Unlearning the Myths

Throughout my Gender Studies classes, media portrayals have been a hot topic always touched upon but never discussed in detail.  Last semester in one of my courses we spent a class period discussing the topic at hand in this article; Disney princesses. Here is the video that we watched in that particular class which began to open my eyes to what Disney has taught us and continues to teach our children. 

While I was reading this article I realized I felt the same way Justine did. I didn't want to dessect these movies I grew up watching and loving, I felt like i wast tearing apart my childhood memories, but I know it is necesary in order to change what we will teach our children, a whole new generation that can break these stereotypes. 

I remember when I was younger, I loved watching Cinderella. It was my all time favorite movie. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I often expressed this to my parents and they were completely supportive of me. My father especially always wanted to see me in dresses, my hair long and staight with a matching hair piece on my head. I realize now, my father was just feeding into the stereotypes that we are taught as children. Even now at 23 years old my father still expects me to be his little princess and he alsways expresses how he expects me to marry a man that can take care of me and treat me like a princess.

The messages in these legendary movies about what a girl is supposed to look like (light skinned, blue eyes, long haired and thin) how they're supposed to act, what theyre supposed to do etc are burried under these glamorous and magical scenes that it is really hard to believe how damaging they really can be to young girls. Young girls are growing up believing that in order to have the "happily ever after", they must look a certain way and if they don't, it is impossible to be happy which is wrong!