A twist on the fairy tale: a college-bound Disney Princess?

You may have noticed that over here at Modern Parenthood we’re just a wee bit obsessed with Disney Princesses. 

We can’t help it. You see, these fairy tale, poofy-skirted ladies are infused into American girlhood and American consumerism. And that has some fascinating, and hotly debated, impact on the way little girls are growing up today.

(For me, the Disney Princesses are of a particular interest because I’ve noticed them camping just outside my door. And on cereal boxes, bedspreads, onesies, toddler shoes, etc., etc. I’m convinced they’re waiting for my daughter to get just a little, teeny, eensy bit older before they lead me down a pink, frilly Khyber Pass of parenting.)

So you can understand that when I came across a new change.org petition, asking Disney and Dreamworks, the film company, to send a Disney Princess to college, I was intrigued.

Here’s the text:

“Have you noticed in many animated movies, the princess has to be rescued by a prince? Then they go off to live happily ever after. Ever wonder about what might be involved in happily ever after? What about going to college or getting a job or changing the world? Isn't it about time that a princess went to college? We are raising our voices in a request to Disney and Dreamworks – promote equality, independence and self-determination for girls. Send a princess to college in a movie – soon!”

It turns out that the women who created the petition were academic Rebecca Hains (who has since become one of our guest bloggers) and Cindy Brown, author of “A Girl’s Guide to Swagger” and the brains behind the Swagger online community for young women.

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