http://PeggyOrenstein.com
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The Peggy Orenstein reading is about the exploration of the
growing influence that the princess, pink craze is having on young girls. She
does this within the two chapters “What’s Wrong with Cinderella” and
"Pinked!” These chapters talk about the princess craze that is currently
sweeping the nation as well as the pink craze respectively. Together, Orenstein
talks about the what these dominant images teach, which is largely consumerism.
This is the magical, sparkly, pink and purple wave of products that too many
executives have figured out parents buy for little girls en masse. Orenstein
contends that this movement, despite any good intentions, is inadvertently
constricting girls’ self image.
She is not the only one who believes that.
Created by two sisters, the site “targets the products, media and marketing
that prescribe heavily stereotyped and limiting roles to young girls.” Much
like Peggy Orenstein, the website is concerned with the limited array of toys
for girls, and the lasting effects that those limitations may have. As both
artifacts point out, the identities that this craze limits girls to, is one focused
on outward appearance.
As one can see by the Barbie home page, that fear is not outrageous.
Not only is the entire site pink (with a dash of yellow),
but all of Barbie’s moving boxes are labeled different stereotypical
“girly-girly” make-up items and the one box that isn’t a make-up item, is about
Ken a man. Sending the message that Barbie's life is all about looking pretty,
and a guy. And she is supposed to be a role-model of sorts for little girls.
The
other toys/characters that Orenstein talks about, all have a similar formula,
All are designed to be “cute,” “pretty” and to sell (hence
redesigning of Dora). They all have big doe eyes, with enhanced eyelashes, and
have outfits with frills.
Even this Target commercial promotes the idea that all
little girls’ want are tutus, sparkly things and princess castles, because while
the Legos and board games were fun to look at (which are boy toys and gender
neutral), she finds what she is looking for in the princess castle, an
appropriate girl toy.
I think that this can be connected to the Brave film because it actively sought to be a different female protagonist. She was intended to be more relatable and less perfect, she made selfish choices, choices that other Disney princesses would not have made. Because of that clear difference from traditional princesses, Merida was immediately put under the microscope. She doesn't fit into the expected role, which is the whole point of the movie, and yet, is therefore suspect. Additionally, the dress that she hates so much in the movie because its uncomfortable and restricts her movements, is marketed on half the Brave items for sale, including dress up dresses for little girls, completely ruining the message of the movie.
Questions and Comments for Class: (Two comments that have no correlation to each other)
This is easily relatable to Raby's "Pleasurable Consumption," especially when Orenstein continually remarks that Mothers' subservience to this culture is about finding ways to preserve their girls' innocence, so the consumption of things pink and princess is seen as a "good" and "safe" way to express oneself.
Additionally, This reading hits so close to home for me. I was a little girl who at once love all things Disney, princess and fairy, however I also loved to build with Legos and race cars. This eventually lead to my total hatred of pink; a hatred so deep that I am still coming to terms with it: My wardrobe totals three pink shirts.
Did
anybody else rebel from the toy aisle?
