INTRODUCTION
Everyone remembers stories beginning with “once upon a time” and ending in “happily ever after.” Some people see fairytales as antiquated ideologies that are not beneficial in the modern era. Others believe that they are harmless tales intended to spark children’s imagination. Fairytales can establish ideologies about good and evil and right and wrong. They are, also, filled with pointed gender role ideals and gender stereotypes that are, today, ethically questionable. In the last few decades, there has been a literary movement of taking classic fairytales and attempting to update them and eliminate many stereotypes. This leads to two very significant questions. Can fairytales still have a place in modern society? Can gender stereotypes be reinvented successfully by presenting fairy tales in new ways reflective of modern gender ideologies? After reviewing the relevant material it is clear that it is possible for fairy tales to continue to have a place in modern culture and it is definitely possible for fairytales to be reinvented to reflect modern ideologies. The reason for that certainty is it has happened in the past and is still happening in the present. The ABC series “Once Upon A Time” is doing exactly that and has been for the last 7 years. The paper will discuss the background of fairytales, the issues related to gender stereotypes and how modern entertainment is working to change those stereotypes and reintroduce classic fairytale is more modern ways.
BACKGROUND
Finding reliable sources on the topic and associated issues related to fairytale and gender stereotypes is not difficult. The sources chosen came from both academic sources, but also mainstream media; after all fairytales are of relevance to all people and an all genders. The questions of gender stereotypes, outdated gender roles and message in fairytales is beneficial or detrimental has been a debated topic for a long time. Fairy tales had different purposes throughout time. The original lessons of fairy tales have and changed and so has their darker content. In the original telling of “Cinderella” when the evil stepsisters attempt to force the glass slipper to fit their feet, they actually cut of their toes to do so; this is a bit darker and disturbing than most are accustomed to (Patel 3). “The Little Mermaid” in its original form was a disheartening tragedy. In the end, the Prince she loved did not choose to be with her and married someone else. In order to return to her previously life in the sea she would have to kill the prince. She could not do it, so she jumped into the sea, drowned and turned into sea foam (Keithly 3-4).
DISCUSSION
It was Disney that changed fairytales and gave them their happily ever after (Keithly 17-18). What makes it so important to determine the social effect of fairytales? The answer to that is simple. Fairytales are first introduced when people are children. The lessons and ideas that they form in childhood can be some of the most difficult to change as they grow up. If fairytales teach children certain stereotypes, stereotypes that are no longer supported by modern thinking, then it will likely be confusing in the long run. “Once Upon a Time” is not a different interpretation of one particular fairytale it works to tackle all of them. It takes all of the fairytale characters that people remember and place them in a modern environment (Clark 1). Experts argue that there are certain stereotypes that are most questionable and are the most necessary to be addressed.
Damsel in Distress: Women are victims, weak spirited and require a man to facilitate their safety (Basta 7-8). This tells girls that being self reliant, strong and capable is not proper for females; it tells boys that girls are weaker than they are and it is their “job” to rescue, protect and control the women in their lives because they cannot do it for themselves (Green 1). On “Once Upon A Time” Snow White is not submissive or weak. In fact, very often she is the one doing the rescuing, including rescuing her own Prince Charming (Clark 1).
The Knight in Shining Armor: In order to be of value, to be recognized as a man, they must be strong, skilled and willing to risk their lives. There is no partnership in male/female relationships; there is a dominant and a submissive (Patel 38). “Once Upon a Time” has found a way to better balance the genders.
Love at First Sight: Love at first sight is what allows the fairytale women and the fairytale men to fall in love, marry and live happily together for the rest of time (Patel 3). For most people lust at first sight is entirely possible, but love at first sight is highly unlikely (Steinzeig 46-47). This could be detrimental to both boys and girls (Suval 1).
The Princess is Perfect & the Hero is Never Wrong: Female characters are shallow and are already perfect in every way. Male characters are one-sided and are never wrong. The characters did not really need personality; it was essentially not relevant (Patel 2). “Once Upon A Time” is presenting more complex characters and not are not just caricatures of a stereotype.
Women with Power are Evil: In most classic fairytales the villain is almost always a woman; that woman has some kind of power. She is vain, jealous, angry, and self serving, essentially she embodies all of the worst traits that women can display (Patel 2).
This was used to make men fearful of women with authority and power (Nanda 247-248). “Once Upon A Time” allows the women of the fairytale world to be powerful, confident and capable without automatically having to be primarily evil.
The Conservative Messaging: The prince will rescue or awaken the princess with a kiss and then they will get married ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after (Neirkirk 38). However, this is the 21st century and people’s idea about what is normal is changing, as well as, movements redefining ideas not just about gender stereotyping and roles, but also gender preferences and gender identity (Kuykendal and Sturm 38). “Once Upon a Time” has addressed these changing dynamics within their storylines.
Judging Books By Their Covers: There are some very basic and shallow perceptions of how people should value themselves as individuals. It can teach girls that their value ultimately boils down to their appearance and boys may seek out girls who are rather shallow. There is also an association between the idea that what is attractive is good and what is unattractive is probably bad or evil (Nanda 247-248).
The argument regarding the message and influence of classic fairytales continues to be debated; both sides of the argument make valid points. Traditional fairytale literature and films are antithetical with the modern ideologies. Youths are expected to see the real world differently when they are adults (Suval 1). There is a need to give these stories new life, new worldviews, without the outdated and antiquated messaging and stereotyping (Kuykendal and Sturm 38). “Once Upon A Time” is not the only attempts to rewrite gender roles differently within fantasies and fairytale literature. In the 1990’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was about magic, monsters and demons, but instead of the girl being chased by monsters, the girl is chasing the monsters. All of her heroic traits would have normally been perceived as male (Steinzeig 30-31). “Maleficent” tells a very different interpretation of the evil fairy that cursed a baby. In the new version, we see that she was good and kindly once. She followed the little princess throughout her youth. When the princess finally falls victim to the curse it is Maleficent's maternal love that wakes her up. “Brave” is meant to discuss the struggle of gender roles within one’s society. Merida will be expected to marry, otherwise she will not inherit the throne and most would not accept a young woman ruling on her own. She proves herself worthy of being a leader. “Frozen” presents a story that focuses upon the relationship of sisters. The modern culture and modern storytelling is more than willing to bring to life women that are strong without being evil, but both heroic and feminine (Neikirk 39).
“Once Upon a Time” has worked to rewrite characters from classic fairytales in a way that can be beneficial to people in the current era, not entrenched in the cultural ideologies of the past. The roles based on gender are evolving (Baxter 17). The “Happily Ever After” is not something that is guaranteed, but it can be earned and enjoyed. Both boys and girls can be influenced by fairytales, but more often than not it was females who were the most harmed by many of these stereotypes. This is a direct reflection of centuries of patriarchal societies that placed women as second class citizens in most cases. “place” of women was very basic, be attractive, be submissive, know how to cook and clean and raise children and that was about it (Nanda 248).
All of the sources acknowledged that there are some serious stereotyping issues present in classic fairytales. It has been researched on many levels and by differing disciplines and areas of study. Compiling these different sources has made it possible to see the topic from a broad perspective through academic studies and popular media articles. There are some people who feel that fairytales should simply be abandoned, but others feel that that is unnecessary. It is possible to revamp, reinterpret and then reintroduce them in new and more modern ways (Green 1). Series, like “Once Upon A Time,” are doing just that. It is clearly being well-received because the series is incredibly popular and has a huge fan base of people, both, young and old. This verifies that fairytales can have a role in the modern cultural paradigm.
CONCLUSION
Fairytales did not create gender inequality, gender bias, gender stereotypes and established gender roles, but they did help to perpetuate them as reflected in the given society. Gender bias, gender inequality, gender roles and gender stereotyping still exist in the world, but as long as creative and conscious minds dedicate themselves with making changes and reinventing fairytales then it can be improved. “Once Upon a Time” has done and continues to do so successfully. Fairytales have changed in the past and there is no reason that they cannot change again. New values, new lessons and new ideas can be presented successfully among the characters and stories that people know very well. That being said when one asks the questions, can fairytales still have a place in modern society and can gender stereotypes be reinvented successfully by presenting fairy tales in new ways reflective of modern gender ideologies? The answer is an absolute yes.
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