Brits get The Royal Wedding: We have a princess problem

By Katie Culver

Given the frenzy surrounding The Royal Wedding and future Princess Kate Middleton-Windsor (we feminists can only hope for the hyphenated name), it seems prudent to consider the implications of “princess mania.”

To mothers of 4-year-old girls (I am one of those), the term needs no explanation. To those needing a definition, it describes the overwhelming popularity of princess culture that bombarded our nation long before the Royal Engagement.

Now, I have thus far resisted, refusing to buy princess gear (as if it’s a sport!) or let my daughter watch Disney princess movies (am I so cruel?).

So while the airwaves will be filled with Brits parsing The Royal Wedding, I offer an alternative go-to source: Peggy Orenstein’s recent book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter. In it, she explains our society’s problematic obsession with princesses, particularly those with Disney lineage. She substantiates my hesitance to soak my daughter in “girly-girl culture.”

What did I learn from Orenstein that will get me through all the princess talk?