…Most of the shoppers looking for Tiana dolls are African-American mothers, but Disney reports brisk sales of Tiana nationwide and not just at urban retail stores. But for the moms and aunts and grandmothers we met at this Target, we heard the same thing as Gwen Arnold told us: Tiana isn't just a doll; she's a symbol.

One baby-boomer aged woman looking for a The Princess And The Frog doll notes that when she was growing up, "[There] was just one type of doll, just the white dolls. That was it. So there wasn't any choice when I was growing up at all."

Another mom tells Raz:

I think the times have changed a lot. And for especially the younger girls, at 9 years old, you have your first African-American president, that's probably going to be all that they ever remember, not the things that I remember from growing up. And then to see their first African-American princess, that's wonderful for them.

Some years, the hot Christmas present comes with a lot of buzz: Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo, Beanie Babies. But none of those toys carry the historical weight Tiana carries with her, being Disney's first black princess. Whether the significance is apparent to kids — or is just something moms are aware of — is debatable. But you get the feeling that unlike toys which get forgotten or tossed, the Tiana doll will be a gift to remember.

The Symbolism Of Disney's Princess Tiana [NPR]

[Image via Toys 'R Us]

In a piece for Newsweek's website, parenting writer Po Bronson explains that his 5-year-old daughter is excited for the Princess And The Frog. But:

My daughter's been infatuated with Disney princesses since she was 3, and she's also now showing some early concerns with her body image. It's important to her to "look pretty," or "look cute." She's said things like, "Those sneakers make my feet look fat."

Bronson admits that he doesn't know where the body-image stuff comes from, but wonders: "Do Disney princesses make young girls obsessed with thinness?"

A study released this week by Drs. Sharon Hayes and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn attempted to answer that question:

Hayes and Tantleff-Dunn brought 121 girls aged 3 to 6 into their lab and showed them video clips for 14 minutes. Half the girls watched princess clips; half watched nonprincess cartoons like Dora, Clifford, and Dragon Tales. Then each girl was given 15 minutes to enjoy herself in a play room, and the scholars recorded how many of those minutes were spent in appearance-related play, such as sitting at the vanity or changing clothes in front of the mirror.

You're probably thinking that the princess-inundated girls immediately went to play dress up and admire themselves, but they didn't. The reasearchers found no statistical difference between the girls who watched princess scenes and those who watched Dora and Clifford. Bronson writes, "Watching Anastasia and Cinderella and Belle didn't make them play longer at the vanity or try on more dresses afterward. It didn't make them more likely to pick the thinnest figure as the 'Real Princess.' It didn't exacerbate their desire to be thinner."

Despite the results of this study, staring at wasp-waisted cartoon ladies has to have an effect — maybe it's subtle, cumulative? Because 31% of the little girls said they always worry about being fat; 18% sometimes worry about it. If Disney's not giving them ideas, who is? Someone closer to home, perhaps? Bronson claims the girls said things like, "Being fat is bad." And, even more telling: "My mommy thinks she's fat."

The good news is that thinness wasn't the biggest concern on the minds of these 3, 4, 5 and 6 year-olds. The bad news is:

Asked what they would change about their physical appearance… these girls wanted to change their hair color, their clothes, and their skin color. According to these young girls in Orlando (40 percent of whom were nonwhite), it helps to be a princess if your hair is blond and skin is white.

Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty: Looking at you.





Do Disney Princesses Make Young Girls Obsessed With Thinness? [Newsweek]

Earlier: Disney Princesses Rely On Good Looks, Little People & Men For Salvation
"Practical Character Reader" A Lesson In Xenophobia, Racism & Disney Villains
Is The Princess Problem Even A Problem?
Age Of Innocence? 3-Year-Olds Think They're Fat
Addressing The Princess Problem
Researchers: Disney Movies "Elevate" Heterosexuality
Playing Princess Is Just A Phase... Except When It Isn't

The buzz surrounding the movie has been building for months. Not only is this the first hand-drawn Disney movie in five years, it's also the debut of the entertainment behemoth's very first African-American heroine. Long before the movie hit theaters, there was already a good deal of criticism circulating, which centered on the possibility that P&F would feature some familiar and none-too-progressive stereotypes, including a potentially Mammy-ish character. Both Dodai and Latoya (writing for Racialicious) took on the task of exploring the potential for racism in the film, which is set in the 1920s in New Orleans, and includes a voodoo princess and a (sadly) light-skinned prince. Probably the most bothersome part is the fact that the two main characters - Tiana and Prince Naveen - spend a good portion of the movie as frogs. When Disney has waited this long to introduce a Black princess, couldn't they give her a little more screen time?

However, it seems that critics are, at least for the most part, still charmed by Tiana (feelings for Naveen are a little more divided). Unlike some of Disney's other princesses, Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) isn't a passive damsel in distress, relying on fairy godmothers and magical kisses to do all the hard work for her. Instead, she's a 19-year-old hardworking waitress, with dreams to own a restaurant of her own. Things are going well until she meets the racially-ambiguous Prince Naveen (Nip/Tuck's Bruno Campos), who comes from some fictional country and is looking for a wealthy southern gal to pay for his lavish lifestyle. A local voodoo-peddler turns Naveen into a frog, and through a complicated-sounding plot twist, convinces Tiana to kiss him. Since she's not a princess, she turns into a frog, and the two spend the rest of the film trying to figure out how to change back. Their frog-status allows them to get to know each other without looks playing a factor, which apparently helps ground the whole "skin-deep" message. However, race seems to play a very minor role - which is either fitting for a children's film, or a real shame, depending on who you ask. While it sounds like there are still some issues with the film (Naveen's one-dimensionality being a frequently mentioned problem), most critics enjoyed the music and magic. There is some disagreement as to whether it measures up to Aladdin or The Little Mermaid, but it sounds like The Princess and the Frog could become a Disney classic.

Salon

Fairy-tale princesses, especially those in the Disney pantheon, have always been a product of their times. Generations ago, it was enough for them to be hardworking and docile, to accept suffering with grace and fall into deep sleeps when the plot required it. It was revolutionary when "Beauty and the Beast's" Belle came along in 1991, with her love of books and her disdain for the handsomest guy in town. Tiana takes the princess role a step further — she's not just Disney's first African-American to wear the crown, she's the first one with a regular job. (Unless you count Mulan's gig as a warrior.) She also, like "Ratatouille's" Remy, makes the case for great food as a social leveler and the cornerstone of a good life. Tiana knows that food "brings people together" with more reliable results than even voodoo.

Time

Every Disney princess has to find two things: independence and love. Tiana, a culinary prodigy, dreams of turning an abandoned building into her own restaurant. Tiana entertains the attentions of the dashing playboy Naveen, but he's fallen under the spell of the black-magical Dr. Facilier (Keith David). The fateful kiss sends Tiana and Naveen, now frogs, into the bayou for refuge and retransformation. Among the Jungle Book-type denizens they meet there are Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a friendly, trumpet-playing alligator; Ray (Jim Cummings), a Cajun firefly; and the 197-year-old blind seer Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), among whose gifts may be the power to restore Tiana and Naveen to humanity.

And we're just short-listing the creatures that Musker and Clements toss into this savory gumbo. It's as if, in the dozen years since Hercules, their last comedy feature, the pair had stockpiled so many funny characters that a few drop in, get their laughs and are whisked off-stage. You'll be tickled by Charlotte (Breanna Brooke as a child, Jennifer Cody as an adult), the adorably addled rich girl whom Eudora babysits, and by her father Big Daddy La Bouff (John Goodman in full bluster mode), who certifies his connection to Tennessee Williams's riper alpha-males with a booming, "Hey, Stella!" In any animated comedy, the funny supporting figures threaten to overwhelm the leads; but Tiana has the class and grit, and Naveen the immature charm, to carry the story. Their cozying up while mincing mushroom for a bayou stew is one of the film's emotional highlights.

New York Post

The songs by Randy Newman — working in the jazz, blues, gospel, zydeco, Dixieland and Broadway idioms — are very catchy, belted out in style by a great voice cast. I especially liked Dr. Facilier's big spooky number "Friends on the Other Side" and Mama Odie's showstopper, "Dig a Little Deeper."

Overall, the film is not quite up to "Aladdin" and "The Little Mermaid" from the same directing team of Ron Clements and John Musker, not to mention the recent string of masterpieces from Pixar.

New York Times

The prince, disappointingly if not surprisingly, becomes not only Tiana's salvation but also that of the movie, largely by bringing some slapstick comedy and a touch of suspense into the proceedings, along with the expected romance. Though he catches Tiana's eye (and she his), Naveen is soon set upon by both Charlotte, who's angling for a match, and Dr. Facilier (a terrific Keith David), a villain who, as is true of many movies, easily steals the show. As thin as an exclamation mark and just as excited, Dr. Facilier wears spats and a top hat emblazoned with a skull and bones. Long, inky shadows follow his every step, sprouting around him like dark thoughts, as in the bravura musical number "Friends on the Other Side."

LA Times

The filmmakers have brewed up a delicious roots story in every sense of the word. "The Princess and the Frog" is set in the 1920s jazz age in the New Orleans heart of it all.It's the studio's return to the lush, fluid beauty of hand-drawn animation. It's an old-fashioned fairy tale, even though they've had some fun with the story. And it's set to music in the grand tradition of "Beauty and the Beast," which is to say the neoclassic '90s brand of Disney animation.

That might make "The Princess and the Frog" seem like a creature of ancient times, particularly since kids these days are raised on 3-D flash. The effect, though, is the opposite. After being bombarded by so much computer-generated, motion-captured high-and-higher jinks, the film feels fresh — a discovery, or a rediscovery, depending on your age.

MSNBC

"Princess and the Frog" mostly ignores the racial divides of the times. Tiana's a poor black girl, her best friend's a rich, spoiled white girl. How often did that happen in 1920s New Orleans?

But this isn't "Roots," it's a Disney family affair. In her favor, Tiana joins a list of ethnically diverse Disney heroines - Pocahantas, Mulan, Lilo - that show how far things have come from the days when a pasty-faced princess hung out with seven little white dudes.

Variety

Unlike most tales of its type, in which the heroine spends the whole movie in pursuit of Prince Charming, "The Princess and the Frog" follows the modern romantic-comedy template, granting its amphibious duo plenty of shared screen time and making them polar opposites — he's cocky and lazy, she's uptight and bossy — who initially can't stand each other... All of this is delivered in the usual riotous explosion of color and song. From the mansions of the city's upscale Garden District and the cast-iron balcony railings of the French Quarter, New Orleans clearly offered the animators no shortage of visual inspiration and architectural variety.

New York Daily News

Part of the problem with "P&F" is that Tiana and Naveen's connection feels superficial. Plus, unlike some of his modern princess-courting brethren - the Beast, Aladdin, even John Smith in "Pocahontas" - Naveen's inner change from shallow to decent seems as perfunctory as his physical one from man to amphibian.

Other elements work better, including the jazz-age setting and Randy Newman's zydeco-tinged music. And while Dr. Facilier's scary shadow monsters may be too intense for young kids, they're effective nightmare-makers in the classic Disney tradition.

Village Voice

They say it ain't easy bein' green, but it's certainly a hell of a lot easier than being black. So writer-directors Ron Clements and John Musker (whose 1992 Aladdin proffered a sinister, ear-cutting Middle East) send newly anthropomorphic Tiana and Naveen hopping off into the bayou rather than continuing to dodge ol' Jim Crow on the streets of the Big Easy. There, Princess's rampant a-historicism gives way to a veritable Mardi Gras parade of risible stereotypes: an Acadian firefly with the most exaggerated Cajun dialect this side of celebrity chef Justin Wilson, I gua-ran-tee; a 197-year-old voodoo priestess named Mama Odie; and, lest no Deep South caricature remain unturned, a trio of toothless hillbillies.

USA Today

The movie captures the traditional Disney aesthetic, with some up-to-date spins. Tiana is African-American, while Naveen's ethnic origins are less evident. The film embraces diversity in a natural way. The film's ethos is summed up by voodoo priestess Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis) in her native patois: "Only thing important is what's under the skin."

Where Pinocchio was about wishing on a star, The Princess and the Frog emphasizes backing up wishes with hard work. That proviso is a thoughtful message for young moviegoers.

The Star-Ledger

So Disney has, naturally, been nervous, wanting to serve a broader audience but knowing that no good deed goes unpunished - or, at least, goes without being heavily, politically analyzed.

"The Princess and the Frog" will be, too - and there are things here to annoy all sorts of people. The white characters are all, at best, buffoons; rural whites are portrayed as vicious and deformed; and even in the depths of the bayou, every African-American character has "good" hair.

Entertainment Weekly

But while little kids laugh at the froggy humor (summed up in the excellent, repeated punchline ''that's not slime you are secreting - it's mucus!''), the firefly antics, and the cute sight of a fat alligator wailing on his trumpet like Louis Armstrong, adult viewers are rewarded with something more moving - a Proustian remembrance of the durable 
 power of Disney at its old-school best. The filmmakers trust in story over special effects, and character over celebrity voices (there are almost none here, save for a brief cameo by queen-of-all-she-surveys Oprah Winfrey as Tiana's saintly mother, Eudora). They steep the movie in colloquial American culture. They offer a sophisticated musical experience (ragtime, zydeco, gospel, Tin Pan Alley) 
 accessible even to the youngest ears. And in doing so, the creative team behind The Princess and the Frog upholds the great tradition of classic Disney animation.

The bad news: A new study, reported today in Eurekalert, confirms what everyone already knew, that increasingly younger girls are worried about their weight and appearance. And we do mean young: while the statistics were already depressing, this study dealt with children aged 3-to-6. Indeed, according to a study by University of Central Florida psychology professor Stacey Tantleff-Dunn and doctoral student Sharon Hayes, nearly half of these pre-schoolers "worry about being fat." And a third of those tested said they were dissatisfied with their appearance. According to Vernisha Shepard, a psychotherapist and clinical coordinator for the eating disorders clinic at Texas Children's Hospital"It is getting more and more common for young girls to begin to have concern regarding their bodies," she says. "Girls as young as 8 are now talking about their bodies and show a concern related to their weight and shape. When summer comes and people begin losing the layers of clothing, more attention is drawn to how we look. Young girls are learning this and basing their entire self worth on their bodies and beauty."

Here's how the test worked:

After chatting for several minutes, the playmate asked each girl how she feels about the way she looks. Thirty-one percent indicated they almost always worry about being fat, while another 18 percent said they sometimes worry about it....Half of the girls watched parts of animated children's movies such as Cinderella that featured young, beautiful characters and appearance-focused comments, such as Gaston telling Belle in Beauty and the Beast that she is "the most beautiful girl in town, and that makes her the best." The second group watched parts of animated children's movies such as Dora the Explorer and Clifford the Big Red Dog that do not contain any appearance-related messages....In a room that featured a dress-up rack of costumes, a vanity, dinosaurs and more, children then spent about the same amount of time on appearance-related play activities, such as brushing their hair at the vanity, regardless of which set of movies they watched.

The good (sort of) news? The kids weren't more affected by a film featuring a svelte princess, like the Princess and the Frog, than by anything else. So limiting princesses and Barbies alone isn't going to do the trick; indeed, they seemed to feel equally bad regardless of what they watched. And one can't help but wonder if conversations like those the children engaged in for this study weren't one more confirmation that this stuff is Important.

I'm glad, though, that this study got the princesses off the hook a little: it's always seemed to me too easy to blame Snow White when the pretty princesses are a constant that pre-dated the dramatic upswing in young kids' eating disorders. Do such films promote a conventional standard of beauty and equate it with virtue? Sure. But it's this in combination with Bratz, Pussycat Dolls, Obese and Pregnant and Man Versus Food that conspires to create a world of what the Atlantic aptly termed "moral panic." Ironically, if the problem with fairy tales is that beauty was "good," we need to realize that obesity has become even more resoundingly "bad," nowadays, and if kids pick up on one, they'll pick up on the other.

'Too Fat To Be A Princess?' [Eurekalert]
Bikini Babies [Recipes Today]
America's Moral Panic Over Obesity

Earlier: Girls And Body Image: It's Apparently Worse Than Ever

For instance, here's one word: Disturbing.

More from the description:

The characteristics focused on in this Bible storybook will help your little girl blossom into the princess she was created to be. Virtues to create beauty such as compassion, sharing, and truth are highlighted in fun and engaging ways. The perfect format for girls to learn about their destiny as a daughter of their King.

The princess meme has become so dominant and saturated every aspect of pop culture that it's now being used to teach religion. A gender-neutral bible is not good enough; little girls need a one with pink accents and a tiny tiara. In addition, you can argue that boys "long to be loved and adored" just as much as girls do, only we live in a society that places more emphasis on girls being pretty and popular. (Of course, you can also argue that some girls do not long to be loved and adored, but would prefer to be left alone and not fussed over.) As for giving their hearts to their heroes? That's not something inherent to girls, either. Boys "give their heart" to baseball players, rock stars and other notable figures, it's just not coated with the sugary, dreamy language stereotypically used on girls.

One Amazon.com customer writes, "What little girl doesn't want to be a princess?" The answer: Plenty. Some want to be gymnasts, scientists, actresses, soldiers, librarians. Furthermore, regardless of the religious message, teaching a girl to be a "daughter of a King" is troubling as it means that the little girl's identity is fully linked with that of someone else. In this case, the King is God, but all princesses have this problem: A princess is a daughter, a wife or an heir — not an individual. She defines herself by who she in relation to another. Plus, while a warrior goes out on adventures and experiences the world, a princess usually stays in her castle — a point driven home in the New Super Mario Bros. game for Wii (which we mentioned earlier) in which Princess Peach has been kidnapped and must be rescued. Again.

In contrast, the version of this book for boys, God's Mighty Warrior Devotional Bible, sends a very different message:

Just like God created little girls in a special way, He created little boys to be mighty warriors… even when they feel small. Now with this new devotional Bible in storybook format, boys can learn how to be strong, honorable, courageous and true. Selections of Bible text from the International Children's Bible are combined with delightful articles to help a budding warrior earn his armor.

Do girls not need to learn to be strong, honorable and true? Are a little girls not allowed to be budding warriors? Are there compassion and sharing lessons for boys, or is that just girl stuff?

These books further the notion that girls are delicate, fragile, dreamy creatures in need of protection — or at least Purity Balls. Unlike "warrior" boys, strength and independence are not something for girls to focus on — instead, "beauty" and caring are highlighted.

Luckily, Amazon notes of God's Little Princess Devotional Bible: "This is a bargain book and quantities are limited." Hopefully, most girls out there won't get the message.

I Have No Words And I Must Scream [Shakesville]
The Princess Is In Another Freakin' Castle? [Techland]
God's Little Princess Devotional Bible: Bible Storybook, God's Mighty Warrior Devotional Bible [Amazon]

Related:
Lilly's Kids: What's Christmas Without Reinforcing Gender Stereotypes?
Purity Balls: Ruining Young Girls One White Rose At A Time

• Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha has requested that India return the remains of Mother Teresa. According to reports, Indian church officials are irate over Albania's claim that Mother Teresa rightfully belongs to them. But as she herself once said: "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world." •  A recent study found that intimate partner violence is linked to many different health problems, including urinary tract infections, chest pain, and acid reflux. They also found that women who had suffered abuse were more likely to be diagnosed with depression. •  A recent case involving a teacher from Michigan, who passed out at a party and awoke later only to find her entire body covered with obscene pictures and language, has sparked a debate about "drunk shaming." To make the story much worse, the teacher claims there was non-consensual sexual activity earlier in the night. •  The Bomb Squad was called yesterday to examine a package sent to a Swedish princess visiting New York. However, the package was found to be harmless, if a little creepy: It contained wires, cassette tapes, underwear and a love letter. •  According to a new report, almost half of the women who requested the morning after pill in Ireland were unable to get access to the pill within the recommended 24 hours. The morning after pill is not currently available over the counter in Ireland. • Researchers are attempting to address the link between socioeconomic status and breast cancer survival rates through examining the possible benefits of targeted interventions. •  A 54-year-old man from the UK claims that Halloween decorations could scare him to death. He suffers from severe arachnophobia, and even the sight of a rubber spider may be enough to give him a heart attack. •  An 86-year-old Florida woman has been charged with stealing a long-haired cat, which she claims was given to her by her neighbor several years ago. •  Liverpool police claim that there have been instances of teenage girls performing sex acts on bouncers in exchange for admittance to a night club named "Pink Bar." Police are seeking to shut down the gay-friendly club. • The Human Society has filed a complaint against IHOP regarding their eggs, which IHOP advertises are "cruelty-free." The Humane Society says that the eggs are not cage-free, and thus cannot be truly called "cruelty-free." •  Unsurprising news: a study found that overweight women's self-esteem dropped when they looked at photographs of models. A little more surprising: underweight women's self-esteem actually rose. • In a Q&A at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club, White House correspondent Helen Thomas said that "Nancy Reagan was a heroine in my opinion," and that Obama "lacks courage." • The Xhosa practice of ukuthwalwa, or abducting girls for marriage, has some South African girls as young as 11 essentially enslaved to their husbands. But Prince Xhanti Sigcawu of the Xhosa royal family says, "Ukuthwalwa like all our other customs was and remains an important part of who we are as people." • In Ireland, 1,722 women were turned away from domestic violence shelters last year because of lack of space. But the Irish government may be about to cut funding for some victims' services by up to 30%. • Princeton will add one gender-neutral, apartment-style dorm to its housing offerings next year, which supporters say will be a boon to transgender students. • A British woman who splashed children by driving through a puddle may face criminal charges, but she says the kids asked for it. • Eight young women, all drug users and some prostitutes, have been killed in Jennings, Louisiana in the last four years, and police say it may be the work of a serial killer. • The Daily Mail interviewed a 52-year-old woman who has been raising a pet crocodile for the past 13 years. In 2005 her husband forced her to choose between him and the croc. She chose her "daughter" because "husbands can look after themselves." • 

Every few weeks, we deal with the Princess Problem. We wish there were fewer pink toys. We see commercials told like fairy tales; women wear tiaras to get married and some even choose Disney bridal gowns. As Hortense mentioned in May, this year alone, Disney believes it will make nearly 4 billion dollars internationally off of its "Disney Princesses" brand. For years, the Disney princesses were white and passive. Ebner writes:

Snow White, for example, in the film first shown in 1937, is cleaning the dwarves' cottage within minutes of arriving, while the key to Sleeping Beauty is her waiting to be brought back to life by a Prince's kiss.

Of course, more "modern" gals like Mulan, Ariel in The Little Mermaid , Belle, and Pocahontas may act differently in the movies, but when marketed as Princesses? It's just about being pretty. While Disney will finally present its first black princess this Christmas, Sarah Ebner notes that young girls are being set up in a dangerous way:

The Women and Work Commission, reporting on the gender and opportunities gap, found that while girls are outperforming boys at school and at university, they still earn less than men - and the pay gap may be widening. One of the main reasons for this, says the Commission, is that little girls spend too much time in the Wendy house, playing with dolls or pretending to be nurses while their little brothers want to be Bob the Builder.

From an early age, girls are being socialised, it seems, for the caring, soft "feminine jobs" that perpetuate gender stereotypes, job segregation, and lower pay rates.

It certainly is a problem if little girls are steeped in fairy tale culture, worshipping heroines who don't do much else except sing to woodland creatures and wear big dresses and jewels. Not everyone can be Paris Hilton.

Dr. Melanie Waters, lecturer in English literature and specialist in feminist theory at Northumbria University, absolutely has a problem with the princess culture. "[Princess dolls] are promoting a very narrow and prescriptive view of femininity, and one that ought to be outmoded in the 21st century," she tells Ebner. "I think they are regressive. They encourage girls to be passive, and to nurture. There's an aggressive focus on beauty, hair accessories and other images that promote the idea that girls should be concerned with their appearance".

On the other hand, whenever we post about princesses, people inevitably comment that they watched just as many Disney movies as the next gal and managed to be a functioning member of society. And in Ebner's piece, Lizzie Gorham says: "Aurora from Sleeping Beauty is my favorite princess because she marries a handsome prince and because her dress is pink. I like the Princess dresses and the stories. And I want to marry a prince." But Lizzie is three. Tastes and attitudes change, children grow into adults, and can be encouraged to shed ideals, beliefs and fantasies (Santa Claus, digging to China) formed years before. Perhaps the overwhelming princess-ization of toys and media for girls is a problem, but can be solved by a good education, complete with teachings of critical thought and tossing aside of unrealistic expectations.

Is The Princess Sterotype Harming Our Daughters? [Times Of London]

Earlier: Fairy Tale Heroines Return To Dark Roots In Modern Setting
How About An Animated Movie With A Female Lead Who Isn't A Princess?
Addressing The Princess Problem
Disney Pushes Princess "Lifestyle" In Ladymag Form
Researchers: Disney Movies "Elevate" Heterosexuality

In a paper in the latest issue of Gender & Society, University of Michigan sociologists Karin Martin and Emily Kazyak report that Disney films (emphasis ours):

"…depict a rich and pervasive heterosexual landscape," despite the assumption that children's media are free of sexual content. The movies repeatedly mark relationships between opposite sex lead characters as special and magical.

"Characters in love are surrounded by music, flowers, candles, magic, fire, balloons, fancy dresses, dim lights, dancing and elaborate dinners," the researchers observed. "Fireflies, butterflies, sunsets, wind and the beauty and power of nature often provide the setting for-and a link to the naturalness of-hetero-romantic love."

When you take into consideration that thirty percent of children under the age of three have a TV in their bedrooms — many with a VCR or DVD player (and that the number increases with a kid's age) — you have a potential problem. At a very young age, children are learning that heterosexuality is normal, and homosexuality is abnormal, unusual and unexpected. Something that requires explanation.

Obviously not every kid weaned on The Little Mermaid grows up to view homosexuality as an aberration; but it is interesting to ponder that these G-rated films (and the toys associated with them) — supposedly without sexual content — actually expose children to cues about sexuality, gender roles and feminine beauty. The researchers looked at how the movies depicted bodies, kissing, jokes, romance, weddings, dating, love, where babies come from, and pregnancy.

It's worth noting that in our opposite marriage, post Prop-8 world, DisneyWorld is one place gay people have made a point of making themselves visible: Gay Days are when thousands of gays and lesbians visit the theme park — a tradition started in 1991. Lately, there have been protests from organizations like the Florida Family Association, which argues that Gay Days (emphasis ours) "offend[s] tens of thousands of unsuspecting guests… regular patrons who expect a normal day at the Magic Kingdom."

"Normal," huh? Sounds like someone was raised on Sleeping Beauty.

Disney Elevates Heterosexuality To Powerful, Magical Heights [EurekAlert]
Disney World Gay Days Protest Letter [Orlando Sentinel]

There's definitely something weird going on. Sure, little girls have always been plied with pink princesses, but this used to mean handsome princes and gowns, not some kind of entitlement to homage. The more conscientious amongst us could certainly call this a lateral move, but noted husband-supporter Megan Basham worries in the Wall Street Journal that the "every girl's a princess" ethos is leading to a rash of lady-narcissism.

Basham cites the rash of Super Sweet 16s, "Juicy Couture Princess" shirts and "princess makeovers" involving tube tops and makeup, the racks of entitled-skanky-baby gear in every mall. Oh, and did we mention the sinister "Christian Princess" trend? "Christian retail outlets like A Different Direction carry "God's Girlz," glamour dolls dressed in princess shirts and spandex with sparkling tiaras on their heads. And check out the church-apropos tee bearing the words, '"Yes, I am a Princess." The small print underneath: "I'm a daughter of the King."'

Says Basham,

Maintaining a diva daughter has become one more way to one-up the Joneses...Now researchers are finding that parents are promoting attitudes of superiority in their daughters. Jean Twenge, associate professor of psychology at San Diego State University, tracks the rising egotism on college campuses in her new book, "The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement." She has found that college-age women are developing narcissistic traits at four times the rate of college-age men. She attributes the startling discrepancy in part to parents who put their girls on a pedestal.

This arouses very mixed feelings. On the one hand, we are glad girls have healthy egos and are made to feel worthwhile; but the point of Twenge's book is to distinguish between self-esteem and narcissism. And Twenge's hypothesis is controversial; other studies have found that narcissism is no greater than it was 30 years ago - it's just manifested in more aggressive, pinker ways. Or, as Dr. Drew would have it, being encouraged by celebrity culture. But is that even the issue? Whether we're more narcissistic or just more blatant about displaying it, it's really not about "putting girls on a pedestal," it's encouraging a sense of worth and entitlement based on what used to be considered unattractive behavior - or at least the domain of opera legends of a certain age. What does it even mean to be a "diva" or a "princess?" That you're pampered and entitled? Well-groomed? It's distressing less as a manifestation of narcissism than as a focus on the wrong things.

But that said, Basham's argument rankles. She's not who we want to hear this from - you'd better believe she'd like to see more selflessness and humility! If young women are becoming "narcissists" it seems like it's at least partially because a culture of objectification that values the trophy wife or girlfriend. And while young women may meet a more obvious, Fendi-toting definition of classic narcissistic materialism, Twenge's book also cites the rising narcissism epidemic - among men, primarily - as the cause of the financial and mortgage crises. Besides, whatever the levels of campus narcissism, one can certainly argue that these young women have far less to do with determining cultural direction than a few narcissistic adults, mainly men. By definition, an obviously "princess" is not going to do as much to influence the world's course - more's the pity.

Is it naive to hope that this ethos is a leftover from pre-Recession? Even in my own generation, now pushing thirty, there's a pernicious sense of being entitled to everything - yet having nothing to prove. We are all safe in the knowledge of our own vague "specialness" regardless of the outcome, and the buck doesn't tend to stop at our own failures. In this regard, although it's horrible, the current economy may prove a boon in some ways: I've spoken to a lot of friends who, while they obviously deplore the pain and difficulty of the current situation, recognize that, as one friend put it, "it's the first test we've really had." And how much more true will this be of children growing up in its shadow? Okay, maybe not for the "baby bitch."

Bringing Up Princess: Turning Girls Into Narcissists [Wall Street Journal]
Narcissism Epidemic: Why There Are So Many Narcissists Now [Us News]
Narcissism Epidemic Blamed for Economic Woes [NBC]
Is Narcissism On The Upswing In The Young? Studies Disagree [USA Today]

Earlier: Beside Every Great Pile Of Bullshit, Or: Crap Book From A Chick

Even when they have the buying power, women are damsels in distress! Clip below.

Sarah Haskins in Target Women: Story Time [Current]

Earlier: Me-Ouch! Sarah Haskins Gets Catty About TV Cougars
Sarah Haskins: "Laundry. It's The Woman's Drug Of Choice"
Sarah Haskins On Michelle Obama's Arms: Welcome To The Pun Show
Sarah Haskins Tackles Tough Love
Sarah Haskins Helps Women Name Their Lady Parts
Sarah Haskins Explains The Sheer Evil Of Carl's Jr. Ads
Sarah Haskins Learns Valuable Lessons From Busty Blonde: Barbie
Sarah Haskins Overwhelmed By Oscars "Ex-Plosion"
Sarah Haskins Calls Out Jez Commenters
New Year, New You: Sarah Haskins Teaches You How To Diet
Sarah Haskins Wishes You Happy Period Control
Diamonds Are Not Sarah Haskins' Best Friend
Sarah Haskins Worries That Ann Curry's Life Is In Danger
Car Commercials Drive Sarah Haskins Crazy
Sarah Haskins Takes On The Disney Princesses
Sarah Haskins: Fiber Is Secret Code For Making You Poop
Condoms, Cleaning Supplies & Crap: A Q&A With Sarah Haskins

Martha Irvine of the Associated Press explores the sociological impact that the princess push has had on young women over the past few years, finding that several psychologists (and parents) worry that the current state of princess overload is leading girls to embrace gender stereotypes and have unrealistic expectations about their lives, with parents actually buying into the princess hype and placing their daughters on a "princess pedestal." "It just encourages parents who put their kids on a pedestal - and who encourage their kids a lot and rarely criticize," says San Diego State Associate Psychology Professor Jean Twenge, "You could label that kind of parenting 'princess parenting."

But are princess toys (and books, and films, and clothing) really to blame for the entitlement these children are feeling? Or is it a lack of intervention from parents who don't know when to draw the line and separate playing princess from actually being a princess? Chris Gale, a father, says he and his wife have tried to balance his daughter's desire for princess toys by adding princess elements to real life situations in order to get their daughter more interested in nature: "We've taken advantage of this by saying that mundane locations like a tower at the end of a hike is a princess castle," Gale says, "Invoking Ariel has actually gotten her to try and enjoy eating octopus at a local restaurant."

Much like the debates over whether Barbie contributes to body image issues or whether videogames incite violence in children, the trick here seems to be a sense of reality infused into make-believe time, and a need for moderation and the encouragement of other hobbies and interests to off-set the mythology and often overwhelming marketing barrage that comes along with the Disney Princess lifestyle. Girls may want to climb on to that "princess pedestal," but it's up to their parents to be there to gently knock them off.

Princess Pedestal: How Many Girls Are On One? [AP]

• Is Josh Davis Photography the Glamour Shots of the 21st-century?• Meanwhile, what is with the surge in popularity of people uploading their embarrassing late-'80s and early-'90s mall and school portraits on the internet? (Keep sending those Past Fashions!) • Psycho shut-ins rejoice! The Japanese have invented a tiny virtual girlfriend that you can pointlessly torture to make up for the fact you have no friends. • Recent police raids in Nigeria revel a network of baby "factories" that illegally breed babies to sell to childless couples. • A woman whose husband died in 2006 while trying to scale the summit of Mount Hood, has written a book defending her husband and his climbing companion's decision to climb right as a storm moved in on the mountain. • Tyra Banks finds a way to make Barack Obama's historic election all about her. • The FDA has received 930 reports of health problems caused by wrinkle-fighting injections over the past 6 years. •

Obviously I know what these fears are grounded on: societal pressures, subliminal messages, traditional gender expectations. And to this I say: Ms. Bierley, I see your concerns and raise you a Flora, a Fauna and a Meriweather. But in all seriousness, maybe I’m extra defensive because Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney movie, but also because nothing about this or films like it changed my ability to comprehend the choices offered to me in a modern world, to doubt my worth as a thinking person, or to confuse an animated movie with the realities of going to pre-K and getting into mud fights with little boys.

Are fairy tales antiquated? Yes, by definition. They’re ancient stories based on ancient archetypes which very often deal with good and evil in a stark way that appeals to children at least as much as do the princesses’ gowns and princes’ swords. If we’re talking about the actual Grimms’ stories, they are so bizarre and sinister and so often rooted in ancient folklore that seriously, marrying at 16 is the least of your problems. As to movies like this one? If a child lived in a room in which she watched nothing but these movies day and night, had no other influences, talked to no other children and saw no real women then, yes, she’d probably have a very warped view of the world. I’m guessing this is not the Fritzl-like case.

I would say though that if for no other reason that cultural literacy, a child should be familiar with these archetypes. Although I don’t expect to bring up my future children in a religious home, I have every intention of acquainting them with the Bible — as a symbolic text of incredible historical importance with some beautiful poetry and some fundamental lessons in it, around which we will not be completely basing our lives. I should think if they can appreciate the subtleties of that — as children can — they can understand that 16-year-old Aurora lives in a magical world populated with fairies and evil dragons which, for good and ill, is not real.

And, okay, pious generalities aside: Sleeping Beauty is a really good movie! Flora, Fauna, Meriwether and, hell, Maleficent! Are strong, independent female role models. Perhaps it should also be said that these were the characters who made the strongest impression on me as a small child, and on little girls whom I know now. Yes, Briar Rose/Aurora’s beautiful pink-blue gown was memorable, but the generic princess was far less interesting than the irascible fairies or the single most terrifying villain in all of Disney Fairytales.

So, here’s my advice to Ms. Bierley. Give yourself — and your niece — credit for intelligence and good sense. Thank the good lord we live in a time where, at least as little children, we can enjoy a fairy tale as a fairy tale at the same time as we can admire strong female role models and take our place in the world for granted. A feminist — even a little one — can still enjoy Sleeping Beauty while maintaining her cred, and while the trees might still be thorny, the forest is a much nicer place than it was. And this is a wonderful thing! There’s a lot of things to worry about out there – I don’t think you need lose sleep over this one.

How do you handle 'Sleeping Beauty' and other fairy tales with young girls? [Entertainment Weekly]

Earlier: If A Girl Gets A Spa Treatment And No One Films It, Did It Really Happen?
How Many 8-Year-Olds Have To Get Bikini Waxes Before We All Agree The Terrorists Have Won?

When Rosa Brooks asks her 3- and 6-year-old daughters what they want to be when they grows up, they both answer, "a pwincess." Brooks writes, in an Op-Ed in today's Los Angeles Times:

Don't be fooled by the sparkly magic wands, the pint-sized tiaras and those cute little "animal friends." The Disney princesses aren't sweet and innocent. They're a gang of vicious hoodlums, and they're plotting against you [...] Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and the rest... Rarely slay dragons, play sports, pilot jets or do open-heart surgery. Instead, they fiddle with their coiffures, linger over invitations to the ball, flee ineffectually from evil crones and swoon. You don't have to be Gloria Steinem to realize that these are not, for the most part, useful professional skills in today's world.

The Mecca of the Mouse [Slate]
Resist The Princesses [LA Times]
The Crowning Touch [Portƒolio]

Earlier: Disney Flower Girl Dresses: For Little Girls Who Still Believe In Fairy Princesses
Disney Bridesmaid Dresses: For The Fairy Princess In None Of Your Friends
Disney Bridal: For The Fairy Princess In None Of Us
Playing Princess Is Just A Phase... Except When It Isn't
Marriage Is Not A Fairy Tale
Who's To Blame When Your Fairy Tale Doesn't Come True?

"Do I think female doctors are less able? No, but I know who I'd rather have looking after me," Epstein says. "It's not that I take issue with female success," she continues, but "when power is absolute - say, keeping 200 passengers suspended in mid-air at 500 miles an hour or carrying out life-changing surgery - I want a man to be in charge."

And the fun doesn't stop there! Angela says all women have what she terms the "princess gene":

My chauvinistic feelings may be sourced in the fact that every girl inherits the princess gene which dictates her desire for a strong male role model to cosset and comfort her. I see it in my three-year-old daughter who runs to her older brothers or her daddy when a dog barks at her in the park. She trusts them more than me to protect her.

Moving on, there's also an article in the paper's Femail section about the trials and tribulations of menopause, another one about a a scandalous aristocrat who used to be a dude? Or a hermaphrodite? It's unclear, though she honestly sounds like a lot of fun, and finally, there's an article pondering why women succumb to "slenderlust" that urges women to not be too hard on themselves (an idea we can get behind).

The occasional gem aside, I think we want to mark this (fe)mail return to sender.

I'm A FEMALE Male Chauvinist [Daily Mail]
Requiem For A Lost Youth: Hitting The Menopause [Daily Mail]
A Very Unlady-like Lady: Why High Society Is Terrified Of Lady Colin Campbell [Daily Mail]
Why Are Women So Helplessly Consumed By Slenderlust? [Daily Mail]

He claims:

When it came time to raise my own little girl I made sure to expose her to sports, cars and soccer balls. She could've cared less. Three-year-old Ava was passionate about cooking, baking, her nails, edible makeup and anything having to do with princesses. I was terrified she was going to grow up to become a Republican."

The hot accessory right now is a sparkling tiara, reports The Seattle Times. "Something shocking happened last year," says Susy Korb, executive vice president and creative director of famed jeweler Harry Winston. "We sold two tiaras within two weeks in the U.S. These were real people, accomplished people, celebrating life's milestones with tiaras." But Korb doesn't connect the dots between worshipping Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Belle with the desire to wear a crown. "Americans didn't grow up with royalty so it's not quite as loaded in meaning," she says. Ah, but we do have royalty in this country, and their realm is in bedtime stories and animated flims. We're serfs in their kingdom at young, impressionable ages. Still, part of being a kid is dreaming of fantastical lives; lion tamer, firefighter and yes, princess. Does princess-worship mean that little girls will grow up thinking a prince will rescue them from doing housework? Or is it simply, as Ellis posits, a phase? And raise your hand if you've ever worn a tiara, just for fun. (I have 3.)

In Defense of Princesses [Huffington Post]
Tiara mania: C'mon Princess, You Deserve One [Seattle Times]
Related: Bonfire of the Princesses [Huffington Post]

Eariler: Why Barbie Is Bad
Marriage Is Not A Fairy Tale
Who's To Blame When Your Fairy Tale Doesn't Come True?