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Catfishing is okay -

In ‘Aladdin’ (1992), the “street rat” wins over Princess Jasmine by pretending to be a prince, and telling her a big fat pack of lies. In real life, though, pretending that you’re someone that you’re not is called catfishing.

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Love comes before friendship -

If you’ve ever had a friend who has chosen their partner over their friendship with you, then maybe they grew up watching 1937's ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’—because she ditched the seven dwarfs in a hot minute for her hot prince.

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Non-consensual romance is okay -

In ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1959) and ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (1937), the prince kisses the unconscious princess and somehow becomes the hero of the film. In real life, kissing without consent is never okay (even if you do happen to be under a spell and in the middle of a forest).

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Trap someone into loving you -

‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991) is problematic in a number of ways, the most obvious being that the Beast literally locks Belle inside his castle until she falls in love with him. Talk about Stockholm syndrome.

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You can (and should try to) change someone -

Belle also spends the whole film trying to change the Beast into her idea of what a man should be. She makes him brush his hair, have table manners, wear different clothes—it's like the Disney version of making your partner buy new jeans and get a different haircut. 

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Money can buy you love -

Despite what The Beatles said, maybe money can buy you love because there’s no denying that the Beast would have had a lot more trouble wooing Belle without the castle, ballroom, fancy dinners, endless new clothes, unlimited library, and full wait staff. 

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A kiss can solve anything -

In ‘Sleeping Beauty,' it is said that, "True love's kiss can break any spell." Sometimes, though, just like in ‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009), when you kiss a toad, they don’t actually turn into a prince.

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Choose looks over personality -

In ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ (1996), Esmerelda chooses Captain Phoebus over Quasimodo, despite his heroic acts and hopeless love for her. After being confined to a bell tower his whole life because of the way he looks, it’s the ultimate friend zone.

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A warped idea of beauty -

According to Disney, if you’re a girl, being beautiful means having a waist that’s more sinched than Marilyn Monroe's, big eyelashes, and bouncy hair. And if you want to be a leading man, then you'd better get down to the gym and become a hunk ASAP.

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Natural beauty isn't enough -

In ‘Cinderella’ (1959), it is made clear that you need a good hairdo and a lovely dress to catch a man. The prince only pays her attention after the Fairy Godmother has given her a magical makeover, and doesn’t even recognize her in her rags until she slips on the glass slipper. 

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You can tame a bad boy -

They may be dogs, but their love story couldn’t be more human. Lady falls hook, line, and sinker for Tramp's bad boy persona in ‘Lady and the Tramp’ (1955) and manages to make him trade his wild ways for family life. In real life, this is a far bigger challenge. 

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Stereotypical gender roles in relationships -

This also plays into the gender stereotypes that are problematic in a lot of the classic Disney films. The woman is quiet and reserved, the man is exciting and adventurous—and eventually, she makes him live a quiet family life. No wonder people have commitment issues. 

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Always choose a man over your family -

In ‘The Little Mermaid’ (1989), she not only chooses her man over her family, but she also chooses to be “part of his world” and leave all that she knows behind. Maybe this is the reason so many people have holiday romances.

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Stay quiet and be pretty -

But Ariel doesn’t just sacrifice her family for a man—she gives up her voice too, and she's only met him once! They then fall in love without ever having had a single conversation. Moral of the story: Be quiet and look pretty, girls.

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Love at first sight is romantic -

Speaking of not speaking, Cinderella’s prince also fell in love with her before she uttered a single word. The idea in Disney films of love at first sight not only being romantic, but pretty much the goal, is probably the reason that a lot of whirlwind romances have gone wrong. 

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You need a man for a happy ending -

Cinderella has a fairy godmother who can grant any of her wishes, but it's only when the handsome prince comes along that she manages to escape a life of servitude in captivity.

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Only heterosexual love counts -

You need a man for a happy ending. That is, if you’re a woman. Despite it being 2025, there are still no leading couples in Disney films that represent the LGBTQ+ community. Get with the program, Disney. 

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Long-distance love is easy -

In both ‘Tarzan’ (1999) and ‘Pocahontas’ (1995), the romantic leads fall in love despite not speaking the same language and being from two conflicting cultures. While cross-cultural and long-distance love can work, it’s made to look far too easy in these films. 

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Marriage is the ultimate goal in life -

In the original Disney classics, marriage is pretty much always the goal, and as soon as it is achieved, the magical music plays and the characters have their “Happily Ever After.” Maybe that’s why, years later, viewers are frantically swiping on dating apps.

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Step-parents are always evil -

Modern dating often involves making a blended family work, and it can be hard enough without Disney making it worse. But films like ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Snow White’ pretty much ruined things for step-moms everywhere by preaching that they are inherently evil. 

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Peter Pan syndrome -

Peter Pan syndrome is when someone just won’t grow up, and dating someone like this means being with someone who is never ready to commit or settle down. And do you know who's to blame? You guessed it, ‘Peter Pan’ (1953). 

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Judge a book by its cover -

The makers of Disney films clearly haven’t heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” because good people are always beautiful, and evil people are always unattractive (everyone has their own Disney fantasy, though, so you can choose your own example for this one!) 

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Women should do all the work -

In ‘The Lion King,' while Simba is living his best ‘Hakuna Matata’ life in the jungle with Timon & Pumbaa, Nala is hunting for food for his family, dealing with his evil uncle, and saving his kingdom. And who steals all the glory at the end?

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Quit when things get tough -

When Simba abandons Nala and his duties as king, Disney also taught people that when the going gets tough, you should not go to couples counselling and work through it. You should just quit. 

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Be quick to forgive -

Forgiveness is great and to be encouraged, but Nala gets over Simba abandoning her in the time it takes to sing ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight.’ Some things should take more than a romantic boat ride to forgive. 

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You should (physically) fight for love -

In ‘The Beauty in the Beast,’ Gaston and the Beast physically fight for Belle. In the end, this makes the Beast even more attractive to her and supports the message that violence is validated if it’s in the name of love. 

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Don’t take dating advice from your parents -

When Ariel disobeys her father in ‘The Little Mermaid,' she is a classic example of a Disney character who refuses to take dating advice from her parents. Everyone's been there—and most have regretted it about as much as she probably did once that ship sailed away. 

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Times are changing -

However, times are changing, and ‘Frozen’ (2013) is a really good example of this. Hans gaslights Ana, and this is immediately called out. They even poke fun at the idea of her marrying him, with Elsa saying, "You can't marry a man you just met!"

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Nostalgic or problematic? -

So, are these films nostalgic or problematic? Do they let you escape into a blissful world of happily ever after, or have they sold you a false dream that pretty much accounts for every one of your dating problems? Let’s ask the magic mirror!

Sources: (Bored Panda)

See also: Walt Disney: The Man Behind the Magic

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