Suspicion

Suspicion
Originally uploaded by Annie Ominous

For the most part I abhor "princess" fairy tales - especially how Disney presents them in their films. The protagonist is usually a beautiful young girl, who while suffering some tragedy manages to stay positive and kind. The villian is portrayed by an older, spiteful woman who is jealous of the young girl's grace and beauty. The young girl is helpless and must be rescued by a brave and handsome Prince. The stories Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White all exemplify those archtypes - and their stories and images are agressively marketed to young girls. My daughter watches these movies and I am okay with that as they are fun films to watch. I wonder though how much stories like these reinforce the Fear of the Other Woman. We often see each other as the enemy, rivals to be suspicious of - especially if the other woman is younger and prettier. Granted, there is a evolutionary and biological explaination for why women (and men) are sexually competive. But I just think that when girls grow up on stories where woman is pitted against woman and finds redemption through a man that it is a little damaging to the spirit.