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| Disney's Aristocats |
Decoding Disney
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
What Makes Girls Girls?
Chapter 4: What Makes Girls Girls?
Are gender patterns and behaviours ingrained in us...or merely a fictional persona we create and sweep ourselves up in? Is it nurture vs nature? What makes girls girls? How do they differ from boys?
Well, I personally think girls are very different to boys in many ways. I believe we think differently, view the world differently and that most importantly, these differences can help society function effectively. By embracing and including different perspectives, we are better equipped to solve the challenges that face us. This is at least the current opinion in the world of engineering. Companies are desperate to encourage more female engineers. Why? Not simply to fill quotas and boast equality statistics. But because it genuinely works. Because engineering is a dynamic and collaborative field, where different perspectives a crucial. If a woman can look at a problem from a different angle than her male colleague, then that's another possible solution. If different thought patterns can stimulate employs then everyone benefits. Just like Orenstein articulates in her anecdotes with the mixed-gender play/education experiment in Phoenix. Co-operation at a young age can be crucial to development and successful interactions between genders in the future. Which only makes separate gender toys / play all the more troubling.
Yes, I believe norms and stereotypes can be ingrained and affect how children grow and behave. But to combat this, fair and thorough educations is required. I don't know the statistics or studies to quote, but in my outlook on life, the more educated a woman is, the more independent and strong she can become, the better job she can receive, the more respect she can command and the more equal life she can live. Of course women are still fighting disparities - in pay, in treatment, in perception - and as much as I wish I could wave a magic wand and solve these issues of equality...I can't. This has been a hard fought battle and it's not yet over.
In this Chapter the effect mother's have on their daughters is explored, with the particular example of how feminist age girls who were shoved into shapeless overalls strive for the other extreme with their own daughters, embracing all things Cinderella. From birth, parents make many decisions, from nursery colour schemes to outfits, and yet experts say that children begin to recognise gender between the ages of 2 and 3. And to children, it is your clothing, hair colour, toy choice etc. that helps define whether you are a boy or a girl. So this may be a key reason for girls to embrace their pink and princess culture, to assert their surety as a girl and to prove to other children that's who they are. Apparently, children don't really realise their gender/identity is fixed until the age of 5. Up until this time, Orenstein jokes that, in their minds, children could simply swap gender by having the 'wrong' haircut or wearing the 'wrong colour'. It is exactly this need to prove their femininity that marketers have so cleverly latched onto. And as Orenstein realises this herself, and particualrly that it's a natural developmental phase for children, she worries that her shunning of this princess phase could have been harmful. Daisy recognises her mother's diapproval of Cinderella and challenges it for a real reason. But what if rather than helping Daisy realise "Cinderella is a symbol of the patriarchal oppression of all women" - which is not the easiest thing to convey to a young child to say the least! - but in fact Daisy interpreted it as her mother not wanting her to be a girl. For at this time, Daisy associates the princess culture with being a girl and her mum has tried to show her that the princess culture is bad.
I find the primate research explained in this chapter particularly interesting. The gist of it is, that when 44 male and 44 female vervet monkeys (and later rhesus monkeys) were put in a room with gender neutral, and stereotypical boys and girls toys, the primates played with the gender neutral toys equally but the females gravitated towards cooking pots and dolls and the males towards the boys toys. The primates had never seen these objects before and were unaware of their associated connotations. So....nature after all then?
Are gender patterns and behaviours ingrained in us...or merely a fictional persona we create and sweep ourselves up in? Is it nurture vs nature? What makes girls girls? How do they differ from boys?
Well, I personally think girls are very different to boys in many ways. I believe we think differently, view the world differently and that most importantly, these differences can help society function effectively. By embracing and including different perspectives, we are better equipped to solve the challenges that face us. This is at least the current opinion in the world of engineering. Companies are desperate to encourage more female engineers. Why? Not simply to fill quotas and boast equality statistics. But because it genuinely works. Because engineering is a dynamic and collaborative field, where different perspectives a crucial. If a woman can look at a problem from a different angle than her male colleague, then that's another possible solution. If different thought patterns can stimulate employs then everyone benefits. Just like Orenstein articulates in her anecdotes with the mixed-gender play/education experiment in Phoenix. Co-operation at a young age can be crucial to development and successful interactions between genders in the future. Which only makes separate gender toys / play all the more troubling.
Yes, I believe norms and stereotypes can be ingrained and affect how children grow and behave. But to combat this, fair and thorough educations is required. I don't know the statistics or studies to quote, but in my outlook on life, the more educated a woman is, the more independent and strong she can become, the better job she can receive, the more respect she can command and the more equal life she can live. Of course women are still fighting disparities - in pay, in treatment, in perception - and as much as I wish I could wave a magic wand and solve these issues of equality...I can't. This has been a hard fought battle and it's not yet over.
In this Chapter the effect mother's have on their daughters is explored, with the particular example of how feminist age girls who were shoved into shapeless overalls strive for the other extreme with their own daughters, embracing all things Cinderella. From birth, parents make many decisions, from nursery colour schemes to outfits, and yet experts say that children begin to recognise gender between the ages of 2 and 3. And to children, it is your clothing, hair colour, toy choice etc. that helps define whether you are a boy or a girl. So this may be a key reason for girls to embrace their pink and princess culture, to assert their surety as a girl and to prove to other children that's who they are. Apparently, children don't really realise their gender/identity is fixed until the age of 5. Up until this time, Orenstein jokes that, in their minds, children could simply swap gender by having the 'wrong' haircut or wearing the 'wrong colour'. It is exactly this need to prove their femininity that marketers have so cleverly latched onto. And as Orenstein realises this herself, and particualrly that it's a natural developmental phase for children, she worries that her shunning of this princess phase could have been harmful. Daisy recognises her mother's diapproval of Cinderella and challenges it for a real reason. But what if rather than helping Daisy realise "Cinderella is a symbol of the patriarchal oppression of all women" - which is not the easiest thing to convey to a young child to say the least! - but in fact Daisy interpreted it as her mother not wanting her to be a girl. For at this time, Daisy associates the princess culture with being a girl and her mum has tried to show her that the princess culture is bad.
I find the primate research explained in this chapter particularly interesting. The gist of it is, that when 44 male and 44 female vervet monkeys (and later rhesus monkeys) were put in a room with gender neutral, and stereotypical boys and girls toys, the primates played with the gender neutral toys equally but the females gravitated towards cooking pots and dolls and the males towards the boys toys. The primates had never seen these objects before and were unaware of their associated connotations. So....nature after all then?
Pinked!
Chapter 3, Pinked!
This Chapter explores the world of pink. How almost every toy marketed at girls is pink. Why? Because it's guaranteed to sell. What? Everything. Pink screwdrivers, pink scrabble sets, pink cowboy hats. Add some rhinestones and now you have a real top seller.
Of course, the Disney Princesses reign over pink.
Orenstein despairs over this lack of imagination. But the marketers have found a winning formula, and they're sticking with it.
This chapter delves into the interesting and frightening world of marketing; the sort of place where children under the age of one are described as "a more informed, influential and compelling audience than ever before". Yep, that's right, now even babies are fair game in the corporate world of marketing. So it seems from birth to death someone's going to be selling us something and it's hardly avoidable. Yay....commercialism. The market thrives by magnifying or creating gender differences and separating age groups. Now families must buy separate toys for their boys and girls and as a child progresses through the numerous age groups - for instance from pre-tween to tween to teenager - the latest clothes and games should be purchased. Ker-ching, ker-ching, ker-ching.
But still, many marketing and design specialists still struggle with gender. Sesame Street has just 5 female characters after it's 37 seasons. They've tried to introduce new female characters, but they're just not popular enough. They're judged as too scruffy or ditsy and undeniably held to a different standard than the male characters - because Grover is just so handsome!?
"If Cookie Monster was a female character, she'd be accused of being anorexic or bulimic", the show's executive producer, Carol-Lynn Parente quipped.
The most popular female character had been Zoe, who was specifically designed by the executives to be prettier. However she still didn't meet expectations. So Abby was painstakingly created and this new pink, pretty, sparkly and magical creation surely had the ker-ching factor.
Orenstein refutes claims that this pink and pretty phase empowers girls or sparks their imagination and hardly views it as "honoring the range of play patterns girls have"....perhaps 'range', or lack thereof, being the key term here.
"If you make a pink baseball bat, parents will buy one for their daughter, if they subsequently have a son, they'll have to buy a second bat in a different color".
Ok, well parents don't have to buy their daughters everything in pink! Yes, some pink is great....but there's nothing wrong with a good old fashioned wooden baseball bat.
Now onto Barbie...while that's a topic and a half! Again, love her or hate or, she's an icon that's for sure! I had barbie dolls, I also had non-brand dolls like barbies. I had dolls my mother had passed down to me, ragged old things with short, dark hair and a more normal figure. I watched the Barbie films...of which there are many, and always thoroughly enjoyed them.
Now Barbie has changed over the years. Her once secretive slanting eyes are now rounder, her lashes longer. The red pout transformed into a pink smile with pearly teeth. More accessories will be available now than ever imagined.
Barbie was introduced in 1959 and has almost 60 years of history under her many accessory belts. Undoubtedly, such a doll has played a major role in the lives of many women. So much so that X Gen mothers were eager to share Barbie's with their 3 year old daughters - as opposed to waiting for the intended 8-12 year old market. This has contributed to girls getting older younger. As 3 year olds play with Barbies, it's no longer cool for 8 year olds to do so also. This lead to many 6 to 12 year olds torturing their barbies.
This newer Barbie has more curved and softer face, with blonder and shinier hair. She looks friendlier, younger and prettier. Her breasts have shrunk slightly and her waist broadened. Quite a transformation from the original doll based on a German sex toy. Yet at the same time, astronaut, surgeon and president Barbie have been predominantly replaced with fairies, butterflies, ballerinas and princesses - all focused heavily on pink.
The only problem now, is that children around the age of 6 and over are now rejecting this friendlier and cuter Barbie for edgier dolls like Bratz as they seek to keep cool and grown up. They don't want such baby play.
The once innocence pink heralded during the princess culture, can now be said to lead to narcissism and materialism as pink takes over the shelves.
This Chapter explores the world of pink. How almost every toy marketed at girls is pink. Why? Because it's guaranteed to sell. What? Everything. Pink screwdrivers, pink scrabble sets, pink cowboy hats. Add some rhinestones and now you have a real top seller.
Of course, the Disney Princesses reign over pink.
Orenstein despairs over this lack of imagination. But the marketers have found a winning formula, and they're sticking with it.
This chapter delves into the interesting and frightening world of marketing; the sort of place where children under the age of one are described as "a more informed, influential and compelling audience than ever before". Yep, that's right, now even babies are fair game in the corporate world of marketing. So it seems from birth to death someone's going to be selling us something and it's hardly avoidable. Yay....commercialism. The market thrives by magnifying or creating gender differences and separating age groups. Now families must buy separate toys for their boys and girls and as a child progresses through the numerous age groups - for instance from pre-tween to tween to teenager - the latest clothes and games should be purchased. Ker-ching, ker-ching, ker-ching.
But still, many marketing and design specialists still struggle with gender. Sesame Street has just 5 female characters after it's 37 seasons. They've tried to introduce new female characters, but they're just not popular enough. They're judged as too scruffy or ditsy and undeniably held to a different standard than the male characters - because Grover is just so handsome!?
"If Cookie Monster was a female character, she'd be accused of being anorexic or bulimic", the show's executive producer, Carol-Lynn Parente quipped.
The most popular female character had been Zoe, who was specifically designed by the executives to be prettier. However she still didn't meet expectations. So Abby was painstakingly created and this new pink, pretty, sparkly and magical creation surely had the ker-ching factor.
Orenstein refutes claims that this pink and pretty phase empowers girls or sparks their imagination and hardly views it as "honoring the range of play patterns girls have"....perhaps 'range', or lack thereof, being the key term here.
"If you make a pink baseball bat, parents will buy one for their daughter, if they subsequently have a son, they'll have to buy a second bat in a different color".
Ok, well parents don't have to buy their daughters everything in pink! Yes, some pink is great....but there's nothing wrong with a good old fashioned wooden baseball bat.
Now onto Barbie...while that's a topic and a half! Again, love her or hate or, she's an icon that's for sure! I had barbie dolls, I also had non-brand dolls like barbies. I had dolls my mother had passed down to me, ragged old things with short, dark hair and a more normal figure. I watched the Barbie films...of which there are many, and always thoroughly enjoyed them.
Now Barbie has changed over the years. Her once secretive slanting eyes are now rounder, her lashes longer. The red pout transformed into a pink smile with pearly teeth. More accessories will be available now than ever imagined.Barbie was introduced in 1959 and has almost 60 years of history under her many accessory belts. Undoubtedly, such a doll has played a major role in the lives of many women. So much so that X Gen mothers were eager to share Barbie's with their 3 year old daughters - as opposed to waiting for the intended 8-12 year old market. This has contributed to girls getting older younger. As 3 year olds play with Barbies, it's no longer cool for 8 year olds to do so also. This lead to many 6 to 12 year olds torturing their barbies.
This newer Barbie has more curved and softer face, with blonder and shinier hair. She looks friendlier, younger and prettier. Her breasts have shrunk slightly and her waist broadened. Quite a transformation from the original doll based on a German sex toy. Yet at the same time, astronaut, surgeon and president Barbie have been predominantly replaced with fairies, butterflies, ballerinas and princesses - all focused heavily on pink.
The only problem now, is that children around the age of 6 and over are now rejecting this friendlier and cuter Barbie for edgier dolls like Bratz as they seek to keep cool and grown up. They don't want such baby play.
The once innocence pink heralded during the princess culture, can now be said to lead to narcissism and materialism as pink takes over the shelves.
What's Wrong with Cinderella?
Chapter 2 of Peggy Orenstein's book, Cinderella Ate my Daughter, is titled 'What's Wrong with Cinderella?'
This chapter begins with an explanation of how Daisy, Orenstein's daughter, plays Snow White at a bat mitzvah, despite her mother purposefully never teaching her this story. Daisy was the center of attention as the older children raced around to find a suitable prince to awake her. It's no secret that Orenstein isn't swept up in Disney's magical rendition, as she describes Snow White as "passive, personality-free princess" who's sole virtue is tidiness and who's beauty is the only reason the Prince falls in love with her.
If you read my earlier post on Snow White, you can see I had some similar reactions to Orenstein. But as I don't have a daughter, I am in the 'not at all opposed to sharing the love of Disney, despite it's flaws' phase of my life. Does Disney always provide young girls with a strong role model for the modern world? No. And not that it's an excuse, but these films were made at a time when women were treated very differently. When a woman's sole purpose was to 'keep house'. Thankfully we have come a long way since then. But I don't feel like we should just shut out Disney. Instead it could be used as a learning curve and an empowering message for women. Not to ignore history, but to show that women didn't used to have the same rights and explain the differences between Disney's portrayal of women then and the 'modern' woman now. To show the signs of progression Disney is trying to make with more recent films Like Brave and Frozen, displaying strong heroins. To help girls appreciate the freedoms and opportunities they can take. With just some simple and gentle explanations, maybe this could help build strong, confident and aware girls...or maybe these are just the naive wishes of an 18-year-old 'modern' day woman, empowered by her college education and fresh faced against the cynical world. Who knows? In any case, I don't think just blocking out the stories from a child's life helps in any way - as Orenstein explains, the children only discover the stories themselves anyway, and I feel that without any real explanation to go with them, the children won't learn many good principles, besides those over beauty and dependence on men that many mother's fear!
I really do enjoy the fresh nuggets of information Orenstein provides in her book, and it shows that she thoroughly does her research. For instance, the story behind the Princess marketing franchise and the Princesses who don't make eye contact. I personally believe that the lovingly homemade princess dresses may have been far prettier than many of Disney's creations. This is one thing I'll fight them on! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good Princess dress. But that's just it...a GOOD one. Many od Disney's dresses I feel are just lazily designed. They print a tacky face on the front and tah-dah....or should I say ker-ching? Often, I find the prettiest Princess dresses are not Disney's brand, but other imitations. For instance, my niece, Penny, has a beautiful Elsa dress from Marks and Spencers (a British store) and it looks very similar to the dress Elsa wear's in the film. Yet the actual Disney version, has Elsa's face smacked across the chest....oh, how original.
Although I feel Orenstein has some very valid points in her book....I still can't help but feel desperately sorry for Daisy. It pains me to read comments such as "...have managed to infiltrate" as Orenstein describes the contraband that has worked it's way into her home despite her Disney ban. Despite it's faults, Disney brings such joy, and I don't believe it is as limiting as Orenstein suggests. I still believe it can encourage creative play and imagination and merely a balance is required. Penny creates her own games and invents her own stories and adventures - be them Disney or related or not. She is not trapped in a world of pink, princess, butterfly or fairy.
Now maybe I'm just being cynical and far too defensive over the princess culture....but I think we have to be careful looking at one study showing female college students different adverts and analyzing the effect on their career paths - that those who saw stereotypical ads involving acne cream and brownie mix have a lesser desire to pursue STEM than those who saw more neutral ads. I mean how definitive can studies like this be? And Orenstein even admits that, despite looking, she's "never seen a study proving that playing princess specifically damages girls' self-esteem or dampens their aspirations".
In this chapter, the idea of 'effortless perfection' is yet again touched upon (specifically pages 17-18) as girls must not only have it all, but be it all. "Cinderella and Supergirl. Aggressive and agreeable. Smart and stunning." So is this empowering or disheartening women? Are we able to have it all, or are we suffering at an unattainable and futile task chasing the illusion of perfection? Orenstein suggests that both are true.
One of my personal pet peeve's about this Chapter is how Orenstein persuades her friend's daughter to go to the expensive 'American Girl' store that she is "no longer into". But after bringing her there, she is swept up in the place and her mum end's up spending lots of money on new dolls and accessories! Orenstein wouldn't take her own daughter for this very reason, she didn't want to get her daughter hooked on an expensive fad....but it's ok to encourage her friend's daughter? Orenstein writes: "The truth is, I asked Sophie and Karen to join me on this outing because Daisy had not yet heard about American Girl, and I was not eager to hasten her discovery. It's not that I object to the dolls, exactly, and I surely understand supporting a girl's interest in the line, but I would prefer to stave it off, if not avoid it entirely: there has to be a less expensive way to encourage old-fashioned values". But don't worry, now Karen just has to fork out $500 for Orenstein's experiment as she worries that her husband will think she's "lost [her] mind".
This chapter begins with an explanation of how Daisy, Orenstein's daughter, plays Snow White at a bat mitzvah, despite her mother purposefully never teaching her this story. Daisy was the center of attention as the older children raced around to find a suitable prince to awake her. It's no secret that Orenstein isn't swept up in Disney's magical rendition, as she describes Snow White as "passive, personality-free princess" who's sole virtue is tidiness and who's beauty is the only reason the Prince falls in love with her.
If you read my earlier post on Snow White, you can see I had some similar reactions to Orenstein. But as I don't have a daughter, I am in the 'not at all opposed to sharing the love of Disney, despite it's flaws' phase of my life. Does Disney always provide young girls with a strong role model for the modern world? No. And not that it's an excuse, but these films were made at a time when women were treated very differently. When a woman's sole purpose was to 'keep house'. Thankfully we have come a long way since then. But I don't feel like we should just shut out Disney. Instead it could be used as a learning curve and an empowering message for women. Not to ignore history, but to show that women didn't used to have the same rights and explain the differences between Disney's portrayal of women then and the 'modern' woman now. To show the signs of progression Disney is trying to make with more recent films Like Brave and Frozen, displaying strong heroins. To help girls appreciate the freedoms and opportunities they can take. With just some simple and gentle explanations, maybe this could help build strong, confident and aware girls...or maybe these are just the naive wishes of an 18-year-old 'modern' day woman, empowered by her college education and fresh faced against the cynical world. Who knows? In any case, I don't think just blocking out the stories from a child's life helps in any way - as Orenstein explains, the children only discover the stories themselves anyway, and I feel that without any real explanation to go with them, the children won't learn many good principles, besides those over beauty and dependence on men that many mother's fear!
I really do enjoy the fresh nuggets of information Orenstein provides in her book, and it shows that she thoroughly does her research. For instance, the story behind the Princess marketing franchise and the Princesses who don't make eye contact. I personally believe that the lovingly homemade princess dresses may have been far prettier than many of Disney's creations. This is one thing I'll fight them on! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good Princess dress. But that's just it...a GOOD one. Many od Disney's dresses I feel are just lazily designed. They print a tacky face on the front and tah-dah....or should I say ker-ching? Often, I find the prettiest Princess dresses are not Disney's brand, but other imitations. For instance, my niece, Penny, has a beautiful Elsa dress from Marks and Spencers (a British store) and it looks very similar to the dress Elsa wear's in the film. Yet the actual Disney version, has Elsa's face smacked across the chest....oh, how original.
Although I feel Orenstein has some very valid points in her book....I still can't help but feel desperately sorry for Daisy. It pains me to read comments such as "...have managed to infiltrate" as Orenstein describes the contraband that has worked it's way into her home despite her Disney ban. Despite it's faults, Disney brings such joy, and I don't believe it is as limiting as Orenstein suggests. I still believe it can encourage creative play and imagination and merely a balance is required. Penny creates her own games and invents her own stories and adventures - be them Disney or related or not. She is not trapped in a world of pink, princess, butterfly or fairy.
Now maybe I'm just being cynical and far too defensive over the princess culture....but I think we have to be careful looking at one study showing female college students different adverts and analyzing the effect on their career paths - that those who saw stereotypical ads involving acne cream and brownie mix have a lesser desire to pursue STEM than those who saw more neutral ads. I mean how definitive can studies like this be? And Orenstein even admits that, despite looking, she's "never seen a study proving that playing princess specifically damages girls' self-esteem or dampens their aspirations".
In this chapter, the idea of 'effortless perfection' is yet again touched upon (specifically pages 17-18) as girls must not only have it all, but be it all. "Cinderella and Supergirl. Aggressive and agreeable. Smart and stunning." So is this empowering or disheartening women? Are we able to have it all, or are we suffering at an unattainable and futile task chasing the illusion of perfection? Orenstein suggests that both are true.
One of my personal pet peeve's about this Chapter is how Orenstein persuades her friend's daughter to go to the expensive 'American Girl' store that she is "no longer into". But after bringing her there, she is swept up in the place and her mum end's up spending lots of money on new dolls and accessories! Orenstein wouldn't take her own daughter for this very reason, she didn't want to get her daughter hooked on an expensive fad....but it's ok to encourage her friend's daughter? Orenstein writes: "The truth is, I asked Sophie and Karen to join me on this outing because Daisy had not yet heard about American Girl, and I was not eager to hasten her discovery. It's not that I object to the dolls, exactly, and I surely understand supporting a girl's interest in the line, but I would prefer to stave it off, if not avoid it entirely: there has to be a less expensive way to encourage old-fashioned values". But don't worry, now Karen just has to fork out $500 for Orenstein's experiment as she worries that her husband will think she's "lost [her] mind".
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is the first Disney film every created and was released in 1937.
I personally find it very interesting to see how Disney has evolved over the years, from Snow White all the way up to Frozen - the first animated Disney film to be directed by a female. So from Cinderella and her glass slipper to Jennifer Lee 'melting the glass ceiling', hopefully we're entering an exciting new era for Disney.
Check out these articles outlining Jennifer Lee's success in an otherwise seemingly all boys club:
http://variety.com/2014/film/awards/frozens-jennifer-lee-melts-ceilings-1201216961/
http://www.themarysue.com/frozen-billion-dollar-jennifer-lee/
While the animations surely have come a long way since their beginnings, so have the messages these films contain and although Disney's successes are mixed with controversial views, I'm excited to explore these changes as I work my way through some Disney classics, focusing particularly on the Princess Culture, and even comparing with modern versions - e.g. A Cinderella Story, Ever After: A Cinderella Story, and Enchanted. Take a look at all the Cinderella film versions here: http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/402597-list-of-cinderella-movies
A modern rendition of Snow White is the 2007 film "Sydney White", which tells the story of a freshman girl's experience with the Greek system at college. Watching this film was among one of my first exposures to 'sorority life' in the USA. And now I'm going through rush myself, although at Duke, it's nothing like in this film!
Now while Disney Princess waistlines probably deserve a whole post of their own, I'll touch on them here. Disney is infamous for displaying unrealistic body images for their Princesses, and this most likely stems from the male controlled animation studies designing figures they seem more attractive, with tiny waists, slender frames and larger breasts. I believe this trend started in the 60's and hasn't improved much from then onwards, with Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989) and Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992) possible being the most notorious. Comparatively, Snow White does not have an unreasonable body figure, though her looks are her most defining feature in the story, and the sole reason her (step)mother has for wanting to kill her - "Lips red as the rose. Hair black as ebony. Skin white as snow."
Here we can see that Snow White's waist is not stick thin, she has round cheeks and a more normal figure overall. This is more reflective of women at the time, and when curves were generally seen as being healthy and attractive. Yet more modern depictions alter this, by thinning the waist line, lengthening her lashes, accentuating her cheek bones and enhancing her bust, making innocent Snow White seem more alluring.
The internet is full of comparisons between actual Disney waistlines and more humanly possible shapes, but here are a few I found particularly interesting:
Now onto Snow White's actual storyline. I mean I personally LOVE Disney, I grew up with it, and at surface level I still think it's all great now! But....you can't help but notice the inequalities. Outright, Disney's Snow White was published at a time when women were not seen as equal to men, when their role was to cook and clean and care for their families, in essence, 'to keep house'. And this is just what Snow White does.
"I'm so ashamed of the fuss I've made" - Snow White apologizes to the animals in the forest, when she's scared and upset after almost being murdered and banished from her home because her crazy step mother is jealous of her looks! She should have every right to make a fuss after such traumatic events - but oh no, she's just an emotional girl and she shouldn't let her emotions get the better of her like that! So instead she must feel 'ashamed' for making such a 'fuss'....pffft, it's not like it's a matter of life and death...oh wait, it was!
The message that follows this is at least a positive one, that she does pick herself back up, makes the best of the situation and carries on despite hard times. This trait can be admired and shows strength of character.
Throughout the film there is a strong connection between Snow White and the animals - in Disney films animals often help the princess - in Cinderella mice help make her first gown and unlock her from her room, they even form the horses to take her to her ball. In snow white the animals sing with her, help her clean, comfort her and take her to the Dwarves in the woods. They also fetch the Dwarves to try to rescue Snow White from her fate.
The animals provide light-hearted and friendly support to the princesses and often have a comical factor. For instance, I love how the deer starts licking the plates clean until Snow White tells the deer to put them in the sink! And the squirrels try to sweep dirt under the rug.
When the Dwarves meet Snow White, most are amazed by her beauty, but grumpy says "she's a female, and females are trouble, they're full of wicked wiles", "let her wake up, she don't belong here no how" - This sort of misogynistic hierarchy/supremacy only shows that Snow White does not have a real place in a man's world.
So here Grump doesn't even rationally understand why he hates females, he just does.
Snow goes on to promise to keep house if they let her stay: "I'll wash, sew, sweep, cook"
And she's allowed to stay because she can cook - "gooseberry pies, Hurray, she stays!"
But still, a woman isn't so readily accepted in this male environment as Grumpy incessantly makes clear: "Huh Women!" he remarks as Snow White makes him wash before dinner, and then later goes on to say, "Her wiles are about getting to work, but I'm warning you, you give them an inch and they'll walk all over you."
Although Doc does tell the other Dwarves not to listen to Grumpy, the fact remains that Grumpy still voices these opinions, forming negative generalizations about the female sex as a whole.
"Next thing you know, she'll be tyin' your beards up in pink ribbons and smellin' ya up with that stuff called, uh perfume." ...not to mention stereotyping like this.
As Snow sings about true love Grumpy mutters "mush"
and at bed time "huh women, a fine kettle of fish"
As a young child I would say I didn't really notice these slants against women. I always understood that Grumpy was, well...grumpy! But the whole unjustified persecution of a gender was quite subliminal to a young girl.
Although this is often the case with many Disney films. I remember when Toy Story 3 came out in the cinemas, and my older brother went to see it with his friends. He was the generation this film was made for, and he would be heading off to college just as Andy was in the third film. But when he came back, he told mum that my younger brother shouldn't be able to watch this one as it has far more grown up content than the others. And my mum explained that he should re-watch the other Toy Stories and now he'd see the 'grown up' content that was always there, but simply passes over a child's head.
Now, the fact that the Queen transforms herself into an uglier, old woman to commit her evil deeds hardly seems a coincidence either. Disney often victimizes the old and ugly, whereas the younger, prettier characters remain the damsels and heroes of the story.
Disney even uses some good old pathetic fallacy as a storm occurs when Snow White is put to sleep and her stepmother is killed.
I love the old music in this film! I think Disney have always had great film scores.
Snow White introduces Disney's usual, magical formula involving love at first sight and the princess being saved by her one true love's kiss - naturally the Prince rides in on a white horse to save the day and sweep the damsel in distress off her feet as they ride off into their happily every after.
...so beautiful even in death, that the dwarves could not find it in their hearts to bury her...
The Prince riding in on his white horse reminds me of Taylor Swift's song - 'White Horse'
"I'm not a princess,
this ain't a fairytale,
I'm not the one you sweep of her feet,
leader of the stairwell...
...now it's too late for you and your whitehorse,
to come around"
This song is still about a young girl who fell madly in love with her 'prince', only she realizes now she was naive and understands she isn't a princess caught in a fairytale as she doesn't let him just ride in again and sweep her away and the song ends with "it's too late to catch me now".
Now if we compare Disney's rendition of Snow White to Grimms' Fairytale, we see that, despite Disney allowing the wicked stepmother to be chased off a cliff by the Dwarves, Disney really toned back the sinister essence to this tale. For instance, in Grimm's version, it was not a stepmother, but actual Snow White's mother who plotted to kill her. And when the Huntsman failed, the Queen attempted to use an overly tight corset, a poisoned comb and finally a poisoned apple to kill her daughter, who incidentally was not awoken by true love's kiss, rather shaken awake as the Prince made off with her coffin! Possibly worst of all is that the wicked Queen was forced to dance herself to death in red hot iron shoes. More such examples of the more gruesome Grimms' Fairytales can be found here. Now while some may say such stories are inappropriate for young children, Peggy Orenstein, author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter, may beg to differ. In her book, she describes research that suggests exposing children to these original fairytales can have great value in their development, for instance how they process death and engage with morals with the pink and princess distractions removed from the equation. Orenstein read some of these stories to her own daughter, Daisy, without inflection in her voice, so as to allow Daisy to process and interpret the stories herself. Often, Daisy would stop her mother to ask questions and clarify the meanings of words and scenarios. Orenstein describes her personal experiment as having a positive effect, and although her young daughter did not want to hear some of the stories again, she learnt from many of them. As I blog about later chapters in the book, I will write in more depth about this.
Songs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves:
I'm Wishing
Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum (The Washing Song)
Heigh-Ho
One Song
The Silly Song
With a Smile and a Song
Some Day my Prince will Come
Whistle While You Work
http://www.cornel1801.com/disney/Snow-White-Seven-Dwarfs-1937/movie-film.html
I personally find it very interesting to see how Disney has evolved over the years, from Snow White all the way up to Frozen - the first animated Disney film to be directed by a female. So from Cinderella and her glass slipper to Jennifer Lee 'melting the glass ceiling', hopefully we're entering an exciting new era for Disney.
Check out these articles outlining Jennifer Lee's success in an otherwise seemingly all boys club:
http://variety.com/2014/film/awards/frozens-jennifer-lee-melts-ceilings-1201216961/
http://www.themarysue.com/frozen-billion-dollar-jennifer-lee/
While the animations surely have come a long way since their beginnings, so have the messages these films contain and although Disney's successes are mixed with controversial views, I'm excited to explore these changes as I work my way through some Disney classics, focusing particularly on the Princess Culture, and even comparing with modern versions - e.g. A Cinderella Story, Ever After: A Cinderella Story, and Enchanted. Take a look at all the Cinderella film versions here: http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/402597-list-of-cinderella-movies
A modern rendition of Snow White is the 2007 film "Sydney White", which tells the story of a freshman girl's experience with the Greek system at college. Watching this film was among one of my first exposures to 'sorority life' in the USA. And now I'm going through rush myself, although at Duke, it's nothing like in this film!
Now while Disney Princess waistlines probably deserve a whole post of their own, I'll touch on them here. Disney is infamous for displaying unrealistic body images for their Princesses, and this most likely stems from the male controlled animation studies designing figures they seem more attractive, with tiny waists, slender frames and larger breasts. I believe this trend started in the 60's and hasn't improved much from then onwards, with Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989) and Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992) possible being the most notorious. Comparatively, Snow White does not have an unreasonable body figure, though her looks are her most defining feature in the story, and the sole reason her (step)mother has for wanting to kill her - "Lips red as the rose. Hair black as ebony. Skin white as snow."
Here we can see that Snow White's waist is not stick thin, she has round cheeks and a more normal figure overall. This is more reflective of women at the time, and when curves were generally seen as being healthy and attractive. Yet more modern depictions alter this, by thinning the waist line, lengthening her lashes, accentuating her cheek bones and enhancing her bust, making innocent Snow White seem more alluring.
The internet is full of comparisons between actual Disney waistlines and more humanly possible shapes, but here are a few I found particularly interesting:
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/disney-princess-real-waistline_n_6076634.html
- http://www.buzzfeed.com/caitlincowie/women-react-to-realistic-disney-princess-waistlines#.ftBABbMnX
- http://www.eonline.com/news/670125/disney-princesses-have-eyes-literally-bigger-than-their-stomachs-and-here-are-the-photos-to-prove-it
Now onto Snow White's actual storyline. I mean I personally LOVE Disney, I grew up with it, and at surface level I still think it's all great now! But....you can't help but notice the inequalities. Outright, Disney's Snow White was published at a time when women were not seen as equal to men, when their role was to cook and clean and care for their families, in essence, 'to keep house'. And this is just what Snow White does.
The message that follows this is at least a positive one, that she does pick herself back up, makes the best of the situation and carries on despite hard times. This trait can be admired and shows strength of character.
Throughout the film there is a strong connection between Snow White and the animals - in Disney films animals often help the princess - in Cinderella mice help make her first gown and unlock her from her room, they even form the horses to take her to her ball. In snow white the animals sing with her, help her clean, comfort her and take her to the Dwarves in the woods. They also fetch the Dwarves to try to rescue Snow White from her fate.
The animals provide light-hearted and friendly support to the princesses and often have a comical factor. For instance, I love how the deer starts licking the plates clean until Snow White tells the deer to put them in the sink! And the squirrels try to sweep dirt under the rug.
When the Dwarves meet Snow White, most are amazed by her beauty, but grumpy says "she's a female, and females are trouble, they're full of wicked wiles", "let her wake up, she don't belong here no how" - This sort of misogynistic hierarchy/supremacy only shows that Snow White does not have a real place in a man's world.
Grumpy: Angel, ha! She's a female! And all females is poison! They're full of wicked wiles!
Bashful: What are wicked wiles?
Grumpy: I don't know, but I'm agin' 'em.
So here Grump doesn't even rationally understand why he hates females, he just does.
Snow goes on to promise to keep house if they let her stay: "I'll wash, sew, sweep, cook"
And she's allowed to stay because she can cook - "gooseberry pies, Hurray, she stays!"
But still, a woman isn't so readily accepted in this male environment as Grumpy incessantly makes clear: "Huh Women!" he remarks as Snow White makes him wash before dinner, and then later goes on to say, "Her wiles are about getting to work, but I'm warning you, you give them an inch and they'll walk all over you."
Although Doc does tell the other Dwarves not to listen to Grumpy, the fact remains that Grumpy still voices these opinions, forming negative generalizations about the female sex as a whole.
"Next thing you know, she'll be tyin' your beards up in pink ribbons and smellin' ya up with that stuff called, uh perfume." ...not to mention stereotyping like this.
As Snow sings about true love Grumpy mutters "mush"
and at bed time "huh women, a fine kettle of fish"
As a young child I would say I didn't really notice these slants against women. I always understood that Grumpy was, well...grumpy! But the whole unjustified persecution of a gender was quite subliminal to a young girl.
Although this is often the case with many Disney films. I remember when Toy Story 3 came out in the cinemas, and my older brother went to see it with his friends. He was the generation this film was made for, and he would be heading off to college just as Andy was in the third film. But when he came back, he told mum that my younger brother shouldn't be able to watch this one as it has far more grown up content than the others. And my mum explained that he should re-watch the other Toy Stories and now he'd see the 'grown up' content that was always there, but simply passes over a child's head.
Now, the fact that the Queen transforms herself into an uglier, old woman to commit her evil deeds hardly seems a coincidence either. Disney often victimizes the old and ugly, whereas the younger, prettier characters remain the damsels and heroes of the story.
Disney even uses some good old pathetic fallacy as a storm occurs when Snow White is put to sleep and her stepmother is killed.
I love the old music in this film! I think Disney have always had great film scores.
...so beautiful even in death, that the dwarves could not find it in their hearts to bury her...
The Prince riding in on his white horse reminds me of Taylor Swift's song - 'White Horse'
"I'm not a princess,
this ain't a fairytale,
I'm not the one you sweep of her feet,
leader of the stairwell...
...now it's too late for you and your whitehorse,
to come around"
This song is still about a young girl who fell madly in love with her 'prince', only she realizes now she was naive and understands she isn't a princess caught in a fairytale as she doesn't let him just ride in again and sweep her away and the song ends with "it's too late to catch me now".
Now if we compare Disney's rendition of Snow White to Grimms' Fairytale, we see that, despite Disney allowing the wicked stepmother to be chased off a cliff by the Dwarves, Disney really toned back the sinister essence to this tale. For instance, in Grimm's version, it was not a stepmother, but actual Snow White's mother who plotted to kill her. And when the Huntsman failed, the Queen attempted to use an overly tight corset, a poisoned comb and finally a poisoned apple to kill her daughter, who incidentally was not awoken by true love's kiss, rather shaken awake as the Prince made off with her coffin! Possibly worst of all is that the wicked Queen was forced to dance herself to death in red hot iron shoes. More such examples of the more gruesome Grimms' Fairytales can be found here. Now while some may say such stories are inappropriate for young children, Peggy Orenstein, author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter, may beg to differ. In her book, she describes research that suggests exposing children to these original fairytales can have great value in their development, for instance how they process death and engage with morals with the pink and princess distractions removed from the equation. Orenstein read some of these stories to her own daughter, Daisy, without inflection in her voice, so as to allow Daisy to process and interpret the stories herself. Often, Daisy would stop her mother to ask questions and clarify the meanings of words and scenarios. Orenstein describes her personal experiment as having a positive effect, and although her young daughter did not want to hear some of the stories again, she learnt from many of them. As I blog about later chapters in the book, I will write in more depth about this.
Songs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves:
I'm Wishing
Bluddle-Uddle-Um-Dum (The Washing Song)
Heigh-Ho
One Song
The Silly Song
With a Smile and a Song
Some Day my Prince will Come
Whistle While You Work
http://www.cornel1801.com/disney/Snow-White-Seven-Dwarfs-1937/movie-film.html
Monday, January 18, 2016
Why I Hoped for a Boy
Why I Hoped for a Boy is the first Chapter of Peggy Orensteins's book, 'Cinderella Ate my Daughter'.
http://kuow.org/post/cinderella-ate-my-daughter-peggy-orenstein
I agree that Orenstein's book is excellently written, but from the start I really couldn't help but going on the defensive for this "girlie-girl culture" I felt was being attacked. I guess it really struck a nerve for me because I truly embraced this culture, but also had balanced activities and was not absorbed in it. And I feel I've grown into a happy, confident, ambitious young woman...oh and I'm studying mechanical engineering...so I feel the pink and princess never harmed me!
I truly admire Orenstein's honesty throughout, in the first paragraph she readily admits that she was "terrified at the thought of having a daughter". But how so, can she supposedly be an expert on this matter? Have written numerous articles and appeared on TV advising mothers, and yet tremble in her boots when it's her turn? This just didn't sit with me.
I read this book with mixed emotions, throughout switching from admiration to condemnation of the author, from full agreement to raging disagreement that left me shouting out loud or stomping round the house to explain to my mum what I'd just read!
When Orenstein writes about being committed to raising her daughter without a sense of limits, this resonates so strongly with me, yes, of course, that's how I want every young girl to feel. As if they can conquer the world, be the smartest in their class, be authoritative in the work place and not seen as 'bossy', have a profession and a family (if she wants!), be a CEO or an engineer if her heart so desires and not have to break down barriers that never should have existed for her in the first place. Yet when Orenstein writes that she "wanted her to be able to pick and choose the pieces of her identity freely" - then bans the disney culture Daisy so desperately desires it just plucks at that nerve again for me! Ok, Orenstein explains that Daisy's Disney Princess fad was brought on by peer pressure and marketing manipulations, but it still feels so cruel to me that this culture is so strongly forbidden from a little girl who seeks it so strongly - (quote Daisy begging and being denied). Orenstein often talks about it just being 'easier' for parents to give in to the evil and make their daughters happy for 10 minutes...but I still refute that it can be that evil! I am a firm believer that all you need is balance! Don't let princess control their lives, but don't shut it out! There are great, neutral children's books and films that can be found . Ok, they don't always have great female protagonists, which I admit is a problem, but Orenstein worked hard to find stories that do and if these are mixed in with the Princess mania, as well as others containing groups and male leads then a healthier balance can be found....ok yes easier said than do...and it's so easy for me to preach it when I'm not raising a daughter (this is exactly the first thing that made me doubt Orenstein)...but my mother did this for me, and I had a happy and fulfilled childhood without being denied my beautiful princess dresses. Feeling like a princess can give girls a real confidence and help them feel special, but I'm not so naive to deny that it can be dangerous in terms of body image, as can fashion magazines, social media and the like. However that's still not to say that every girl who twirls in a nice gown will be driven to anorexia, self-esteem issues or an unhealthy sex life. Surely no-one can blame ALL of that on Disney alone! In today's society you can hardly ignore the beautiful supermodels and actresses who are given such status, the magazines and cosmetics that are ever marketed and the constant obsession with how we all look. Females definitely have it worse...but rather than toning it down or us, it seems that in this modern era men are just starting to be scrutinized more. There are increasing numbers of male skin care products being advertised on TV, guyliner is a thing and male actors and models are adorned. So this pressure will extend to boys and adolescents in how they dress, how they gel their hair, what brands they wear. The sheer fact is that the world is being ever more commercialized in our consumer society. Gender stereotypes no doubt play into this, but my real point is, that as it can't be avoided, it's best to allow the Princess dresses at a young age, but also teach lessons about confidence in who you are, strength in character, kindness in not judging others on their appearance - because girls can be awful at that! And even look at real life modern day princesses. I'm from England, where we have a monarchy. Princess Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge is, in my opinion, a very good role model, as was Princess Diana before her. Diana didn't take the easy route, she chose to be an advocate for AIDS at a time when much less was known about the disease and it was considered very dangerous to be around. She didn't choose glamorous charity work - and the Royal Family weren't happy with her - but she was a strong and independent princess who worked hard for what she believed in. She was known as the 'People's Princess' even after her divorce stripped her of her title. She was a pioneer, a leader, a strong and kind woman and she was adored for it.
On page 5, Orenstein touches on the topic that, despite girls' successes rising in all manners of life, from the classroom to the sports field, a large emphasis is still placed on their appearance. This resonates strongly with the Baldwin Scholars research into 'effortless perfection' and a thought-provoking discussion session hosted by UNC women's center staff I attended with a group of college women. This phrase describes the pressure college women particularly feel to be the best at everything all the time, ever striving for the height of perfection, while looking immaculate and not even breaking a sweat...not to mention remaining ever humble and not celebrating their impressive achievements because that's simply expected, so don't be a 'bragger'. This unrealistic and frankly unachievable cycle women have been caught up in may push us to new heights, but at what costs? We can never reach perfection as it ever evolves, as we set our ambitions higher and fight to keep up with them...of course still not breaking a sweat...because we're effortlessly perfect right? We're modern age women, showing we can do it all and have it all, no-one wants to fall behind. Except studies also show that Duke women graduate with lower confidence than they started with....hmmm, whatever could be the reason? Where do the "get to" and "have to" lines blur and make it "easier and harder" to be a woman in today's 'equal' and opportunistic society.
Once Upon A Time...
Once upon a time in a land far far away...all the way across the Atlantic...there was an eighteen month child who, for the first time, visited a magical land. This child grew up away from this magical place and for her 5th birthday returned...
Disneyland Paris, Collage: Parkerlebnis
I still remember my birthday at Disneyland, how despite all the theme park rides, entertaining shows and disney characters, my favourite ride was always 'mad pram'. Mad pram was a game my dad invented to keep my brother and I entertained while we waited in the long ride queues. We'd stand on the step at the back of the pram or sit in the seat and he'd race all round, tip the pram up, make crazy noises and keep us thoroughly entertained.
I love hearing the stories mum tells about this holiday. How, despite being pregnant with my little brother, she was dragged out of the audience into a Wild West show, thrown in a carriage and tipped out! I remember Minnie and Mickie Mouse bringing me a chocolate cake at dinner, and the whole restaurant singing 'Happy Birthday' to me. Apparently the cake was so big and chocolatey my parents were passing pieces out to all the tables around us!
Like most children, I've grown up with Disney in my life. And as Peggy Orenstein explains, it's not like you could avoid it, even if you wanted to! But I loved the films, books, games and princess dresses. I went to the Disney on Ice show. When my cousin and I were both quite young she helped dress me up in my Cinderella gown, with white gloves, a pearl necklace, little slippers and my hair in a sophisticated bun. I was a classy princess ready for a ball and we went down to show our parents, who were amazed at the skill of my cousin in getting me ready! But I was never an extreme pink fanatic. I loved embracing the princess side, but I also have two brothers and am always more than happy to climb a tree, play rough sports, play with a train set or build a K'Nex rollercoaster. I'm fortunate to have grown up in a balanced environment, where I could enjoy whatever I wanted and was freely able to embrace both my truly girly side and the more 'boy-ish' activities. And my brothers were by no means afraid of pink or princess! My older brother borrowed one of my dresses as he played the ugly step sister in a school play! (How I wish I had access to pictures of all these things to show you!).
My Disney experience has not ended as I've grown up. I'm on the current Frozen bandwagon almost as much as any 5 year old! Just this Christmas I visited my 3 year old niece, Penny, and took her a box of Frozen Christmas crackers as a present. Inside were great presents, with games and trivia...of course all Frozen themed. Then we watched the film together and naturally had to sing every song! And just watching Penny enthralled in the film shows me the real magic of Disney. I can see it does her good too! She remembers the plot line and the script. She loves telling me about what will happen next, or saying the Characters lines with them, or even just before them! She shows empathy when Anna is hit by the ice-blast the first time. All these developmental skills she's expressing through Frozen. And Penny is just as happy to dress up in her beautiful Elsa dress as she is her spider man costume. She adores her toy kitchen and her builder's set equally.
Last year I also saw Disney's The Lion King on the West End at the Lycium Theatre in London. It was the best West End show I've seen by far!
I signed up for Decoding Disney for a number of reasons....firstly, duh....it's Disney! I mean who doesn't want to re-live the childhood dream and embrace their inner Hakunna Matata. But it's not all just sining and dancing, I'm also very interested in delving behind the scenes and exploring the underlying messages Disney portrays, the effects on children and how Disney really shapes our lives for the future.
I took the opportunity of reading Orenstein's 'Cinderella Ate My Daughter' over winter break (don't worry, I'll re-read the chapters for in-depth blog posts) and while I suppose the book is supposed to provoke a reaction, it really got to me and put me on the defensive for Disney! I don't see the pink and princess fad as harmful or evil and I felt desperately sorry for Orenstein's daughter, who was being denied these princess experiences. I believe a girl can be a princess and still grow up to be a strong, successful woman. I think the key is in balance and choice. Yes, Orenstein claims that Princess is rammed down girls' throats from such a young age that it can hardly be considered a choice. And undeniably so, commercialism is becoming ever more prominent in our lives - yes, now even taxis have tv adverts in them! But I think it's unfair to try to ban Disney, rather a balance is needed. Maybe some girls will want nothing but Princess...for a time...but I'm sure many would be happy to branch out. To build impressive lego constructions, ride bikes, play football, or hot wheels.
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