Did Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White actually “happily live ever after”?
For generations, children have lived in the world of fairy tales, and may even have grown up inspired by the stories.
Then comes the reality. Fairy tales become “fairy fails”.
That’s the title of East India Comedy’s latest video. Three princesses wake up a 21st century mother to reality and offer alternative stories on women empowerment from real life.
Anuradha Menon, whose alter ego, Lola Kutty was more popular on Channel [V], features in the video as a mother putting her daughter to sleep with the staple bedtime story of a beautiful damsel in distress, rescued by her “prince charming”.
“How do you fall in love with a guy who calls himself ‘Prince Charming’?” scoffs Snow White as she rolls her eyes and rants about how princesses couldn’t be an ideal role model for young girls.
The mother, surprised at what the princesses were doing in the living room, goes on reason with them: “This may have been expected from women ‘once upon a time’, no?”
The times haven’t changed, argues the act. The women have enough evidence – pizza being one of them.
“We’ve been on a diet for 400 years! We saw pizza being invented and we didn’t get to eat it.”
Just when the women start to drool over pepperoni and double cheese bursts, Menon mentions an odd pizza topping that has been an internet fixation: pineapple.
On International Women’s day, EIC’s video provides palatable food for thought on looking up to real-life stories as a source of inspiration.
“Fairytales set unrealistic standards and expectations of us, so I need to read my daughter stories of strong, independent women...because this determines the young woman she grows up to be tomorrow.”
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