Mirror
Mirror, on the wall
Who’s
the fairest of them all?
Snow
White & The Seven Dwarfs
If I
could dream of one thing, it’d be the smile that you bring…
The
Diamond Castle
It’s
coming to that time of year again.
Thoughts of snow, whispers of how many days left and that Coca-Cola
advert on telly.
Time
to think about what to get my daughter for Christmas. She likes Disney Princess
shiny stuff, Hello Kitty practical stuff, and Barbie dolls, accessories, costumes,
the merchandise list goes on…
So,
Mirror
Mirror, on the wall
Who’s
the fairest of them all?
Barbie.
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Why
is Barbie superior to the rest? Let’s
contrast the messages Disney gives out compared to Barbie.
Disney: You can be a princess.
Barbie: You can be anything, you’re a Barbie Girl!
In
films, Disney’s stories are often scary, weird or just plain outdated.
If we
look at ‘Snow White’ for example, we have a story about jealousy,
megalomaniacal power and attempted murder by deception by a person in a position of trust. Hmm, nice.
What
about Cinderella? Domestic abuse. How is she rescued from this? The Prince fancies her. Hmm, inspirational.
Rapunzel? Kidnap. Hmm...
Of
course, these aren’t original Disney plots.
They’re fairy tales which were in the public domain that Walt made a
considerable amount of money from. Kudos
to him.
So
how do Barbie films differ?
Most
of the stories are original. The main
characters in the stories overcome challenges.
They do that with the help of friends.
They are moral, have integrity and do the right thing, even if (or
especially if) it’s not the best thing for the character themselves.
Barbie
is about overcoming fears, working as a team, being honest, keeping promises,
loyalty and helping a friend in need.
There
are Barbie princesses in the films, of course.
However, even Barbie princesses learn to be aware of their environment,
such as in the Princess and the Popstar/Pauper.
Each Princess takes over responsibility for the economy of their
kingdom. How about that?
In
fact in that Pauper film, the Princess marries the man with whom she’s in love,
not who her Mother, the Queen, thinks is right.
‘Life in the Dreamhouse’ is an excellent self-deprecating twist on herself, like when
she’s asked, as she’s showing everyone her extensive wardrobe of work clothes: “You went to the moon?” Barbie: “You haven’t?”
The
films are funny, self-deprecating, moving and inspirational. They give the viewer the belief that anything
is possible. All in a very entertaining
format. They have great music too, with
catchy melodies and well-thought out lyrics.
For example,
If I
could wish for one thing,
It’d
be the smile that you bring,
Wherever
you go in this world I’ll come along
Together
we dream the same dream
Forever
I’m here for you, you’re here for me
Two
voices, one song
Normally
I would have rebelled against the stereotype of buying Barbie for my daughter –
but what’s not to like?
The ideas in these films instill the right beliefs into a child. They're like a double-edged sword. Educational and entertaining. As a parent, if you watch them too, you can even refer to them when talking to your child, when they need advice.
And
that, Your Honour, is my excuse for having 14 Barbie DVDs on my bookshelf.
