By day, a communications coordinator. By night, a dance teacher. In between? A twentysomething woman concerned about how the media & everyday life portrays females, and more importantly, how those portrayals affect young girls.

Once upon a time, I was exposed to a little cartoon called Winx Club. You’ve probably never heard of it, and as someone who endured episodes upon episodes of the atrocity for research, you should count your lucky stars. Picture an animated cartoon. Cute, right? Then throw in five fairies, who all shared the mutual life goal of saving puppies from trees. Not too terrible, okay? But then dress those fairies in thigh-high boots and plaid mini skirts, and suddenly, there’s a recipe for disaster. Did I mention that they weren’t “strong” enough to save people from drowning because only boys could do it? Yeah. I know. (If you’re interested in reading a full rant about Winx Club, click here for an essay I wrote on the matter.)

And while I’m not going to find the nearest fireplace and throw in my bra, I do have this seemingly wacky notion that children deserve to have their uncompromising, unapologetic, untarnished innocence, at least for a little while. The sheer amount of girl power[less] examples constantly shoved down our throats by the oh-so-darling media dramatically desensitizes kids from the minute their born. I mean, pink or blue bonnet?

Join me at The Shattered Glass Slipper as I vehemently ask the question, why can’t girls just be girls? Because, as everyone knows, boys will be boys, (but more on that later).

-Karlyn

Have a topic suggestion? See something on YouTube that made you leap out of your chair and yell, “OH, no, they did not,”? Found out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Send me an email! I’d love to hear from you.