So I've been thinking about princesses lately. I've had some questions, like "What is the role of a princess? What are her characteristics? Are they necessarily negative?" It seems there's a new message going around discouraging girls from focusing on this idea of being a princess.One Catholic school spoke out through an advertisement campaign. Some of their slogans read, "Don't wait for a prince. Be able to rescue yourself," and "Mirror, Mirror on the wall . . .Be more than just the fairest of them all."
You can see more from the campaign here: http://www.takepart.com/photos/princess-mercy-academy-catholic-prep-school-ad-campaign/princess?cmpid=tp-san
Another company focused on derailing the princess mentality is GoldieBlox. In all honesty, I think the concept is pretty interesting. GoldieBlox is a toy company seeking to create toys that appeal to girls and help them focus on engineer-based activities instead of dolls, skirts and jewels. One slogan that they proudly claim is, "More Than Just a Princess."
I think there are many aspects of these arguments that are valid. Girls are strong. We can think and contribute ideas, we can be responsible for our own emotions and our happiness doesn't depend on others constantly doting on us.
I have wondered though about some of the counter arguments. Is there anything wrong with being "girly"? Is it detrimental for a girl to like pink? Are princesses only defined by their lack of intelligence and abundance of bratty behavior?
When I think of a princess, I think of someone who is dignified, kind, and giving. I think of the Little Princess, Sara Crewe, who taught Miss Minchin that being a princess is not necessarily a social status, but a state of mind. I also think of the many characteristics that describe charity in the scriptures: "charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up" (1 Corinthians 13:4).
One of my favorite aspects of the Gospel is the understanding that we have a divine nature. Knowing that I am a daughter of God and that I have an inherent royalty helps me to act better, to be kinder, and to doubt less my ability to achieve great things.
One of my favorite aspects of the Gospel is the understanding that we have a divine nature. Knowing that I am a daughter of God and that I have an inherent royalty helps me to act better, to be kinder, and to doubt less my ability to achieve great things.
If we all treated each other like royalty, in the sense of showing respect to one another, wouldn't the world be considerably improved? Julie B. Beck quoted Spencer W. Kimball as saying, “There are many sisters who are living in rags—spiritual rags. They are entitled to gorgeous robes, spiritual robes. . . . It is your privilege to go into homes and exchange robes for rags.” There are many people living below their privilege who don't understand or believe that they deserve more.
Do I think that reinstating a feudal system with medieval tyrants is a good idea? No. And if Paris Hilton and the Kardashians are our best examples of what a princess should be, then yes, by all means let's be rid of the idea of princesses. However, I don't think that we need to leave the definition to them.
So this is my question to you: is this idea of looking at a princess as a role model a dangerous ideal or is there any value in developing regal characteristics?
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My two year old niece in the toy aisle. Article and Illustration by Normandie Luscher |