The Problems with Cinderella Stories

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               From Annie to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to The Great Gatsby, “rags to riches” stories are extremely prevalent in American society, reflecting the American ideals of being able to come to the country and, with or without hard work, become something great. This idea is especially prevalent in Cinderella stories such as Disney’s Cinderella and Pretty Woman.  Even though the original story is German in origin, the idea of “rise tales” appeals to all peoples, but especially Americans, one of the reasons that both of Disney’s Cinderella stories did so well when they came out. Pretty Woman was just as much of a success, being one of the most popular romantic comedy stories and winning Julia Roberts a Golden Globe Award. Those in lower classes look to the story for inspiration, believing it an example of subverting class structures seen as rigid and unchanging. If Cinderella can do it, why can’t anyone else? This idea is often faulty, however, and usually offers a sense of false reality where status is equivalent to happiness and gained without any significant struggle.
In Cinderella, Cinderella escapes the life of her horrible step-family to join the prince with help from her fairy godmother. In this way, Cinderella does not put in any significant effort of her own, instead relying on her fairy godmother to prepare her for the ball. In the Disney version, however, Cinderella does not have to put in much effort to impress the prince, who taken by her beauty and appearance dances and talks with her all night. Another thing wrong with this depiction is that it is Cinderella’s beauty and charm that initially interests the prince, in comparison to her “ugly” stepsisters. Frequently in children’s tales, those who are not beautiful rarely get what they want, though one can argue that the stepsisters were inwardly ugly as well.  
In comparison, Vivian in Pretty Woman falls for Edward Lewis after entering into a business proposition from him while trying to pay her rent. It is her personality that intrigues Edward, and by the end she sees life much differently than when she started. Though near broke, and not without significant troubles, Vivian like Cinderella is not upset about her life, instead taking everything with a grain of salt. Though she goes through significant, Pygmalion-esque challenges some scenes rubbed me the wrong way. Vivian becomes an entirely different person around Edward’s colleagues, and though she still maintains herself, she has to push her personality down to fit the bill for what Edward needs. She is depicted as much happier at the end of the movie and has risen up in life.

The ideas presented in Cinderella stories that marriage and money are synonymous are toxic and dangerous. Money is more a curse than a blessing, and often provides even more problems than one had before. There are plenty of people that are dirt poor and much happier than the rich, so portraying this false idea as fact is damaging, especially when targeted to a young audience. There is also the aspect of what is lost when one becomes rich. Cinderella does not have significant ties to her family, but this is not always the case. There is a price to pay in getting rich, exemplified by Mr. Lewis and his inability to maintain a relationship, with his work getting in the way.

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