up, but modern feminist views have been doing more harm than good. Not every traditional dream is a direct attack on women’s hard-earned rights or a sexist notion that women are less than they should be. Not every declaration of love is a claim that every woman needs a man or partner to be happy. Not every woman who says she wants to be a stay-at-home mother is a strike against women who choose not to have children. Each woman has their own opinions and outlook on life that they are entitled to, and the way they fulfill them is their own choice, just as much as those who stray away from traditional lifestyles.
Love is not weak, and choosing to fall in love and get married does not make someone a weak person. It makes them even stronger in making their own choices despite the current environment and online debates. Love comes from everyday life with friends and family, so to disregard romance for the sake of independence takes away from the beauty that can come from falling in love.