My relationship with Disney movies and Barbies is very complicated. My childhood was full of pink, bright-colored dresses and truly believing I was a Disney princess. I never looked at things through a critical lens as a child I just took them at face value and went on with my day. But now, as an adult, I see the harmful stereotypes that exist within Disney movies and Barbie culture.
Reading Christensen’s “Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us” made me feel both validated and challenged. She explains how children's media shapes how young people perceive the world. She writes, “Children’s cartoons, movies, and literature are perhaps the most influential genre” and this is so true. Through stories and play, we internalize roles and ideologies we're expected to live by. If we fall outside of those roles, it’s seen as wrong or unacceptable. We are constantly comparing our lives to media.
I know we’ll discuss the Barbie movie in class, but while reading this article, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Barbie dolls have historically created a narrow and harmful image of what a woman should be. When girls don’t meet these unrealistic standards, the emotional and psychological impact can be heartbreaking. The worst part is, as children, we don’t even realize we’re internalizing these messages society places these expectations on us before we even understand what they mean.
Christensen uses the term “secret education” in the article, and I find that concept incredibly powerful. It’s as if society wants to indoctrinate us into specific norms but doesn’t want to be transparent about it. So instead, we’re bombarded with TV shows and movies where men are always the superheroes and women are damsels in distress. These stories frame marriage as the ultimate goal for women, instead of promoting the idea that women can find identity, strength, and fulfillment within themselves. Society teaches these lessons at such a young age, and they stick with us, often without our awareness.
Hold on to the "secret education" framework for when we watch Barbie. I am interested in how you make sense of the film which I would say is presented very differently than the Disney princess franchise.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I loved playing with Barbies as a kid, and as I got older I realized it definitely pushed a warped view of beauty onto me.
ReplyDeleteHi Maya,
ReplyDeleteI think your childhood experience reflects those of many people. I reacted very differently by rejecting everything conveyed as "girly." For a long time I hated pink, didn't watch any princess related movies, and refused to wear dresses. I think that this was another form of the same problem though. I either had to be "girly" or "tomboy," there was no room in between. As an adult, I realize that it's okay to like pink and like superheroes or to play princess and dress how feels best for me.
Maya- I'm with you, I never looked at the movies and cartoons I watched with a critical lens. I adopted all the ideals and took on these more traditional roles in my upbringing because thats what was pushed to women in the media. I didn't think too deep into it until I got older and stepped back and was like "wait a minute...this is off."
ReplyDeleteMaya, I love how you articulated this: "The worst part is, as children, we don’t even realize we’re internalizing these messages society places these expectations on us before we even understand what they mean."
ReplyDeleteI think this is the true danger and caution to teachers and parents.
Maya, this resonates with me and hits home. Growing up I was exposed to this idea that women needed a "man" in order to be happy. That's how every Disney movie ended. As a single mother for many years I want to say that I am the happiest now that I do not have a "man" in my life. My job now is to break this cycle and educate my daughters that they are the ones that define their worth.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this thoughtful and heartfelt reflection—your honesty really speaks volumes. The way you describe the contrast between your childhood joy and your adult critical lens is something so many of us can relate to. As kids, we embrace these magical worlds without realizing that they’re quietly shaping our beliefs about ourselves and others. And like you said, it’s only when we grow up, read pieces like Christensen’s, and start asking deeper questions that we begin to unpack the “secret education” we’ve received.
ReplyDeleteYou articulated the emotional weight of this so powerfully. It’s not just about dolls or movies—it’s about the deep, internalized feelings of not being enough if we don’t match those narrow ideals. Like you, I also felt validated by Christensen’s work. Her words gave language to things I’ve felt but never knew how to name—especially the part about how children’s media plants the seeds of roles we’re “supposed” to live out.
Your connection to the Barbie movie is really insightful too. It’s fascinating how something as iconic as Barbie has gone through such a transformation—from reinforcing impossible beauty standards to, more recently, trying to critique and reclaim them. Still, the damage from decades of unrealistic messaging lingers. That’s why discussions like this are so necessary. We have to hold space for both the nostalgia and the critique.
I also really appreciated what you said about how these stories frame marriage as the end goal for women. That’s such a deeply embedded idea, and it’s rarely questioned in children’s media. Imagine how empowering it would have been to grow up watching stories where women define themselves outside of romance—where strength, curiosity, and independence were celebrated just as much.
Thank you again for sharing this. Your reflection doesn’t just analyze the issue—it invites others to reflect on their own experiences too. You’re helping to unlearn and rewrite the myths that bind all of us.