Pantomimes

[TossedSaladsAndScrambledEggs]

I really want to take dd (nearly 3) to a panto this year, but I have just realised they are all so sexist! Even the cbeebies one from last year involves offering up the king's daughter as a prize. How do you reconcile keeping these traditional stories going for the entertainment of children, with your feminist ideals?

I make sure that the DC have access to a huge variety of stories (whether in books, recitations, plays, musicals, telly or films) and encouraged them from an early age to talk about them.

You can sermonise gently, or have them to consider the scenarios from other povs.

I don't worry about it. It's a pantomime, it's supposed to be ridiculous. They also go around bonking each other on the head with large items, which is not something I want my child to copy! It's a bit of fun, and they know it isn't real life.

Yes I suppose you're right. When I was growing up I read fairy stories and even Enid Blyton with the understanding that they were tales if a bygone age and not really that comparable to modern life as I knew it! You would have thought cbeebies could "modernise" their panto enough to not involve offering nina (of the neurones)'s "hand in marriage" as a prize though!

I do try and avoid dd's access to as much "Disney princess" tat as possible though, but growing up I did enjoy the original versions of those older fairy tales.

I'd use it as a chance to say how silly it is, while also enjoying it.

You enjoy the show and as the DDs get older you talk about the stereotypes and how the story might be written differently today.

Often the leads are very sexist, but often the supporting females are much stronger characters and the kings rather wet.

Even in the Disney sleeping beauty, Arora and the prince choose to marry each other. Aerial tells Neptune to get stuffed, the girls aren't total push overs.

The prince is normally played by a woman.
What's not to like.

The women were tough in the one we watched this year.