Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Connection

Cinderella Ate My Daughter

Peggy Orenstein

Connection to Christenson, Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us

Before I start, I want to say that I LOVE Disney movies, I think they are fabulous and magical and musically brilliant. However, I do acknowledge that they do have some strains on children. This is something I arrived at through research and lots of critical thinking of the subject. I also think that the strains it does have on children is not dramatic and consumes their entire life into adulthood, I am just suggesting that deep within ourselves is some shared ideologies we have subconsciously taken in from watching these movies and cartoons. (The Pictures are of my Favorite Disney Movies! :) ) 

1.)           Christenson’s point: “Our society’s culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream.”

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Orenstein’s evidence: “‘If I were a [blank], I’d [blank] to the store.’ The girls fell exactly into exactly four camps: princess, fairy, butterfly, and ballerina.”

-Explanation: In regards to Christenson’s quote, colonization is the act of settling, taking over, becoming a colony on land. But here she uses this as a metaphor. That the Disney culture (in relation to Cinderella Ate My Daughter) has colonized children’s minds. She claims that because of the colonization, Disney culture determines how children act, live and dream.For evidence I chose a quote from Orenstein when she is describing her daughter’s preschool assignment with the teacher and other moms. All of the girl’s answers were in the same schema. These things, princesses, butterflies, and ballerinas were what was “cool” or acceptable. But why is it deemed “cool?” Christenson and many studies would say because of the Disney culture and secret education children have subconsciously been exposed to while watching the movies. I’d agree and say that this is a good piece of evidence. Our culture teaches us things we even don’t consciously know sometimes.

2.)        Christenson point: “The messages or “secret education” linked with the security of their homes, underscore the power these texts deliver…the stereotypes and worldview embedded in the stories become accepted knowledge.”

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 Orenstein evidence:

→”linked in the security of their homes underscore the power of these texts deliver…” –Christenson.     →     “Princesses are uncomplicated, classic, and something solid that we (moms) can understand and share with them…they provide…a common language of childhood fun.” –Orenstein.

-The fairytales are classic and give mothers the opportunity to share with their daughters a common interest and encourage the bond because their won’t be as easy for a mother can first handedly connect with when the girls become teenagers and are plugged in to Twitter and Facebook. So in the world of Disney tales and princesses they share a bond, a common language. This then creates the idea that the tales are secure and acceptable because they are being shared with by a parent.

→”The stereotypes and world view”-Christenson      →      On the mothers’ objection to letting their girls watch the fairytales…“Cinderella may ride off with the prince, but before that she spends much of her time dressed in tatters, offering children object lessons about kindness, forbearance, and humility. Without the back-story what was left?” In response, a mother says, “I think it’s all about 

being looked at, being admired, and about special treatment, receiving it not giving it.” –Orenstein

-          The secret education or acceptance here is coming from the same story line in almost the entire line of princess movies, in particular though, Cinderella. The idea that children are absorbing, consciously or not, is that you will receive special treatment and the prince of your dreams and all things good IF you are kind and obey the rules set forth. This seems like a good message except that they are being fed the idea that admiration and special treatment are owed to them.

→ “embedded in the stories become accepted knowledge.” –Christenson. → ‘Princesses value derives largely from their appearance.’  “little girls need to feel to feel beautiful , that being on display, being admired for how they look, is critical to their developing femininity and fragile self-esteem; that princesses set their imagination soaring.” –Orenstein.                         

-  Appearance seems to be everything in all the Disney tales. If you see a thin beautiful women she is probably the princess or an object of lust or worship similarly to a strong and tall man, that is admired for those attributes. If you see a fat, stumpy man he’s probable a fool and then becomes not so attractive. No one wishes to be that guy, the fool because that is the not the character that is desire in the film or tale instead it’s the beautiful princess of the strong man. This then relays the accepted knowledge that to be desired is to be thin and beautiful and for a man strong and tall.