The princess paradox
In the latest extremely important, not overly obvious study, Brigham Young University researchers found evidence that Disney princess culture could be harmful for girls.
No way!
After studying almost 200 preschools who engaged with princess culture, they found the girls were more inclined to adhere to female stereotypes, which researcher Sarah Coyne says can limit girls’ confidence to enter math and science areas, further discouraging them to “get dirty,” making them less inclined to explore and experiment.
Is nothing sacred? How can Disney princess movies be next up on the liberal feminist chopping block when they’re filled with so many good, empowering lessons and characters?
Snow White? A story about a witch so obsessed with youth and beauty that she poisons an innocent girl. The Little Mermaid? Starring a female sea creature with killer pipes who gives up her voice to be closer to a guy. Cinderella? A tale that proves it’s the beauty of your shoes, not your character, that gets you noticed. Belle? A woman who falls in love with a “beast,” which does not in any way romanticize domestic violence. Sleeping Beauty? With its romantic ending of a prince kissing his unconscious, non-consenting princess.
How could any of theses story lines be damaging to girls?
Of course, there was one group that did benefit: boys! The study found boys who partook in princess culture were more helpful to others and had greater confidence.
Wait a minute… that can’t be right. Something intended for female consumption could combat hyper masculinity and be beneficial for males? Does that mean it could be the other way around? If girls were exposed to more math and science culture in the mainstream media it would be beneficial to them? Are you saying that gender is a social construct and kids shouldn’t be force fed only a certain type of media and culture because of their genitals?
Nah.
No lizard left behind
Imagine the dismay when you’re told you can’t, in fact, bring your pet iguana into the Boulder County Courthouse. We have a feeling the owner who attempted the aforementioned feat was clued in on this particular folly before trying. Why else would they hide their iguana in a handbag and put it through the metal detector instead of walking it on a leash as most iguana owners do when strutting their pet around town? Why else indeed.
Well good eye, Boulder County Sheriff officers who made out the skeletal shape of the large lizard in an x-ray image on Friday, June 17. Imagine the surprise. In case you were wondering, only service animals are allowed in the Courthouse and lizards have yet to be trained as such.
According to a Twitter image and the follow-up story by Associated Press, the owner simply took their lizard and waited outside, not wanting to be separated from their scaly, cold-blooded friend. Nice try.
