Why this topic?

The other day, I went with a few of my friends to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D to relieve our childhoods. I wanted to relive the fantasy, magic, and joy that the movie brought me when I was a child, but watching it as an adult it was sadly not the same. The mysticism that came along with it slowly started to fade away in the scene where Bell drops her book in the mud and Gaston remarks to Bell " It is not right for a women to read, soon she starts getting ideas, thinking.” I was alarmed and could not believe this sexist comment. I turned to my friend and said: "oh my, that is so sexist". As the movies progressed the film was full of sexism. This got me to think about the portrayal of women and sexism in the Disney films. I wanted to know how were the Disney Princesses I looked up as a child, really portrayed.