Cinderella Ate My Daughter

Peggy Orenstein, acclaimed author of the groundbreaking New York Times bestsellers Girls & Sex and Schoolgirls, offers a radical, timely wake-up call for parents, revealing the dark side of a pretty and pink culture confronting girls at every turn as they grow into adults. Sweet and sassy or predatory and hardened, sexualized girlhood influences our daughters from infancy onward, telling them that how a girl looks matters more than who she is. Somewhere between the exhilarating rise of Girl Power in the 1990s and today, the pursuit of physical perfection has been recast as the source of female empowerment. And commercialization has spread the message faster and farther, reaching girls at ever-younger ages. But how dangerous is pink and pretty, anyway? Being a princess is just make-believe; eventually they grow out of it . . . or do they? In search of answers, Peggy Orenstein visited Disneyland, trolled American Girl Place, and met parents of beauty-pageant preschoolers tricked out like Vegas showgirls. The stakes turn out to be higher than she ever imagined. From premature sexualization to the risk of depression to rising rates of narcissism, the potential negative impact of this new girlie-girl culture is undeniable—yet armed with awareness and recognition, parents can effectively counterbalance its influence in their daughters' lives. This essential investigation unpacks the complex world our daughters face, offering the insights parents need. Marketing to Children: How corporations from Disney to Mattel have turned “pink and pretty” into a multi-billion dollar industry, reaching girls at ever-younger ages. The Sexualization of Girls: A look at the line between innocent dress-up and premature sexualization, from child beauty pageants to the latest pop star princesses. Gender Stereotypes: An exploration of what’s innate versus what’s instilled, and why today’s “empowerment” often pushes girls toward a narrower definition of femininity than ever before. Raising Confident Girls: Practical, clear-eyed strategies for parents to push back against the commercial onslaught and help their daughters develop a strong sense of self based on who they are, not how they look.