I've always been a HUGE fan of fairy tales... yes, I loved the Disney princesses when I was a kid, and I can still sing most of the songs from the movies. As I got older, I was drawn to the not-so-happy endings found in the original tales and modern retellings-- stories of lust and envy, sexual fetishes, cannibalism, extreme jealousy, and all manner of dark themes.
I was therefore delighted to stumble upon Dina Goldstein's
Fallen Princesses series. Apparently, the series has been around for a while, but this is the first time I'd seen any of the photos.
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Fallen Princesses place Fairy Tale characters in modern day scenarios. In all of the images, the Princess is placed in an environment that articulates her conflict. The '...happily ever after...' is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues.
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A couple of examples, Snow White and Jasmine:
The series also features Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Little Red Riding Hood (okay, she's not a princess), Rapunzel, Cinderella, Pocahontas (kind of my favorite, I'll admit), Ariel, and the princess from the Princess and the Pea (hrm...did she have a name?)
On the one hand, the photos just seem depressing (Rapunzel and Belle gave me a particular stab of sadness). On the other hand, there's a feeling of "hey, girls. Don't bet on the prince. Make your own happy ending, and find better role models."
So, what do you think? Do you get anything from the series, or for that matter, fairy tales in general?