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AIBU?

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Original poster

to think princess school sounds grim and sexist?

99 replies

Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 21:10

I have no wish to slag off a decent local attraction which we regularly enjoy visiting. But I sat genuinely open-mouthed reading this description of a summer holiday activity -

Knight & Princess School

"Join (name of attraction deleted) Knight and Princess School. Brave knights can dress up in chainmail and helmets in the Armour Zone and try out their combat skills in a foam sword battle (suitable for ages 2 to 10).

Sword fighting lessons using wooden training swords and real Medieval techniques will be available plus an interactive Mini Warrior Battle Show for the whole family which will reenact The Battle of Agincourt with the children cast as English archers.

The Princess Show will teach the etiquette needed to meet a Prince, with the opportunity to try on beautiful dresses and learn a Medieval courtly dance."

And that's it. That's all they will be doing in the princess school. Now obviously the argument will go that people should just take girls to the knight school. But why do they even bother having a princess school? Or make it GOOD - Or at least they should have an equivalently dull prince school - learn a dance and try on shitty prince clothes.

Am I losing it or is this bloody awful?

OP posts:
Lj8893 · 12/08/2013 21:19

Some girls will love princess school.

I completely understand what you are saying, and there will be many children who will much prefer the knight school.

But there will be many girls (and boys) who wouldn't be interested in sword fighting and will love the trying on dresses and learning a dance.

When I was a little girl there is no way I would have wanted to sword fight!!! But would have loved all the princess activities.

BrokenSunglasses · 12/08/2013 21:19

I think it sounds great. Dressing up and dancing will appeal to lots of children.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 12/08/2013 21:21

Yanbu. It is hideously sexist. Why not just have something unisex?

thebody · 12/08/2013 21:21

well it's like anything else isn't it? up to kids what they want to do. some will love it and some not.

can't see the problem really. sounds a bit naff though agree.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 12/08/2013 21:23

Does it say that girls can't be knights or boys can't be princesses?

mrsjay · 12/08/2013 21:23

sounds awful but some girls would love to be a princess though so YANBU but some girls love all that kind of thing

Lj8893 · 12/08/2013 21:24

As long as either gender can take part in either activity, then I don't see how its sexist really.

thebody · 12/08/2013 21:25

well it's like anything else isn't it? up to kids what they want to do. some will love it and some not.

can't see the problem really. sounds a bit naff though agree.

Saffyz · 12/08/2013 21:26

YANBU. Better to have an activity session for both boys and girls in three sections - dressing up, a dance and a bit of etiquette, and sword fighting.

Sirzy · 12/08/2013 21:27

Doesn't say "girls have to go to princess school" so I don't see how it can be deemed sexist really.

Some girls would want to do knight school, some boys would want to do princess school. The only issue would come if they tried to stop that.

Original poster
Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 21:27

Well, boys could dress up as princesses if they wanted to they I can't bloody see why anyone would want to.

It's the 'etiquette needed to meet a prince' and the need to be pretty and all the other bullshit that really gets to me.

OP posts:
Saffyz · 12/08/2013 21:28

Doesn't say "girls have to go to princess school" so I don't see how it can be deemed sexist really.

Princesses are female, so a non-sexist version would be "Prince and princess school".

Goldmandra · 12/08/2013 21:28

My DD2 would die rather than do the princess stuff but she'd love to do the knight activities.

As long as they let them do that I think it's OK.

Original poster
Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 21:29

Activity session is good idea. Outfits for either gender available. Fighting and dancing available. No meet a prince nonsense.

OP posts:
phantomnamechanger · 12/08/2013 21:29

in DS's memories book from nursery we have a gorgeous photo of him in a pink princess dress with big pointy hat and feather boa!

he just loved dressing up

my girls would have liked the princess school but I would have given them the choice over which activity to do

(for a minute I thought this would be about American pageants or something, glad it isn't but they probably do have princess schools for training them!)

McNewPants2013 · 12/08/2013 21:30

It don't specify what gender, my daughter would live doing both and my son only the knight bit.

Original poster
Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 21:33

It doesn't specify what gender - but princesses IRL are female - and the stuff planned for the pretend princesses is dull. Compared to the knights stuff (historically male) which sounds GOOD.

OP posts:
Growlithe · 12/08/2013 21:33

I'd rather they were encouraged to dance than to sword fight TBH.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 12/08/2013 21:35

It's sexist because princesses are girls, so it implies that it is for girls. It's hideously sexist because it assumes that what 'princesses' (ie girls) are interested in is meeting a Prince.

AMumInScotland · 12/08/2013 21:38

The problem though is surely the implication that all princesses (and therefore all medieval women) did was to look pretty and try to get a husband. Which is a load of bollox. The girls ought to be getting taught how to run a business, brew beer, , get involved in politics, and everything else a medieval woman might have had to turn her hand to.

Original poster
Noteveryday · 12/08/2013 21:39

Then encourage both to learn the dance? Yes Remus the Prince bit particularly grates. I would say I blame KM but I'll get flamed so I'll blame WW instead Wink

OP posts:
mrsjay · 12/08/2013 21:43

bet who ever thought up the knights and princesses thing was taken by the tudors and the white queen Grin

fancyanother · 12/08/2013 21:45

As an aside- this is the conversation I was involved in at Warwick castle
Me: What happens at Princess Tower?
Woman giving out tickets: 'trying on tiaras, frilly dresses, choosing a dress for the Royal Wedding. It's very girly!'
Me to DS: 'This sounds a bit girly DS, do you want to do it?
DS ''Yes please!"

I do think they could come up with more imaginative stuff for girls at medaeval(sp?) things but I have been to magic wizard and faery things where the boys activities have been an afterthought at best and the girls are making fairy crowns etc.
That does sound an incredibly boring activity though!

WorraLiberty · 12/08/2013 21:47

'Be a Princess for the day and learn how they bare knuckle fight in order to meet a Prince'.

Better?

Not very realistic though is it?

Growlithe · 12/08/2013 21:48

You know, reading it again, are you sure it's not one event, rather than an either or? It's saying the Battle of Agincourt reenactment is for the whole family, and says the etiquette thing is a 'Princess Show'.