Cinderella Ate My Daughter

By: Peggy Orenstein

Narrated by: Peggy Orenstein

Peggy Orenstein, acclaimed author of the groundbreaking New York Times bestsellers Girls & Sex and Schoolgirls, offers a radical, timely wake-up call for parents, revealing the dark side of a pretty and pink culture confronting girls at every turn as they grow into adults.

Sweet and sassy or predatory and hardened, sexualized girlhood influences our daughters from infancy onward, telling them that how a girl looks matters more than who she is. Somewhere between the exhilarating rise of Girl Power in the 1990s and today, the pursuit of physical perfection has been recast as the source of female empowerment. And commercialization has spread the message faster and farther, reaching girls at ever-younger ages. But how dangerous is pink and pretty, anyway? Being a princess is just make-believe; eventually they grow out of it . . . or do they?

In search of answers, Peggy Orenstein visited Disneyland, trolled American Girl Place, and met parents of beauty-pageant preschoolers tricked out like Vegas showgirls. The stakes turn out to be higher than she ever imagined. From premature sexualization to the risk of depression to rising rates of narcissism, the potential negative impact of this new girlie-girl culture is undeniable—yet armed with awareness and recognition, parents can effectively counterbalance its influence in their daughters' lives.

Engaging discourse about gender construction.

Would you consider the audio edition of Cinderella Ate My Daughter to be better than the print version?

Yes, it's a complicated topic, and the author reading the book makes the feminist dialogue easier to understand. It is more like having a conversation with Peggy, discussing opinions of gender instead of reading a long lecture.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cinderella Ate My Daughter?

When she discusses allowing her daughter to have choice, instead of coercing her towards commercial femininity or coercing her away from it. I though that was a very relevant and poignant passage as eventually it's a complicated issue and her daughter can be as typically feminine princess-y as she wants.

What did you learn from Cinderella Ate My Daughter that you would use in your daily life?

That it's important to discuss commercialization of media with your children so they can on some level engage with the socialization of gender, instead of commanding them to present their gender one way or another.

Any additional comments?

Brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable.

Excellent read

Mandatory reading for any parent that aspires for a better future for their girls and boys.

Thought provoking

Very interesting and thoughtful! A dive into how media influences girls perceptions of themselves and the world and how parents can thoughtfully guide their daughters (and sons) through the competing and mostly unfavorable media messages.

I would recommend this book!

This book should be read by anyone who is raising a daughter and puts a whole new perspective on current social expectations.

Nice surprise

I was pleasantly surprised by the author's decision to invite her daughter to read the credit at the end, as this book is a documentation of the difficulties the author faces when raising a daughter in this world of ours. Talk about giving girls a voice! I also can't wait to hear what Peggy Orenstein thinks of Miley Cyrus now!