My daughter was Doc McStuffins this year for Halloween. She picked it before she ever saw the show because she liked the idea of being a doctor.
Probably because whenever her doctor visits us it’s a happy time. Well, probably more because you have to listen to doctors. 😉
But I saw one other Doc McStuffins on Halloween night. The main costume? Exactly the one you saw most, too.
Queen Elsa from Frozen.
Followed by Princess Anna.
And a bunch of little brother Olafs.
And this year I’m a mother of a three year old who has a mind of her own. Who is growing up in a culture full of “sexy” costumes (at Halloween and not) and whose mother tries to filter out the images of tiny women in distress being rescued by men with all the glory.
As much as I love the idea of little girls looking up to the real-life heroes – the Emily Dickinsons, the Gloria Steinems, the Amelia Earharts – I also know that the allure of sparkle and spontaneous dance numbers that Disney has perfected to precision is irresistible.
So I.Love.Frozen. And I was delighted to see every other little girl proudly donning her bright blonde wig and sparkly blue cape. Because when that girl flattened her dress and looked in the mirror before heading out to trick-or-treat she saw herself as a woman with power, humanity, and a killer singing voice. She belted “Let It Go” and flung out her hands flamboyantly to make herself a castle, a bridge, a city. She felt strong and brave – like she would face her fears and a snow storm to help another person.
So yeah, we have all heard that song about 384,294,382 times too many and we all saw enough Elsas to make us dizzy the other night, but isn’t that a beautiful thing? That instead of our little girls spinning and humming to songs about needing a Prince to come to their rescue, they are singing about leaving their insecurities and stepping out with courage in their own right? That instead of tight dresses designed for hourglass figures they may never own, they wore gowns that made them feel sweet and girly without faking a form and instead inheriting the strength of the character they are emulating?
I sure think it’s great. So as long as the Frozen-mania wants to hang around I’m all for it… And if you’re not than just… let it go. 😉