Comments on: The Disney Myth and Barbie Doll Dharma http://www.awakeinthislife.com/2009/04/the-disney-myth-and-barbie-doll-dharma/ a guide for those climbing the Mountain of Spirit Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:47:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Ralf Schroeder http://www.awakeinthislife.com/2009/04/the-disney-myth-and-barbie-doll-dharma/comment-page-1/#comment-1657 Ralf Schroeder Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:26:26 +0000 http://www.awakeinthislife.com/?p=1222#comment-1657 Michael, I have been pondering this many times, believe me we have all the dolls and toys to prove it. Having 2 girls in perfect princess adoration age, it seems almost impossible to escape the Disney marketing machine. However if I find them playing just generally creative games with Snow White and the gang, I am always relieved to see that they are really just kids letting their fantasies fly with a neat toy. If at Halloween no other costume than Cinderella is even thinkable, I do find this is limiting them in their joy and might set some strange expectations for adult life. Also, if we go to buy a water bottle for school and the twice as expensive Disney bottle is the only thing the kid will accept, I am terrified to give in to this princess-pawlow consumer-breeding. Lastly, I sometimes wonder what the princess stories really tell my kids? Be good, make friends and you'll get the prince? Where is the dharma in that? What kind of discussion can you have with your children when closing the book after the nightly reading? Not sure, really. What is true in any case that my views on the whole thing are a nice and meaty attachment to let go off... Michael,

I have been pondering this many times, believe me we have all the dolls and toys to prove it. Having 2 girls in perfect princess adoration age, it seems almost impossible to escape the Disney marketing machine. However if I find them playing just generally creative games with Snow White and the gang, I am always relieved to see that they are really just kids letting their fantasies fly with a neat toy. If at Halloween no other costume than Cinderella is even thinkable, I do find this is limiting them in their joy and might set some strange expectations for adult life. Also, if we go to buy a water bottle for school and the twice as expensive Disney bottle is the only thing the kid will accept, I am terrified to give in to this princess-pawlow consumer-breeding.

Lastly, I sometimes wonder what the princess stories really tell my kids? Be good, make friends and you’ll get the prince? Where is the dharma in that? What kind of discussion can you have with your children when closing the book after the nightly reading? Not sure, really.

What is true in any case that my views on the whole thing are a nice and meaty attachment to let go off…

]]> By: E Nicol http://www.awakeinthislife.com/2009/04/the-disney-myth-and-barbie-doll-dharma/comment-page-1/#comment-1652 E Nicol Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:03:13 +0000 http://www.awakeinthislife.com/?p=1222#comment-1652 Michael, I can relate... In the 60's my mom wouldn't let us have Barbies; we had to settle for Skipper. Still we played with our friends' Barbies & Kens and did all the usual stuff with them. Raising my daughter I decided not to sweat Barbie when she got one as a gift. She went through some body image issues but what American female (or male for that matter) does not? In the end she is now as sane and well adjusted as the next 23 year old; maybe just a teensy bit more sane and well adjusted. But I'm not biased or anything! Michael, I can relate… In the 60′s my mom wouldn’t let us have Barbies; we had to settle for Skipper. Still we played with our friends’ Barbies & Kens and did all the usual stuff with them. Raising my daughter I decided not to sweat Barbie when she got one as a gift. She went through some body image issues but what American female (or male for that matter) does not? In the end she is now as sane and well adjusted as the next 23 year old; maybe just a teensy bit more sane and well adjusted. But I’m not biased or anything!

]]>