Astral: (Theosophy) Consisting of, belonging to, or designating, a kind of supersensible substance alleged to be next above the tangible world in refinement; as, astral spirits; astral bodies of persons; astral current.
Formal Season Greetings
Many of us have grown up in the “Disney generation” of stories of the princess who lives happily ever after in some splendid castle. Often this is preceded by some trials and tribulations which really didn’t seem so necessary. How nice it would be to just skip over the trials and tribulations and jump to begin a life in the castle episode, even though that’s usually the end of the Disney tale! Of course, the prince usually has had a good life, albeit a bit incomplete, up to that point, but we can imagine that things later only get better for him as well.
Disney’s stories do have roots from the cultural tales of the past, but even back then, people were concerned about recognizing the line between reality and fantasy. According to essayist Deborah Ross, many of the fairy tales and romance stories were created with a “didactic” tone, guiding young women into understanding the value of proper roles and attitudes in the social milieu.
Ross notes, “Samuel Johnson was greatly concerned about the effects of fiction on ‘the young, the ignorant, and the idle’" and critics worried that the readers [in the 1700s] would look to some of these stories not only as entertainment but also as a source for moral and social guidance. Ross also touches upon the writings of Charlotte Lennox’s 1759 novel, The Female Quixote, whose protagonist challenged some of the social norms of the day before finally dismissing her fantasies and settling down to the traditional feminine roles (“Escape From Wonderland: Disney and the Female Imagination”). Other sources have noted that such writings inspired later writers, such as Jane Austen, to critically explore the aspects of the feminine role in a patriarchal society.
Ross concludes by noting that the Disney versions omit the stage of the female princess protagonist’s objections or other really revolutionary questioning of the social systems.
Of course, these days, our young females seem to have progressed beyond the romantic yearnings for that princess in the castle lifestyle that Barbie has also helped enforce.
We may think so, but those Disney girls, now mothers with their own daughters, and the media may still be playing that same old tune, reinforced in the educational system with the hopes of skipping over that trials and tribulation segment, in spite of any teenage angst in catching the wry.
Perhaps nothing reveals this as much as a trip to the local high school gripped in the frenzy of “Prom Season” as covered in a recent ABC news report. Here's a link to the news spot; unfortunately, you have to sit through the 30 second commercial at the start (Note that no fathers or potential Prince Charmings were harmed during the presentation):
So much for the impact of “reality” television! With a royal wedding coming up as well, all I can say is,
Roll me in Elsie’s glue, cover me with glitter, and point me toward the princess!
Walter Lowe
Astral Facts is a monthly presentation of Humanities Science, produced in the bowels of the Humanities Science offices.
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