The Real Little Red Riding Hood

Interesting... ok, well, a little mind blowing, but it makes sense. Most fairy tales, now that I think about it, do not really have morals or lessons to them, and in the end, seem really pointless and merely candy instead of food for thought.

I find it a little sad that our culture (if it's old enough to even exist) in America (and England I suppose) slowly dumbed down fairy tales until there were no substance left which led to safer minds or innocence untouched or what have you, but look at Americans today. The clothes industry alone is competing to see who'll buy the shortest shorts and the tailors, etc. all cheer because their clothes can be made with less and less care. Girls love tattered clothes, frayed ends, worn this and that. They want their shirts to be see through. Clothing companies must be having money fests just cutting back on cloth, thread, enough paint to actually screen a whole shirt because a little splotchy, faded, half unreadable pictures are in. Being seductive, scandalous, might I go as far to say as a little slutty is what most girls strive for. Like the lipstick, girls should want to be chased by wolves.

What I really loved about Ms. Magazine's article was the mentioning that tales like Little Red Riding Hood originated by women with strong leading heroines. The Little Red pulling out a magnum or at least tricking the wolf is more my style. It irritates me to no end to think men took their ideas of how women should be, and made it into "lessons" for girls to follow to be more submissive and good.

In a way, though it is shocking, I like these more realistic fairy tales because they have meaning to them. It is true that if you were pretty in that time in France you could easily be seduced and disgraced. However, I do wish there were some fairy tales (scarily realistic or not) teaching men lessons, too such as not to be wolves, etc. In a way, sexist sounding or not, some American girls might need to hear the French version, and all girls who think men are all powerful or that it's fine to just act loose because it's all about sex and money, etc. could hear one of the true original fairy tales straight from the source, women.