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Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein is a musing book by a mother of a young daughter on what effect the “princess” culture is having on girls. Interestingly, the cover art appeals to the very demographic she is questioning, as it catches the eye in various shades of pink and shows a partial view of a girl in a pink dress holding a wand. The effect is topped off by a swirl of glitter. It is a well written, thought-provoking book about the messages sent by movies, television, magazines, the internet, and toys to girls growing up today. The author is concerned that every girl is being negatively altered by relentless images of princess girls in pink, makeup, and sexy clothing. The author does not just assert that some things are bad and other things are good – in many cases, she recognizes the grey areas. She herself is conflicted and she acknowledges that. She knows there are no easy solutions. She discusses many of the pouty, sexy dolls that are available for girls today, but is more concerned that we are no longer encouraging imaginative play than she is about particular doll brands. The author makes some very interesting points. For example, she is disturbed that the heavily marketed Disney Princesses themselves have wands since, in the fairy tale Cinderella for example, it is the fairy godmother who wields the magic, not Cinderella herself. The strong woman character who guides and protects Cinderella is no longer needed by the Disney Princess Cinderella (or, presumably, by the real girl who emulates her). I felt particularly enlightened by a long chapter on the real little girls who were turned into stars by Disney but who outgrew their wholesome roles – Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, Christina Aguilera, Linday Lohan, and Britney Spears. Orenstein has a fair amount to say about the Twilight phenomenon as well. The series by Stephenie Meyer has “sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, while films based on the first two had grossed more than a billion dollars. No wonder it has been compared to crack for teenage girls.” She notes that Bella is not an ideal model for young women, as she is “in perpetual need of rescue” and “pines for an emotionally unavailable guy who simultaneously vows to protect her and warns that his love for her might make him kill her.” (On the other hand, the author also underplays the amount of sex found in the fourth book in the series.) The author exaggerates for effect occasionally – I would not describe Hilary Duff as “almost in the buff” on the cover of Maxim magazine – and has an annoying habit of using initialisms she may have explained at some point but that I can’t remember (KGOY? MILF?). However, there are clear cautionary messages to take away from Cinderella Ate My Daughter, and I recommend it to anyone who is concerned about the future, not just to the parents of girls.

2022-12-14 08:59