I’m starting out this throwdown with the two princess notorious for sleeping: Snow White and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. These two princesses actually have more in common than sleeping – they both were running from an evil nemesis, they both had to hide in a shack the woods for the bulk of the story and they both had to wait for A MAN (ugh!) to save them.
But first, before the throwdown, SOME BACKGROUND!
- Snow White first made her animated appearance in 1937 and was Walt Disney’s first full length animated feature film. We all know the story, based on a Grimm Brothers fairytale – she was “the fairest of them all” and was forced to hide from her evil stepmother (the queen) in the forest with seven dwarfs, before eventually biting a poison apple and sleeping until true love’s kiss could break the spell.
- Sleeping Beauty, also based on a Grimm Brother fairytale, was made into a full length animated feature film by Disney in 1959. Aurora is a princess, cursed to prick her finger on a spinning wheel by Maleficent. To prevent this, three fairies hide, and raise her in the woods and bring her back to the castle on her 16th birthday – where she immediately pricks her finger on a spinning wheel! She also has to wait for true love’s kiss to wake her from her slumber.
Damsel in Distress or DiD
Both Snow White and Sleep Beauty are your ultimate DiD. I know this damsel in distress archetype is a product of the time and a snapshot of how women were expected to be at that particular era, so I will try and not judge the characters to harshly for their inability TO DO ANYTHING without the help of a man. ADVANTAGE: Tied
Street Smarts
Ummmmm – this is a tough one, as neither of these princesses really have any street smarts or the ability to sense danger. First, Snow White – she almost gets murdered in the woods by the Huntsman, and then moves in with seven strange men. That’s pretty trusting after a near death experience. But does she learn? NOPE. She eats a poison apple only ONE DAY LATER. But Sleeping Beauty really isn’t much better – she talks to a stranger in the woods and immediately falls for him! However, Sleeping Beauty doesn’t have quite so many incidents in a row, so she wins this round. ADVANTAGE: Sleeping Beauty
Special Skills
If you look at both princesses right off the bat, you kind of wonder what special skills they are actually bringing to the table. But let’s look a bit harder, shall we? Starting with Sleeping Beauty, she has the ability to speak to woodland creatures. They help her with her chores and even create a fake dance partner for her. But Snow White also has this special skill – and more than that, she can actually clean a mean house! While the woodland creatures definitely help her with her cleaning, she still organizes and does a lot of it herself. So, for this round, Snow White wins. ADVANTAGE: Snow White
Tie Breaker: Less annoying voice
Since these two are tied at this point, I am going to think about the one I would rather hand out with. And the big factor here is their voices. Snow White’s voice is just TOO high pitched and shrill for me – it’s just not easy to listen to for more than an hour. ADVANTAGE: Sleeping Beauty
The Chatty Enthusiast 