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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Cinderella Ate my Daughter

I'm a sucker for books with awesome titles, like Cinderella Ate My Daughter, by Peggy Orenstein. But Orenstein is a really good writer. She lives in the East Bay, writes for the New York Times Magazine and O, the Oprah Magazine among other publications. An explanation of the book is below. Orenstein will be talking about her book at Kepler's Bookstore on Thursday, February 24th at 7 p.m.





"The acclaimed author of Schoolgirls reveals the dark side of pink and pretty: the rise of the girlie-girl, she warns, is not that innocent.

Pink and pretty or predatory and hardened, sexualized girlhood influences our daughters from infancy onward, telling them that how a girl looks matters more than who she is. Somewhere between the exhilarating rise of Girl Power in the 1990s and today, the pursuit of physical perfection has been recast as a source-the source-of female empowerment. And commercialization has spread the message faster and farther, reaching girls at ever-younger ages.

But, realistically, how many times can you say no when your daughter begs for a pint-size wedding gown or the latest Hannah Montana CD? And how dangerous is pink and pretty anyway - especially given girls' successes in the classroom and on the playing field? Being a princess is just make-believe, after all; eventually they grow out of it. Or do they? 

Peggy Orenstein found out that he stakes turn out to be higher than she-or we-ever imagined: nothing less than the health, development, and futures of our girls. From premature sexualization to the risk of depression to rising rates of narcissism, the potential negative impact of this new girlie-girl culture is undeniable-yet armed with awareness and recognition, parents can effectively counterbalance its influence in their daughters' lives.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter is a must-read for anyone who cares about girls, and for parents helping their daughters navigate the rocky road to adulthood."  

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