Wish I was there . .
My passport is ready and I can be packed in minutes.

03 September 2006

What have I become . . .

I don't buy Barbies. Not to fear, my daughter has her fair share of disproportional Barbies from my mother and my sister. I also take issue with Disney's portrayal of women as "princesses" needing to be "rescued" by some handsome prince. I am all for make believe, but all children should know at a young age that they do not need to be rescued - that they are capable of being/doing anything.

At KK's preschool, there is some four year old who wears a crown to school EVERYDAY. Rather than running around the playground, hanging from the monkey bars, this kid stands around in a full princess gown and crown, making disparaging and hurtful comments about the other kids. As much as KK loves running around and hanging upside down, occasionally she wants to be a princess at school and I am forced to remind her of the school dress code (which is selectively enforced - the "princess" kid's Daddy sits on the Board). Additionally, I personally could not allow her to wander around "reigning" over the other kids.

So, imagine my surprise, when a couple weeks ago, PH shows me an advertisement in the local paper for Disney's Princesses on Ice, and I readily agree to take KK because she'd love it. Just tatoo sucker across my forehead. It was as I feared - numerous, salivating, squealing, young girls (some not even old enough to walk) shoved into princess dresses with full blown make up and nail polish. I could see the yearning in KK's eyes as she was dressed in her pink Osh Kosh overalls.

For those of you who have not attended such a show, it is a condensed version of the Disney classics on ice skates. Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Ariel are all saved by their prince and they skate off happily ever after. Even Mulan, Disney's attempt to appeal to the modern woman, was all aflutter as her prince got down on one knee to propose and then swept her off her skates. Sadly, I was both attracted and repelled. Sure, I'd like some guy on a white horse to handle all of my daily chores and stresses, but come on, that's not reality. Are we not setting our daughter's up for disappointment when the prince turns out to be a guy who can't put the toilet seat down, leaves his underwear on the floor, and periodically forgets to "save us"?

So with ideals already in the toilet, I allowed KK to pick out a Tinker Bell costume, which she is currently wearing. Running through the house flying. Hey, at least Tinker Bell didn't need to be rescued by some handsome prince . . .

6 comments:

Unknown said...

yeah I guess the firsst part of the story is the most sadening because that girl will either be a princess her entire life or grow into an out of control overweight teen. Sad... At least if you are teaching her more about it, I think that is what matters most...

We have been talking about stuff like this lately also...

Sunshine said...

OK, hexe, sit down. As a mom with four kids, which does NOT make me more of an expert than yourself, it just makes me more insane.
I'm sorry to say, your daughter just might *gulp* be GIRLY. She may want Disney princess crap for every birthday and holiday from now until forever, a room adorned "Under the Sea" and she just may enjoy the whole Princess vibe, damsel in distress thing.
I have two varieties of girl here: one Disney Princess wannabe, and one who I think will be a WWE/WWF superstar.
I was a dreamy, "someday my prince will come" little girl myself. Fairytales are nice but I'm sure you'll have her grounded in reality, not to mention being strong and reliant on her own power as a woman.
But if she wants to go to Prom someday wearing a dress just like Cinderella, I'd get a wee bit nervous.

EuroTrippen said...

Sydney is completely into the disney princess thing. I try to counter the prissy side of it by pointing out the ways in which they're strong and brave. Disney doesn't make it easy though... damn it, I want a postmodern princess with a degree from Berkley, an interesting career & issues.

Anonymous said...

Eurotrippen:

Would the post modern princess then find out that working sucks, a career doesn't make you valueable, then agree with her "prince" that that the house is a mess, the kids are a disaster and for the sake of a strong family someone needs to manage those things while the other brings in an income? I'd like to see something like that, where the hero cares more for a strong family than trying to live up to a cultural impression of worth.

hexe said...

Anonymous - just a thought - Why is it assumed that the princess has to be the person to manage home? Why can't the prince be the home manager if the princess is happy with her job? I don't see it as trying "to live up to a cultural impression of worth," but more of having the choices that education offers in order to do what's best for the people in the family.

Anonymous said...

i hate people who think they dont have to follow the rules everyone else does