Cinderella And Princess Culture Analysis

Since the new millennium has started, a new trend has taken over people's’ lives, specifically little girls’ lives, and this new trend is princesses. Both the articles, “The Princess Paradox”, by James Poniewozik and , “Cinderella and Princess culture” by Peggy Orenstein elaborate on the issue of princesses in today’s society. In Princess culture, Orenstein talks about how much cinderella and princess them goods: movies, toys, and dresses, hinder the growth of young girls and almost sees no good in them. Poniewozik in Princess Paradox, takes a different approach than Orenstein and talks about how princesses aren’t exactly a bad thing for young girls.Although, both articles address the issue of princesses, Orenstein completely dismissing the

In Princess Culture, Orenstein claims that girls find athletics unfeminine and even claims, “ the 23 percent decline in girls participation in sports between middle and high school has been linked to their sense that athletics is unfeminine” (329). Orenstein here supports her claim with a stat saying that almost a quarter of all girls stop taking part in any sport activity because they think it's unfeminine and unattractive to them. Orenstein goes on with a survey that found that, “ School age- girls reported a paralyzing pressure to be “perfect”: not only to get straight A’s and be the student body president, but also to be “kind and caring” (329). Orenstein uses a hyperbole, when she uses the phrase “paralyzing pressure” to describe the mental exhaustion that girls go through daily to feel satisfied with what they’re doing with their time. This in turn means girls have overwhelmingly high expectations from their mindset to be flawless in every which way possible. They have conformed to society’s standards to be perceived by others as perfect for so long that they have become habituated to this mind set; and have constantly been grinding to achieve these standards. In Princess Paradox, Poniewozik sides with Orenstein on this subject. Poniewozik says, “ She should be pretty, but in a class president way, not a head-cheerleader way. She must be socially

In “Princess Paradox”, Poniewozik distinguishes that there is a different kind of “Cinderella” in today’s world compared to pre 21st century Cinderella. Poniewozik points out that the new characteristics of today’s Cinderella are being: self-determined, independent, not wanting a Prince Charming, and at the same time to be the one that saves Prince Charming. These characteristics are much more different compared to pre 21st century where Cinderella finds true love with a Prince Charming, and is completely dependent on him. The reason why Poniewozik thinks that this new trend of Cinderella isn’t bad for young girls is because those little girls who fantasize about being a princess one day see these new traits and try to imitate them. They see that these new princesses aren’t dependent on anyone, and have also learned lessons of feminism. These new princesses are the new model to imitate for young girls to learn life lessons that can be helpful later on in life. When these girls grow up into adults, they will carry these new traits with them and will be able to be independent and live on their own. They’ll be determined to be successful in places like the workforce because they saw those princesses be