The wrapping paper is on it’s way to the recycling center, the tree has been de-ornamented and sits forlornly in front of the house, still strung with lights so cheap we will just buy new ones next year.

Santa (a.k.a. Mom & Dad, 2 sets of grandparents, and a few Aunts & Uncles too) was WAY too good to my daughter; this Christmas was "all princess, all the time." There were no less than 5 costume changes on Christmas morning. And the seven fluffy gowns with matching tiaras will be in heavy rotation in her dress-up repertoire for months to come.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a super New York Times article on the whole "Princess Craze" that is sweeping the planet. Here is a snippet:

"To call princesses a “trend” among girls is like calling Harry Potter a
book. Sales at Disney Consumer Products, which started the craze six
years ago by packaging nine of its female characters under one royal
rubric, have shot up to $3 billion, globally, this year, from $300
million in 2001. There are now more than 25,000 Disney Princess items.
“Princess,” as some Disney execs call it, is not only the
fastest-growing brand the company has ever created; they say it is on
its way to becoming the largest girls’ franchise on the planet."

My personal favorite from the article is:
"To ensure the sanctity of what Mooney called their individual
“mythologies,” the princesses never make eye contact when they’re
grouped: each stares off in a slightly different direction as if
unaware of the others’ presence."

What, if Cinderella and Aurora look each other in the eye they will spontaneously combust or something? Strange and interesting… and so Disney.

Read the full article entitled "What’s Wrong With Cinderella?" here  (may require registration/sign-in).