Fairy Tales And A Dose Of Reality Analysis

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According to Catherine Orenstein, people today have been fantasizing over the storybook romance because they are obsessed with finding their own happily ever after. Our infatuations over fairy tales have been strongly shaped by romance-based reality television. In “Fairy Tales and a Dose of Reality,” Orenstein argues that reality television gives a false sense of hope of what love actually is: the television shows promote that love is based off status and appearance. According to Orenstein, in the original Cinderella story, Prince Charming falls for Cinderella’s gown and slippers but fails to recognize her face (285). Society’s expectations on what love and romance should be contradict the original fairy tales’ meanings. Orenstein backs her argument by referring to the “Mother Goose Tales,” and how cruelty, deceit, greed, murder, and nasty in-laws were present (285). Orenstein mentions these ideas because people saw these marriages as ideal when they were far from it.
Reality television shows like “The Bachelor” also give off the ideal marriage look, like fairy tales in the past have done. Orenstein makes a point about fairy tales and television: lies and manipulation, an ample display of female flesh and sadistic interest in
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Romance-based reality television shows are simply modern day fairy tales. Orenstein’s main point is that if people are truly searching for a perfect fairy tale that is based off of actual fairy tales then people would discover the exact opposite. Those who wish for a real-life fairy tale romance might want to read their fairy tales again (285). People are blinded by the barbarity that happens behind closed doors because of the strong crave people have for finding their own fairy tale. Fairy tales and romance-bases reality television shows share a common theme: that true love is found through competitions and

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