mad about pink

Cinderella Ate My Daughter -Dispatches from the front lines of the new girlie-girl culture written by Peggy Orenstein

Peggy Orenstein writes . What first interested me in this book was the story I heard on NPR about the new book. Then recently I went to the library and it was right there on the shelf. Hey I’ve heard about that book, I thought as I grabbed it and added it to be too big stack of books. I really love going to the library but have the tendency to check out more than I can actually read in the little free time I have.

All in all I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the author’s style and the balance sge provided between light hearted humor and solid research was just right to keep me turning the pages. This book looks at changes that have occurred across generations and explains that a lot of these changes are being driven by the marketing departments of some big name corporations.

The author doesn’t hold back her personal life either, which I appreciate. She highlights numerous stories from her family and shares with the reader her own struggles and uncertainties in raising her daughter. She points out a number of interesting ideas that challenge you to think about gender conformity and how you, as a parent, will navigate raising your own children.

In the chapter titled “What Makes Girls Girls?” Peggy discusses several research studies where primates were given a selection of toys which were stereotypically masculine, neutral, or feminine. In both studies the male primates gravitated to the neutral and masculine toys whereas the females wanted to play with the neutral and feminine toys.  She writes, “I began to think that the toy makers might be right in gender coding their wares. This was not just business, it was not just marketers’ manipulation. I mean if boys will be boys and girls will be girls—even among monkeys, for heaven’s sake—there is no point in further discussion, is there?”

After reading this book I must admit I am glad I have a son. For the time being anyway I can just not worry about this. That’s not to say I won’t be facing my own set of concerns—guns or no guns, should my boy play with dolls, or what if he wants to take dance lessons? However some of the areas this book covers lead to questions that I think might have bigger implications. I encourage you to grab this book if you see it, if for no other reason it is an enjoyable read.
If you are now interested in learning more about this book, please check out the book's website here.