Cinderella ate my daughter. -Arguement

"Having it all, Being it all. "

Peggy Orenstein, argues about the damage Disney Princesses have created among girls between the ages of two through six. Orenstein does not agree with the ideas behind the Disney Princesses. She believes the princesses do not have content within themselvs. Orenstein believes that the Disney Princess brand is solely for business purposes, and it is slowly ruining the imaginations of little school girls. Orenstein says it is filled with stereo types and false beliefs about the real world that little girls should not become exposed to. Orenstein sees it as the brand creating such high pressures to be perfect and with the idea of "have it all and being it all".


I can personally agree with Orenstein to a certain extent. I will say that I have grown up watching Disney movies, and have been naive to really understand the true meaning behind them. Now it is hard to really see a movie and try  to believe that there is true innocence behind it. Orenstein is saying that Disney Princesses are a bad idea, but what I want to add is, having too much of the exposure would be damaging. Just as the saying goes, "too much of anything is not good for you." As females, we already live in a time where there is that pressure of having it all and being it all at the same time, but one has to come to their senses, that that is not realistic. There needs to be a point in time where someone can say, the pressure is too much, and the levee needs to be pulled.

I fell in love with this idea of showing little girls that love oneself is by far more important then having to please everyone around you. Perfect does not exist, and if it were too it would surely be boring. Little girls in today's time need to embrace themselves being different in a good way. Parenting styles need to accommodate to this as well, girls from the ages of 2-6 should not have their primary focus on watching television, but inspiring them to become amazing people in life, but having them defining it themselves.

I end it with this, the only pressure one should feel is a pressure of motivation, to be happy within themselves, healthy mentally and physically, but over all striving to be the person they want to be in life. As a woman I have had plenty of conversations with guy friends, girl friends, family, coworkers, classmates and strangers, of the idea of "happily ever after". And it could exist, but it takes work. And the media likes to sell the idea of it all being a quick fix. Which creates the suddenness of perfection, in unhealthy terms. Lets all monitor the media that is being exposed to children and encourage them to becomes healthy productive individuals, that they themselves are happy with. 

Points I'd like to share in class:  

• Does the pressure of being superwoman (aggressive and aggreable. Smart and stunning, etc ) come more from men or media?
• Is a non super-woman unattractive?
• Are we looking too much into it, where everything as become a subliminal messages? (movies, lyrics, photographs, etc.?