Sterotypes in Childrens Stories

[PrincessPatty]

I am currently taking an online Social Psychology course, and one of our assignments was to join a discussion on the sterotypes of childrens fairytales.

Other students are making their points by using classical Disney movies (Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty) saying that life doesnt always end happily, not everyone is beautiful and thin (leading to eating disorders ), princes dont come and save unhappy women...

Basically I thought it would be an interesting discussion on what you feel about the sterotypes that are in these kinds of fairytales......

 

[Minnie824]

One thing that I've noticed in a lot of the fairytales, and modern day cartoons, is there is hardly ever both parents. I think Sleeping Beauty was one of the few. There were evil stepmothers, and stepsisters, and a parent had usually died. Kindof morbid. Ariel, Snow White, Jasmine, Cinderella, all had one parent.

 

[Tinijocaro]

My dd, 8, has never cared for the Disney Princesses- until she saw Mulan. she has been crazy for Mulan for three years. I finally asked her why she never liked the others. All she told me was "Mulan is a hero, the other Princesses aren't."

 

[salmoneous]

One thing that I've noticed in a lot of the fairytales, and modern day cartoons, is there is hardly ever both parents. I think Sleeping Beauty was one of the few. There were evil stepmothers, and stepsisters, and a parent had usually died. Kindof morbid. Ariel, Snow White, Jasmine, Cinderella, all had one parent.

I think you can take it a bit further and say that Mothers pretty much have no role in the world of Disney cartoons. Lots of girls, princes and father figures. Adult women pretty much are witches.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

The only thing I can truly say I dislike about most of the Disneyfied version of fairy tales is that all their villainesses (save Ursula) seem to be anorexic.

TOV

 

[PrincessPatty]

One thing that I've noticed in a lot of the fairytales, and modern day cartoons, is there is hardly ever both parents. I think Sleeping Beauty was one of the few. There were evil stepmothers, and stepsisters, and a parent had usually died. Kindof morbid. Ariel, Snow White, Jasmine, Cinderella, all had one parent.

That is one thing that I never thought of......wonder what the reasoning is behind that?

 

[KimR]

Beautiful = nice, ugly = wicked.

 

[cardaway]

Just finished watching Nanny Mcfee which has a few but confronts each in it's own way.

Beyond the ones already posted...

Step Moms - Evil
Hired Help - Idiots
Fathers - Little attention to the children beyond discipline

 

[donnajon]

As someone with green eyes, I've noticed that most of the villians have green eyes!

 

[Aidensmom]

I have also noticed the prevailing theme of one parent/missing mother in Disney movies. It is kind of strange.

The Incredibles is one of the few recent ones I can think of where there are two parents.

 

[babiesX2]

I've picked up on the one parent in Disney movies. Toy Story only has Andy's mom. Nemo only has his dad looking for him. I'm trying to think of more but I'm sleepy.

 

[PrincessPatty]

Do you think that you should limit these stories/movies from your childrens lives due to the sterotyping?

My point was yes, I did watch and hear these stories, and I think that they added to my imagination (I enjoyed pretending I was Ariel in the pool ) but I dont think that it had an effect on me as an adult.

 

[holycow]

I have a 7 year old DD and she asked me after reading Cinderella...why do the princesses always say yes when the boy asks them to marry them!

Made me laugh but when I thought about it was true! Who marries a guy you met for one day in the forest.

Who marries a guy who kisses you and wakes you up. etc...


Holycow

 

[jekajekalynn]

This has been discussed before at length about how come there are only one parent households in Princess-y stories/movies. The concensus is that a 'real' mother wouldn't let awful things happen to their own child , thus the mom is killed off and insert the evil stepmother or leave the spot vacant for an absent minded father.

 

[jekajekalynn]

That's why Belle is my fave princess. She's not the stereotypical "Let's make cookies for the boys, hooray!" type. She's smart, and she don't just automatically fall in love with the first studdly guy she sees.