Cinderella Ate My Daughter

Cinderella Ate My Daughter by: Peggy Orenstein

Talking Points #5

Extended Comments:

For my talking points blog this week I decided to do an extended comments blog using Brittani's post.  The first thing that she brings up is that Orenstein argues that the current "princess-phase" is anything but natural.  I think that's exactly what Orenstein is arguing she thinks that the princess phase is making young girls see something that is unrealistic.  For example, no one can look as beautiful as they portray the princesses to be, and because you are so beautiful you aren't going to find true love.  Orenstein also thinks that this will eventually damage the girls' self-esteem.  The next point that Brittani brings up is about the toy fair and how all the toys meant for little girls are all in one color, pink.  She really doesn't find it necessary for everything to be in pink, but apparently it will help them sell more products.  It will show to young girls that everything needs to be pink, so they can be seen as feminine or "girly."  Girls should have multiple colors to choose from, not just pink.  Using any different color isn't going to make them any less feminine than they were before.  Girls should choose how they want to be portrayed. 

Another point she brings up is how a research shows that up until the age of 7 that kids still think that their hair, clothing, toys determines your gender. The link I put there goes to an article about the gender stereotype between masculine and feminine.  That is wrong in my opinion, girls or boys shouldn't have to worry about how they dress or what they play with.  Whatever they do is up to them, and it doesn't make them any less of a boy or a girl.  Brittani says, that the author thinks, girls don't need to prove that they are girls, but the Disney princesses make them do this.  I completely agree, young girls are given this image that they have to look beautiful to find true love or wear this big pink dresses to make them look more girly.  It's not true they are sending the wrong message to children.  A child should just be themselves, and they can achieve anything they want. 

Brittani also talked about the Bratz dolls.  I didn't know what the Bratz dolls were until I read this article, but I'm glad that they came up with dolls that don't portray the normal Disney princess image.  I agree with what Brittani and the author are trying to say that these Bratz dolls do not portray the "princess-y" or "barbieish" image. 

At the end of Brittani's blog she asks the question who's to blame, the parents, the industry or both?  To answer that question I think that they are both to blame.  The parents think that their children will grow out of this princess phase, but a lot of them won't, and it could affect them in the future.  It could affect them in school or their self-esteem.  The industry is also to blame because they portray everything as very girly by having every toy they sell for girls in pink.  Also, how they portray the Disney princesses as beautiful, skinny, and white.  They all look like supermodels, and the industry helps portray that image from what they sell.  I thought Brittani's blog was right on, and I agreed with all the points that she made. 

Comments: Parents are a big part of the problem I think.  Especially fathers with their sons.  Boy's as young as 4 said their father's would say that it was bad if their son's played with girls toys.  Just because their father uses tools that means they have to use tools too!  The fathers try to poor masculinity into their sons.  In the article one of Orenstein's friends bragged about how he got his daughter hot wheels, and when is son asked for a tutu he refused to get it for him.  That is unfair in my opinion he is playing favoritism towards his daughter by letting her play with something that is considered masculine, and if his son wanted something that was considered feminine he refused.  Like I said in my blog children should be able to play with whatever they want it won't make them any less of a boy or a girl, and it won't affect them in the future.  The gender stereotype of masculine and feminine need to change. Look at link I put earlier in the article if you haven't already.