Pretty Princess

Vir Gaglianone

The Grimm’s fairy tales written 200 years ago still appeal to millions of people.
In Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz’ study, the authors analyze how those fairy tales perpetuate a normative beauty ideal.
“Through the proliferation of fairy tales in the media, girls (and boys) are taught specific messages concerning the importance of women's bodies and women's attractiveness” (Baker-Sperry and Grauerholz). 
When analyzing which of those stories have been more popularized through movies, books and other media, they find that the stories that place more emphasis on women’s beauty, like Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, have been the ones reproduced more often. Many books and movies have been made in the last 200 years, but those that survive do so because they reflect social and cultural values.
 "Fairy tales do not become mythic unless they are in almost perfect accord with the underlying principles of how the male members of society seek to arrange object relations to satisfy their wants and needs" (Zipes). 
For instance, most Latino soap operas today are still based on the Cinderella’s plot of a beautiful and innocent woman who is rescued by Prince charming.  Millions of women living in third world countries, with no access to education or resources to change their socio-economic status, believe that the only access to a better life is to find a man who will fall in love with them, and rescue them from poverty.
 The stories featured in those soap operas, of humble women becoming beautiful princesses are appealing, because they help the viewer dream of a better life. In that sense, the Cinderella’s story is a source of hope for millions.
 Reischer and Koo also mention the influence of toys in the construction of norms of beauty.
“Even our toys are undergoing ‘the knife’ in the name of beauty. In 1997, Mattel’s most famous toy, the Barbie doll, emerged from the factory operating room with a wider waist, slimmer hips, and a reduction of her legendary bust line” (Reischer and Koo ). 
Cultural ideals of beauty are more than a matter of aesthetics, and they reflect cultural values and beliefs of a generation.