"Princess myth may be misleading our girls"
That was the "no duh" headline of an article by Julia Bard, former deputy editor of Newsweek, on page 2 of Monday's edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Ms. Bard was writing in response to the book Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein.
According to Ms. Bard's article, Cinderella Ate My Daughter (which I think is a great, though slightly creepy title) aims to dissect the princess myth and the "pretty, pink-clad toddler." It disturbs the reader with statistics that include the 12,000 teenagers who got Botox injections in 2009, and warns us of the cult of Disney which now targets newborns with onesies in the maternity ward. Orenstein moves beyond Disney to call out Bella from Twilight, an increasingly sexual Miley Cyrus, and even a newly glamorous Dora the Explorer (I'll have to take her word for it on that one).
The article caught my attention because just this weekend I found myself thinking that perhaps the tide is changing where images of women are concerned. While we'll always have Disney's princesses and Hugh's bunnies, I've been encouraged by the women I've met in books and movies recently. For example:
- Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. She's brilliant. She's focused. She's an excellent role model for girls everywhere.
- Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games trilogy. She's crafty. She's brave. She's a survivor. She experiences age-appropriate teenage angst without sacrificing her sense of self.
- Lisbeth Salander from the Millenium trilogy. She's tough as nails. She's a fighter. She's wickedly smart. She's in control. Lisbeth may be the strongest female literary character ever.
- Mattie Ross from True Grit. She's 14-years-old. She's determined. She's gutsy. She's self-assured. She's inspiring. She's a welcome sight in the world of cinema.
4 comments:
Happy Birthday Abby.
Kim Do you know what I find so disturbing about the fact that someone blames Disney and Twilight for the 12,000 teens having plastic surgery? Its this: where are their parents and why don't they put their foot down? Please. gimme a break. these are the same people who are suing because their coffee is hot and cheeseburgers some how became attached to their inner thighs and made them fat, right?
Nice post! Other than Hermione, I'm not familiar with the other girl role models you cited. We are HUGE Disney-watchers here (we're still at the Mickey Mouse phase), but Katy can't stand pink, princesses, bows, any of that sort of thing. I'm curious to see what might change when she gets into school. Happy birthday to Abby!
Happy Belated Birthday Abby -- I think you -- and the crew of girls you hang with -- are completely the coolest. You all get it from your mothers.
Now, you know me, Kim. I'm always up for feminist/womanist critique. And I agree that I thank God for 3 boys because I was terrified of getting a "girlie girl." And yes, I sometimes worry about my young niece, who is nutso for pink and for Disney Princesses and Barbie Fairies.
That being said, I have to defend some of the newer Disney princesses. While not particularly historical, Pocahontas was independent and wise enough to give the Anglo Saxon love story a pass in favor of being a strong leader/nurturer of her people and her land. Jasmine was pretty independent and gutsy, if anatomically impossible. My personal favorite is Mulan, of course, although there were things I loved about Tiana (the un-princess) and her story.
And while Bella of TWILIGHT takes a while to get there, as a vampire, she's pretty awesome. And isn't that true for all girls (and boys, for that matter)? We may spend our adolescence trying on costumes (be they princesses, warrior queens, vampires, or wizards) but as you wisely note, as long as we are offered a variety of real-life role models (who are willing to help us question and critique the Hollywood and fairytale images), in the end, we will discover our authentic selves.
That's what I pray for your Abby and my niece--as well as for Ian and my sons.
(Will definitely check out the other girl-power names you mentioned! I'm always trying to expose my boys to such strong females so they don't buy into the sexist crap either...)
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