Should Cinderella Be Blamed for Being Too Weak?
Ever read this “politically correct” version of Cinderella?
Suddenly there was a flash of light, and in front of Cinderella stood a man dressed in loose-fitting, all-cotton clothes and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. At first Cinderella thought he was a Southern lawyer or a bandleader, but he soon put her straight. “Hello, Cinderella, I am your fairy godperson, or individual deity proxy, if you prefer. So, you want to go to the ball, eh? And bind yourself into the male concept of beauty? Squeeze into some tight-fitting dress that will cut off your circulation? Jam your feet into high-heeled shoes that will ruin your bone structure? Paint your face with chemicals and make-up that have been tested on non-human animals?”
“Oh yes, definitely,” she said in an instant. Her fairy godperson heaved a great sigh and decided to put off her political education till another day. With his magic, he then enveloped Cinderella in a beautiful, bright light and whisked her away to the palace….
Ever read that version of Cinderella?
I got this book titled “Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life & Times” from a second-hand bookstore near my campus. The first time I saw the cover, I thought the book is just an “ordinary” tales book for children. But the words “politically correct” with a big, tales-like font sure ‘odd’ enough for a tales book. I couldn’t help to open it up.
The first tale is about the famous “Little Red Riding Hood”. I was giggling alone as I finished the first tale. It was hilarious!! When you read a traditional tale with a touch of intellectually-charming sentences, I’d say, it will surely makes you entertained and educated in the same time!
In the preface of the book, the writer said that the problem with old tales is that the stories were often sexist, discriminatory, unfair, culturally-biased and in general, demeaning to witches, animals, goblins and fairies everywhere. The book tries to retell those stories in a way that is much more suitable with the society value in which we live today.
Interested??
I think I’ll make this book as my children’s first book…! :p
politically correct tales. I agree with you, some of those tales are not suitable anymore for minors, they have to adapt to social development.
tales are what children always read after school and before sleep. their contents must have influence in shaping children’s mind. I remember, one of bloggers, guebukanmonyet, wrote an article against Kancil si Pencuri tale. how could children be provided of morally wrong story like that.
sounds interesting, should check its availability in Gramedia.
yuki Tobing
5 May 08 at 4:18 pm
do you mind telling me where to buy the amazing book?
anyway, “Paint your face with chemicals and make-up that have been tested on non-human animals?”
i don’t know why chemicals are ALWAYS considered as bad things. Hehehe.. chemical engineering student here.
anyway, nice to meet u. great blog, great mind, great perspective.
michaeljubel.
michaeljubel
5 May 08 at 4:32 pm
This is an old book anyway..but it’s still very interesting to compare the stories between the one that has been politically corrected and the original one that is written by the Grimms Brother.. Well, Cinderella should modernize herself in order to cope with this globalized world, shouldn’t she?
cherika
5 May 08 at 4:42 pm
@ Yuki
Kancil story? Hahaha!! Yups! I remembered when I was a kid, my grandpa used to read it for me..maybe we should make the ‘politically correct’ Kancil tale!
@michaeljubel
woops..! No hard feeling for any chemical engineering students out there! I dont know where else u could find d book. Lucky I found it in a stack of 2nd handbook and get it for only 30thousands rupiah..! :p
Andika
5 May 08 at 6:35 pm
@cherika
well..for sure, Cinderella needs to encourage her and her own kind..maybe she needs to feel a bit of modern life…maybe she could publish her experience on her own “Chicken Soup for the Tortured Step Child”!
Andika
5 May 08 at 6:58 pm
Now with this, I don’t need to stuff realism and complex interdependence to my kid for their bedtime stories in future.
Calvin Michel Sidjaja
6 May 08 at 1:00 am
@Calvin
Yes you don’t need to…and you shouldn’t! for sure!! DONT STUFF REALISM AND COMPLEX INTERDEPENDENCE IN THEIR CHILDHOOD!! You’re gonna ruin their childhood, vin!!!
:p
Andika
6 May 08 at 9:44 am
About all these correction of bedtime tales..Have you ever watch Hoodwinked? I think you should watch it. its a cartoon movie about the tale Little Red Riding Hood but with some correction and analysis here and there , like you said, coping with the society value we live today ;D
really enjoy your writings here in the blog! cheers!
superyayi
6 May 08 at 2:29 pm
=@superyayi
Hoodwinked? Maybe I should find d DVD! Seems interesting..Thx for d compliment!
Andika
6 May 08 at 5:53 pm
Perhaps I should write my own fairy tale. Let’s say… Cinderella and Culture of Fear, or maybe Sleeping Beauty: Meet Asymmetric Diplomacy.
Calvin Michel Sidjaja
6 May 08 at 9:29 pm
Humm…”Little Red Riding Hood and the New Secuity Threat”….or “Three Little Pigs and Complex Interdependence Concepts”
How ’bout that, Vin?
Andika
7 May 08 at 1:35 am
anyway, i’m very impressed with your writing. belajar bahasa inggris sejak kapan? bahasa inggrisnya anak HI oke juga ya.. beda ama anak teknik yang penggunaan katanya cuman berputar disitu-situ doang. duh gua harus mengembangkan diri nih.
hehe.. add blogroll? boleh bgt lah. lu juga mau gue add.. ke blogroll daily clicks malah. hehe.. content lo keren!
anyway, met kenal andika.
michaeljubel
7 May 08 at 10:46 am
eh jubel pake bahasa indonesia! ehhe..gue kira ga boleh. yauda, cuman mau minta permisi..blognya gue add di blogroll gue ya? boleh gak? walaupun sedang break tulis menulis, saya tetap rajin membaca blog kawan2 semua.. ^o^
superyayi
7 May 08 at 11:54 am
@jubel
Daa? ga segitunya juga ah!! scara basa inggris lu juga nampak well-written!
Link lu juga udah dimasukkin..recommended banget! apalagi design-nya! jadi pengen hosting.. :p
@superyayi
boleh banget..btw, minta alamat blognya juga dong..maklum, gw masih newbie di dunia per-blog-an..masih butuh perbendaharaan blog2 lain..hehe..
Andika
7 May 08 at 5:45 pm
horee… udah gue link! heheh tengkyu…
superyayi
7 May 08 at 10:36 pm
oia http://seratsehat.wordpress.com heheh dtglah berkunjung kapan2
superyayi
7 May 08 at 10:36 pm
bek..bukunya nampak menarik…can u give me a recommendation on where i might find it? :p
amelia rhea josephine
9 May 08 at 4:04 am
@amel
Wah…ngga tau yah..soalnya gw juga dapet di reading lights, mel..hehe,,,
Andika
9 May 08 at 8:02 am
*giggles* Okay, I so want to read! Can I borrow, bek?
But you know, on the other hand - fairy tales are just that.. tales. When I was a kid, everytime I was in a bookstore I’d run amock, I’d be grabbing every book in sight! Including biased fairy tales. And I figure I turned out okay.
And if you go around bookstores these days - Dear God! What I wouldn’t give to be a kid again! The books are funnier, more intelligent and not as biased.
My point is.. basically, fairy tales are harmless enough, it all depends on how you actually raise the kids, and what values you instill in them.
Btw, have you read Gregory Maguire’s Wicked? It’s The Wizard of Oz, through The Wicked Witch of the West’s viewpoint, and I loved Elphaba! (the Wicked Witch).. He has a series of books with well known stories being ‘butchered’ - in a good way.
Atri
9 May 08 at 12:53 pm
@atri
Yup2! absolutely! Just meet me at campus and I’ll borrow it for you..you’re gonna love it! hahaha…
Well..fair to say that fairy tales are harmless enough, but imagine if you can put those value in a time when their mind is no different than a sponge, they’ll absorb everything! Isn’t that good? Imagine a child with politically-correct mind, isn’t that great??
*am i being too much?? I feel sorry for my own kid.. :p
Andika
9 May 08 at 8:56 pm
gw juga mau minjem!!!!
Calvin Michel Sidjaja
9 May 08 at 10:31 pm
hahaa…
Bek, may I borrow this book? seems interesting!
indeed, our society is now trapped in old definition of beauty: white skin, long hair, tall and skinny body. it gets more and more overrated by all the beauty product ads we see everyday. making those intelligent girls who have dark skin, short hair, short and un-skinny body feel inadequate. it’s not fair..
vienz
5 Jun 08 at 8:05 pm
@Vienz
Halo vin!! True that stereotyping is never be good for anyone whatever the reason is. Wanna borrow it? Tukeran ama buku yang penembak misterius yuu!! hehehe…
Andika
5 Jun 08 at 9:36 pm
Hm… nice title, at first i though that you wanna discuss about feminism. From your book review, you make everyone want to read the entire of that book.
Anyway, does the book tell about the Cinderella Syndrome coz i think that i have it.
Uliph
7 Jun 08 at 2:39 pm
Yes, storybooks for children are responsible in making children’s mind set and attitude facing real life.
I remember a scene on SATC when Carrie was telling a bedtime story to her or someone else’s daughter “and they live happily everafter. but you know, in real life things don’t work like this”
It is our responsibilities
yonna
18 Jun 08 at 1:07 pm
|Uliph|
Actually, you can find a little bit about it in this book. And you’ll be surprised with the end of each story! Very smart and funny! You really should find this book! Cinderella syndrome? you have it? why? you can’t go home after midnight? :p
|Yonna|
It is. Children’s minds are like sponge. It will absorb anything that they hear, see and taught. I think this book is a really brilliant piece of art!
Andika
18 Jun 08 at 11:29 pm
Yes you don’t need to…and you shouldn’t! for sure!! DONT STUFF REALISM AND COMPLEX INTERDEPENDENCE IN THEIR CHILDHOOD!! You’re gonna ruin their childhood, vin!!! <— oh my god i didn’t know that you were unhappy child!! poor you andika putraditama ! So finally i know the reason why sometimes you act like a freak ha ha ha ha … kidding bro ..!!
Zi
10 Jul 08 at 1:25 am
Perhaps you can also see “Ever After” movie which showcased a true Cinderella-story with Drew Barrymore play the main role.
mahel
17 Aug 08 at 3:16 pm