10. Up: I haven't seen this so can't really comment but, let's face it, the two main characters have penises. Like every other fucking movie ever made. It needs to be dumped. I'd replace this with Racing Stripes. Now, I need to go on record here and say I fucking hate this film. Every time I see it, I want to cry. However, it's a great film for young girls because it really is about a girl defying all forms of patriarchal conformity and doing exactly what she knows she can do despite being told she can't do it.
9. Matilda: I'd keep Matilda. Okay, it has some problematic portrayals of mother and headteacher but it's a little girl who defends herself and her friends by being intelligent, resourceful and kind. These are characteristics that we need to be teaching ALL children.
8. The Never Ending Story: I love this movie so it's staying in. Should have starred a girl but still a brilliant film.
7. Wizard of Oz: I have never understood the fascination with this film. It stars an adult woman trussed up like a child complete with bound breasts. There are some seriously creepy subtexts about sexuality and misogyny in the film. I can't think of a musical that I would replace it with since the whole genre is riddled with misogyny. I'd replace it with Hoodwinked since it has two great female characters; one of whom is a snow-boarding, cookie baking grandmother.
6. Mary Poppins: I love this film and I don't care how bad Dick Van Dyke's accent really was. It's a film about suffragettes, male stupidity and questions patriarchal conformity. What's not to like?
5. The Jungle Book: The soundtrack to this film is utterly brilliant but the film itself should only be watched whilst questioning gender conformity and racism.
4. Labyrinth: A film starring a teenage girl where she doesn't get naked, give blow jobs or is clinically stupid. That alone makes it a worthy feminist film. The fact that she's also brave, intelligent, and kind is just an added bonus. It stars Jennifer Connelly who is a brilliant and criminally under-used actress. I've never entirely understood the fascination with Bowie but he's a great creep.
3. Home Alone: This must have been nominated by people who hate their children because I can't imagine why anyone would force their offspring to watch this. Kiki's Delivery Service is an utterly brilliant film about a young girl coming of age, making friends, and learning to take responsibility for herself and not a whiny self-involved child surrounded by whiny self-involved adults who don't listen to one another.
2. Lion King: The Lion King was a piece of misogynistic twaddle about a couple of whiny, self-involved men ruining everything for everyone else. That's without the not-so-subtle subtext of racism. I'd dump it in favour of the Wild Thornberries which is another great film about a young girl coming of age and learning to take responsibility for others. It's about relationships between sisters and parents and caring for one another without losing yourself.
1. Toy Story: Oh look, another movie by Pixar/ Disney where Only Those Who are Three Dimensional Characters Get To Have Adventures. Otherwise known as: Only Toys with Penises Count. None of the Pixar Films are feminist-friendly and I don't want to hear about the freaking Incredibles. Mrs. Incredible covers up for her useless husband's abusive, self-destructive behaviour whilst wandering about wondering if her ass is fat. Teenage Incredible's special power is invisibility: which makes her exactly the same as every other teenage girl with low self-esteem. Hardly, what I aspire for my daughters.
Mulan is way better: a young woman defies gender constructions, the Patriarchy and kicks arse saving her "man", the Emperor and the rest of China. She's also brave, resourceful, intelligent and doesn't take shit from anyone.
And, every child should be given a copy of Miss Representation.
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