#BEDN: Why Mulan>Anyone

giphy

giphy

I’m going to go right out and say it: Mulan is the best, and most unappreciated Disney “Princess” ever. I know she might not be an official Prin, but girl saved China, she can be a damn Queen if she wants to! She’s a kickass babe, relatably clumsy, hilarious and all round amazing – So why have I never met a little girl who says she’s their favourite?!

How can Anna and Elsa and Belle and Aurora be role models but Mulan, (who, let me say it again for those who didn’t hear it the first time, saved China,) isn’t? All her family were like ‘conform to this and be pretty and quiet and obedient to get a man” and Mulan was like “Na mate, I’m good. Brb, gonna go defend China with nothing but a lucky cricket and a lizard dragon”.

Mulan kicks the patriarchy in the face by proving she can do anything a man can do, in a society where she would never have been given a chance because of her gender. She is strong but not sexualised and most of all, she is realistic. I too wake up disorientated with messy hair. She is not full of poise and grace and y’know what? Neither am I! (That said, I have enough trouble saving money, let alone a country!)

The whole film mocks gender roles, beginning with ‘Please Bring Honour to us’  which parodies the idea that all woman need to do is be pretty and get married to bring ‘honour’ to their family. Mulan is told she’ll never bring honour to her family but oops, then she goes and saves China so y’know.

128462_story__tumblrinlinemklx6sWDwF1qz4rgp

128462_story__tumblrinlinemklx6sWDwF1qz4rgp

Then in a ‘Girl Worth Fighting For’, she sings the best line: ‘What about a girl who’s got a brain and always speaks her mind’, highlighting how shallow the whole thing is. I could get deep here and talk about ‘performing gender’, but I’m two glasses of wine deep and still have flashbacks of a particularly stressful module about that exact thing from Uni, so I’ll let you look at that yourself.

Far from the usual Damsel in Distress trope, Mulan gets to save her bae twice! She also doesn’t rub it in his face, which is something I would totally do. Shang doesn’t just fancy her cos she’s a pretty Princess, he loves her cos she’s smart and funny and dorky and badass – plus, once a girl saves your life twice, it’s hard not to love her!

So please excuse me if I get angry that Disneyland Paris doesn’t have any Mulan items in any of it’s million shops yet you can get anything available with Elsa’s frosty face on it. Did she save China? No. She got in a strop and froze the world. Good job Elsa.

Mulan > Everyone.

giphy-2

giphy-2

Comments

  7. Reply

    Mulan is my favorite and always has been! And I just went and found the movie again because of this post! 😀 it is annoying that there is so little of Mulan in stores, but I did (and probably still do at my mum’s house) have a Mulan board game 😀

  8. Reply

    I really loved reading this. I giggled when I read where you crossed out lizard! I immediately said Mushu’s line aloud ‘dragon, not lizard, I dont do that tongue thing *hiss*’ XD
    I too wish there were more great role models for young girls. Although disney movies are fantastic and I’m a huge fan, most of their female characters give young girls and boys the wrong message about love/relationships, how girls should act & look, so much more and it’s such a shame. There needs to be more characters that are badass like Mulan!

    I’m going to have to listen to some songs from the Mulan soundtrack now. ‘I’ll make a man out of you’ is my favourite. What’s yours?

    http://www.raiin-monkey.blogspot.com

  9. Reply

    I will look for it when I get back to England! I would absolutely drive down from Newcastle to have a Mulan board game night!

Leave a Comment