Smurfette Principle Summary And Response
Nathan Herz
Kara Beary
English 105
24 September 2014
Cinderella Makes Them Good Girls Go Bad
When I was a young boy, I loved all the Disney movies. Whether it was Woody and Buzz going on a rescue adventure in Toy Story, or the Seven Dwarfs in Snow White; I thought they were great. As I’ve grown, I have noticed a trend in girl’s attitudes. The attitude most girls have who have watched the so called, Disney princess movies, lies somewhere between self-centered and bratty. In the short story “Smurfette Principle,” by Katha Pollitt, she covers the idea that in entertainment, girls only exist in relation to a group of boys (545). I think she slightly overlooks entertainment’s influence on girls. So even though Pollitt gives reasonable examples of sexism in entertainment, she falls short to explore an important factor; which is, princess movies can have a negative lasting effect on young girls’ behavior.
Author and Poet Katha Pollitt, explains her theory of sexism in entertainment. She addresses this controversy with a personal observation. While watching one of her daughter’s movies she wrote the “Smurfette Principle” (Pollitt, 545). Her concept comes right from the title, Smurfette; a blue young female Smurf surrounded by plenty of boy Smurfs (545). She goes into detail on how these Smurfettes in movies act and how they look. Pollitt points out that “the female is usually a little sister type,” as she is always helpless and beautiful (545). The short story concludes with Pollitt explaining how we, as a society, need to move away from this trend. Pollitt says, “We’ve got our work cut out for us,” (547). Both Pollitt and I can agree that entertainment can impact people’s way of thinking (546). Pollitt observes a general trend of boys playing the lead role, but declines to fully endorse the idea that in a princess movie; the female plays the main character (545). Whenever I see a racing movie like Need for Speed or Fast Five it makes me feel like I can drive
Kara Beary
English 105
24 September 2014
Cinderella Makes Them Good Girls Go Bad
When I was a young boy, I loved all the Disney movies. Whether it was Woody and Buzz going on a rescue adventure in Toy Story, or the Seven Dwarfs in Snow White; I thought they were great. As I’ve grown, I have noticed a trend in girl’s attitudes. The attitude most girls have who have watched the so called, Disney princess movies, lies somewhere between self-centered and bratty. In the short story “Smurfette Principle,” by Katha Pollitt, she covers the idea that in entertainment, girls only exist in relation to a group of boys (545). I think she slightly overlooks entertainment’s influence on girls. So even though Pollitt gives reasonable examples of sexism in entertainment, she falls short to explore an important factor; which is, princess movies can have a negative lasting effect on young girls’ behavior.
Author and Poet Katha Pollitt, explains her theory of sexism in entertainment. She addresses this controversy with a personal observation. While watching one of her daughter’s movies she wrote the “Smurfette Principle” (Pollitt, 545). Her concept comes right from the title, Smurfette; a blue young female Smurf surrounded by plenty of boy Smurfs (545). She goes into detail on how these Smurfettes in movies act and how they look. Pollitt points out that “the female is usually a little sister type,” as she is always helpless and beautiful (545). The short story concludes with Pollitt explaining how we, as a society, need to move away from this trend. Pollitt says, “We’ve got our work cut out for us,” (547). Both Pollitt and I can agree that entertainment can impact people’s way of thinking (546). Pollitt observes a general trend of boys playing the lead role, but declines to fully endorse the idea that in a princess movie; the female plays the main character (545). Whenever I see a racing movie like Need for Speed or Fast Five it makes me feel like I can drive
Cited: Pollitt, Katha. “Smurfette Principle.” From Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader, 2nd Eds. Stuart Greene and April Lindinsky. Boston: Bedford- St. Martins, 2012. 544-47. Print.