I personally thought that this article was interesting. It shows us that the media and advertising has ways on manipulating us to believe what is in the media or in advertisement. This article covers characteristics of a person: white, pretty, ugly, black, etc. It does not just focus on one certain topic, but instead all of these topics are combined. The teacher made the students critic cartoon characters, and to say their opinion about them.
"A black Cinderella? Give Me a Break." She wrote: "Have you ever seen a black person, an Asian, a Hispanic in a cartoon?...."Women who aren't white begin to feel left out and ugly because they never get to play the princess." I feel that this is a racism comment because the student is trying to say that a black person can not be a main character in a fairy tale. I disagree with this comment, and the fact that the white girls will feel ugly. This also has to do with jealously. Being a main character is not just all about looks, but also how the person fits the character. I did not like how that student has that mentality of thinking like that. It is actually good that society is changing the race of roles such as Cinderella. Gives other nationalities a chance to take part of these roles. In this generation now, we are seeing all kind of ethnic backgrounds take part of big roles.
This other student said that "Women's roles in fairy tales distort reality...These seemingly innocent stories teach us to look for our fault. As Tinker Bell inspects her tiny body in a mirror only to find that her minute hips are simply too huge, she shows us how to turn the mirror into an enemy." This comment that this girl is addressing is pointing out self- esteem. The girl is saying that Tinker Bell does not looking at herself in the mirror because she feels fat when she sees herself. In reality, this happens to young adults as well. It is not just because Tinker Bell did that, people started to do the same thing. Young adults do look at themselves and are not happy with themselves in the mirror. Sadly to say, it is very common for everyone.
"I don't want students to believe that change can be bought at the mall, nor do I want them thinking that the pinnacle of a women's life is an "I do" that supposedly leads them to a "happily ever after." In this quote of what a student said, I somewhat agree with her. When I personally was a little girl and watched a fairy tale, all I thought about was the ending of it, and how the girl always ends up with the guy and live happily ever after. When I would finish watching those fairy tales, it would make me wonder if I would ever find a guy like that. Finding one guy, and everything would be perfect. In reality, it is not. I believe that fairy tales are too much of a dream come true. It's cute and all, but it is not realistic to some people. Some people do find their prince charming sooner than others, and that is normal. It is also about the way a person thinks as well. People need to make their own fairy tales, instead of following not made of characters and actual fairy tales.
That's really interesting, what you said about the race of Cinderella and how it's not the race that's the issue, it's the storyline. If you look at the storybook versions, the earlier ones without pictures, it's the reader's imagination that creates the race, but the storyline still depicts Cinderella as a woman, put down by her stepfamily, a problem only solved by a man in her life. Even the really, really early version, where the stepsisters cut their feet to fit into the slipper involves a patriarchal plot. It's so interesting to see which parts of the stories evolve, but what is important enough to stay the same.
ReplyDeletelol People do need to make their own fairy tales because the ones that Disney portrays are wayyyy outta whack lol
ReplyDeleteI'm with you...I enjoyed this article because it was interesting. It made me question things we were taught as kids. However, I will not go to the extreme and not have my kids watch disney movies because they may portray stereotypes because they're everywhere!
ReplyDeletei agree however, i was brought up with watching disney in my house and i didn't think that was my fairy tale. Some kids just like to watch it and their parents enjoy showing it as well. Its the parents that put the ideas in the childrens heads that makes them think thats the way their life is.
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