All over the world, girls often go through a "princess phase", made up with anything pink and pretty. When it happened to Peggy Orenstein's daughter, the writer decided to examine the phenomenon. She found that the “girlie-girl” culture was less innocent than it might seem, and can have negative consequences for girls' psychological, social and physical development. From a very young age, girls learn to define themselves from the outside in, and a lot of researches suggest that our culture’s emphasis on physical beauty is the root of problems such as negative body image, depression, eating disorders and high-risk sexual behavior. I strongly agree with the Peggy Orenstein’s article.
“Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: you have a great big nose and fat legs” (5-6) altering anything and everything this little girl ever knew to be true about herself. One comment ruined her entire view of herself and other girls, that she had to be like them since they did not like who she was born being. The “Beauty Myth” by Naomi Wolf states things like, “The more legal and material hindrances women have broken through, the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us... During the past decade, women breached the power structure; meanwhile, eating disorders rose exponentially and cosmetic surgery became the fastest-growing specialty...” all of this saying that the stress put on
ENWR-105-BX 18 November 2013 In the essay “Female Chauvinist Pigs” by Ariel Levy, the author argues that women participate in practices that are responsible for their oppression. Levy’s argument is that women participate in “raunch culture” as means of embracing sexism and exploitation toward the idea of gaining empowerment. While some woman like Sheila Nevins, feel empowered and liberated by aspects of raunch culture, other woman like Tyra Banks, co-producer of ANTM, is discussed in “Ghetto Bitches, China Dolls, and Cha Cha Divas” by Jennifer Pozner using racist stereotypes in order to gain power. The judges in the show say they try and promote inclusive beauty standards actually reinforce racial stereotypes. Women are willing to participate in practices that oppress them because they want power.
Girls’ affair with the “Princesses” “What’s wrong with Cinderella?” by Peggy Orenstein speaks of a mother’s struggle through the princess era with her daughter’s obsession with princess culture (Orenstein, 2006). Orenstein who is a writer for The New York Times Magazine adopts an informative approach towards writing this article. Thus, I believe her intended audience would be her fellow mothers who, also, are falling into the royal moment. In this article, Orenstein blames both the marketers and mothers for the perpetual of the princess culture which she believed to have damaging consequences to the girls’ future development. She backs it up with the following statement “I worry about what playing Little Mermaid is teaching her” (Orenstein, 2006, para.10) implying that her doubts toward such play.
Rhetorical Analysis Final Draft Wonderland not so wonderful Many people think that Disney movies are a positive influence on children especially girls, but the real question is, are these imaginative fantasies a positive thing? In the article “Escape from Wonderland: Disney and the Female Imagination”, the author Deborah Ross analyzes a series of Disney films and their influence on female culture. Ross breaks down three films that feature a heroin; The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Alice in Wonderland. She provides both an informative and argumentative analysis regarding females of all ages and their imagination. Her evaluation is very successful through the use of imagery, sentence structure, and logos to get her point across to her audience.
It also impacts their concept of gender, sensuality, class, bias, and culture. In addition, it impacts the role of females by showing girls that they can get anything by impressing male generation through their body language and using their physical actions, for example hugging, kissing, and creating an emotional drama. This distracts them from their academics and sometime children act more mature than their age just because they think whatever they watch in T.V. shows is reality and they have a hard time differencing between the realities of life (Mickey Mouse Monopoly, 2008). How do “Disney” movies specially impact gender and sensuality?
Recently, I was reflecting on what poor role models the older Disney films, like Snow White, Minnie Mouse, and The Little Mermaid, provide to young girls. “Always a beautiful, naive, young princess waiting for a man to wake her up, untie her from train tracks, or give her a voice” (Carlsson, 2010). Seeing the trailer for Disney’s latest animated adventure, Tangled, I was filled with hope. Could this finally be the breakthrough fairy tale that gave Disney women their independence? Was Disney finally going to offer a courageous, free-spirited woman who wasn't a bone-thin, pale, shell of a person waiting around for her prince?
We are expected to play the role as a lady. With the media pushing that models are suppose to be rail thin to make it big on runway or as an actress, females tend to be at risk for health problems, such as anorexia and bulimia. This also causes depression, anxiety, and overall low self esteem which could in turn lead to suicide. According to the National Institute of Mental, between 5% and 10% of females in this country suffer from a variety of eating disorders. Not only is there the portrayal that women should be thin but also beautiful.
Studies have shown that over 60 percent of women were unhappy with their bodies, as they have been raised comparing themselves with Barbie and other various models of the fashion industry. Women are left feeling inadequate and bad about themselves, which can lead to eating disorders. Kristen Overman, a mental health counselor says, “What’s frustrating for most women is that they’re generally stuck with the body type they have.” Body image, and girls’ perception on what they should look like, starts at adolescence, at home, with our parents, and in school, when trying to fit in with the rest of the girls their age. Acceptance becomes a priority at this age. Studies reveal children are going on diets in as early as the fourth grade.
Because the girl in the poem does not fit the standard set forth, she is laughed at by her peers and devalued for her lack of classic beauty. She had many positive qualities "possessed strong arms and back" (8), "test intelligent"(7) and "abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity"(9). But, because of her larger nose and fat legs, the negative self-image pushed her to self-mutilation and suicide. The message is blunt, traditional beauty standards are harmful, and the women and girls who do not live up to them lack worth in society’s eyes. In the first stanza, the "girlchild"(1) is born.