I love a good fairy tale—take Cinderella, for example. She starts as the apple of her father’s eye, then gets thrown into indentured servitude by her stepfamily. Enter the mystical fairy godmother with impeccable fashion sense, who transforms her into a literal 10. Cinderella crashes a high-profile ball (no invite, no guest list, no security check—clearly, fairy godmother had connections). She doesn’t know a soul, dances with the prince once, hears the clock strike midnight, and dips—leaving him completely sprung off one two-step.
Women today bend over backward for a single text, but she snagged a man with minimal effort.
The Prince’s Obsession: Searching the Kingdom for One Shoe
The prince could’ve danced with someone else—it was his ball, after all. But he’s hooked. He rallies his crew to scour the kingdom with her size-6 glass slipper. Not once does he think, “Plenty of women wear size 6—this is pointless.” Nope. When he finds her, the shoe fits, and he doesn’t care about her rags or the fancy disguise. He sees her and knows she’s the one to share his kingdom, heart, and life.
They ride off into the sunset, leaving her toxic family behind. Little girls everywhere watched and thought, “I can’t wait to grow up and find my prince.” And that’s when Disney screwed us up.
Fairy Tales Distort How We View Real Relationships
I’m not saying princes don’t exist. What I’m saying is the illogical rules from these stories have warped our expectations of love and partnerships.
We think we can do little to nothing and still land a white knight who doubles as a personal servant. If it takes real effort to attract or keep someone, we assume “it wasn’t meant to be.” We also paint men as emotionless creatures who don’t crave desire or affection the way we do. It’s wild.
As a self-proclaimed Disneyologist, here’s how Disney messed with my thinking on love and relationships:
1. My Partner Will Be Perfect and Everything I Want
No one can be your exact ideal 100% of the time. Real appreciation grows over time, flaws and all. When we refuse to accept imperfections, we stay unhappy with everyone we meet. And the “perfect” person with zero flaws? Usually ends up on Investigation Discovery. We’re all flawed—nobody’s perfect.
2. He’ll Be Super Romantic 24/7, Showering Me with Gifts and Kingdoms
I’m not romantic every day—some days I’m just holding it together. Life happens: jobs, stress, bills. Expecting constant baths, flowers, and nightly smiles while juggling a 9-5? You’ll go broke on water and floral expenses. If he can do it consistently, awesome—you lucked out. But if not, it doesn’t mean he loves you less or doesn’t understand your needs deeply.
3. It’s Not Always About You
In fairy tales, princes slay dragons, chase runaway princesses, and stay endlessly understanding. Do we do the same for them? Rarely. Relationships have two people with needs, wants, and desires. Both must sit down, communicate, and work to make each other happy—it’s mutual effort.
Relationships Take Work—Not Magic
Your relationship can still feel magical and end happily. But it won’t pull itself together or stay strong on autopilot. It requires work, understanding, compromise, and shared love.
Disney fairy tales romanticize effortless love and “happily ever after” without showing the messy, beautiful reality. They set us up for disappointment when real life doesn’t match the script.
Do you think fairy tales (especially Disney versions) give people a false idea of what a good relationship should be? Share your thoughts below!