I believe that fairy tales don’t reflect a shared set of cultural norms and values, they reflect the ideal goals of a society. Fairy tales are called fairy tales because they are based on things that would never happen in the real world because people aren’t that good in real life. People do not always do the right thing, women are not supported that way, and men are not heroes. Fairy tales are the things people wish would happen in real life. Although, they are shaped by some current norms, most of the time it is to prevent uproar of not including everyone. Producers are only allowed to make movies that the population approves, not based on their own sense of creativity.
One movie that I feel was ahead of its time is Shrek. Shrek is about an Ogre who is ordered to save a princess from a dragon-guarded tower so that he may get his swamp back, and she be married to a prince. The movie is also much more than that. It includes a princess who doesn’t need to be saved, a lesson that beauty is deeper than the surface, drag, the abuse of power, forbidden love, and a donkey and dragon falling in love. There are so many lessons to be learned in each Shrek movie. None of the women are portrayed as damsels in distress, and most of the time are the ones kicking ass. Each Shrek movie brings to light the equality between every character, and bashes the ones who try to tell others to stay in their place. It is about including everyone for who they are and not asking anyone to change in order to be accepted.
I chose this photo because it illustrates that if you choose not to include everyone, you will be excluded.