The Fallen Princesses - should we really be more realistic about fairy tales?

Dina Goldstein is a commercial photographer from Vancouver, BC.

 

Her exhibit Fallen Princesses was inspired by observing three year old girls’ fascination with the Disney fairytales.

 

Goldstein did not read fairy tales when she was a kid.  When she became a mom, she read up on the Brothers Grimm fairytales and realized that most of them did not have a happy end and that Disney changed a lot of the original fairy tales to give them a new meaning.

 

Goldstein wants to teach her children a more sensible approach to life. 

 

However, it seems to me, that her interpretation of reality is a lot scarier than that of the Brothers Grimm: 

 

Snowy

Cindy

Rapunzel

Jasmine

Not so little Red Riding Hood

Belle

I am scared. Though there is a lot of truth to these images, I would prefer for my daughter to grow up without looking at these photos until she is old enough to be a cynic.  Children deserve a fairy tale with a happy ending that encourages them to keep on dreaming large without waiting to be disappointed.  

I want my kid to believe Walt Disney, who said that all "dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them." 

Other work by Goldstein can be found at dinagoldstein.com