Camila Cabello’s Cinderella Story as an Ode to the Modern Girlboss
Recently, a classic and iconic fairy tale had a refreshing revival in the release of Amazon’s Cinderella. This new twist on a tale-as-old-as-time featured a talented and diverse cast with Camila Cabello as Cinderella, Idina Menzel as the not-so-evil stepmother, Vivian, and Billy Porter as the genderless Fairy Godmother. The musical feature goes a long way in the name of representation, and the inclusion of a Latina actress to portray Cinderella is a welcome divergence from the traditional (and slightly eurocentric) blonde-haired blue-eyed presentation of the character.
Another important difference from the convention is seen in the headstrong, clever, and driven personality of Camila’s Cinderella. Past renditions of the fairytale tend to feature a mild-mannered protagonist whose entire conviction is that she needs to be saved by a man. Even more modern versions of the princess, such as Hilary Duff’s character, Sam, in A Cinderella Story, portray this same damsel-in-distress trope. This is an issue, as it feeds into historically male-dominated narratives that women are incapable and thus unworthy of equal status or equal opportunity.
Camila Cabello’s adaptation is different, as she is the first Cinderella in history to choose herself--her goals and dreams--over a man. An ambitious young woman determined to make a name for herself, Camila’s character manages to free herself from the constraints of a deeply patriarchal society without the help of her Prince Charming. In this way, Camila’s Cinderella evokes the modern “Girlboss” archetype that underlines the additional effort required of young women to become successful within a system that isn’t designed to serve them. This is an important message for young girls to hear, as we currently live in a period in which women have the opportunity of becoming anything they desire, even if this opportunity isn’t inherently fair. Archaic stories that portray women as helpless and dependent have no place in the modern era; an era in which gender equality is more tangible than ever before in history.
There are, of course, still issues in our society that must be addressed, especially considering recent legislative developments within our country (we’re looking at you, Texas). If anything, Amazon’s modernized Cinderella is reflective of these challenges, as it renders the social barriers faced by Camila’s character as absolute and incapable of normative change. It is the efforts of outspoken and strong female characters such as Queen Beatrice, Princess Gwen, and Cinderella that influence the male characters to reconsider the misogynistic traditions of the kingdom. The struggle these women exhibit in the face of bigotry is reminiscent of the first suffragists who bravely marched in the name of women’s rights. Moreover, the movie honors the spirit of countless female icons who continue to challenge the status quo in their crusade to crush gender discrimination.