In honor of National Babbling Day I give you the following rant. Disney has recently played up the Disney Princess angle a lot. And Ella could not be more happy about it. Our entire world has become saturated with talking, dancing and dressing like a Princess. We bought the most recent Disney video of the Princesses called "Follow Your Dreams". Ella immediately loved Jasmine. The other princesses just don't do it for her. She picks Jasmine out every time and she is the Princess De Jour of Ella's world.
Unfortunately, Disney seems to have shut Jasmine out. Even when she is pictured with the other Princess she is always in the very back and literally smaller than the others. And that's just when she is pictured with them because 99% of the time she is completely absent.
And she is most noticeably absent from Disney licenced individual princess items. We have found sleeping bags, blankets, lamps, dolls, books and all kinds of other merch featuring every other Disney Princess as an individual, but not once have we found a Jasmine item.
Here's where this post is gunna get political, which I try to never do on my blog. But it's time because I really feel that Disney is giving Jasmine the shaft because of the post 9/11 climate we live in. And that makes me angry. Because what better time to have a positive Persian role-model than now because of 9/11 and an unfortunate growing intolerance for any person who may even slightly look to be from teh middle east?
This past month I was in the SLC airport and a beautiful woman wearing traditional clothing and a veiled head was working in a store. Ella and I went in to buy some Swedish fish. The man in front of me in line said to this woman, "I hope none of your people are on my flight!" as a parting sneer when his transaction was finished. I was so shocked I couldn't say a word for a minute and then he was gone...slinking towards his gate.
This offended my so deeply that I felt physically ill. As I stood there, paying for our treats, I pointed out to Ella how beautiful the woman's veil was and made sure Ella said thank you and then I said thank you and told her to have a great day. But can she have a great day when there are terrible and ignorant people like that man in her world? I hope our extra kindness made her feel a little bit better.
How can we expect our children to not feel fear of the unknown? It is a human reaction to do so and so I say to Disney...put Jasmine back on the shelves! And I encourage every Mommy reading this to buy an ethnic barbie or doll for their child the next time you are purchasing one. I will do the same. I haven't thus far because it is so difficult to find them in my area, but it's so important to show these manufacturers what will sell if they will make it. I am determined to do better and to teach my children that all of God's children are equal. I plan to write Disney a letter and tell them how I feel. It may not make a difference, but at least I let them know.
4 comments:
Bravo for you and hopefully next time you will tell off the person in line (politely of course...something could even be said to your daughter like "remember when I was explaining to you what a bigot was?"...)
I appreciate that there are moms like you out in the world...I don't meet as many as I would like!
While I'll agree that the guy in the cashier line is an idiot, I don't think you can paint Disney with the same brush.
Disney's predominant audience, especially with regard to its toys and television programming, is obviously white middle class. Honestly, how many urban black or hispanic kids do you think watch Lizzie McGuire or Even Stevens? Jasmine, I would wager, simply isn't nearly as popular among this audience as the other princesses. Especially when the whole "Princess" line of toys and merchandise is aimed at little kids, as opposed to the teenagers who, for some reason, were enamored with High School Musical.
I don't think Disney has an obligation to push toys of character's representing a particular ethnicity to just to be politically correct. Nor should Mattel fill obligated to lose money on ethnic Barbie dolls just so moms can assuage their liberal guilt by having their kid play with an African American doll.
All that aside, I'd hardly consider Jasmine, with her revealing (bordering on downright slutty) to be a good example to build up tolerance of Islamic/Middle Eastern cultures. Frankly, I think most Muslims/Middle Easterner's, including the cashier you mentioned in your post, would agree with me. Don't see a whole lot Persian women dressed like that these days...just sayin'.
I hear you loud and clear Bryan. You love Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens and you have spent way to much time admiring jasmine's middriff.
I do wish I'd see more of Jasmine (and Ariel for that matter)! Jasmine is my niece May's favorite too, and I hate that I can't find much for her. :( And as a former Disney cast member (don't hate me), I sure hope that's not what's on Disney's mind. :)
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