BREAKING NEWS
May 13, 2007:
SHREK THE THIRD
Shrek's Princesses Discuss Their Roles
In "Shrek the Third," Cameron Diaz's ogre bride shares tea time with the fairy-tale world's fairest princesses — Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel.
With Diaz's plump Fiona expecting a litter of tiny ogres with hubby Shrek, her old princess pals throw her a baby shower in the animated sequel that opens May 18. True to the Shrek world, these are not the well-behaved princesses of classic children's stories.
Diaz and her princess posse sat down with The Associated Press to share their thoughts on why these modern damsels don't sit around waiting for men to rescue them.
AP: This seems like a female-empowerment or princess-empowerment film. What's that say about the old fairy-tale notion of, as the princesses say, "assume the position" and wait for some man to save them?
Diaz: The princesses' "assume the position," that comes from the old-school fairy tales that at one point were a comment on society. That's what these fairy tales are for, to recognize what the values are and how society is constructed at the period of time those stories are being told. And current-day storytelling obviously is that. It's telling what currently we are as a society, how we perceive ourselves. I love that it's commenting on where we're at right now as women. It's also holding it up to our past. It's turning that on its ear but having fun with it, allowing them to grow into the women we are today. Taking them with us. Rather than saying, "You're completely wrong," it's saying, "Here's the ability to change." At the same time, it's not just a message for princesses. It's a message for everyone, because we all need to know that you can't sit around and wait for someone to come make it happen for you. You have to be proactive in your own life.
Poehler: Well done. ... What's also nice is we go through this transformation, where we kind of literally rip off our feminine things to fight. There's this nice raw moment where we get kind of dirty, and we don't stay so put together.
Associated Press |
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Main Page
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Girl Power Hits Shrek III
By: Pete Kendall, May 21, 2007 |
Female sensibilities appeal to a more bearish electorate. Initially, opponents were hoping [French presidential candidate Ségolène Royal’s] “unabashedly feminine attire” would “dent her credibility,” but by the end of the election, she was being “criticized by her rivals for playing the woman card.” Talk about a turn in the social order; what was once an insurmountable liability is now an unfair advantage.
Socio Times, November 17, 2006 |
Women taking on men's roles and taking charge is even creeping into animated pictures. In Shrek the Third, fairy princesses Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel join forces and fight back. “After Prince Charming leads a coup, Fiona must teach her pampered friends -- whose natural inclination is to assume passive positions and wait to be rescued -- how to stand up for themselves."
--Eugene Fina
For more on the escalating visibility and masculity of women in society see the entries and links of February 23 and July 17, 2006. Back on November 17, 2006, we covered Ségolène Royal’s bid for the French presidency. She lost. By the same token, Katie Couric is bombing as the news anchor on CBS, and the TV show Commander & Chief, about a female chief executive, failed to gain traction with viewers. Also, the female dominated sport of the roller derby has yet to hit prime time. So, women are gaining but they have yet to dominate. Our social mood radar is probably spotting so many areas of potential future prominence because a bear market is only just approaching. |
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