You may never have heard of photographer Dina Goldstein or her series, “Happily-Never-Afters” about what happens to Disney Princesses after their happy endings. In this work, Goldstein imagines what their lives would be like in reality. Her controversial photographs are based on depressing scenes from life she has imagined after the happy endings. For example, Goldstein portrays Snow White as an overwhelmed mom with a “not so charming” Prince; the Princess and the Pea heroine is portrayed in a garbage dump with a hoarding problem; Little Red Riding hood struggles with obesity; Belle tries to hang on to her beauty with plastic surgery; and Cinderella drowns palace life issues in alcoholism.
We are horribly shocked by the images. Disney princesses are timeless. They remain pure and perfect. Whether at the theme park or on the big screen, Disney girls have fairy tale endings! Or do they? Of course we know differently, don’t we? Whether it is Miley Cyrus twerking, Britney Spears’ being “not so innocent,” or the recent Spring Break shocker with former Disney girls Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, and Ashley Benson, the rule seems to be, “be a good girl to get a good reputation until it is time to ‘go bad’ and make the real money.” Even Betty White from the Golden Girls has made a new career of being trashy!
Sadly, It is probably too fairy tale-ish to believe that Miley and the other girls will turn toward a Godly life. Over 300,000 tweets per minute is a fame that tells Miley that she made the “right” decision. But she would do well to remember that nothing is more delicious to a fallen world than a train wreck that ruins purity and a good reputation. Solomon cautioned young people to guard their reputations, saying, “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1).
The life that Miley and the other “Disney Princesses” are choosing is more likely to end in a Happily “Never” After than happily ever after. Seek God while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6) for a true happy ending.
