Girl power: Why it's important for young girls to have heroes
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Girl power: Why it's important for immature girls to take heroes
In this week's Chubby Husband, Portly Papa column, Aun Koh wants to make sure his daughter tin kick ass and accept names.
(Art: Chern Ling)
xiii Jul 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 04 Jul 2022 03:00AM)
While I usually use this column to (semi) mutter nearly my progeny, this calendar week, I want to focus on the topic of heroes. And specifically, heroes for young girls.
This past week, we diameter witness to two gal-led pregnant pop culture moments. The first was the concluding of the 2022 Women's World Cup, won, as anybody knows, past the Usa Women'due south National Soccer Team (USWNST). Not only did these women play marvelously, simply perhaps fifty-fifty more chiefly, they led off the field, representing themselves courageously, confidently, and clearly.
Unfortunately, my four-year-quondam daughter is not a soccer fan. T2 knows and understands that her two male cousins in Hong Kong are obsessed with the sport. And if her Uncle's Facebook posts are to be trusted, the boys are pretty talented, too.
But that'south about the extent of her exposure to the sport. She didn't scout whatever of the Earth Loving cup games, nor did I effort and brainwash her on the astonishing inspiring role models that graced those pitches across France this summer. I wanted to, believe me. Simply given her age, I know she would have changed the subject faster than y'all could say, "Little finger Pie".
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I know, though, that in a few years, T2 will want to know who those young women were. Because fifty-fifty at four, she's already demonstrated she's her ain girl. She'southward stubborn, vehement and sharp equally Arya Stark's Needle.
Don't become me wrong. She's also hilarious, mushy and desperate for big, difficult hugs. At 4, she's already more complex than her large brother is (T1'south eight). And both her female parent and I desire to ensure she knows it will always be more than than okay to stand for herself, her ideas and her beliefs.
Nosotros've too successfully steered her towards admiration of Mulan, Merida and Moana, three girls whose names brainstorm with "Thou" but more importantly, can stand for themselves and kick ass when necessary.
I accept no doubt the USWNST will go downward in history as game changers, on and off the field. And I can't recall of a better aspiration than for my lilliputian girl to be a game changer herself.
Fortunately, we accept friends who think similarly. One such inspiring mum gifted T2 with a book that has fast become one of her favourite bedtime books. Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls, which I have since learnt, is the almost crowdfunded original book to date.
It is a children's volume packed with 100 bedtime stories near the life of 100 extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated past threescore female artists from all over the globe. Each adult female's story is written in the style of a fairy tale. Each story has a total page and a full-colour portrait that captures the spirit of the portrayed heroine. T2 loves flipping through the pages.
The second book of Expert Night Stories For Rebel Girls is even more interesting. Not but was this book crowdfunded, the protagonists featured were also crowdsourced. That ways that many of the women in this book are nonetheless with us. And several are very young. T2 loves asking me to discover more than information (unremarkably via YouTube) on some of these younger Rebel Girls. In particular, she'due south quite fascinated by Ashol-Pan, the teenage eagle huntress from Mongolia.
Another gender stereotype breaking, kickass Asian gal is Mulan. And that'due south the 2d big affair to happen (in the universe of young gals) this week. The first trailer for Disney'due south live action version of Mulan finally dropped.
Interestingly, the reactions seem divided into three distinct categories, and two of the iii are negative. A whole agglomeration of people seem obsessed with the fact that the manager decided not to include a talking dragon in the movie. Information technology doesn't seem to matter to this group of naysayers that Mushu never existed and was non office of the original fifth- and sixth-century ballads that beginning told her tale. This same pride of Disneyholics are every bit incessant that the songs have been stripped from the new movie.
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A second grouping of as well-upset consumers are postulating and pontificating that the movie is Disney sucking up to the mainland Chinese. These netizens (you know the type, they think posting on Facebook is the same equally political activism) have levelled accusations that the film is a clear indication that the world's biggest amusement company is pandering to China's "nationalistic agenda".
And all this just from the trailer. I would accept thought these social justice warriors would have at to the lowest degree waited to see the total film.
As for me, I see absolutely nothing wrong with a Mulan film in which the heroine shows off some pretty keen kung fu moves, no one breaks into song, and Eddie Murphy and his offensively named avator are absent. That may actually teach the Western earth a matter or two about Chinese history.
Yes, Disney is banking on certain popular tropes to sell tickets – attractive Asian girl kicking butt beingness at the pinnacle of the list. Merely hey, I'd rather celebrate a mainstream Hollywood movie starring a cast of Asians than find problems with information technology earlier it's even released.
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On that topic, it'south quite interesting to see just how different the excitement has been over Mulan versus Crazy Rich Asians and even Always Be My Possibly. Has the fact that this is set in ancient times made it less exciting for Asian cinemaphiles around the world?
For my little warrior princess, seeing Mulan come to life every bit "a existent person" (as she puts it) is exhilarating. Especially since the daughter twirling her sword and leaping over her enemies looks like her – well, her in a decade or and so. My daughter, like many other lilliputian girls, is princess-obsessed, which has likewise fabricated her quite the consumer of Disney stories.
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And while T2'southward electric current favourite princesses are Jasmine (considering of her long hair and bejeweled hairband) and Ariel (which little girl doesn't dearest mermaids?), we've also successfully steered her towards admiration of Mulan, Merida and Moana, 3 girls whose names begin with "M" but more than chiefly, can stand up for themselves and kick ass when necessary.
More than Mulan though, I will definitely be encouraging my niggling daughter to acquire from another woman whose proper name also begins with "M" – Megan Rapinoe, she of the aureate kick, the icy stare, the best goal celebration in football game, and more integrity in her left foot than the elected leader of her nation.
Rapinoe's interview responses are now condign frequently-repeated soundbites. Two that I definitely want my daughter to take to heart are as follow: "Life will throw you some curveballs. Failure volition happen, and how you lot handle information technology will assist shape you lot into the person yous are going to become." And this: "Sometimes, information technology's worth risking it all for a dream only you lot can see."
Wise words for today'southward warrior princesses-in-training.
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