More Trouble with the Disney Princess Enterprise

The group of ten (now eleven) Disney Princesses are some of the most influential characters in the lives of American girls. Many young girls dream of being a princess so it is no surprise that they learn from these "role models". Disney has been criticized for many things including the race of a princess, as I wrote about in my blogpost Disney Princesses and Diversity, and is now being scrutinized for the gender stereotypes that they are enforcing. This is not a new criticism because the messages of some of the films have always had some backlash. In almost every film, beauty and finding true love are the emphasis but Disney expects the audience to reach beneath the surface and grasp the genuine morals that surround these themes. But, there is no way to escape the reality that beauty is praised in our society.

This summer Pixar, in conjunction with Disney, released Brave that told the story of a yet another princess. Instead, this film was about a Scottish princess named Merida who wanted to go against the princess "norms". Overall, the movie was a success. A few weeks ago, Disney announced that they wanted to include Merida as an official Disney Princesses. I read an article that detailed the makeover she had in order to make her an "official" addition to the Disney group. In the redesign, Disney "tamed her unruly hair, expanded her breasts, shrank her waist, enlarged her eyes, plastered on makeup, pulled her (now glittering) dress off her shoulders, and morphed her defiant posture into a come-hither pose". I also find it interesting that in the Disney redesign, she is not carrying a bow and arrow that could be interpreted as her personal symbol of power.

All of the princess, in some shape or form, have been made over for the Disney Princess website. In this case, critics worry that the redesign is going against the message of the movie and does not accurately represent the attitude that the main character would posses. In an initial review of the film in the Chicago Tribune, a movie critic wrote that, "[Brave] is at heart a story of a daughter and a mother learning to cut through society's expectations".This important message of "cutting through society's expectations" is applauded in one sense but held back by Disney when they plan to remake Merida to fit the norms of a young woman in society. Young girls are turning to the princesses as role models and can be influenced by the way that they look. I think that Disney should not try to alter the appearance of this princess. In fact, they have put out a statement saying that this image will only be used for the princess's "coronation" into the group of current princesses. It is hard to believe this is true considering that their website contains the redesigned images as official ones of the other ten princesses.
Why do you believe that Disney is redesigning this princess to look a certain way? Why can't the morals of a story speak for themselves?

Too Fat to Ride in NY?

In a blog post that I wrote in October called Junk Food in NY Hospitals?, I discussed Mayor Bloomberg of New York City and his goal to ban unhealthy foods in hospitals. As Mayor, he has focused a lot on improving health of citizens including banning soda. One of his newer initiatives is instituting a bike-share program throughout the city that would allow anyone to rent a bike. This seems like a great idea to not only keep people in shape but also does not harm the environment. Overall, I have no problems with this program except for the weight restriction.

I read an article that described the criticism that Bloomberg is receiving for the restrictions on the program. He says that anyone over 260 lb is not allowed to rent a bike. It is strange that he would implement this kind of rule if his main goal is to make the population healthier. To me, it is great that someone who is overweight wants to get healthier by riding a bike. This program is not embracing these types of people and would only be catering to those  that are already more in shape. The restriction would be understandable if it were for safety reasons but according to the article, "several bike-shop owners agreed that the weight limit was bogus". But, safety is the upmost priority within a program that is as widespread as this one so I can understand where the Mayor is coming from. I still think that anyone who want to ride a bike should be allowed to do so and that the program should adapt to people of different sizes.

 Some Americans are known to have obesity problems and politicians are striving to make changes in our society to lessen the reach of the epidemic. As I have mentioned before, Mayor Bloomberg is a prime example of a politician who is doing just this. He is so motivated and willing to make changes but needs to rethink aspects of this program in particular. How can he expect Americans to change if their own motivations are not considered?

Prom in Black and White

During this time of the year, many high school students across the nation are preparing for Prom. For many, this night will be a memorable time to share with friends. But, what if you couldn't spend prom together with all of your friends? I read an article that talked about a rural county in Georgia where a high school has two separate proms: one for White students and the other for African-American students. To give you an idea of how serious this separation is, one student remarked that,"if you're an African-American and you show up to the white prom, you'll probably get asked to leave". In this day in age, it is almost impossible to imagine any place, especially a school, continuing to segregate students. The article explained that since the prom is private and is not a school event, it is organized by the parents and students and held off campus. Therefore, two separate proms are allowed to be held without any lawsuits toward the school. What I found interesting is that many of the students are now in favor of holding one prom that would be integrated but the only thing holding them back are their parents. The parents are more interested in maintaining the tradition than moving into the 21st century. But, this year they will be holding their first integrated prom.

I could not wrap my mind around the idea that there was segregation still apparent in the United States to this extent. I find the conflict between the tradition and modernity very interesting in this case. The parents want things to be the way that they used to be while their kids would rather move foreword. This story became a national focus because the students created a Facebook page so that they could raise money and awareness for an integrated prom. This shows the dedication that these kids had to create change, and they were successful.

Afraid of Death? Tylenol May Help

As I have been working on my Junior Theme, I have been thinking a lot about the American mentality of popping a pill to fix any and every problem. For my Junior Theme, I am researching the increase in antidepressant usage in the United States. I recently found an article that describes new research that suggests that a component of the household medication, Tylenol, may help ease some peoples anxiety about death. The researchers believe that Tylenol, a pain reliever, can also be used to relieve psychological pain rather than just physical. They found that, "these anxieties may be processed as "pain" by the brain". Since Tylenol is proven to work as a physical pain reliever, they found that it can successful in reducing "pain" that the brain interprets from anxieties about death.

To me, this is just another representation of how Americans want to find a cure for nearly every problem in life. Consumers would find it appealing knowing that a cure is right within their reach, probably at easy access in their medicine cabinets at that very moment. This new finding worries me because it makes me think about what other psychological problems, even some that seem not very severe like this one, can be fixed with simple medications. Furthermore, this begs the question about our society and the values that we posses. Is a "quick fix"really the solution to every medical problem?

Mental Illness Affects More Than You Would Think

For my Junior Theme, I am researching the rise of prescriptions of antidepressants. I have identified a few key factors to support my thesis but I was completely unaware of this new statistic. I read an article that talked about the estimate that fifty percent of the American population will suffer from a mental illness sometime in their lifetime. I did not realize that it could really be this high. According to the fifth edition of the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, or better known as the bible for psychiatrists that is published by the American Psychiatric Association, the rate will truly be this high. I have found through my research that there is a lot of stigma surrounding mental illness. This could be reason why I was surprised that half of the population will have one; because it is not generally a topic that arrises in casual conversation. One reason for the rise could be that the DSM is always adding new diseases to every edition so it is easier for doctors to classify more characteristics as mental illness than before. Also, doctors have become better at detecting these mental illnesses because of newer technology.

I think that American society needs to somehow lessen the stigma that surrounds mental disorders. If this statistic really is true, then it is more than likely that you or someone that you love will have a mental illness. People will need support and it will be more difficult to receive it if there is not a change in understanding within our society.

Profiting from Injury?

If you have been keeping up with the NCAA Tournament, you are probably aware of the horrific injury that happened to Univeristy of Louisville's player, Kevin Ware. It has become a topic of discussion for many of my peers because of the grotesque nature of the injury. I found an article that talked about a campaign by Adidas and Louisville in which they are making T-shirts with the slogan "Ri5e To The Occasion"(the number 5 signifies the number on Ware's jersey). At first glance, this seems like a great tactic to raise money for Ware and the expensive medical fees that he will have to pay. To my surprise, as I read further in the article, I found out that none of the profits from the T-shirts go to Ware. I think that this is absolutely ridicuolous that they would not give any of the money to the person that actually deserves it.The rationale for this is that, "college athletes are prohibited from receiving money for their efforts" and profits from a T-shirt would be no exception from this rule. This means that the NCAA, Adidas and his university are profiting from his injury.The shirt was created as a respectful tribute that fans could engage in but it does not seem right that the corporation is making money from the misfortune of someone.

This instance is an prime example of the marketing that plays a major role in our society. Many people would have the same initial reaction that I did and purchase the T-shirt to help (financially) support Kevin Ware. But, they are unknowingly giving all of their money to Adidas and the university. I think this also speaks to the control that large institutions such as universities and companies possess.They have strong reputations and are able to boost their public appearance if they "support" a cause such as this one. Do you think that the actions of Adidas and the university are ethical?

Protesting for Persepolis

Over the weekend, I picked up the Chicago Tribune (a rarity considering I usually access news online) and on the front page a found an article about some Chicago Public Schools banning a book. The book that they are banning is called "Persepolis". It is a graphic novel that details what it was like for a woman to grow up during the Iranian Revolution. The book is usually read in the seventh grade. It is a terrible thing that the school wants to ban a book but what is even more intriguing is how the students are reacting. After hearing the news that the school was planning on banning a book that was a vital part of their middle school years, students began to vent on social media sites. Furthermore, they checked out all of the copies of this book in the library in order to "preserve" the book.

The students organized a protest on Friday afternoon to show their frustration with the district officials who are planning on banning Persepolis. Something interesting in the article was the detail that "many of the student's signs were made from old posters used by teachers during their strike last year".  (Chicago Tribune). To me this is very symbolic of the will in everyone to stand up for what they believe in, both teacher and student alike. The students were taking direct action, which is something I feel is very rare for this generation. In response to the protest, a Social Studies teacher at the school said,"I tell my students all the time, this is what education is all about. You don't learn just so you can take a test. You learn so you can change the world. They are actually doing that now". This teacher is highlighting important values in American education that often get lost in the weekly tasks that students have to accomplish. In the moment, students feel like their main goal is to ace the test and sometimes that is what teachers are best prepared to teach. But the true enlightening lessons stem from experiences that can impact the world. The students are not only learning how to speak up for what they believe in but making an impact through their leadership.