Why would you want to be a princess?
I watched a few movies recently and some Instagram feed of different people and noticed that this idea of „being a princess” is still alive. And my question is: what the hell?
In the world where you can be anyone, would you choose to be a princess? We might have 2019 (more than a halfway through), but I can see that not many things have changed actually. Why a modern girl/woman would want to be a princess? You would want to wear a hideous puffy dress, do nothing, and have a knight on a white horse to save you? Are you crazy?
Being a princess is the last thing I would choose. And the first reason for that would be – I want to use my brain, and I don’t want to have a relationship based on being saved. If you think you need to be saved by a knight, you do have a problem. And good luck in that relationship!
I remember being a child and wanting to be a princess because this what TV (and Matel company with all their dolls) was telling me to be. But I also remember that I wanted to be like Donatello (from Turtles Ninja.) I don’t believe it is a natural girl desire to be the princess; it’s something that society injects into their consciousness from a very young age.
If it wasn’t for a Cindarella story and similar fairy tales, how would I know that I want to be a princess? They tell you that she is the most beautiful (as being attractive is an accomplishment) and has hundreds of dresses to wear (who needs that many dresses?!) and make you feel that this is the only right thing to be/have.
I know what you say: „This is what little girls [and those around 30, too] want.” No, they don’t; the media and then some parents tell them that this is what they want to be. If there were movies about brave girls who save the world and sometimes save the knight, too, we would want to be them. You’re a result of what is being told to you and put into your brain. There are things repeated to you over and over again for years, and be careful about that. You believed in it, and say it as your truth (and it goes for all areas of your life.)
Why no one says: Be like Malala? Or Mother Theresa? Or like Wonder Woman? Or like Aria? Or like Khalesi (before she burnt the city down)? Why no one says: Be different? Be a leader, change the world, and make it a better place? Why no one says: Please, don’t be a princess; do something with your life?
I recently rewatched Star Wars and discovered that I want to be like Yoda (only prettier.) Not like Leila (who is one of a few acceptable princess), but Yoda. I want to go deeper into my mind, let my conscious self go and understand that there is more in this world out there than they teach you. I want to expand my wisdom and my capability to help more people. It fascinates me, and I can’t wait to discover what’s more out there!
I don’t want you to be like Yoda, or even wanting to be like him, but I encourage you to start asking: Why? (or: What the hell?) And please, if you are a parent, don’t inject „the princess idea” into your child. There are enough princesses out there (if you don’t believe me, check Instagram), but there are not enough women who want to do something more with their lives than the society requires from them.
We should teach girls and women that they could be anyone, and convince them that choosing a princess lifestyle is a perfect way to fuck your life up.