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Author
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Comment
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered User
(11/2/05 10:37 pm)
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Cinderella in the NYT
Thought this
article would be of interest to us!
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princessterribel
Registered User
(11/3/05 5:28 am)
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Thanks!
Thank you so much for providing this link! I am sure this article was Made For my dissertation!
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AliceCEB
Registered User
(11/3/05 2:47 pm)
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Re: Thanks!
One of the most revealing lines to me was a quote from one of the mothers: "'It's all about who has the nicest costume,' she said. 'I feel like I have to outdo everybody because everyone is going to be Cinderella. It's who's got the tiaras, the dresses, the shoes.'" What this reminds me of, is the American Girl doll craze, where large sums of money are spent getting all the acoutrements for a girl's doll, and along the way, go to parties, get matching outfits, be treated to special teas, etc. In theory, the dolls are connected to literature, but from what I've read, it has a lot to do with status--a bit like the mother's reaction to the Cinderella costume.
So... 2 to 6 year-old girls get Cinderella as a product, then they
graduate to the American Girl doll extravaganza. What do they get
when they hit puberty? I found my answer on page 2 of the Thursday
Styles section: Playboy is redesigning the Playboy bunny outfit
so that it not only appeals to younger men but also "trend-conscious
, fashion-forward women who identify with the Playboy brand."
And I quote: "Mr Cavalli seemed to have those women in mind
the other day, when he suggested variations on the bunny outfit.
'This costume you can do long, you can do short,' he said. 'This
can be a dress, because it's fashion, you understand.'" And
yes, this too is attached to a certain form of literature, speaking
loosely of course.
Best,
Alice
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered User
(11/3/05 11:34 pm)
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Cinderella
What I found most revealing is the assertion that because Disney keeps such a tight rein on its movies, many of the girls didn't know the story and their mothers had to explain why she spent most of the movie in rags. To me, that raised the unasked question of how they didn't know the story of Cinderella. I don't remember a time when I didn't know it--it's available in a million picture books and practically anybody can tell it off the top of his or her head. I found that odd--your kid would become obsessed with Cinderella and you wouldn't bother to tell her the story? Very odd.
Of course, I find the concept of "identify[ing] with the Playboy brand" odd and vaguely sickening as well, so clearly I'm out of touch with this modern world. I don't even own a cell phone.
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