Yes, there are words on this image, violating the whole “worth 1000 words” dictum, but in this case, the picture (with words) really expresses what’s wrong with the the ubiquity of the kind of things soulless corporations are marketing to our children (and worse, that we let them). Just take a look (click it so you can read it):

I recently spent 1300 words or so complaining about the anti-feminist messages found in Twilight, though really, Meyer’s not-romantic not-vampire not-werewolf fiction is really just what so many of America’s girls graduate to after they’re done with Disney Princesses.

It’s all the same message – if you’re a girl, you sit around trying to be poised and pretty until some man/prince/sparkly undead/skinwalker with good abs comes along to rescue you and give your life meaning…until he dumps your ass and sends you into fits of depression.

This is not what I want for my girls. Thankfully, as a household we’re doing pretty well (partially due to some lifestyle choices many people find baffling*) avoiding the issue. I contrast my experience with the stories I’m reading over at Disney Princess Recovery (where I found that image above) and find myself depressed and angered. The little princess-obsessed little girl being discussed was so hobbled by the princess script and worldview that she had trouble playing otherwise. The blog chronicles the attempts of the mother (who’s also a psychologist) to break the princesses’ hold (and thus the rigidly defined gender roles and sense of female disempowerment) on the kid. It’s interesting, and disturbing reading.

This isn’t to say that I’m against Disney necessarily** – I own the “classic” Disney animated films (more because I’m a film buff and the early films are legitimate film history and often artistically beautiful), but the ideas inherent in the “Princess” marketing concept is really bothersome.

As I said,in my house, the princesses have never taken hold, mostly due to the general lack of television with commercials and the Disney Channel. There’s a lot of focus on animals, sword-and-sorcery fantasy, and science (at least the Mythbusters “blowing lots of crap up in the name of” version) with regard to television watching, but I’m kind of proud of the groans that eminate from my oldest when Hannah Montana is mentioned.

True, right now, I’m fighting a battle against toddler obsession with Diego and his rescue pack, but at least Diego and his cousin Dora are out doing things instead of waiting for a characterless prince to come rescue them.

A lot of people would argue about how this stuff is harmless and nothing to worry about, but you know, I disagree with them. I don’t want my daughters to look at the world this way – I want them to be strong, independent, confident, questioning, and fully capable of taking care of themselves; not feeling constrained by any kind of patriarchal societal structure. Nor do I want my son to buy into the idea that girls ought to be anything but capable, intelligent, and worthy of the same respect a man would be due.

And I want them all to be able to recognize when this isn’t happening, and do what they can to change things for the better when they find it.

When I hear stories of little girls sitting on the steps in their Disney-branded play dress waiting for the prince to rescue them because “that’s what princesses do,” forgive me for having a hard time saying that this isn’t a big problem.

(Edited 7/30 for clarity and numerous grammar issues – when I re-read this piece today, I realized I must have been suffering from heatstroke when I originally wrote it. The content is exactly the same, except you can, you know, understand it now.)

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* –Yes, strange lifestyle choices like not having cable, and generally eliminating channel surfing from our lexicon. It’s not that we don’t watch TV, it’s that we do it actively and with discretion. We watch specific programs (on our own schedule, thanks to digital media and internet streaming), and don’t merely put in time worshipping the glowy picture box because it’s there. The television is off a lot more than it’s on, and isn’t the focus of the room (now that it hangs on the wall out of the way, this is even more true).

** –I detest vast swaths of Disney’s product output, though I can’t totally hate any evil global multinational corporation/empire that made Marvel Studios’ shared-universe film concept viable and still distributes Studio Ghibli films in the States with the original Japanese language soundtracks.