International Women's Day: Ode To The First Ladies Of Disney

Today is International Women's Day and I thought we'd take a look at the First Ladies of Disney - Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck and Clarabelle Cow!

Minnie Mouse, of course, made her first appearance with Mickey back in 1928 in Steamboat Willie. Clarabelle also made her first appearance in Steamboat Willie as an unnamed cow. It wasn't until 1930's The Shindig where she became an established character. With Daisy, there are arguments about what her first appearance would be. Some point to 1937's Don Donald which features a duck named Donna who bears a striking resemblance. But, it wasn't until 1940's Mr. Duck Steps Out that she became Daisy. The three have very distinct personalities with Minnie being America's Sweetheart, Daisy being the sassy one and Clarabelle being the clumsy one.

While Minnie and Daisy have often been tied as best gal pals, within recent years, Clarabelle has been making her way back into the hearts of millions. First, she has become a regular cast member in Disney Junior's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

In the episode "No Reservations" of the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse shorts, we see the three gal pals together trying to get into a fancy restaurant only to be turned away due to no reservations. I love this short for a couple of reasons. First, it is a short in which the women are not defined by their male counterparts. They are just out to have a girls night out on the town. I also love that this episode let's them just be as fun and silly as the boys. Some crazy things happen in the episode that you wouldn't normally expect from a cartoon short featuring women.

And, last year, Disney released a video entitled "Girls Night In," in which Minnie, Daisy and Clarabelle have a night of fun and fashion. It's a really cute video and aspirational for young girls.

So, on this International Women's Day, let's raise our glasses to the first ladies of Disney - best friends forever.