Disney gave me unrealistic expectations about everything!

I don’t care that I am almost 22 years old and still watch Disney movies. I’m not talking about just any ol’ Disney classic. I’m talking about the Disney princesses.

We (and by we, I mean ladies) grow up watching these fairy tales about beautiful princesses, who fall in love with the handsome prince, and live happily ever after. All we ever want in life after seeing these films is to be a princess! We want a fairy godmother who grants our every wish. We want a prince to sweep us off our feet. We want the hair!

It’s probably because I’m a fellow ginger, but Ariel was always my favorite. Admit it, she is the coolest! Her dad is the king of the ocean, she can sing like nobody’s business and she can totally rock a purple-shell bikini top. Not to mention she married probably the best prince out of all the Disney princes. Prince Eric spent most of the movie searching, no, not searching, pursuing this woman who saved him from the shipwreck with “the most beautiful voice,” even though he no idea who she was or where to find her. Once he found her, he vowed to never lose her again.

After that I knew what I wanted out of life: to have my hair look as great as hers does even under water and to have the man of my dreams pursue me with the same passion.

My friend is taking this relationship class as part of her Child and Family Development major, and her teacher has a word for the unrealistic expectations that come from watching these movies: Disney-fication. We’ve been brainwashed to believe that “someday [our] prince will come,” and we will all live happily ever after, when in all likelihood, it won’t happen. At least not in the way we, or Disney, pictured it.

Despite that fact, I believe that there is always hope. No, I don’t think I’m ever going to be awakened by true love’s kiss, saved from the clutches of an evil sorcerer by my prince or even taken on a magic carpet ride. But I have to believe that there is someone out there for me that I can live happily ever after with. All it takes is time, and maybe a glass slipper.