We've managed to fight off the princess industrial complex for a few years now, but I fully admit I'm into fairies and don't mind telling my daughter all sorts of stories about these recalcitrant, jealous sprites who cause all manner of mischief and glee.
So I was delighted to read this story from Dodai at Jezebel about a cultural childhood shift toward fairies instead of princesses. The new Tinkerbell DVD is the top seller at Amazon apparently, and kids are voicing more support for fairies, who seem to "do" things instead of princesses, who seem more mentally inert.
The bottom line, according to someone quoted in the article, is that fairies mean adventure and action, while princesses just wait around for things to happen or for people to do things for them, like offer a ring and a happily ever after. I bet you can guess which one is a better role model for our daughters.
