Princess Peach: What Feminism Should Look Like

Modern media loves pushing the “strong woman” narrative. The modern culture requires strong female characters for a piece of media to be acceptable. Otherwise, the backlash will be antagonizing. People love to point their pitchfork at whatever disagrees with their ideology. However, when will female-power be done right? There has been a rise in the amount of female protagonists, which is great news- if they had served a purpose beyond being “feminist”.

I am stoked to see female role models for little girls. Yet, forced feminism is as painful to watch as a cast full of men. Casting a capable woman to speak a sentence or two simply so your movie can pass the Bechdel test is embarrassing. Mostly, these women are left to converse about tampons and where they get their hair done. The director’s mistake relies within their vision; centering a character’s personality around their identity is not entertaining, it has turned television into politics. We need more female protagonists that are written with more than Hollywood feminism in mind. I fear women in media are being used as a tool for engagement and support, under the guise of a “feminist movie”.

Surprisingly enough: Princess Peach, the original “damsel in distress”, is the perfect example of feminism done right in the 2023 ‘The Super Mario Bros.’ movie. All throughout the Mario franchise, her character is helpless, however, her newest appearance switched the narrative. In her first scene where she meets Mario, she directly defends herself from him; he is a stranger after all. This detail was particularly refreshing to watch as it sets the tone for her character. She is wary and worthy of the crown on her head.

She continues to prove herself and her abilities, she demonstrates jumping on the blocks elegantly, using her pink dress to float down. Yes, she is pretty in pink. Yes, she can most definitely beat you in a fight. Not once is her character’s resilient demeanor and quick thinking boiled down to her gender. She is just a strong person who happens to be a woman. She was fully prepared to go on a journey to save her people all by herself. No mention of protection or need for others’ praise. She is competent and more than capable of embarking on an adventure all on her own.

This princess did not need to add a cheesy line about her ability as a woman to “beat men” or “exceed expectations”. She simply did that. Conjured a plan, executed it herself, and protected her people. Young girls can look up to Peach comfortably, she wears her dress, puts on her makeup, and takes down bad guys.

The success of Princess Peach in ‘The Super Mario Bros.’ Movie proves that female characters don’t need to be reduced to political statements to be powerful. Strength is not about declaring superiority but about showing resilience, intelligence, and capability in an organic way. Audiences don’t need reminders that a woman can be strong; they need well-written characters who prove it through their actions.

If Hollywood truly wants to uplift women, it should stop forcing narratives that feel like empty gestures and start telling stories that give female characters genuine depth. A great protagonist is not great because of their gender. When media stops making feminism a marketing tool and starts writing compelling, multidimensional women, only then will we see true progress.