Monday, April 6, 2015

The Fairy Tale Wars Have Been Won!

We have touched upon fairy tales a bit lately. In particular, we have touched upon the idea that the left is at war with fairy tales. I thought it would be worth pointing out that despite decades of attacks, the left hasn’t managed to gain an inch of ground. If anything, they are going backwards.

Here’s the issue: the left hates fairy tales. The reason is that fairy tales teach kids certain values and ways of processing information which basically inoculate kids from the left’s attempt to brainwash them. Essentially, fairy tales teach kids the value of independence, to despise conformance, the value of questioning authority, the reasons why wealth is better than poverty, and an entire set of values that not only disdain coveting, theft, and demonization, but make those into crimes punishable in ways that make the Biblical plagues look tame. These values in turn make kids understand at a fundamental level that the left is full of crap when they try to indoctrinate these kids into becoming rich-hating, asexual automatons.

Moreover, feminists HATE the idea that fairy tales teach little girls that the best thing in the world is to be a princess, and that life is best when a boy rescues them, and that children are worth more than professional kudos. They HATE the lack of gays and the fact that wimpy males and “strong women” are always the villains.
Socialists hate the fact that fairy tales teach kids that there is no free lunch, and that those who promise something for nothing are villains. They hate that the rich can be seen as heroes... that poverty is not shown to be noble... that attempts to make everyone equal always result in society’s collapse. Environmentalists hate the fact that kids are taught that people matter more than trees and animals. Race baiters hate the fact fairy tales don’t include proportional representation. Peaceniks hate the idea that fighting is always shown to be necessary when confronted with evil... negotiation and appeasement are never the answer in a fairy tale.

That’s a lot of hate.
So what the left started at least as early as the 1960s, but really took off in the 1990s, was to attack fairy tales. They mocked them and twisted them. They whined about the messages they sent. They screamed for them to be re-written in gender neutral, anti-violent, pro-collectivist ways. They made the princes gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that... oh, wait). They made the villains misunderstood victims of society. They re-described the stories as spousal abuse, tales of oppression and filled them with perverts.

This was happening all over the world and it was mainly spearheaded by barren female professors.

But just like Fat Barbie, no one bought that crap except elitist leftists who wanted to further indoctrinate their own retarded kid(note the singular).

Anyways, I often wondered if any of this took hold. After all, we do live in a cynical world where “adults” love to spoil everything for everyone else they can... especially children. So presumably, some of this would filter down and ruin fairy tales, right?

Wrong.

Now that I’ve been yanked into kid culture by my two girls, ages 12 and 9, I can assure you that things are much, much worse for the left than they ever were when I was a kid. From what I’ve seen, there isn’t a girl over the age of 2 who doesn’t dream of being a Disney princess. Yep. 100% of the human race never agrees on anything but this is pretty darn close.
The theaters and video racks are packed with films staring the Disney princesses, Tinkerbell, and a dozen other princesses (and they all dress like the worst nightmares of feminists (see below)). If you aren’t a princess, don’t bother applying. In fact, it’s so bad that Disney has had to redefine each of their heroines as a princess, lest they be ignored. Even the little girl in Wreck-It-Ralph had to be made into a princess, when there was no other reason for it except that girls demand it en mass.

As an interesting aside, the grievance against Disney’s The Princess and the Frog wasn’t that it included a princess, it was that (1) Disney waited so long to finally create a black princess and (2) she wasn’t a princess by birth, which makes her a second class princess.

Anyway, continuing... if you go to the toy store, you will see a metric ton of princess costumes. You will see princess play sets, princess dolls, and princess accessories. But just try finding a costume for a girl soldier or fireman or cop. Ain’t no such thing. So all those messages about “girls can do anything” that flooded us in the 1990s were internalized and the unified response was: “Then we want to be princesses!”

(As another aside, every time a little girl puts on a princess costume, a college professor feminist gets hit again by the ugly stick.)

And what about those cynical fairy tale stories meant to denigrate princesses? Good luck finding those in stores anymore. They’ve all be recycled into fake tiaras. By the way, check out the costumes from Monster High and imagine the response of feminists... none of this unusual these days for girl's sitcoms.
And it gets worse. If you watch Disney Channel, I actually find myself shocked at the messages their sit-coms send. To a one, they tell girls to worship the very things feminists hate. And in that regard, I can tell you that all girls are into clothes, makeup and boys. There is shocking consistency, except for the occasional girl who has been forced into soccer.

So what about the boys? Have they learned to play with gender neutral toys and to want to grow up to be neutered baristas and secretaries? Hardly. They’re all soldiers and astronauts and ninjas.

I find it both amazing and comforting that despite decades of full-on attempts by the left’s culture warping machine to try to turn out little androgynous drones, kids just shrug them off and go hard-core for the same things they have been after since time began.

It’s no wonder the left has become unhinged.

Thoughts?

26 comments:

Kit said...

The Left has become unhinged.

Of course, feminists miss actual strong women in fairy tales ("Seven Ravens", that girl was tough)

AndrewPrice said...

Kit, That's because their version of "strong" is "man hating," not strength of character or will.

Kit said...

Also, to borrow from Hitchens, Marxism spoils everything.

AndrewPrice said...

Yes, it does. And the problem that is on display so well in the fairy tale issue is that the left doesn't have an ideology so much as they want the world to be different than it is. Yet, try as they might, they just can't change humanity.

Kit said...

Andrew,

Notice all the revisionist attempts by moderns against "Little Red Riding Hood," which proves the sad point that there are wolves out there and we best be careful.

PikeBishop said...

That CEO Barbie reminded me of one of the worst "special Barbies" that Mattell produced. I thought they really went over the line with "Divorced Barbie." She comes complete with Ken's car, Ken's house, Ken's boat, half of Ken's income.........

tryanmax said...

Kit, you're such a wolf-apologist. LOL

Erik in Texas said...

As the father of a 6 year old girl, I too, am steeped in princess culture. What I have a problem with is the over sexualized outfits on many toys (Bratz, the Fairy Monsters seen above, etc,), the snotty attitudes and the denigration of the father on Disney Channel shows.

BevfromNYC said...

Okay, boys, move over and let me give a woman's perspective of this issue. I grew up with the stereotypical Disney princess of the '50's and btw, Barbie and I are about the same age. And actually, I love the new line of Disney princessae! But they are along the line of strong girls and boys from the original fairy tales and not the '50's version of the "handsome prince-saved, post WWII women should leave the assembly line and run back in the kitchen" version...

I still find it disturbing that at the same time the media and rabid feminists claim to empower young girls, they relentlessly sexualize them too. Unintentionally perpetuating the myth that the only way a woman can be truly be empowered is by using her feminine wiles...and that men are so two dimensional that they cannot see passed that.

As a side note: I don't remember my father ever taking me to the movies to see a Disney movie though. {One more thing to add to my list of grievances that includes no pony...;-D)

AndrewPrice said...

Kit, She's an easy target because her fairy tale is very limited and is easily highjacked by werewolf types.

AndrewPrice said...

PikeBishop, LOL! I hear that one didn't sell too well.

AndrewPrice said...

Erik, I do too. There is a tremendous amount of sexualization going on in these things. I blames it on the same crowd who think that comic books are "graphic novels."

As for Disney, their sitcoms are utter crap and should be banned from our reality. It's good that they don't send the feminist messages, but wow do they suck and wow are they packed with horrible messages.

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, I generally like the new princesses too because they are more capable, but without becoming angry loners or man-haters. I do agree that the 1950s versions were too helpless. Even more though, I despise the attempt by feminists to convert all these characters into androgynous drones. That's one of the many reasons I think that liberal feminism has failed -- people viscerally despise what it is trying to achieve.

I do find it hilarious that in trying to find "strong women" they end up pushing over-sexualized whores basically. In many ways, feminists are like the worst kinds of predatory males.

Sorry about the pony. :(

tryanmax said...

Bev, you can always make up for it by watching the new My Little Pony cartoons. My girls will watch it over and over and I honestly don't mind because the music is modern, record-label quality stuff. #notabrony

wulfscott said...

Kit - I am deeply offended by the obvious luposlipaphobia, the mention of the criminal Red riding Hood, and the obvious lack of safety for wulfs on this site. I will have to retreat to a safe place filled with legos, play-doh, and little lambs to snack on. Uhhh, chips! Chips to snack on. Yeah, that’s it. Chips.
That said, I think that there's only so far you can try to change stories before you get a backlash, especially when the original stories are available through the internet in some form. Given Grimm, Supernatural, and Once Upon a Time on tv, interest in the references, that is the original tales, is bound to go up. And that's a good thing!

Anthony said...

Andrew,

Wreck it Ralph's Vanellope was a princess in the story, but she didn't find out until the end. There was a fan campaign to get her added as one of the princesses, but you don't really see her merchandise much in the princess section perhaps because she spent so little time in princess gear, perhaps because unlike all the official Disney princesses she is a little girl, not a young woman.

As for non-princesses, Doc McStuffins is very popular among younger girls judging by the amount of merchandise one sees in toy aisles.

The latest show my youngest has gotten into is Star vs the Forces of Evil (which stars a magical princess who mostly fights monsters). It has a crazy, anything goes vibe a bit similar to that of The Secret World of Gumball and Gravity Falls.

Rustbelt said...

It's good to see kids still embracing fairy tales in their original forms. What strikes me the most is how a lot of these were written in medieval Europe, a time of binding conformity. Think about it. In most tales, there are commoners who do extraordinary things and become knights, princes, or princesses. And was an age when social mobility was almost nonexistent! (Amazingly, I think several were even written by aristocrats of the time.) In other words, being a poor peasant sucks. Make something truly worthy of yourself and maybe head up the social ladder.
And who says only girls are inspired by fairy tales? When I was a little kid, I watched fairy tales and- yes, I'll admit it- I wanted to be the knight/prince who rescued the princess. Of course, I later saw a certain movie and then wanted to be an evil spirit control worker. (The slime I could handle; the terror dogs would take some time getting used to.) But the stories left their mark on me.

As for the stereotypical nature in which Disney princesses are often held, let me tell you about one of my former co-workers from my days in news. One of the ladies I worked with was a black belt in karate, owned a few guns, was married to a former Marine, and was the biggest fan of Disney princesses I've ever known. Seriously, her desk was completely covered in anything and everything princess. And when someone brought up those feminazi, anti-princess arguments, her basic answer was that they needed to get a life and have some fun for a change. (Needless to say, she also organized a really big party for Will and Kate's wedding a few years ago. Why? Because she said we could!)

BTW, how is Tiana a second cl;ass princess? Belle is also a princess by marriage and she's about as regal as it gets. I don't see any complaining about her!

(imitates Columbo) And just one more thing...I'm very thankful for the Disney princesses. They make buying for my little cousins at Christmastime and birthdays much, much easier! (Though one does have to sift a lot of the 'Frozen' stuff first.)

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Superb article, Andrew!
My girls grew up in the 80's amd 90's. I found it fascinating that they loved TMNT, Darkwing Duck, Batman, Dragonball/Dragonball Z, Batman Beyond, Pinky and the Brain, Catwoman and She Hulk comics, as well as the Disney princesses, and even the classic Looney Tunes, Coyote and Roadrunner stuff.

And you are right, most kids have a visceral reaction to the leftist feminazi BS,
Whenever our daughters heard that crap in school I didn't even hafta explain why it was wrong, they already had figured that out on their own.

Of course, we always encouraged our kids to learn to think for themselves and they did, much to the outrage of some of their teachers, who were dismayed that my wife and I were happy about this, LOL.

AndrewPrice said...

tryanmax, Thanks for clarifying with #notabrony!!

AndrewPrice said...

wulfscott, I think these stories will be with us always because they speak to human nature so perfectly. They are tiny blurbs of wisdom condensed so that even children can understand them clearly.

That's also why attempts to warp them will always fail. It becomes like trying to redefine perfection.

AndrewPrice said...

Anthony, Penelope certainly is not a popular figure. Ralph seems to be the takeaway hero in that one.

I am amazed at the princess love in our house. I thought they would have grown out of it, especially the 12 year old, but they are enthralled by all things princesses.

I don't know Star. Outside of princesses, ours are into "How to Train Your Dragon" and the Madagascar series. They LOVE animals... especially penguins and zebras.

Our oldest is starting to get into anime... which drives her mother nuts. We'll see how that goes.

AndrewPrice said...

Rustbelt, Interestingly, I'm finding that the mothers are just as excited about princesses, no matter what they do for a living. LOL!

Boys embrace fairy tales too, though the preferred thing right now seems to be transformers and ninjas.

On Tiana, the argument was that Disney was racist because she needed to marry to become a princess, which means she wasn't naturally a princess, whereas the others were (almost) all born princesses. I don't buy it, but it was one of the many complaints at the time. You know how the grievance lobby is... they will find something to outrage them.

Personally, I think the movie and characters are quite good.

AndrewPrice said...

Thanks Ben!

It's funny to me how completely these girls reject the feminist garbage. Feminists must be going insane about this. Good!

Seriously though, it's impossible to change human nature. It just is.

Kit said...

Well, Tiana was a bloody yank. ;-)

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

I think ninjas are always popular. Must be the shurikens, which do look pretty cool, or the vast array of weaponry.
Ninja-to's, bow n' arrows, blow darts, numchucks...everything is a weapon to a ninja, or Jackie Chan. :)

Tohokari-Steel said...

Yeah, makes sense that leftists would view stories about how you can be a success by being exceptional to be incredibly offensive.

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