13 Responses

  1. Didi
    Didi at |

    Hmm. I say it’s a little bit of both (harmless fun and somewhat grimm), because the stereotype in fairytales do – sometimes – happen in real life, especially the step-parent/sibling part considering how many criminal news (attempt or with casualty) I saw on the news. Perhaps some people took villainy in fairy tales too seriously, idk. Really wish for more fairy godmother (or godfather) figures in this crazy world!

    Reply
    1. jlmerrow
      jlmerrow at |

      Gawd, yes – we could definitely do with a few more fairy godparents these days!
      Thanks for commenting! 😀

      Reply
  2. Sadonna
    Sadonna at |

    For far too much of history, fathers have been given a bit of a pass. As my sister rightly points out, when anything happens with a child that is wrong, it’s always the mother and their parenting which is questioned. Rarely does anything seem to reflect on the father (although that does seem to be changing – finally!). Fairy tales generally follow this same pattern – not surprising since you know – the patriarchy. Whether it’s the tired cliche of “original sin” or anything else, I seems that the definite leaning is to blame the mother/stepmother/woman and see that she is punished which I do think is insidious in our culture. There is a lot of internalized misogyny out there. I personally like it when Fairy Tales are twisted and retold with different and more empowering messages. Like Sisters Red and Wish from Jackson Pearce.

    I do find it heartening that in today’s “fairy tales” it does seem to that at least some of the heroines go against type. But then you see something like all this horrific backlash against the Ghostbusters reboot or the Star Wars lead characters. Seriously? It’s like nothing has changed in the last 60 years and now these idiots have a bully pulpit/platform to spew their garbage. *SMDH*

    Reply
    1. jlmerrow
      jlmerrow at |

      *nods* Yes, it’s not just gender stereotyping we have to get over, there’s misogyny in there too. And as you say, recent events have proved it’s still alive and kicking. *sigh*

      I hadn’t heard of Jackson Pierce’s books before, but they look very interesting – thanks for sharing! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Cornelia
    Cornelia at |

    It seems fairy tales does show the father somehow unaware of what is going on.

    Reply
    1. jlmerrow
      jlmerrow at |

      I’m reminded of the lines from the 1920s song, “Masculine Women, Feminine Men” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSlfQ49Bq1s)

      Wifey is playing billiards and pool,
      Hubby is dressing kiddies for school

      – where the father doing *anything* for the kids was seen as a subversion of the roles. It’s been going on for a long, long time!

      Reply
  4. Trix
    Trix at |

    I remember the late American humorist Erma Bombeck (who was so much cooler than people give her credit for–sure, she wrote about being a mom and such, but her style was more Phyllis Diller snarky than idealistic) writing a profile of three of the fairy tale stepmoms (Cinderella’s and Snow White’s for sure, but I can’t remember the third), and I definitely came away thinking that they’d been victims of a hatchet job in the books. Wish I could remember what it was called!

    Reply
    1. jlmerrow
      jlmerrow at |

      I googled, and it’s in The Erma Bombeck Collection: If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing …
      By Erma Bombeck

      The one about Hansel & Gretel’s stepmother is particularly good! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

      Reply
  5. allesonfaye
    allesonfaye at |

    I think part of it has to do with how much scarier an angry father figure would be. The stepmother is evil, but outside of passive aggressive manipulations, has no real power. The heroine of the story was on fairly equal footing, regardless of the outcome. But men were absolutely in control. I think it’s less frightening overall to picture a kind benevolent authority figure than it is to imagine him wielding totalitarian malevolent power.

    I can’t speak for the originators of the fairy tales felt, but that’s my view on it.

    Reply
    1. jlmerrow
      jlmerrow at |

      Oh, that’s a really interesting take on it. Yes, the father’s role is often to be unaware of what’s going on – and then in the end to step in and punish the wicked woman. If he were the evil one, it’s likely there’d be no recourse for our heroine. Scary indeed!

      Reply
  6. Jbst
    Jbst at |

    Interesting post. I think blending families together can be difficult and divided loyalties can exist for step parents, for either male or female. Since men have historically held the power and money in families in most cultures, step mothers may feel the need to insure their status/power/fortune especially if they have children. I do dislike the misogyny that some people seem to heap on female characters, even when they are vehement about being so tolerant in other areas.

    Reply
  7. reviewerlarissa
    reviewerlarissa at |

    Nice post! And food for thought.

    Personally, I think it depends on which context you look it at. Sometimes I like a really good stereotype or thrope if I’m reading a book. For instance, I love the Cinder-fella thrope.

    If you’re looking at it from a historical context, then yes, most fairytales have a purpose and then this one is the all out one of keeping women under the tumb

    Reply
  8. bernie w
    bernie w at |

    What is the best book that you have read recently? Thanks for the giveaway. I hope that I win.

    Reply

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