Besides the US vs. Canada hockey final (which by the way has officially made me a hockey fan despite the brutal loss), I did not watch much of the Winter Olympics. I occasionally turned it on for a few minutes, and would listen to some commentary on SportsCenter about it. But for the most part, I stayed away. I just enjoy track, basketball, even gymnastics more than 80 varieties of skiing and snowboarding competitions.
However, I did happen to randomly turn to it when they were interviewing Julia Mancuso, a skier who had just beaten out Lindsey Vonn. Amongst other things, the commentator was jokingly asking her why she wore a tiara on her head while receiving her medals, noting that it seemed a little goofy and corny. Mancuso took the jab in stride, laughing it off and explaining that her coaches had surprised it with her after the race as a joke, and that she had essentially just kept it going in good humor as an inside joke with them.
What I found interesting though was what she said next. She stated that she liked wearing the tiara too because she felt like a princess wearing it. She went on to state that she had dreamed of being in the Olympics her whole life, and getting to compete in it, win or lose, was her dream come true and thus made her feel like a princess. She concluded by stating that "everyone can be a princess." I just found it intriguing that, while the concept of a "princess" was obviously still prevalent in her mind, (including the tiara), that the overall meaning of the word for her was not what would typically be exemplified in fairy tales. While princesses in fairy tales are the pretty ones with a prince charming who live happily ever after, for Mancuso what had always been her "dream come true" was to become a world class athlete, ski in the Olympics, and be able to stand on her own in an individual sport. The concept that we have discussed in class, and the extent that we have indicated it still exists in our modern society, clearly has transformed for Mancuso. Rather than being pretty but docile and dependent on men, a princess for her was both feeling pretty and empowered on her own.
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I've been telling the merits of hockey for years Daniel, nice to see you're finally coming around. As for Mancuso, I saw the same interview, and also found it interesting. I think it's a very positive image for her to be projecting. By saying that "everyone can be a princess" she is taking something that many little girls want, but changing the meaning. You don't have to be a beautiful woman waiting for Prince Charming, you just have to follow your dream. I know it's corny, but I love Julia Mancuso, and I think she's the perfect example of a great role model for young girls.
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