The main thing I think when I see people saying, "so true", or "this is so sad"...is...I grew up LOVING these movies, and I feel like I'm a fairly confident, strong, independent female. I got a college degree, passed the CPA exam, am working for a CPA firm, grown many talents, and have accomplished a LOT in my short life so far. When I watched these movies growing up, in no way did I think I had to be pretty, had to abandon my family or my talents, had to have a man to protect me, or any of that!
The main problem in my opinion, is LACK OF PARENTING. If your kids are honestly learning their life values from a cartoon? THAT is sad! My whole life I was taught that anything on TV or in Movies was just that. TV or Movies. NOT real life. My parents taught me the difference between stories and reality. You know what else they taught me? That I am beautiful, that I am smart, that its important to work hard. They taught me that appearance and showing off your body isn't what gets you places, and isn't what brings happiness. They taught me that being a good person, being kind to others, working hard, and staying close to the Lord, is what brings happiness. I was taught that just because someone is different, or maybe not as good looking as a disney princess, doesn't mean they are any less! Never was I encouraged to be a disney princess or act like one.
That being said, are we completely ignoring the qualities that some of these disney princesses possess? Kindness, purity, humility, rising above mean people (beauty), or how about not judging someone by their rags or wealth (Aladdin)? Yes, I have ALWAYS thought Ariel's outfit is stupid. But like...are we forgetting values like, "Whistle while you work"? There are a lot of good values in these movies that are being ignored.
Here's the bottom line. There are FAR worse cartoons and tv shows that children can watch with blatantly bad messages. If you are leaving your teaching up to disney movies, then yes. You are certainly in trouble! But if you raise your children to be confident, and teach them to actually know what value is, you wont have to worry about them thinking appearance or prince charming is all there is in life. I know that is NOT what I took from those movies growing up, and I plan on sharing these movies with my kids, and grandkids, and any child in my home! Just as I plan on actually PARENTING and teaching my kids...spending quality time with them so they know what's right and wrong.
Now, toddlers and tiaras on the other hand :) Clay and I watched an episode last night...I decided that show is kind of like a car crash. As horrifying as it is, I just could not. look. away. Sickening.
9 comments:
Completely agree with everything. With everything, there is good and bad in life. As parents (or future parents), we are to teach these children the values we believe are right not leave it up to technology.
Oh my gosh. Toddlers in Tiaras. I don't know if I watched a full episode but it is HORRIBLE. That is funny about the princesses. A LONG time ago a friend of mine (total hippie) told me she never lets her daughter watch those movies because she doesn't want her baby to think she can't be happy without a man in her life. And it made me think, but I can't help myself- I love these movies. But you make solid points- there is a lot of good in the movies too about friendship and bravery. I have no idea what's ever going on for Facebook. I think the whole thing is funny.
I think a lot of it is adults reading waaaay to much into things like this. Honestly, I don't even think a child will sit there and analyze to this extent. They will just view it as a fun movie.
I watched Toddlers in Tiaras last night too. I just look at those people and can not believe they put their kids through it. I liked how the mom was so upset her daughter only got princess (after they didn't even show up on time) but then asked her daughter if she was okay with it. Of course her daughter was fine. She got a big crown and didn't care. The mom was the one totally bent out of shape. Really the pageants are the parent's living out their dreams on their children.
I don't have facebook and haven't seen this before, but I've heard what people say and it makes me so angry! I have a friend who absolutely hates Ariel and takes any opportunity t o bare her testimony of it. It drives me crazy and just the other day she was saying all the other stupid things about other princesses. It just makes me unbelievably mad! I completely agree with everything you said. Like about how everyone is ignoring the good qualities and how you can't trust everything to the disney movies. You know how you've been making all those signs? You should make something to support the princesses and put it on facebook. That would be so cool. Anyway, I love you! :)
OH MY GOSH. I haven't seen this on fb, but I have heard these ideas. I HATE THOSE PEOPLE. THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST. I'm going to post a link to it. AMEN AMEN AMEN! love you.
You are sp very wise Danielle, and I agree with everything you said!!! There are a lot of people that agree with everything that is posted on FB, however it is all a bunch of hooey as grandma Biggs used to say. When I was a girl we read all of the fairy tales and loved them all and this is no different. I don't think I was damaged by living in a fanatasy world sometimes, I grew into an intellengent, capable, and independent woman, so there is no harm in it as long as you are taught the true values of life as you said. I totally agree with you, we all need to be able to dream that is part of life. Life is too short to live in reality all of the time. What I think is wrong is all of the blood and gore that is taught our little boys on some of these videos games they play sometimes. Too much too soon. I love you hugs and kisses
linked over from Mike and Amy. I totally agree with your post. I haven't seen this on FB but I think a lot of times with this kind of thing people are just followers and don't really take the time to come up with their own opinion. Thanks for sharing yours. I am hoping to take my 11 year old to Disneyland this year and I can't wait to see her meet the princesses. She is 11 now and I want her to have that experience before the "magic" is lost to teenagerhood. If she asks me questions we talk about it and the meaning behind it.
i love the princesses. i don't care for jasmine...she sort of snotty, but i love the others. especially cinderella. she's even nice to lucifer, the cat. = ) and so many of them sing while they do chores. and don't complain.
I get so sick of people picking on the princesses and barbie. I love them and the Princesses in particular! I think people are just to negative and forget that part of life is fun and fantasy. When I was down at Disneyland this last week, I actually cried when they showed all the princesses kissing their prince in the water show. It was so beautiful and we should believe we can and did marry a prince, and that we are princesses!! love you!!
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