FemFacts:Did you know that according to the 2009 Disney Consumer Products Corporation Information, the global revenue generated by Disney Princess products increased from $300 million in 2000 to $4 billion in 2009?
Someone asked me once why companies would “princesize” or “pinkify” girls’ toys, and this is why: targeting children, specifically girls, and making things pink and pretty and princessy gets them to scream for them at the stores — and the moms to purchase them.
Disney is making tons of cash at the cost of our girls. We can’t empower them by focusing on the Princess ideologies — the demure, pretty princess who is always on the lookout for a good-looking and rich prince. Let’s instead buy them toys from the Discovery store and teach them how to use their brains to get ahead in life. As cute and sweet as our girls look in Princess dresses, they are not born this way. They see the products that appeal to girls and think it’s for them. If we placed more volcano and engineering experiments in front of them, they would want to play with them also.
Don’t fall for the girl-gimmick or the girl myths — that they are born with a shopping and girly and frilly gene that makes them want to look in the mirror. Women have always been told that their talents lie in domestic and physical appearances. Our girls today are getting the same education — and we are not helping them when we purchase Princess products. Disney gets richer and our girls are not being prepared for leading strong and productive lives that move past the domestic, past the sexy, and past the pretty stereotypes that we help propagate.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Marina DelVecchio
Amen!
Hi Marina,
I think so much about what you write when I shop or watch TV. Yesterday, I saw a promotion on NickJR. for Dora & Her Girls (or something like that). Are you aware of this? It’s awful. I love how my son is entertained by Dora. He never cared if it was about a girl. But he will lose interest in the princess themes. I also noticed cartoon snacks today at the store. It’s crazy, but parents are falling for it hook, line and sinker. They say, my kid is into Spiderman, Spongebob (aaaack!), etc….I don’t feed that much in my son…birthday theme maybe but geez, parents are suckers these days. Glad to see you carrying on!
Heather, you’re back! I have missed you, but I am sure work is tough and keeps you busy. All I do now is deconstruct tv, commercials, and movies. I can’t think without doing these things.