Holiday Streams: How Vanessa Hudgens' Princess Switch uses children to promote sexism, idolize 'prince charming'

Sometimes, you need a break from the hardcore reality and what can offer you a better break than watching a holiday rom-com, snuggled in your bed with a bucket of popcorn. Watching such films is more like a guilty pleasure as deep down, you know it is just a fantasy movie which all talks about how a woman's only life goal is to find love and her 'prince charming'.

The film Princess Switch does the same too. As you continue to watch the film, you also realise how it uses children to promote sexism and normalises the fantastical concept of prince charming and how girls' only dream is to find her 'prince charming' and get married to him. 

The film opens with a scene of a bakery in Chicago where Stacy, played by Vanessa, is seen busy with the upcoming Christmas cake orders. Liv, Stacy's best friend's daughter, is seen trying to convince Stacy that she should participate in a baking contest conducted by the royals. However, what's disappointing is how the makers lead the idea of 'prince charming' with its little girl's character Liv, played by Alexa Adeosun. She ends her dialogue by, saying 'let's go meet the handsome prince' which promotes how even little girls are taught of dreaming of the 'prince', rather than being encouraged to be independent and do well in careers. Her lines only show that she cares more about the prince than winning the contest, which could help boost her bakery business. 

Stacy politely refuses to participate in the contest, only to say yes later when she sees her ex-boyfriend happy with his new partner. To pretend to be happy even after the breakup, she tells him that she is participating in this big baking contest as if she wanted a guy to spite so that at least then, she could try and do something to make a progress in her career. 

Christmas is called 'magical time of year' but the appearance of the same man, out of nowhere at different spots, just to ensure that Stacy is united with her 'prince charming' is a bit too over the top, unbelievable and sometimes, laughable. When that man says that the prince is getting married to the princess of Montenaro, the first thing that Liv asks is 'Is she pretty?', again giving away an idea that a woman should be 'pretty' to be married to a prince. And, none of the adults tries to correct her or tell her otherwise.  

While at one point, it showcases how women look for their 'dreamy prince', at other moments, it contradicts itself showing women can also have a say in administration and support men in their careers. But it just gets buried deep with all the other scenes promoting sexism and patriarchal ideas. When the prince and his fiance visit the charity, girl children are seen idolizing the princess. Stacy is seen telling a young girl that she can be a princess in her heart if she cares for others, but later, she is seen buying tiara for the girls at the orphanage. The last scene of the film shows an orphan girl, all dreamy, as she sees the prince and princess kissing. She asks Stacy if now she is a real princess and she says yes. It only contradicts the earlier scene and gives away the idea that one can be a real princess only if she is married to a royal. The orphan girl is then seen blushing and running away.

Well, there is nothing wrong with dreaming, I would say, but dreaming of this fantasy of a 'handsome prince charming' can many times also set unrealistic expectations and ruin your relationships. When a certain section of society is trying hard to fight these patriarchal ideas, teaching children about gender equality, such films do not really come as a boon or 'magical' that could wipe out the patriarchy that we have been fighting for generations. Hence, such films are better off as just guilty-pleasure watches, in case you need relief from reality and drift to a world that you know do not exist. 

The film stars Vanessa Hudgens in a double role alongside Nick Sagar, Alexa Adeosun, Robin Soans and Sam Palladio. It follows the story of Stacy who runs into her doppelganger princess and decides to switch places with her so that Margaret can deal with her self-identity crisis. Stacy and Margaret then fall in love with their respective partners when they switch places. The film has spawned two sequels. The third instalment was released recently on Netflix on December 3 where Vanessa plays triple roles. There are also rumours about the fourth part of the film franchise. However, there has been no official announcement yet.