Princess Princess is a webcomic by
Tumblr user strangelykatie that defies constructed gender roles while still
playing within traditional fairytale storylines. Sadie is a princess supposedly
trapped within a tower and is rescued by Princess Amira, rather than a typical
prince. Throughout the story the two characters defy gender roles and
traditional expectations placed upon them all while still playing into a
typical fairytale storyline. Drawing from Michael Warner’s definition, which
protests norms and the ideas of norms/normal behavior (Warner xxvii), we can
conclude that this webcomic is queer.
While
Princess Sadie still follows the role of the “damsel-in-distress” trope, she
deviates from the role by sabotaging princes’ attempts to save her. Sadie
diverges from this trope by showing intelligence (i.e., by asking how Amira is
actually going to save her) and also by “defeating” the ogre while the princely
Amira and Vladric are arguing. Sadie shows personal growth throughout the
narrative as she steps into the Queen’s role thereby a divergence from
classical fairytale plots as princesses are almost always stuck within a
one-dimensional character slot. Through the comic, Sadie’s sister calls her a
“fat silly crybaby” and Sadie responds toward the end with “That may be true,
but I’ll never let you make me feel like it’s a bad thing ever again” (36).
This demonstrates Sadie’s personal character development as well as a body
positive message. Despite this, though, the art doesn’t uphold to this physical
trait described in the dialogue.
The
other princess Amira embodies the prince role within the comic’s fairytale
narrative. Evidence of this comes from her physical appearance (her clothes,
her hair, etc.), her personality, and the way she presents herself. It’s also a
representation of a woman being in power rather than as a figurehead. Amira’s
character is specifically working against constructed gender roles by being
cast within the part of the rescuer, which is typically the role of a man. The
clothes she wears are also masculine in nature. Princess Amira’s race and role
as the hero also add to the queer narrative of this comic. According to Cathy
Cohen’s definition of queer, Princess Amira “stands on the outside of the
dominant constructed norm of state-sanctioned white middle- and upper-class
heterosexuality” (441). The components of her identity correlate to Cohen’s
definition of queer – even though it’s implied Amira falls within an
upper-class category – she is still outside the racial norm in fairytales. In
contrast to Princess Amira’s role as the hero of the story and a source of strength,
Prince Vladric, the only male character in the story, is shown as weak. He also
ends up in a subservient position to Princess Sadie as her advisor instead of a
ruling position as in most fairytale stories.
Warner
defines queer as being outside and resisting the established norms and normal
behavior. Strangelykatie’s webcomic about two princesses embodies Warner’s
queer theory through the depiction of a non-traditional fairytale. Both
princess’s physical appearances as well as their determined personalities place
them outside of what you would call classic princess behavior. Despite having
dialogue describing Princess Sadie as “fat and stupid”, the art contradicts the
message being conveyed. Princess Amira queers the gender norm that would
typically apply to her but still falls within the conventional “prince” trope. Even
though we view Princess Princess as
queer, there are still aspects contained within the webcomic that are not.
1. Does this story read as both queer in content and
queer in form? How does the presentation of a web comic change our view of a
fairy tale story? Are there any queer implications about its form through its
circulation on Tumblr and other social media sites?
2. As the only male character, how is Prince Vladric’s
portrayal in the comic significant? How does his portrayal read as queer? How
is the character objectified?
3. How do we read Princess Sadie and Princess Amira’s
relationship? What examples lead readers to concluding a queer relationship? How
would Adrienne Rich see their relationship?
I appreciate that in the analysis of this webcomic there are multiple sources and definitions which lead the reader to understanding and viewing the text as queer. Along with the previously mentioned definitions, I also think that this source does an excellent job of being queer in its relationship to the cyclical consumption of mass media and societal expectations. As we learned from Alexander Doty, society shapes media and vice versa. I see within this text an attempt to change the narrative of media, and therefore change societal expectations. By adopting the classic fairy tale, and then transforming the characters and roles in identity and characteristics, the text is queer in that it offers an alternative to the normative fairy tale.
ReplyDeleteIn response to discussion question 3, I believe that Princess Sadie and Princess Amira’s relationship is meant to be read as a type of romantic or "more than just a friend" type of relationship. The visuals of their facial expressions and body positions in some of the comic frame suggest an intimate connection between Princess Sadie and Princess Amira. For instance, in the last frame in the comic, the princesses are positioned physically close to one another and smiling while Amira holds Sadie's face. I believe that Rich would place the relationship between these two princesses on the lesbian continuum. While, there are no explicit scenes within the comic/ blog mentioning that they may be sexually attracted to one other, they do seem to share a deep intimate connection (weather it is sexual or not remains undetermined). Rich stated that any woman could find themselves a place on the lesbian continuum even if a relationship they have with another woman is not a sexual one.
ReplyDelete*** Personal Plug: I really enjoyed this comic! I hope they come out with more issues. Does anyone know of other online comic series that are like this (queer, nonheternormative, etc.)? Good media choice for the blog!
In response to your comment about Princess Sadie and Princess Amira’s relationship being read as more romantic than friendly I absolutely agree. As you mentioned the positioning of Princess Sadie and Princess Amira in the last frame suggests that these two are more than just friends. I also recognized as you stated Princess Amira’s hand on Princess Sadie’s face. This Frame of Princess Amira and Princess Sadie remind me of a newly married couples photos at their wedding. There are flowers in the background and the two are smiling at each other with their eyes closed as if they have some deep inner connection between each other. The Princesses closed eyes symbolized to me a connection that they have with one another that only they could understand. As you mentioned the article does not explicitly say whether the relationship between the princesses is sexual or not but I do not believe that to be important. The most important factor about the frame is recognizing that these princesses have an intimate connection between one another. I also completely agree with your comment about Rich stating that women can find themselves on the lesbian continuum even if their relationship is not sexual. Rich suggests that women should direct their feelings, emotions and etc towards other women, and in this last frame that is exactly what the Princesses are doing. Princess Amira and Princess Sadie are also supporting Rich’s ideas of resistance of a patriarchic society in their last frame. This is because the women are dominant in this frame and a male is not involved.
DeleteIn response to your comment about Princess Sadie and Princess Amira’s relationship being read as more romantic than friendly I absolutely agree. As you mentioned the positioning of Princess Sadie and Princess Amira in the last frame suggests that these two are more than just friends. I also recognized as you stated Princess Amira’s hand on Princess Sadie’s face. This Frame of Princess Amira and Princess Sadie remind me of a newly married couples photos at their wedding. There are flowers in the background and the two are smiling at each other with their eyes closed as if they have some deep inner connection between each other. The Princesses closed eyes symbolized to me a connection that they have with one another that only they could understand. As you mentioned the article does not explicitly say whether the relationship between the princesses is sexual or not but I do not believe that to be important. The most important factor about the frame is recognizing that these princesses have an intimate connection between one another. I also completely agree with your comment about Rich stating that women can find themselves on the lesbian continuum even if their relationship is not sexual. Rich suggests that women should direct their feelings, emotions and etc towards other women, and in this last frame that is exactly what the Princesses are doing. Princess Amira and Princess Sadie are also supporting Rich’s ideas of resistance of a patriarchic society in their last frame. This is because the women are dominant in this frame and a male is not involved.
DeleteI agree with Samantha and Tonijah that the relationship between Princess Amira and Princess Sadie is more romantic than friendship. As I was going through the comic I noticed some additional examples that help guide the reader to believe that these two are lesbians, in addition to the examples previously pointed out. The main instance of this that stood out to me was during Princess Amira’s flashback conversation with her mother. They are discussing Amira’s dislike for all the princes she had met and her mother kindly reminds her that she could be marrying one of them to continue to serve her kingdom. Amira wants to serve her kingdom, but not through marriage to a prince. She does not feel like she fits in and decides to leave home. This can be related to real life gay and lesbian experiences of feeling like they do not belong or fit their families expectations, which makes them leave their family and start a life on their own. Princess Sadie has a similar dislike for princes when she refuses help from any of them when she is trapped in the tower. She also becomes very emotionally attached to Princess Amira. This connection is so strong that she even risks being captured again to rescue Princess Amira from her evil sister. These minor examples add to the argument that the relationship between the princesses is more than just friends.
DeleteIn response to discussion question 2, Prince Vladric’s portrayal can be read as queer (as defined by Warner) in his depiction as being the opposite of what most of would consider stereotypical prince role. Instead of being “strong” and “capable”, we are introduced to Vladric stuck high up in a tree, requiring help from the two female protagonists; Vladric is portrayed as weak in that he could defeat the ogre on his own, defying the stereotypical princely trope of being capable of defeating monsters and enemies by oneself. He is important in the comic as he becomes a person to whom Amira relates as they speak about parental expectation—which is another way he can be read as queer. Here, instead of following parental and royal expectations, his unwillingness to comply-- even if it may be a result of his perceived weakness—defies the stereotype of a price fulfilling the wishes of his parents and becoming the hero by doing so. He also serves as a travelling companion, a means by which the plot progresses as he was the one who first told the two about the ogre problem, the person who encouraged Sadie to rescue Amira, and an eventual advisor to Queen Sadie at the end. However, I would argue that he is not objectified in the typical sense. If objectification is defined as treating a person as object, especially in the sense of wanting/using someone only for their body, there is no true example of this in the comic. He is not outfitted in revealing clothing or placed in suggestive situations as is seen in typical scenes of objectification in media. Vladric serves as a travelling companion and eventual friend, whose character develops somewhat throughout the course of this short comic, and there exists no true example of him being wanted only for his body.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your response to the comic being read as queer. it absolutely works to break down the traditional princess story. I only have a vexed opinion on the objectification of Vladric. In the story, Vladric is shown as weak and totally dependent. I see where the downplay of the cis-male "prince" role would need to be done, however many people characterize Vladric as queer. This can be troublesome, because this can emphasize the stereotype that gay men are weak. I don't think the author intended any prejudice, though.
DeleteIn response to question 1, I would have to say this is definitely queer in content, but I am unsure of it being queer in form. In recent days I find web comics to be an increasingly common media form on the internet with limitless topic ideas. With such a diverse topic selection, I would think it depends on your own experience at some point due simply to just how you decide what a normal web comic is, and how they are played out.
ReplyDeleteI might be missing the point of your question but, I would say the biggest change to the fairy tale dynamic by making a web comic would have to be the fact that it is much easier to write a story with anything the author would like to include. I say this because due to the story not being in print, it does not have to get published, or make a profit. They do not have to invest anything into it besides their own time and most likely do not expect much in return allowing them to really be as creative as they would like to be with their story. No one has to purchase it, no on has to like it, in lack of a better term, it's here, it's queer, get used to it.
I am not a frequent user of Tumblr or blog sites in general so I am not sure I would be the best to comment on it. All in all, great works Group 1, you will be a tough act to follow for next week!
In response to question 3, I think the majority of readers would read the relationship between Sadie and Amira as romantic. There are plenty of lines that suggest this, such as "I don't care [about the throne]... I just want Amira back" after Amira is captured by the queen, as well as the very last picture in the comic of them holding their heads very close in an intimate embrace. However, I think even without these subtle cues, we would still read their relationship as romantic simply because the story is set up like a traditional fairy tale, meaning that after the prince (or in this case, princess) heroically saves the damsel in distress, they fall in love and live happily ever after. I like that this comic stays within that story line but changes the scope by having a woman as the strong, heroic character that saves the damsel in distress. It makes people expect them to fall in love even if they wouldn't normally expect two women to do that. Good pick for this project, loved reading this comic!
ReplyDeleteIn response to discussion question 3, the relationship between Princess Sadie and Princess Amira would most likely be read as romantic by readers. This is mainly due to the various ways they are depicted romantically such as in the final scene where Amira and Sadie are holding an intimate embrace or on page 25 when Sadie is shown to be resting her head on Amira's lap. Oftentimes the text supports this romantic relationship as well such as when Amira asked Sadie to wait for her implying in a romantic sense and also when Sadie discussed not caring about the throne but just wanting Amira back. These visual and textual would lead the reader to see the relationship between Sadie and Amira as a romance more so than a friendship. Rich might see the relationship between Amira and Sadie as part of the lesbian continuum where Sadie and Amira share an emotional bond of some sort (not necessarily but potentially sexual) and could be life-partners or even just good friends.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with some aspects of Kayla and Samantha's comments in regards to question 3. I initially read Sadie and Amira's relationship as queer because, as Kayla says, the template for traditional fairy tales says the damsel in distress is saved, and she and her rescuer live happily ever after (which generally means they fall in love and get married). The reader may come to the conclusion that the princesses have a queer relationship based on multiple factors, one being the traditional fairy tale template, and another being the illustrations we are provided in the last panel of the comic. The two women are depicted hugging in a manner that may be perceived as more than platonic based on the way the women are so close, and how Amira is holding Sadie's face. I agree with Samantha on Rich's probable analysis of this relationship; she would probably place the women on the lesbian continuum, saying that they may have a sexual relationship, based again on the way the women are depicted in the last panel.
ReplyDeleteOn a note unrelated to the question, I loved the part where Sadie says she will never think it is a bad thing to be called a "fat, silly crybaby" again. I believe that we let people's opinions of how we look and act influence who we are far too much; it was refreshing to see a character that stood up for herself and didn't let someone else's opinion negatively influence her self esteem anymore.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with others who have already answered question 1, but want to add some things not mentioned. I think the presentation of a web comic changes the view of a fairy tale in a couple of ways. In form, I think of a fairy tale as a book or a Disney movie, not a comic. Comics make me think of super heros and action, maybe some humor. I think there's a good combination of all of those aspects (fairy tale, humor, super hero/action) included in the Princess Princess web comic and this was probably well thought out before it was written. As mentioned in a previous post, I also think there's more freedom allowed when you aren't seeking a profit. This allows for more overall creativity, as you aren't trying to convince a 6 year-old's parents to buy it. The web comic form makes it easily accessible for the audience this was created for.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of question 3 I think Amira and Sadie’s relationship can absolutely be read a queer. There are several reasons for this, the most apparent is are the roles each play in the story. Specifically, Princess Princess seems to satirize the classic fairy tale in which a prince saves a princess. Instead of a prince, Amira, a princess, does the saving. Furthermore, Sadie even discusses how she didn’t want the many princes who tried to save her, and she decided to go with Amira, after Amira confesses she isn’t a prince. In terms of Adrienne Rich’s theory of lesbian continuum the relationship is based more in desire than actions. As well, Sadie identity does not necessarily reflect a lesbian or queer identity, it is rather the way their relationship plays out that suggests something deeper. In several panels the characters look over at each other and blush, suggesting deeper desire. As well in several instances of the blush staring scenarios there are also blossoms, which can indicate romance.
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, I would this webcomic extremely refreshing. I thought it was especially cool to see such diverse characters and “queering” through bodies and position in terms of Sadie. Specifically, it was her “chubbiness” and realistic waistline that added to the realness of her character. Both she and Amira embody characteristics of those fairy tale tropes like the “whiny” and helpless princess. However, Sadie’s response of refusing to feel bad for who she is, counters the otherwise negative aspects.
Similar to Kiala, I was surprised to read a comic that was structured as a fairy tale and not some type of action/adventure story. Could we say that the delivery of content itself is queer? In addition to breaking the traditional fairy tale and comic book stereotypes, the way the story is delivered is also outside the traditional way a comic would be delivered (on social media instead of a newspaper or book). Though that may deviate too much from Cohen or Warner's definitions of queer, I enjoyed the way the author challenged the traditional motive of a fairy tale.
ReplyDeleteFor question 3, I very much agree with everyone’s previous comments. And as for question 1, as stated in the blog, the “fairy-tale” genre is widely known but the content of the story makes it queer. It’s not a “normative” fairy tale in a children’ s book, but is instead posted on Tumblr, which I think makes its form queer. Though Tumblr is widely used I don’t think of it as a website to find fairy tales and stories on, which also makes it queer. I agree with Cody, and that the way the comic is delivered could also be considered queer, since most comics are either action or adventure stories. As well as trying to overcome gender stereotypes, the story also tries to overcome body stereotypes and even comments on how Sadie shouldn't feel bad for being who she is, which I enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteGreat job!
In response to question 1, I want to be careful calling the comic itself “queer.” It definitely contains queer characters in Princess Amira and Prince Vladric, but I almost feel as though the authors simply replaced a prince with a princess in an otherwise vanilla storyline. The fact that the rescuing princess is portrayed as masculine and the prince and princess needing rescued are portrayed as feminine supports the notion that in a relationship one partner must be masculine and one must be feminine. However, the fact that the two female characters end up being heroes and leaders is in itself against gender norms and refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that maybe the comic in its entirety isn't queer but I definitely think that there are some important queer aspects (such as the "hero" figure being a woman of color). I think that there are many other ways this comic could be queer (maybe a princess was the "hero" figure to a prince) or just adding more queer elements to the already existing storyline, but I think that this is a step in the right direction in terms of diversity in entertainment and the media.
DeleteI agree. While the comic certainly has queer elements, it echoes the storyline of fairy tales, a very heteronormative genre. As others have stated, the couple has a clear feminine/masculine dynamic, and Amira easily fills the role of "prince" in the prince/princess dynamic, despite subverting gender norms. Sadie somewhat subverts the role of "damsel in distress" by being intelligent and somewhat able to take care of herself, she still ultimately relies on Amira (and Celeste) to rescue her from the tower. Thus, despite the comic featuring two queer women, it also features very heteronormative themes that undermine the queerness of the comic as a whole.
DeleteIn response to discussion 2 ,I feel the character of Prince Vladric is more like showing the weak side of man which can be depicted as cowardice and irresponsible. And according to the comic he behaved more feminine especially compared to Princess Amira which is very crucial that challenged the heteronormativity and the typical type of fairytales. I really appreciate that in order to stress the originality the author used two unconventional characters which can be more impressive and interested readers to continue.
ReplyDeleteIn response to question 1 (and some others), I would say this comic is overall queer in content. While there is the heteronormative undertones (i.e. feminine/masculine dichotomy between them), there is a lesbian, interracial couple whose behaviors do not exactly fit the expected gender role. In terms of form, it is not queer because it is derived from the classic fairy tale narrative. However, this was probably intentional by the author in attempt to naturalize gayness in a hegemonic trope. The fact that this comic is circulated through social media outlets such as tumblr does not necessarily mean it is queer, however, in this case I think it does hold that implication.
ReplyDeleteThe story is interesting in that it references a number of different queerings of popular texts. First, Princess Princess challenges heteronormative gender roles of prince and princess in a common storyline to U.S. culture. I believe that queer content is apparent in the interactions between the two princesses, Amira and Sadie, and through Amira’s stereotypically masculine dress and demeanor. Also, aside from Princess and the Frog, most princess stories focus on same-race interactions between the prince and princess. I think that the use of an interracial friendship (or more than friendship per queering the content) between the two princesses challenges the unspoken norms of the common princess story. This relates to Warner’s definition of queer. We know from times past in the U.S. (per eugenics and miscegenation) that racial mixing has had a controversial history and, as such, would not be a topic popularly discussed or expressed in a media form meant for the ‘pure’, more specifically, children. Lastly, the ability to use a typical “children’s” storyline which is typically flat, and to incorporate and spark discussion of difference is a way that the form is queered.
ReplyDeleteFor question 3 I would have to agree with the people that concluded that Princess Sadie and Princess Amira’s relationship could be portrayed as romantic, and I also believe it can be seen as trusting. Sadie gives Amira the chance to save her although so many princes have already failed. She states that she had sabotaged the princes but she let Amira succeed. She also continues to go along with Amira even though she’s having negative thoughts and tells Amira that she trusts her. One romantic scene is shown when Sadie grabs Amira hand and tells her to wait. Another romantic scene is when the beast comes back while they are sleeping and Amira yells at it that she won’t let it hurt Sadie. Later Sadie states that she doesn’t care about the throne and she only wants Amira, which is the scene that’s most importantly seen as romantic. Another romantic scene is when Amira asks Sadie if she will wait for her and she says of course and that she doesn’t mind waiting. The last romantic scene is at the end where Amira is holding Sadie and they’re both blushing, showing how much they feel for each other.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to question one, it seems to have some queer aspects but not be queer itself due to the lack of portrayal of queer culture in the comic. The comic's unconventional approach to gender norms and relationship definitely aids to its queerness, but does not make it a queer comic. It also seems like it relies on the butch/femme pairing stereotype, which although can be a reality, is not always the case and is often times over represented in media. A web comic makes fairy tale story telling seem less traditional and old-fashioned and gives a new spin on the princess tale by modernizing it with the acknowledgement that same-sex relationships and love interests do exist (despite their absence in the original fairy tales).
ReplyDeleteIn response to question two, Prince Vladric’s significance as the only male character is highlighted by his subservient personality. Traditionally, women in fairytales are designated as being more obedient and weak, which reinforces female gender schemas. Considering that Prince Vladric’s character takes on those roles, regardless of his title as a prince, as well as his service to a princess, it’s certainly a queering of expected gender roles within a traditional story-telling form. Vladric’s presence as the only male character is interesting because there are no other males in the story to counter-balance his obedient position. In some fairytales, there may be more than one female character in the story, and those female characters may have opposite personalities (Snow White and The Queen, Cinderella and her stepsisters, Ariel and Ursula, etc.). However, in this comic series, there’s no counter-balancing of personalities – just one subservient male character.
ReplyDeleteEven though the prince is objectified in the story as a servant, there is still a vast lineage of female characters in fairytales being objectified as either weak protagonists or wicked antagonists. I don’t see the subservient personality of Prince Vladric as effective objectification, but rather a creative approach to protesting gender schemas in a heteronormative climate.