tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770811529718101789.post3810409240164101627..comments2024-03-21T00:29:29.587-07:00Comments on Fairy Tale Fandom: The OTHER gender issue with fairy tales.Adam Hoffmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16129844426168129584noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770811529718101789.post-5742619674064802422015-08-22T13:44:50.758-07:002015-08-22T13:44:50.758-07:00Somehow, "fairy tale" has replaced the w...Somehow, "fairy tale" has replaced the word "fantasy" in certain contexts. They should be saying "fantasy vacation, fantasy weddings, etc". In other words, they should be what you fantasized about come true.<br /><br />I'm also reminded of when heartbreak songs about how fairy tales are bogus or whatever. I'm like "How do you know you're at the end? The good part only happens at the end. Life kind of sucks at the beginning and middle parts".Adam Hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16129844426168129584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770811529718101789.post-52018882783158132862015-08-22T11:51:07.136-07:002015-08-22T11:51:07.136-07:00YES that is a brilliant quote! Perfectly captures ...YES that is a brilliant quote! Perfectly captures what I was trying to say!Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13311936206951108530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770811529718101789.post-3479142707681873242015-08-22T10:04:23.543-07:002015-08-22T10:04:23.543-07:00"People talk about 'fairy tale weddings&#..."People talk about 'fairy tale weddings' and 'fairy tale prom dresses,' meaning pretty-pretty idealistic things that have no bearing to the stories themselves."<br /><br />One of my favourite quotes concerning fairytales is by German columnist Max Goldt. It really shows how the perception of fairytales has changed over time. I'll try my best to translate:<br /><br />"Vacation Like a Fairytale? What's that supposed to mean? Living in a small hut in the forest, spending all day chopping wood and getting nothing for dinner but stale bread and poisoned apples?"Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11593854763215902252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770811529718101789.post-78382254462996869862015-08-17T13:31:19.454-07:002015-08-17T13:31:19.454-07:00That seems like a very true quote!
And yes, like ...That seems like a very true quote!<br /><br />And yes, like with anything it all depends on how you perceive it. Ballet intrigues me as a form of storytelling because it's so physical and expressive, and you don't get that level of emotion with other forms. Sometimes too many words can be overkill.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13311936206951108530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770811529718101789.post-33312180146267766982015-08-16T15:00:04.340-07:002015-08-16T15:00:04.340-07:00I read a quote somewhere about how people are brav...I read a quote somewhere about how people are brave enough now to raise their daughters like sons and not brave enough to raise their sons like daughters. Not sure who the quote was from.<br /><br />Anyway, much of this comes down to perception. As a man who recently got turned onto the ballet, it was largely through my love of stories. That's how I see it now: a unique visual way to tell a story. One that incidentally requires as much physicality from its performers as any sport.Adam Hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16129844426168129584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770811529718101789.post-35539727297719886802015-08-15T07:45:19.013-07:002015-08-15T07:45:19.013-07:00SO MANY GOOD THINGS you have written here!! I have...SO MANY GOOD THINGS you have written here!! I haven't thought to compare Arabian Nights and their perception of being adventurous/for boys to Western tales, but that's very true (although our common knowledge of the Arabian Nights tales themselves is waning rapidly, I think all most people could tell you about is Disney's Aladdin these days). <br /><br />Also I love what you say about fairy tales being primarily about *transformations* in each character, whether male or female. SO TRUE. <br /><br />And I've never been super bothered by the marketing of girls' products...I like pink, I like all colors. But today, despite the marketing of the toy aisles, it's totally acceptable for girls to like sports or dinosaurs, and even among girls there's a perception that Princesses are something for "little" girls that you grow out of. I think one of the main problems in gender equality today, is that while girls can wear pants and be tomboys, boys are mocked if they like ballet, pink, sparkles, or anything traditionally female. We've worked so hard to establish that girls can do the things guys can, what about telling boys it's okay to do the things girls can?Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01097525403940409218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770811529718101789.post-10429722010877147372015-08-15T02:47:10.427-07:002015-08-15T02:47:10.427-07:00I annoys me SO MUCH when I see fairy tale things a...I annoys me SO MUCH when I see fairy tale things aimed at girls only - you're so right, not all fairytales are princesses and kissing! In fact, very few of them are. There seems to be a huge difference between how fairy tales actually are, and how they are perceived. People talk about 'fairy tale weddings' and 'fairy tale prom dresses,' meaning pretty-pretty idealistic things that have no bearing to the stories themselves. Fairy tales contain princesses. Therefore, they must be pink and pretty. And when girls grow up, they must retain that pink-and-pretty style.<br /><br />I've worked in a gift shop for around 7 years, and the things we sell with children's names on, like door plaques or pens, actually disgust me. All the boy's ones are blue and have footballs/dinosaurs/pirates/astronauts etc on them, and all the girl's ones are pink and have fairies/princesses/unicorns/puppies on them. I know they're only small things, but if you grow up only about to buy stuff/being given stuff in those particular colours with those particular things on, psychologically it must have an effect. If you're a girl, you come to expect princesses etc. on everything, because they're 'for girls.' If you're a boy, you come to expect football etc. because they're 'for boys.' One time, we got a stand with just dinosaur flannels and money boxes on it. Which on the surface seems great, now girls can have dinosaurs too, finally! But then even the dinosaurs with girl's names on were pink. Giving them dinosaurs is one thing, but changing the colour? No. They're still girls, so it still must be pink. Ridiculous.<br /><br />As for princes, I found it very interesting how in Into the Woods the prince wasn't good at being a husband. He shows up, does his 'charming' bit, and then he's assumed to be the perfect guy because he's so handsome and well, charming. But there's more to relationships than that. And in traditional fairy tales, some princes do a heck of a lot more. Look at The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood - the couple take time to get to know one another, and ultimately the prince saves his wife from his evil ogre of a mother. That shows devotion, and a willingness to sacrifice things for his relationship.<br /><br />Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13311936206951108530noreply@blogger.com