Radio interview - do little girls still want fairytale weddings...

[carriemumsnet]

Apparently Barbie sales in Ireland soared after Jordan's "fairytale" (!?) wedding and I have to discuss for 5 mins if little girls dream of having weddings like that.

Anyone any pithy thoughts before 2.15pm?

Thanks

No insights but you have just inflicted a life-threatening choke on latte with this piece of news. Honestly the stuff you have to do Carrie

Well, my 4 year old dreams of a fairytale wedding, and I have to say that she thought the pictures of Jordan's wedding were lovely because there was so much pink (which, as every 4 year old girl knows, is the only colour in the universe).

Despite my best efforts she loves stories about princes rescuing princesses, having magical weddings, and living happily ever after. We often stand waiting for a bus outside a wedding dress shop, and she practically salivates over all of the fluffy meringues in the window. I don't know where this has come from ... I think it must be programmed in!

I'm not sure I see it as unhealthy in little girls - at 4 my dd looks for the magic in everything, and I think she should. She's got plenty of time to be old and cynical, I think it's nice that they can believe in magic and happy-ever-after for at least a little while.

Batters, I don't know about anyone else's little girl but mine saw the pictures in my MIL's copy of Hello (or whatever it was) magazine - she doesn't have a clue who Jordan is, she just loved the masses of frothy wedding dress and all the pink!

My DD is only 2, so not really got a view yet, but in my mind, I hope that we never reach a stage where little girls don't dream of fairytale weddings, or where they don't want magical stories etc. Magic and innocence lasts for a far too short period of time, the longer it stays there the better.

I think that was why Jordan's wedding made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Yes, it was OTT, but it was clearly her dream. It was a child's dream of a wedding for a woman who may be an adult, but isn't necessarily a grown up. I felt so happy for her that she still had enough innocence inside her to want to make that dream a reality.

That didn't really answer your question though

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My dds have no idea who jordan is or that she got married and they arent into pink or wedding or anything girly, so a No from them then!

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My 18yo dd had all her wedding planned out by the time she was eight, including fireworks!!! She said that the only thing left to do was choose the groom but if possible, she'd rather get married without a horrible boy getting invloved in the proceedings. She's not so keen on the idea of getting hitched now that's she's 18. 9yo dd2 is more interested in being a bridesmaid than a bride. She's already had the honour of 'bridesmaiding' twice and thinks it's more fun.

More seriously, though, it sometimes seems to me that in the years since women really started to challenge male dominance in society there has also been an increasing trend towards the ultra-femininity of all this girlie, pink, fluffy stuff.

You couldn't buy all the glitz, glamour and sparkle of places like Claire's Accesories when my boys were small, let alone when I was a child! Is this glamour a reaction to the modern male/female struggle or is it a result of women nowadays having more money and being able to please themselves?

well I had mine planned out by 11 and said i'd marry a man from X, of my origional plans I did marry a man for X, and got married in the castle I wanted with two white shire horses but that was it really.

thing with big weddings is the cost.

My DH didn't like my fairytale wedding

fb - I was v v lucky and spoilt in that fact - DH only wanted to decide the wedding list and the wedding cars that was it - and the men's suits (I picked them and bullied him into them! lol) he did get to see everyhting but I was like it's this or x.

(he did draw the line a the fairy cake design I wanted for the wedidng cake) - tbh it looked to nice to eat anyways.

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Carrie, my intelligent 8 year old daughter says

"I'm going to marry a Prince and on my wedding day I will wear a Princess dress and have a carriage pulled by horses, and a cake with 6 layers"

This scenario has remained constant for 5 years, despite the fact that her father and I got married in a registry office (second time for both of us), no meringue dress and the car was our own Volvo (and she was 15 months old at the time)

Maybe that's why, its a reaction! I do believe that her Barbies have a lot to do with this fantasy.