Fairy Tales Linked To Violent Relationships

[MaxFisher]

I call for a ban of all fairy tales before more young girls are influenced!

 

[youtooellen]

maybe someone should invent a male gendered Cinderella, then both genders will be 'submissive' to their future relationships! and then everyone will live happily ever after. the end.

 

[BonosSaint]

maybe someone should invent a male gendered Cinderella, then both genders will be 'submissive' to their future relationships! and then everyone will live happily ever after. the end.

They sort of did with the Ken doll. Didn't work.

I think the Grimm tales worked, because they understood children's fears, not just their fantasies. It validated for them there was evil in the world and if there was, it was up to them to do something about it. The Grimm tales were about taking control. The fantasy tales were about waiting for someone else to take control--that if you were good enough, someone would come and rescue you. Seductive notion. I doubt there is a cause and effect, listening to Cinderella does not equal victim status. But if all your messages when you are young are of that ilk, it can be dangerous. For all of our sophistication, it is hard to rid ourselves of subconscious childhood beliefs that we don't even know are there. Bruno Bettelheim (sp??) wrote a great book on fairy tales.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Maybe all kids should watch more Buffy.

 

[A_Wanderer]

And I am totally serious on that count, although the show deals with more teen related issues in the first three seasons and just goes on furthur later it still had the right messages without getting preachy.