TresSugar

Love It or Leave It? Disney-Inspired Engagement Rings

TresSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Some girls never let go of their wish to be princesses, and thanks to designer Kristie Kelly, they don't have to. The Kirstie Kelly for Disney by Mouwad collection, shown at Bridal Week in New York, features six engagement rings and wedding bands that pay homage to Disney's leading princesses.

The engagement rings, named after Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, and Belle are supposed to be "subtle references to the personalities of each princess." For example, the baguettes and clean lines of the Ariel ring are supposed to reference the bold style of art deco and Ariel's "bold individuality."

Although I was never a fan of princesses, have no plans of getting married anytime soon, and would feel sheepish taking a leap into adulthood wearing a Disney-inspired engagement ring, I do fancy the look of the Sleeping Beauty ring. What do you feel about this collection?

Princess Culture Might Not Be Healthy For Girls

TresSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:10:00 -0700

I know a very smart, independent, tomboyish 5-year-old who is enthralled by the idea of being a princess. It was Fiona from the Shrek films that got her hooked.

Girls have always loved playing with dolls and pretending they're princesses, but it appears to be crammed down their throats even more now by toy manufacturers and movie studios. There are princess baby clothes, princess-related Barbie items, and the entire Disney Princess franchise, featuring characters from Sleeping Beauty to Mulan. Even tough chick Dora the Explorer wears crowns sometimes!

Many people who are trying to raise nonbratty girls with aspirations beyond being pretty and glamorous worry that selling the princess ethos to girls might be a bad idea. Jean Twenge, an associate professor of psychology at San Diego State and author of The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement, worries as well. She argues, "It just encourages parents who put their kids on a pedestal - and who encourage their kids a lot and rarely criticize."

Twenge and her co-author W. Keith Campbell found that although a study of college-age men and women showed that men in that age group are more likely to exhibit narcissistic traits, the rate at which college-age women were developing narcissistic traits was four times that of the men.

Is the fantasy of being a princess just an inevitable rite of passage for girls? Or would girls be better off heeding, "Do not pass Princess Lane, do not collect crown"?

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Disneyland: The Flashiest Place on Earth?

TresSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Are you the type of woman who likes to flash the cameras taking souvenir photos at theme parks? Well, you can now let your ~~freak~~ flash flag fly - at Disneyland, at least.

This week, Disney announced that it is ceasing its decade-old practice of scanning for bare breasts on the Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, and California Screamin' rides. Here's more from the happiest place on earth:

Disney confirmed Tuesday that it has reassigned employees at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure who watched for breast-baring riders because "actual inappropriate behaviors by guests are rare."

Riders are photographed on the attractions and can then buy souvenir copies. Some have exposed their breasts in hopes that the picture would make it onto a photo preview screen at the ride's exit.

OK, now I gotta ask: Have any of you ever flashed a camera while on a theme park ride? You can comment anonymously if you're modest - though I doubt you're that modest.

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Disney Unveils Its New Genetically Engineered Child Stars!

GiggleSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:20:00 -0700

Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron, Hilary Duff. That's how you know them, but to the scientists at Disney's Genetic Engineering Lab where child stars are produced, they're referred to as 6831-A, B, and C. You see, at the Disney lab, their brains were engineered for dancing and singing and their looks tweaked from the same genetic structure. Let's check in with the Onion News Network and their report on Disney's new batch of stars, including Haley, a half-Japanese, half-Indian girl who sings, dances, and snowboards . . .

Someone Needs to Get a Grip

GiggleSugar — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Hey Jasmine, did you catch that? Someone really, really, really loves you.

Smokestacks Meet Thumper: Disney and the Environment

CitizenSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:56:50 -0700

Chim chiminey, Chim chiminey, Chim chim cher-oo! Disney may have made the life of a chimney sweep seem like dancing on the rooftops, but some decades later we've learned smudgy, sooty coal is a filthy form of energy. Which is why the news that much of Europe may be returning to their old coal ways requires a huge spoonful of sugar.

Italy is poised to increase its reliance on coal to 33 percent from 14 percent over the next five years. Total power generated from coal will billow to 50 percent. Don't just blame the Italians, countries all over Europe are expected to put into operation about 50 coal-fired plants over the next five years - plants and gunk that we will be able to enjoy for the next five decades. Germany in particular has 60 new coal-fired power stations planned. To see how Disney fits into the modern eco-picture, read more.

An animator who worked on Disney's Bambi went the way of Bambi's mom last week and requested in lieu of flowers, donations to the Natural Resources Defense Council. His request underscores a Disney obsession with the pastoral, evidenced in films from Bambi, to Pocohontas, to Finding Nemo. Some say these films inspire tiny environmentalists, like this researcher at Cambridge University.

These films have taught us variously about having a fundamental respect for nature. Some of them, such as Bambi, inspired conservation awareness and laid the emotional groundwork for environmental activism.

In a step to take the eco-activism from figurative to literal, Disney is launching new film production unit called Disneynature. They're gearing up to make feature-length documentaries about animals and the environment, similar to the wildly popular March of the Penguins. The first US movie to be released, is dubbed Earth is set to open April 22, 2009 - Earth Day a year from now.

Are we at a crossroad in terms of environmental decision making, where we need to choose between the black-lunged Dick Van Dyke chimney sweep of coal, and the blissful Disney forests? Are you surprised that countries are returning to coal? Was Disney a true trailblazer in the environmental movement? Does entertainment have a place in driving environmental policy?

Do you love that part in Bambi where the skunk says, "he can call me Flower if he wants to?"

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Narcissistic Disney Plagiarizes Disney

GiggleSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Disney déjà vu: It's the nagging feeling you get while watching a Disney movie that your eyes have been here, seen this before. Well, they have. Those Disney dudes are kinda in a rut.

Disney Speaks Douche?

GiggleSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:00:00 -0800

It was no secret that Gaston was badly hurtin' for Belle's affection in Beauty and the Beast, but our gal had enough douche-sense to repeatedly turn him down. So his posse of pals got together to massage his ego at the local pub. Give their little ditty a listen- all praise points to douche. (My fave piece of "praise" comes at 2:10.) Who knew that Disney had its finger on the pulse of the douchepidemic? Kudos! The children deserve to be warned.

The Story of Menstruation

GiggleSugar — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 02:00:00 -0800

As told by Disney. This sweet animated film from the '40s or '50s gave me an important refresher course on all the stuff that happens when Aunt Flo comes to visit. These days, I bet young girls know their way around a stripper pole more than they do their own bodies, and it's interesting how, in more modest times, they didn't really mince words. The only weird part? It dispels the taboo that you shouldn't bathe during your moon time. Say what-who ever thought not bathing was a good idea?!

Pluto Is P*ssed And Taking Names

GiggleSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:00:00 -0700

Ten bucks that this little rascal was caught blowing spit balls at this lady (naturally) and Pluto's chasing him down to defend her honor. I love how the kid's mom gets involved. And by "involved," I'm referring to her pushing the poor pooch to the ground. Disneyland needs its own reality show.