Disney Princesses Pose as Cover Girls

Get over it Liz. There are more things to worry about than your daughter saying she is fat because a Disney "character" is on a cover of a magazine. Sounds like you're a huge drama queen.

OMG people........LIGHTEN UP! First of all the "sarcasm and satire" is not written for the little ones. It's to keep the adult audience interested. You are looking into this way too deep! Do you think your kids are really thinking about how there legs look? Of course not.....they only know that Ariel dreams about having legs. Your reading into it like an adult would and thats exactly what Disney wants. So stop woryying about your little ones.....They know whats going on with their princeses and I guarantee they are NOT reading too much into it! When kids start thin king like adults do, maybe then it's time to worry! geez

Hoepfully most children have parents that take the time to teach them the truth and not allow them to be influenced by such trivial things as these. And while it is okay to love these fictional characters they are not real.
As for disney's targeted audience being to young to understand the parody. Well it could be the target audience was not six year olds but perhaps the older of us disney princess fans. And to that audience the disney cover girls are adorable.
However one chooses to approach the subject the fact remains that the most influential character of a childs life is unquestioningly their parents. Even the most lovable fictional character could never overshadow the adoration a child has for them. If anyone has the power to thwart such negative things in a childs life and set them on the right path it is most definately the parents.
The outside influences will always remain whether they are a lovable animated princess or even the next top model. And they will remain regardless of whether one sheilds their child or not. Keeping a child grounded so that they are not swayed by such influences that is true parenting.

I have always thought and called my 4 year old a princess. Her favorite Princess is Cinderella and recently she feels that she has to look like her. It kinda scares me because what lengths will she go to in the future to reach what she thinks is perfect. Even thought i think shes perfect in everyway now.

Amazing how fast society is to judge such a small thing did anyone ever consider positiver reinforcement into the equasion. At least thats what i see. Dont forget that over 60 percent of U.S. citizens are overweight, or worse, obeist.

Take into consideration that Walt Disney's target audience was not that of six year olds but consisted of us older princess fans. And while it may seem as thought it might be promoting a negative self image. It is stated plainly in the article that it is a parody and in that sense is poking fun at the negative adds that do exist which takes the seriousness out of the idea completely.

While little girls across the country and world for that matter love, adore and in fact look up to these fictional beauties not one of the characters could hold even a tenth as much influence to a child as that of their own parents. And in this sense instead of putting the focus on any outside influence that exists (and will continue to exist despite our personal opinions of them), it is a parents job and obligation to raise their children to be healthy and grounded individuals who will not be swayed by such negative influences.

Children watch their parents more then cartoons, and look to their parents to learn proper behaviors, positive body image and self esteem.
A real fashion magazine targets adults. Influencing them to long to be beautiful, to go on diets, to want to be something that they are not and to morph themselves into the public's perception of beauty. It is adult women who look at these things and long to be better then they are while their daughters sit back and take it all in. How many little girls watch their mommies go on diets or look at themselves in the mirror in disgust of tummy fat. And then their mommies wonder where they get it from.
It is normal for a child to want to look like or dress like a disney princess, (what little girl didn't ever dream of being a princess), that's play, that's make believe. It is the parents job to teach a child that she doesn't need to be a princess or look like anyone else besides herself to be beautiful. It is our job to influence our children more postively then anything in the public ever could or ever will. It is our responsibility to put forth a positive self image of ourselves in order to raise self confident daughters.

Marie: Just like your first sentence says, Disney's target audience WAS and CONSISTED (past tense) of older princess fans. Their target now is anyone who's interested and wants to (or wants their parents to) spend the money. And I agree with every single statement you made. I am glad there are people out there with common sense.

Marie: I agree with every single statement you made. I am glad there are people out there with common sense.

The point is not to shield your kids from every negative influence in the world that is humanly impossible. The point is to raise them to be better then that to rise above that. The negative influences are constant and are everywhere. There is nothing a parent can do about that. If not from magazines then from tv if not from tv then from the internet and if not from the internet then friends at school, there is no way around exposure. Sorry real life doesn't work that way. The point is to raise them to be self confidant and proud of who they are and unwilling to compromise themselves to be popular or pretty, or even socially acceptable. The point is to raise them to love them selves and want to be who they are and not some model in a magazine that hardly looks human. The point is that it doesnt matter what magazines say or what any doll looks like or what image any company projects.The point is that all these stupid and petty things that some parents like to blame things on should hold no significance to raising a child. And if a child is raised right they will never hold significance at all. No question young children's minds are maleable, but just as easily as they can take in something negative their parents can just as easily turn it around and put them on the right path. Disney ,bratz even barbie are not to blame. If a mother doesnt want them to feel negative about themselves then she needs to stop feeling negative about herself. No doubt if a little girl is asking if her hips are to big or if her tummy is to fat then chances are her mother does that herself at home. Fathers are no acception. If a father tells his wife how fat and unappealing she is that's just as bad. Children want to be accepted by their parents.

I never heard my neighbor put her kids down. She was always proud of their accomplishments.

But the constant reminders of the magazines and chat between her mom & adult friends put those thoughts into her head.

I don't think at 5 she really had a negative image but the constant belly stuff had her pretending to be an adult. Those concepts will stay with her from grade to grade. And they'll grow into larger thing. From wearing lipgloss to lipstick before jr. high even.

I really despise bratz concept. Small girl children wearing to much make up and revealing clothes. WTH is that about?