talking point 8: Cinderella Ate My Daughter (reflection)

FIRST OFF I just wanna say that I was so excited about this article before I even read it!  The title caught my eye right away because I have this unhealthy obsession with this Cinderella!  It's funny because I read Noelle's blog before I posted this---too bad we didn't know each other when we were little, we could have Cinderella parties together J  

As I’m writing this I am staring at my Cinderella snow globe, Cinderella build-a-bear, Cinderella limited edition clock & doll, every version of Cinderella on VHS,DVD, Blu Ray, special edition…the list could go on & on haha

So obviously as I was reading this article Orenstein’s points about the Disney Princesses really stuck out to me.  Little girls always idolize the princesses…something about their lifestyle just speaks to a girl.  It’s funny because my cousin had a baby last January and all through her pregnancy she just kept saying, ‘I don’t care what my baby is as long as it’s healthy.’  When she found out the baby was a girl she was ecstatic to have her own ‘little princess’ the first gift she got was a Disney “Princess on Board” sticker for her car window.

I think the whole glitz and glam of the princess lifestyle is what attracts little girls.  They see brightly dressed girls covered in glitter and makeup and looking so beautiful they can’t help but want that lifestyle.  For my junior prom I told my mom I was wearing a princess dress and would not settle for anything less than something that made me look like royalty. 

$300 dollars later, I got my princess dress, which looking back on it---I wish I hadn't waste $300 on a dress! BUT I felt like a princess that night & it’s a night I’ll always remember!

Now that I’m older, I look at the Disney Princesses and wonder…how can such superficial people be this popular?  No one has a fairy godmother who can grant them wishes.  And how many stories do you hear about men kissing women out of their sleep? You don’t!

The world needs to lay off the superficial role models J

My only issue with this article is when Orenstein talks about the color PINK.

UGGGGGGGH!       

 Nothing in this world drives me more crazy than the color pink.  I CANNOT 

STAND THE COLOR PINK!

You will not catch me dead wearing, owning, or having anything pink.  Never have never will.  My mom actually tells me that when I was younger (like age 3-5) I would cry if she put me in pink clothes.

When I was reading this section I thought back to a conversation Noelle, Ronie & I had in class a few weeks.  We were having a conversation about the color pink (I don’t really remember why right now) but I was telling them how much I disliked the color pink & happened to be a day where Noelle was wearing a lot of pink haha

Some girls (&boys too) love the color pink.  I however cannot stand it—it’s too bright & peppy & perky & I just can’t deal with it haha------don’t ask for an explanation, I don’t have one haha  Therefore, I disagree with Orenstein when she says that the attraction to the color pink is in a girl's DNA....I'm living proof that that statement is false.

SIDENOTE: As I was reading this article I was also thinking about the article about the boys we read last week.  AND I couldn't help but think about the kid's game CANDYLAND.  The two highest places on the board (that pretty much ensure you're going to win) is King Kandy & Princess Lolly.  I may be over analyzing but I found it interesting that in order to win you have to land on a man's castle....why not a woman's?