Photographer Dina Goldstein gives fairy tale endings a reality check in her latest photo series.

Thanks to Danielle in FL for this find!

Sources:

“Happily Never After: The Disney Princesses Get Real” // Telegraph Co UK

DinaGoldstein.com

For 8 years, the United States, a leading resource for aid and education in underdeveloped regions, refused to teach African women about abortion – even in nations like Zambia, where abortion is legal. Former President George W. Bush signed the Global Gag Rule in 2001, which denied all American aid workers the ability to educate foreign civilians about safe abortion procedures. Meanwhile, millions of young mothers self-administered abortions anyway, often dying shortly thereafter.

This short documentary, entitled “Access Denied”, informed millions of Americans about the situation, in hopes of appealing the ill-conceived Global Gag Rule. A few short months ago, the fight was finally over, and President Barack Obama lifted the ban.

“Access Denied” is a Population International production.
For more information go to: www.population.org

Sources:

“Doctors Campaign for Safe Abortion in Zambia” (Sally Chiwama) Women’s News Network Online. June 12, 2009

“HEALTH: Obama Lifts ‘Global Gag Rule’” (Jim Lobe)  IPS News. January 23, 2009

Once upon a time, etcetera and so forth. It’s no secret that Disney has capitalized on the “Happily Ever After” fantasy, selling women the idea that a man will magically come along, with no effort on your part, to save you and take care of you forever.

From birth, many girls are given an unrealistic ideal of what a relationship should look like, reinforced by princess products everywhere they turn, to the point that many girls have envisioned their wedding before they’ve even hit puberty.

Britney and Kevin were divorced 1 year later.

PRINCESSES PUSHING PRODUCTS

Marketing campaigns all over the world embrace classic fairy tales to peddle their products. They range from innocuous, to witty, to downright disturbing.

Caption: ” The birds were singing in the clearing and Snow White caressed her Prince…” // “First, she had supplied him with a condom, because the Prince, as many men, was a little absent minded. She explained to him that the body of woman is eight times more receptive to the Aids virus, and the Prince understood that she was protecting their future by protecting herself.”

The use of fruit as temptation is nothing new, and while it suits the product here appropriately, it’s no coincidence that All Bran uses Eve and Snow White in the same ad campaign. Biblical references are prevalent through out fairy tale literature, and the poisonous apple metaphor reinforces the notion that women can’t resist temptation, they ultimately fall from grace, and greatly inconvenience men.

SELLING A FANTASY

Capitalizing on the idea of perfect romance.

Caption: “A bride like no other.”
Actually a cliché, like many others.

Here, Cinderella accidentally drops her slipper, and her blouse, and her skirt.

Cappuccinos are all about finding prince charming.

Her prince was too busy playing PS2.

Having your mermaid and eating her, too.

Little Red Riding Hood tames the wolf, then gets drunk by an arbitrary fireplace on the beach.

Caption: “Do you believe in fairy tales?”

Caption: “A new Cinderella is born.”

While fantasies are often harmless fun, they become unhealthy when they distort your perception of reality, or set up unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. The aesthetic of fairy tales can be charming, the escapist ideal of “riding off into the sunset” can be entertaining for a moment, but these must be kept in perspective so as not to stunt emotional growth or breed mental illness.

Unfortunately, as long as people grasp at a sugar-coated version of reality, companies will find a way to profit from it. In this modern day fairy tale, it seems the only thing living “happily ever after” is capitalism.

Sources:

Adland Archives

Ads of the World

Coloribus Advertising Archive