Link: Is the Princess Stereotype Harming Our Daughters?
The Princess concept makes me want to hurl. I know of some little girls who are literally steeping in Princess stuff every single solitary day… for hours! It can’t be good. I’m not saying that girls shouldn’t be allowed/encouraged to play with dolls, dress up, or fantasize about the future. Let them wear PINK all day, every day. Girlie stuff is good. I’m not some crazy uber-feminist trying to rain on the parade. I’m just saying that this particular bit of Disney Princess marketing seems poisonous.
Do you notice that the writer of the article glossed over the Disney exec’s claim that the values are about “being kind, respectful, and loving animals”? That’s crap, Disney. None of the kids cited that they liked the princesses because they were kind, respectful or loving animals. And my anecdotal experience with kids indicates that they like them because they’re “pretty” and have pretty stuff. And these little girls don’t have the capacity to see through the marketing. Furthermore, I’d be happy to argue that being kind, as a primary function, won’t put food on the table or keep the bad stuff of life at bay. Let’s prepare girls to be competent to handle their own, complicated, lives.
And I’m completely confused as to where/how Disney believes they are teaching respectfulness in these Disney movies. Really? In what way are they respectful? Respectful of what? All the girls who I’ve met who are princess-obsessed seem to be the antithesis of “respectful” towards adults! Quite the contrary: some of these little girls are quite materialistic and bratty.
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