Unlearning the Myths that Blind us

1. " A Black Cinderella? Give me a break.She wrote:Have you ever seen a black person, an Asian, a Hispanic in a cartoon? Did they have a leading role or were they a servant? What do you think this is doing to your child's mind?...Women who aren't white begin to feel left out and ugly because they never get to play the princess." pg 131

Growing up I never noticed that most of the Disney characters were white. There were a few that showed ethnicity like Pocahontas, Aladdin, and Mulan. I have been noticing dolls in the story that are different races. I have even seen male dolls. I like seeing the children playing with the black, Hispanic, and Asian dolls. Also, I never really watched cartoons. When I watch reruns of shows that I did watch as a kid, I notice the racism, sexism, and discrimination that I didn't as a kid. I also feel that no little girl should feel ugly or left out, princesses come in all colors.

2. "We look at the roles of women, men, people of color, and poor people play in the cartoons".

I don't think this is just in cartoons but everywhere. I do remember growing up that the father was the "head" of the house and the bread winner. The mother stayed home to cook, clean, and care for the children. Even though society has changed over time,I dont think we can ever escape the stereotypes. The first show that came to mind when I read this was the Fresh Prince of Bell Air. He was a poor black kid that moved in with his rich black aunt and uncle.

3. "Because we can never look like Cinderella, we begin to hate ourselves. The Barbie syndrome starts as we begin a lifelong search for the perfect body. Crash diets, fat phobias, and an obsession with the materialistic become commonplace."

We see in magazines, billboards, and on TV the image that people think every girl needs to look like. People need to put the Average everyday looking people in the magazines and all over billboards. Not everyone can have the Barbie look. I think it is sad when I put on lifetime and it is a story about a young girl who is anorexic or bulimic. I wish that the pressure in school was not so tough. Girls feel that they need to act and look a certain way to fit in. When I watch shows like Toddlers in Tiaras I first think that they are so cute, then I wonder how many of those baby's are going to grow up thinking they need to be perfect all the time.

I enjoyed the reading by Christensen. It made me open my eyes and realize how discriminating cartoons, TV, magazines, billboards, and peers can be. I feel that I was sheltered growing up. I never caught on to the cartoons and other everyday discrimination. Books, movies, and dolls should come in all different shapes and colors because everyone is different and no one wants to feel left out and ugly. We also need to teach children that not everything you see on TV and in magazines is the way we all need to look like.