Ms. Orenstein writes that Disney's decision about a decade ago to market the princesses from its movies like "Cinderella," "Snow White" and "The Little Mermaid" as a group increased the commercial influence of the characters. Ms. Orenstein, whose 2007 memoir "Waiting for Daisy" was a best-seller, says Disney's female heroines, because they are often "rabid materialists," and "looking to get saved by princes," may not be good role models for kids.
"Girls have always faced this kind of pressure," says Ms. Orenstein, the mother of a 7-year-old daughter. "What's different is that now girls are urged from a much younger age to define themselves through their appearance and beauty and play sexiness."
First of all, "Cinderella" and "Snow White" are not "now". Disney has been marketing them ever since they were released. So why is this different NOW? If there are negative impact on young girls due to those, they should have emerged by now and she should cite valid, scientific studies to prove it. Instead, we get conjectures.
Secondly, many of the Disney princesses, especially the modern ones, are definitely independent and strong-willed women (see Mulan, Belle, Tiana), and they are certainly far from being materialistic!
But really is this new? I've mentioned a similar complaint on this before. And at what point do people take responsibilities for their actions and stop blaming other sources? The author is a mother. Why can't she be the more influential part of her daughter's life, rather than leaving the Disney princesses to dictate how her child views the world and her role?
Maybe she's too busy writing books about how Disney princesses are a bad influence rather than spending her time and effort on here child!
Zz.
1 comment:
Well said! As a mom of two girls who love the Disney princesses, my husband and I have raised them to stand up for themselves and be campasssionate for those around them. My four year old loves the princesses more than my other daughter, but let's just say at her Youth and Fitness group, she is the only girl and also the only one in the group 10 to stand up to the bully that made several of the other boys cry. She did so with words and the bully left her alone. Parents need to raise thier children and as you said, not blame someone else for their child's life being destroyed. I mean seriously, I can't see how any of the Disney princesses could "Destroy" a child's life. Maybe someone else is living in a fairy tale land or maybe regret mistakes they have made with their own children and looking for a scapegoat.
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