Strollerderby : princesses

Please, Pixar, No Princesses

Amy Kuras — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:01:00 GMT

So Pixar’s latest, “Up” seems to be a big hit, earning rave reviews and scoring big at the box office.

But it prompted Linda Holmes, blogger for NPR’s pop culture blog Monkey See, to write a heartfelt open letter to Pixar.

“This is not an angry letter. It is especially not an angry letter about Up, which I adored,” she begins. “I could have sat in the theater and watched it two more times in a row….
So I'm not complaining; I'm asking. I'm asking because I think so highly of you.

Please make a movie about a girl who is not a princess.”

She points out that Pixar is making some of the best movies around right now, and that while they have very strong female characters, none of them are in the fact the protagonist, the person whose story it is. I didn’t realize this until I read her lovely and sweet blog, but wow, she’s right.

Holmes calls on Pixar to remember those “little girls with Band-Aids on their knees” who don’t see themselves on screen all that much. She want girls to have a great movie like “Up” that features someone they can dress up had for Halloween.

I agree. I have one of those little girls with Band Aids on her knees (and pretty much everywhere else a kid can fall over) and while she’s newly in love with the Disney Princesses and everything pink, purple or sparkly, she’s also a fearless little adventurer.

Holmes ends her piece with: “I'm just saying, keep them in mind, those girls in Band-Aids, because they want to see themselves on screen doing death-defying stunts, too.”

I hope sometime soon, the phenomenally talented people at Pixar take her up on it. Not just for my girl, but for my son, too.

Disney Princesses Get Nasty

JeanneSager — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:01:00 GMT

There's no major love lost between me and the Disney princesses, but I've never outright hated them. After all, my kid likes that Belle reads just as much as she thinks that yellow gown is the cat's meow.

Still, I never expected to get all mama bear on behalf of someone messing with princesskind.

Maybe it's just that the following images would scare the bejesus out of half the four-year-olds I know (yes, the other four-year-olds would think they're wicked - in a GOOD way).

Artist Jeffrey Thomas is likewise wicked - wicked talented and wicked funny (check out his blog). But he has created a series of "twisted princesses" that gave me the heebie jeebies!

Check out the Lion King's sweet pride and joy:

Twisted Princess: Nala by ~jeftoon01 on deviant ART

I'd be heading off to hang with the farting warthog if that was my girlfriend too.

Or how about Ariel looking like Ursula crawled up her tail:

Twisted Princess: Ariel by ~jeftoon01 on deviant ART

Swim Flounder, as fast as that chubby little fin can carry you!

Whoever said you couldn't mess with a good thing? Check out the rest over at Deviant Art.

Meet the Cast of The New Disney Princess Film – The Princess & The Frog

SunnyChanel — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 05:41:00 GMT

A new Disney princess will soon be gracing us all with her presence. And this ain’t just any old Princess, this is Disney’s first black princess. Now, regardless of heritage or skin tone, a new princess is news enough…in my house at least.

My daughter, against my own wishes, is princess crazy, and she is especially crazy about princesses of the Disney variety. So, yeah, this is tantamount to Christmas, a birthday or freshly baked cupcakes. All the characters will surely be mainstays, regardless of the quality of the film, in not only my household but maybe yours too. So without further ado, let me introduce you to the stars of this tale based in New Orleans, the Princess and the Frog cast. (via of Jezebel.com via Ain’t it Cool).

Princess Tatiana (picture above)
Historic because she’s the first black Disney princess, perfect timing with our nations first black president. And yes, Disney is already all set to market the Princess Tatiana costume to the masses.

Prince Naveen
I smell a smug prince and proud prince…he has too be right? His outfit is just way too tight. And he also happens to have a "secret."

Ray
Princess Tatiana’s sidekick is following in the footsteps of other famous Disney sidekicks like Peter Pan’s Tinkerbell, Ariel’s Flounder, and Alladin’s Abu, yup, some pretty big shoes to fill and his feet look mighty tiny.

Mama Odie
The “good” voodoo priestess. She looks like she could be part one part Yoda, one part grandma and one part Ace Bandage.

Louie
He’s a new pal of Princess Tatiana’s. He just happens to be a trumpet playing alligator. But this isn’t Disney’s first foray into New Orleans style tunage. Think back to the classic Louis Prima (a New Orleans native) and his trusty sax player Sam Butera appearing (in animated form) in The Jungle Book. Now that New Orleans styled animal played song cannot be beat. Ever.

And last but not least...
Facilier
He is, as Joss Whedon would say, the big bad. This evil voodoo dude. As Dodai over at Jezebel said “We know he is bad because he is wearing black. Also: Good guys don't show off their clavicles (see: Naveen). Plus, there's a skull on his hat.” Natch.

Are you, or your kids, looking forward to the new Disney princess movie? I haven’t even told mine about it yet to avoid months of “can we see it now? Can we? Can we?”

Click here to check out the "Official Teaser"

Via Jezebel via Aint It Cool

Parenting in Gendered World

Miriam Axel-Lute — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:00:00 GMT

There's a great thread over at Womanist Musings about the ongoing challenge of teaching our kids to be openminded about gender, especially when they are in school and experiencing both a bombardment of "this is what girls do; this is what boys do" and also watching peers tease/label/ostracize non-gender-conforming kids.

It's all so familiar to me: the tiring repetition, the feeling that others think you are going too far, and the related backlash: It's going too far to tell my kids that a hurtful term is not acceptable?! Or to fight like hell to keep them from constraining their own options in order to gender conform? Argh.

We've started using the "[That adult] just made a mistake [in assuming all girls like princesses/that you were a boy because you weren't wearing any pink/etc.]" line in our household that several commenters talk about. And we're still in the primarily spoon-feeding perspectives stage, where one of us is on hand to provide nearly instant feedback on all questionable statements. So it doesn't get any easier from here, I assume.

I'm sure it's the same any time you're trying to teach your child values that are not commonly held by the culture at large, whether it's gender fluiditiy, religious tolerance, or non-violence. You don't want to let things you find patently offensive and dangerous go by without response, and yet you have to walk the line of not seeming so obsessive you spark a rebellion or even just shut down conversation. I really appreciated hearing from so many parents in that thread who spoke of not freaking out over their daughters' girly phases, merely sticking to the "there's no such thing as girl/boy toys" mantra, and reporting that it "worked" (as in the message stuck with respect to others, not any particular outcome for their kids' interests). There's hope yet . . .

Photo by llamafloor.

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Interview - Disney Princesses Toy Designer

Brett Singer — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Disney Princesses are getting a makeover. But don't worry -- unlike the "tween" Dora that Nickelodeon recently introduced, these new dolls are only trying to improve on what's already there. (This is, shall we say, change we can believe in.) "The Disney Store doll design team studied the classic princess movies and fine-tuned each doll’s face design, hairstyle and dress to make them even more true to the original character," according to a Disney Store spokesperson. Plus, now each Princess has friends! We asked Senior Designer Jaime Tracht, a 9-year toy business veteran, about the new dolls:

Babble: What is different about these new princesses?
Jaime Tracht: Everything is new about the dolls. The faces, hair quality, dress designs and accessories are all new. Each dress was created to mimic the silhouette of the original films with the addition of every little girl's favorite ingredient, Glitter! We also lengthened the hair for maximum playability while keeping as true to the character as possible.

B: Which princess is the most popular?
JT: Since the release of the newly designed girls the top spot for popularity has jumped all over the place. We are seeing new favorites, which is very exciting! Our usually titleholder of top princess has been held by Cinderella for years. Since the new dolls have been introduced she has been outsold by Belle, Jasmine and Pocahontas. It’s great to see such excitement for the girls who were previously less popular.

B: Do you have a favorite?
JT: It’s impossible for me to pick. I love Ariel, Jasmine, Pocahontas and Belle but Aurora and Mulan are so pretty and Snow is so cute and colorful. It’s very hard to decide.

B: Who are the "friends" that now come with the various princesses?
JT: In every movie our princesses have magical friends or sweet little animals helping them along in their journey. They play a special part in each story so they should naturally be a part of the doll. Jasmine has her loyal tiger Rajah and Belle has her enchanted friends Mrs. Potts, Chip and Lumiere. Aurora is accompanied by her 3 magical fairy friends and you can’t imagine Ariel without her mischievous friend Flounder and the musically gifted Sebastian. Each princess comes with these types of friends to complete their stories.

B: What are some of the details you added to the new dolls?
JT: They all capture the true essence of each individual character down to the most minute details. We did a constant comparison to the films throughout the entire process of design with special attention to the faces and dresses. Each character has such specific and identifiable characteristics, whether it be the swirl in the center of Aurora’s bangs, Jasmine’s larger more upturned eyes or the perfect pale yellow of Belles dress, we got it.

The dolls are now available at Disney Stores nationwide. Visit DisneyShopping.com to find a location near you.

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Let Your Daughters Grow Up to Marry Princesses

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:01:00 GMT

I was particularly struck by a column in the LA Times that talks about the long road ahead to equality in the wake of California's recent ban on gay marriage. In a brilliant essay, gay rights activist John Corvino invokes one of the more popular, and insidious, ads used to defeat gay marriage.

In it, a girl comes home from school and tells her mother what she learned that day: that princes can marry princes, and that "I can marry a princess!"

The mother, of course, looks shocked. (The girl, for what it's worth, seems positively thrilled -- what little girl would not want to marry a princess? Only their bigoted parents and their tinhorn, ancient scriptures think that's not cool. Work on Sundays? Sure! Equals rights for gays? Whoa, slow down -- the bible says no. Hypocrites.)

Anyway ...

Corvino talks about the trend lines that will one day lead to equality for all. In 2000, 61 percent of Californians said no to gay marriage. This week, it was 52 percent.

"One thing is clear: That shift is on the side of gay and lesbian equality. More and more gay and lesbian couples are openly committing to each other, having weddings, and even calling it marriage. The word is important. Princesses don't dream about someday "domestically partnering with" the person they love. They dream about marrying him -- or, in a minority of cases, her."

In my view, it's only a matter of time. A new generation of wiser parents is raising a new generation of wiser children. As Madeline said the other day, our kids will fix it.

As Corvino says: "When the smoke from this battle clears, Americans will realize that gays are not interested in confusing children or in forcing princesses on little girls who don't want them. But they also will realize that, when girls grow up to love princesses, they deserve to live happily ever after."

It makes me wonder: If your daughter does grow up to "domestically partner with" a princess, what kind of fucked up, vile parent are you to point to a book and say, "You, my flesh, my blood, my all, are worth less now." Just because it's in a book, doesn't mean you have to believe it. Our daughters, no matter who they are, all deserve the happily ever after.

Girlhood Cage Match: Pixies vs. Princesses

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:05:00 GMT

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.

Alvin Ailey Barbie A Refreshing Change

Amy Kuras — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:32:00 GMT

After an interesting backchannel discussion with some of my fellow Derbyites about the whole princess-industrial complex that seems to suck in little girls somewhere around age 3, I found this news fairly refreshing in its own way: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is partnering with Mattel to come up with a Barbie doll modeled on the dancers in the troupe.

Posed in a soaring leap and perfectly-applied stage makeup, the doll wears a flowing white lace costume worn in the “Wade in the Water” section of Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece “Revelations.”

Artistic director Judith Jamison designed the doll, the first Barbie inspired by a dance company. It commemorates the 50th anniversary of the dance troupe and licensing fees from the doll will support the company.

One legit complaint about the princess thing is the incredibly narrow standard of beauty shown by the Disney princesses — usually white, thin, and mostly blond and blue-eyed. And while there are black and Hispanic Barbies, face it, that’s not what you think of when you hear the name. So I think it’s outstanding that they are offering an African-American doll that evokes images of grace and skill and strength, not mere empty princessy beauty.

The doll’s on sale at Target now and will be available everywhere by December. My little one’s verdict: “That princess is beautiful.” And she is.

Is Your Daughter a Princess?

JeanneSager — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:29:00 GMT

My daughter informed me a few weeks ago that she's Princess Pooty Pants. For those of you not familiar with this member of the Disney hoochie patrol, she's never made it on screen. She's been banished to the back of the kitchen. Where Cinderella would be if she had bad gas and butt as big as her wicked stepsister.

Yes, the big girls are always the baddies in kids movies. Which is why I've had a harder time than some moms accepting the princesses into our lives. But unlike my mother, who refuses to buy my daughter anything royal on principle (although somehow Tinkerbell has flitted through by batting her tiny wings), I've swallowed my own demons in favor of making my daughter happy.

She doesn't get everything she wants, but the princesses are the lesser of a number of evils in the world - the bimbo Barbie among them. I'd even invite Belle to join Miss Pooty Pants for a playdate if she was a kid from around the block. Any girl who knows her way around a library and calls a big beast out when he's being a baby can sit in my corner. Hey, they both talk to inanimate objects; it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I've dug around and found some bits of gold inside the princess fairy tales. There are girls who kick some butt and girls who love to read.

Sure, there are skinny mini "oh, I'm so delicate, I need a man to help me" girls in there too. And when my daughter plays that game, I do my best The Rock eyebrow and remind her she's brave and strong. And that's the end of that. The rest, I let fly. I'm not inviting the whole parade into my living room, but I'm not ready to throw a bunch of poofy dresses out with the bathwater either. Indulging in the princess fantasy is just that. Fantasy. There is plenty of time for growing up, for dreams of learning to speak Chinese and fix computers so she can make a real living.

But she's not 13 or 18 or 23. She's 3. Watching a 3-year-old wander up to the local dairy princess (yes, we have those in upstate New York) and stare, wide-eyed, at a farm girl who drives a tractor with her pink Lugz and spouts off facts about the importance of getting enough calcium, I'm OK with her thinking princesses are cool. Because I can show her examples of princesses living out big dreams. I can supplement the Disney princesses with any woman who is out there kicking butt and reading books because at 3, she's still just as impressed with what Mommy says as she is with an animated character on the bottom of her cereal bowl. Only, Mommy's here, not at the bottom of that bowl.

Mommy's telling her that Princess Pooty Pants is just perfect for her - even if she's got some Daddy-type gas.

Image: Disney

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Are We Shortchanging Boys?

Adrienne Martini — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Until I had my youngest kid, who just happens to be a boy, I would have sworn that there is no biological difference between girls and boys. It's mostly nurture, I'd argue, not nature. I offer this as further proof that I should just keep my yap shut most of the time.

Once the Boy arrived, however, I was singing a different tune. In addition to just being a different being entirely from his older sister, he also does "boy" things. He's fascinated by things with wheels and dinosaurs. He likes to smash stuff and build stuff, mostly so that he can then smash it. His sister can happily play with dolls or dress-up for hours. Her brother - not so much.

So, like Risa Green at MommyTrack'd, I wonder if we're not keeping the boys down by denying them the gendered play - that they have an affinity for. Redsy has pondered the same thing, as have other moms. After all, we don't wag our fingers at all of the Princess dresses and tea sets.

God's Little Gold Mine

Patti — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:32:00 GMT

I was raised in a pretty strict and conservative Christian church, and let me tell you what, back then we did not have swag. The closest we ever came was this bracelet that you made at Vacation Bible School that had different colored beads on it, and each bead represented a different important thing about Jesus which I can't actually remember except the red bead was for blood, because, duh. The whole What Would Jesus Do? phenomenon didn't hit until I was in high school or so, and by then I was a total existentialist who believed in pretty much nothing but maybe getting a boyfriend some day, and WWJD was not my guiding philosophy toward that end. In any case, there were no Jesus Princesses in my youth. Plenty of bracelets, no princesses.

A decade or so ago when I was deep in the throes of misspent youth, I sometimes babysat for a friend, and her kid watched Veggie Tales. And I remember thinking "Hey, that's smart, a cartoon with a Christian slant. I bet they'll find a nice little niche for themselves". Boy, did I know how to call 'em. Little did I know that Veggie Tales was only an opening salvo in the marketing of Christianity Culture. Make way for Gigi, God's Little Princess. Looking like a cross between Eloise and Fancy Nancy, Gigi is apparently a response to the princess phenomenon that nobody with daughters seems to be escaping (if you can't beat 'em, etc. etc.). You can insert your own snark about Disney Princesses not being subservient enough here; I've shot all the fish in that barrel.

Recently Princess Gigi's had some serious success: the top Christian children's DVD of 2006, and the top selling Christian children's book "The God's Little Princess Devotional Bible", and a whole empire of other crap, with (probably) more to come. And fear not, parents of boys, your sons can bask in the glory that is Will, God's Mighty Warrior. Because girls are princesses, and boys are warriors, get it? Good.

While my churchgoing days are, except for holidays, pretty much behind me, I can't help but feel wistful for the days when I cheerfully went to Sunday School because I took it seriously, not because I had a bunch of paraphrenalia to inspire my devotion. When the prevailing wisdom was that Christianity meant humbleness and charity, not a full-scale marketing attack. When the bracelets were made out of pipe cleaner and plastic beads, not pink marabou. What would Jesus do? I have a guess.