Continuing on my rant about why popular culture is the way it is, I'll be tackling the idea of "princess" culture and gender norms especially in children. I may sound a bit like a broken record at this point, but yet again, I think it all comes down to insecurity. In this case, it is more on the parents than the children. Parents want their kids to succeed, so they stick to the stereotypes that "work". Women are supposed to be passive princesses that are up in their (luckily metaphorical) tower waiting for a man to come save them. Men are supposed to be valiant warriors and saviors. This dynamic is insanely outdated, but it sells dolls and movies so it stays. Some of these long held beliefs are on their way out, but for many, they are still valid.
I know that as a child, I made fun of my brother for getting Polly Pockets at McDonalds instead of Hot Wheels. I would like to think that I am past that point in my life where I would make fun of someone for something as simple as getting the "girl" toy. The fact that the toys were separated by gender and not just brand name is something that shows how deep seated these norms are in our society. I remember wondering why my brother would want the "girl" toy when I was racing my hot wheels down a track and launching them into the concrete wall in my basement. I fell in to many of the stereotypes as a kid. I tried to play sports (before giving up when I hit high school), I watched the shows I saw my friends watching and I tried to be a boy through and through. It just seemed like the thing to do. Now I can freely admit that I don't get sports and why they are a big thing and I would much rather watch horror movies than sports any day. I found my passion in music which is still a male-dominated world at this point, but it is changing.
No comments:
Post a Comment