There has been a lot of discussion around feminist movie characters recently, with well-rounded and independent leads like Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road and Rey from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens entering the cinema landscape. On March 17 with the release of Disney’s newest film Zootopia, it seems there might be a new feminist lead in town: except this time, she’s a little tiny bunny.
Zootopia’s bunny character Judy Hopps (get it?) from Bunnyburrow (get it?) has numerous feminist characteristics – she is determined, resilient, and doesn’t have a love interest (not that this is inherently feminist, but it is unusual to see in movies with human women and anthropomorphic bunnies alike). The voice of Judy, Ginnifer Goodwin describes the rabbit as "a little Pollyana mixed with Furiosa".
Judy Hopps is not the only good feminist role model that we’ve seen pop up in the world of animated television and movies for children. Here are five of the best.
Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons
The little pointy yellow-haired girl with the pearls is one of the most consistent feminist characters on television, full stop. She constantly speaks out and speaks up for what is right, she pushes back against the patriarchal establishment by doing things like fighting to enter an all-boys academy; she even becomes President. What more could you ask for in an eight-year-old?
President Lisa Simpson (mashable) Source: mashable
Merida from Brave
Brave is a Pixar movie that flew under the radar like one of its star's arrows flew through the air towards its target. The movie’s star is Merida, a young Scottish princess who would rather win archery competitions and ride her horse through the forest than participate in the princess business. Her strong attitude is kept up throughout the movie, with Merida refusing to be saved by anyone, refusing to choose a suitor, and choosing to remain an independent woman who takes care of things.
Merida is determined to hit the bullseye (Disney) Source: Disney
Mulan from Mulan
The movie Mulan explores a broad range of issues including gender stereotypes, a woman’s place in a conservative society, and talking dragons. If there is debate as to exactly how feminist Mulan is, there is no arguing that Mulan herself is an admirable character. Not only is she fierce, smart, and independent, but she dresses up and impersonates her father – joining the Chinese Imperial Army to save him having to fight in the war. She also happens to save China by essentially winning the war single-handedly. All in a day’s work for an animated feminist.
Watch David & Margaret review 'Mulan'
Mulan just on her way to save all of China (Disney) Source: Disney
Daria from Daria
Daria is a television show from the 90s starring a very 90s character – a sarcastic, smart, alternative, misanthropic teenager named Daria. Daria took no guff from anyone, especially boys – and her relationship with her best friend Jane was the central relationship in the show. Unlike other shows based around teens, Daria and Jane would wax lyrical about all kinds of topics like art and the state of the world – there is even an episode where the twosome creates a project about eating disorders and the pressure on young women to be thin and beautiful.
Jane and Daria (MTV) Source: MTV
Rapunzel from Tangled
The story of Rapunzel has been told many ways, but Disney’s Tangled comes closest to making Rapunzel a feminist character. She is not just a helpless waif that is trapped in a tower waiting for a handsome prince to come and rescue her – she is inventive and actually uses the prince in order to get what she wants. And what she wants is not to get married, but actually it is to find out the source of the lanterns she sees in the sky once a year (spoiler: her real parents let them off on her birthday). At its heart the movie is completely about Rapunzel and her desire to experience life on the outside – the romance that comes along with that is the less important narrative.
Rapunzel lets down her hair, but not her guard (Disney) Source: Disney
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