Comments on: Princess 2.0: Virtual Princesshood and the Will to Power http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power a blog about the connected age Sun, 23 Nov 2008 10:19:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Anne http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-619 Anne Sun, 05 Nov 2006 01:58:59 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-619 Leisa - yes, it does seem that women are more often portrayed as partners or helpers but not the prime movers behind important things that happen. Then there's the assumption that it's a matter of temperament and interest instead of an interlocking set of cultural expectations and restrictions that lead to that outcome. Who knows what the real story is. I'm not sure that princesses are what we need to talk about either, but I worry that if we ignore these kind of narratives that little girls grow up with we miss something significant. Could we instead turn these stories upside down? Probably not, but I can't let it pass me by without trying, especially at Halloween, when I see princesses running all over the neighborhood. Leisa - yes, it does seem that women are more often portrayed as partners or helpers but not the prime movers behind important things that happen. Then there’s the assumption that it’s a matter of temperament and interest instead of an interlocking set of cultural expectations and restrictions that lead to that outcome. Who knows what the real story is.

I’m not sure that princesses are what we need to talk about either, but I worry that if we ignore these kind of narratives that little girls grow up with we miss something significant. Could we instead turn these stories upside down? Probably not, but I can’t let it pass me by without trying, especially at Halloween, when I see princesses running all over the neighborhood.

]]> By: leisa.reichelt http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-618 leisa.reichelt Sun, 05 Nov 2006 00:46:36 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-618 From an Australian perspective, we were well into Xena, the Warrior Princess until Mary, the Real Estate Agent met the Danish Prince at the pub during the Olympics and turned us all back into conventional potential princesses again (and yes, she's a Danish Princess now). I think the princess concept is alive and well... What about the 2.0 Princess? Well... the problem I have with the 2.0 Princess is that she's allowed to be pretty but not so smart. She's allowed to be a figurehead, but only in the way that conventional princesses are. She should definitely be into current fashion and future breeding. I was just reading the Guardian weekend magazine this weekend which features page after page of Web 2.0 heros, and although on the front cover it says 'the men and women who broke the web' there are two women featured and both of them are 'partners', not princesses (sorry Caterina, bit that's how it came off). There are some really interesting gender questions to ask at the moment... I'm not sure they're about princess-ness, but they're interesting nonetheless. From an Australian perspective, we were well into Xena, the Warrior Princess until Mary, the Real Estate Agent met the Danish Prince at the pub during the Olympics and turned us all back into conventional potential princesses again (and yes, she’s a Danish Princess now).

I think the princess concept is alive and well…

What about the 2.0 Princess? Well… the problem I have with the 2.0 Princess is that she’s allowed to be pretty but not so smart. She’s allowed to be a figurehead, but only in the way that conventional princesses are.

She should definitely be into current fashion and future breeding.

I was just reading the Guardian weekend magazine this weekend which features page after page of Web 2.0 heros, and although on the front cover it says ‘the men and women who broke the web’ there are two women featured and both of them are ‘partners’, not princesses (sorry Caterina, bit that’s how it came off).

There are some really interesting gender questions to ask at the moment… I’m not sure they’re about princess-ness, but they’re interesting nonetheless.

]]> By: Anne http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-617 Anne Fri, 03 Nov 2006 00:23:55 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-617 James, I was thinking of "sound and fury, signifying nothing" instead of semiotics, so maybe that's why there's been no blogging about Adobe since the conference. And I think my Flash misconceptions post had quite a few punchlines in it. The queen doesn't have quite the archetypal resonance as the princess, that's the problem. We're up against biological reality here, where women have more value as fertile vessel than as commanding presence. James, I was thinking of “sound and fury, signifying nothing” instead of semiotics, so maybe that’s why there’s been no blogging about Adobe since the conference. And I think my Flash misconceptions post had quite a few punchlines in it.

The queen doesn’t have quite the archetypal resonance as the princess, that’s the problem. We’re up against biological reality here, where women have more value as fertile vessel than as commanding presence.

]]> By: James Governor http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-616 James Governor Thu, 02 Nov 2006 19:32:02 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-616 signs and signifiers- I would *really* be interested to know what if anything you learned at MAX. You did the set up - misconceptions about Flash, without the punchline. Princess 2.0 - that could be Queen, no? Elizabeth 1st was a princess once, but never needed a man to drive her will to power. she married England, and led it to greatness. She was a polymath and to my mind one of England's true geniuses. signs and signifiers- I would *really* be interested to know what if anything you learned at MAX. You did the set up - misconceptions about Flash, without the punchline.

Princess 2.0 - that could be Queen, no? Elizabeth 1st was a princess once, but never needed a man to drive her will to power. she married England, and led it to greatness. She was a polymath and to my mind one of England’s true geniuses.

]]> By: Anne http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-615 Anne Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:16:24 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-615 Amyloo - I have had this post sitting around in my drafts for weeks wondering whether I really had the nerve to publish it. I have some worries about the PC factor, but I hope it does more good to air out ideas like this than to just stuff them. Amyloo - I have had this post sitting around in my drafts for weeks wondering whether I really had the nerve to publish it. I have some worries about the PC factor, but I hope it does more good to air out ideas like this than to just stuff them.

]]> By: Amyloo http://www.annezelenka.com/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-614 Amyloo Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:57:26 +0000 http://www.annezelenka.com/testbed/2006/11/princess-20-virtual-princesshood-and-the-will-to-power#comment-614 I like this idea! (But I find myself looking around furtively, wondering about the sisterhood PC factor... is there a consideration I overlooked in having an automatic resonance with the idea? Am I a "bad" or fairweather femininst? Ever do that?) I like this idea! (But I find myself looking around furtively, wondering about the sisterhood PC factor… is there a consideration I overlooked in having an automatic resonance with the idea? Am I a “bad” or fairweather femininst? Ever do that?)

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