Even modern-day royalty — what’s the obsession?
In this piece I was trying to concentrate on the positive, but I 100% agree with you. This is a page from a book we have:
It’s one big reason we waited until she was 4.5 to watch it. We honestly sheltered her from royalty stuff (and any romanticizing of hierarchy) for as long as we could. But now it’s starting to seep in from other places, so we’ve gotta guide her through it rather than ignoring it. Luckily, she’s old enough now that we can discuss.
We paused the movie in the middle and talked about how unfair it was that they had this big ol’ empty castle to play in, but the townspeople couldn’t come in. The ending implies that the castle is going to be open from now on, for everyone to come inside. I’m sure they just meant they’re going to throw balls and stuff, but the way she took it was that anyone could sleep there and play there from then on. So it looked like justice to her, haha.
There was a line where one of the princesses, in a big hurry to save the day, said, “Bring me my horse! please.” She says the first part like an order, then with a little quiet “please,” because at least the movie-makers knew it sounded messed up to have her order someone to do something, even if it’s historically accurate that she would.
So we paused the movie and discussed. Like, “Who is she saying that to? She’s not politely asking a favor of a friend. She’s ordering someone to do it. The person she’s saying it to could never order the princess to get them a horse. Isn’t that weird? Does that seem fair?” etc. We told her it was historically accurate that a princess could tell somebody what to do, but that doesn’t make it right.
Anyway, thanks for your comment. I totally agree. It makes my head hurt to think of all the media kids consume without the type of guidance my husband and I are giving, but, again, I was trying to be more positive and less judgy with this piece.
