" As a little girl grows up, she hears story after story about how she needs to be saved by the prince on the white horse or knight in shining armor. These stories unknowingly paint a picture that in order for a woman to live happily ever, after she needs a man to rescue and save her. She learns that her ultimate life happiness depends on a male hero."
After thinking about it though, there's several movies I watched as a girl where the female character wasn't so much "saved" by the male as the other way around.
Take Beauty and the Beast. Who saved who? She went by herself to search for her father, found a scary beast in a haunted castle, and made the decision to sacrifice herself to save her father. The Beast was certainly not perfect, nor handsome.
Now when it comes to Snow White I can see where being saved required a handsome prince. But with Cinderella I think there was a little more to it. I've been reading Cinderella to Marshal every night...sometimes twice. It's currently his favorite book.
She is a strong woman. The invite comes from the castle, and despite her cruel step family, she decides she will go too. She has a fairy Godmother...not a man...who helps get her there. And then defies her step mother to make sure she gets her true love.
I get the article's point though. Women do have unrealistic expectations of what Happily Ever After really is. But I don't think we should just blame Disney. I love Disney movies.
One part of her article I definitely agree with...
Many little girls grow up and dream of finding their prince. They grow up dreaming about being the princess and wearing the white dress. Years are spent focusing on the fantasy of the wedding day and what it will be like. For many, that day comes and once it is over they realize that true love and having a successful relationship is much more than they realized.
Focusing on that ONE day is short sighted and naive. It's a great day. A fun day. But ultimately just one day. The idea that people spend tens of thousands of dollars on that day boggles my mind.
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