Cinderella's Glass Arm Is More Magical Than Her Glass Slipper! (+ Discussion On Disability In Fairy Tales)

You want magic? This is magic.

Professional costume designer and one-armed cosplayer, Mandy Pursley, has become the Cinderella so many people need.

Asked by the mother of a girl born with one arm, for some princess-costume inspiration for her daughter, Pursley went above and beyond and created something beautiful, extraordinary and very inspiring.

She said: ‘When my daughter was studying Cinderella stories at school last year, I realized that even though there were so many beautiful tales from around the world, there were still no princesses who looked like me. ‘When I was growing up with a physical difference, I never saw girls like myself represented in the media, so it took me a long time to realize that what makes us different can also be the thing that makes us strong, beautiful, and unapologetically unique." (Metro.co.uk)

She added this information when talking to Insider.com:

"I remember being enthralled watching Jim Abbott play baseball, because he was the only amputee I had ever seen on television," she told Insider in an email. "But I still never saw amputee women being portrayed as normal, beautiful, or strong, so it took me a long time to realize that being different and unique can actually be a positive trait."
"Representation is so powerful," Pursley said. "It is so much easier to believe in yourself when you are able to see people who look like you achieving the same dreams that you have. People who have differences really just want to feel included and accepted without feeling the need to hide what makes them unique."

With the request for this other little girl, who was having the same issues growing up, Pursley decided it was high time to change that. A graphic designer by trade, she created her own version of fairy tale princess. Pursley designed her costume, as well as her husband's (who plays Prince Charming in these shots), then with the assistance of artist Gilbert Lozano (and other specialists*), she commissioned this phenomenal prosthetic: a "glass" arm, for a different take on Cinderella.

When she tried on her custom-made and fitted resin arm for the first time, Mandy said she cried with happiness. "It really felt like a dream was coming true... it was so beautiful and amazing to see this be a reality.”

Initially, the cosplay was supposed to be for Comicon but Pursley ended up being ill and couldn't attend. Once she received the request from the little girl's mother, Pursley and her husband decided that, rather than wait until next year's Comicon, they would go ahead and create a photoshoot now, to post the images online. They enlisted Pursley's friend, Kelly Anderson, to take the photos which became an instant social media hit on September 19 (2019).

“I think it sends a really great message to little girls, especially,” Anderson said. “You can be creative. You can be beautiful. You can be the main character in your own story.”

Not all the images are not shown on all the sites sharing this story but Pursley and her husband did not shy away from the iconic scene of the story in which Cinderella loses her glass slipper  - in this case her glass arm - either, and we were thrilled to see it! (see he two-shot below) Possibly anticipating the inevitable trolls of the internet making horrible references to losing an arm (and all the ugly arm and hand references you can imagine), they didn't ignore or avoid this part of the story. Instead, here you have representation, without any glove or glass-glamor, of a one-armed princess, being pursued by the prince who wants her. It's the Cinderella story with a unique, personal and memorable twist.

Accompanying the lovely shots posted on her Facebook page, Pursley wrote:

This costume is dedicated to all the little girls learning to navigate the world with their "lucky fins" or other challenges. I hope you know you are beautiful, and that you are UNSTOPPABLE!!! Write your own story, and be your own kind of princess.

Mandy Pursley's whole story on Facebook can be read HERE, and we recommend you do. This wonderful act of creativity and courage is changing the landscape for the better.

Note: If you, like us, are not only enchanted but getting Cinder vibes (thanks to Marissa Meyer's wonderful sci-fi retelling of Cinderella) you're not alone. (And we do recommend picking up Meyer's retelling in which Cinder loses her cyborg leg, if you haven't read it.) You'll see some of the same issues being explored and it's an empowering read.

As For Disability In Fairy Tales...

Pursley's "glass arm" also brings to mind The Maid Without Hands and the plight of many (too many!) wronged women; some having permanent scarring and some, even today, having lost hands or arms despite a changing world that no longer sees this as acceptable 'punishment'. Unlike the fairy tale, in which the girl is given silver hands for a while, and then, eventually has her natural hands magically restored (or re-grown!), such an event isn't possible in real life. Though the happy end of the tale could have occurred when the girl, now queen, was given silver hands by a king who loved her, and had a son of her own that she loved and cared for, this fairy tale isn't done until she has her original human hands back. With even such a dark tale insisting that happiness isn't complete until this happens, is it any wonder it's difficult for differently-abled people to see themselves as the heroes, princes and princesses of fairy tales?

Whether born differently physically or mentally, or changed to be different due to trauma or accident, disability has so many forms. Some are obvious by being visible. Some are not, either because they can be hidden under clothes, or they are internal/mental. All those who live with these differences, however, have the "princess problem" in common: most don't see themselves represented in a positive light. They see themselves as incomplete, and many tales we tell reinforce this. Too often in fairy tales, disabilities are things that need to be overcome or transformed to able-bodiedness, or, just as problematically, be revealed as a "superpower" to make up for having the disability in the first place, in order for the hero or heroine to have a happy ending. The state of 'princess' is not possible until she is "fixed", but that is largely because we tend to equate disability with disadvantage. People like Pursley (who designed the concept, the costumes, sewed them, collaborated on her prosthetic and cosplayed it) show us disability shouldn't be synonymous with disadvantage. If you ask people what the qualities of a 'true fairy tale princess' are, disabilities can still exist within that definition, so why are we restricting this idea of what a princess is?

This beautiful creation of a "glass arm" by Pursley is in direct contrast to another thing that happens in older, more infamous versions of the Cinderella tale - that in which the step-sisters, (attempting to secure a happy ending for themselves), cut off part of their heel or a toe, so they can cram their own foot into the delicate glass slipper. In this horrible reversal, the stepsisters (and their mother!) decide they need to mutilate their bodies to fit the princess mold. (And these are - supposedly - able-bodied women feeling the unrealistic princess-pressure!) The truth is that so many more people (girls especially) choose this route, to the point of harming themselves - from fad diets and restrictive 'make-overs' to plastic surgery - while chasing the happy ending. If able-bodied people feel this, how much more so must differently-abled people? Sadly, many assume the role of hero or princess is impossible for their personal narratives, and relegate themselves to minor or supporting roles instead of seeing that their story is just as important as anyone else's. But it shouldn't be that way. Diversity and representation matter, and we, especially those of us who tell fairy tales, need to be conscious of this and tell more inclusive stories.

In the true-life story of Mandy Pursley using her difference as an opportunity for beauty and magic, instead of harm, or trying to mask or change her disability, we see a celebration of self and happiness. Instead of being "less-than" her actions make her "more" and a role model. Here is representation, and inspiration. Just like Cinderella, who was not who she was because of the glass slipper, Pursley is not a princess because she now has a glass arm either. The glass slipper and arm, were, are, tools. The difference is that we now see Pursley for who she is, and has been all along: a fairy tale princess. 

Pursley's sentiment that you don't have to be the princess others are expecting you to be is a powerful and empowering one. Be yourself and create your own version of a princess. There is real magic in that.

*Here is the list of heartfelt thanks from Mandy to all those key people who, in addition to her photographer friend Kelly Anderson, helped make her vision a reality. We thought we'd include it to show you, you don't have to create a fairy tale all by yourself - sometimes - often - friends and partners are part of the recipe:

Many, MANY thanks to all the people who helped turned this dream into reality! My real-life Prince Charming, Ryan Pursley, who didn't think I was crazy while I kept sewing for MONTHS. Gilbert, the brilliant artist who didn't even know me but believed in my dream and is now a cherished friend. Eric Morris and Nick Ibarra at Cemrock who generously offered their equipment and assistance to create the glass arm. Jennifer Woodard at Hanger Clinic in Vista, CA for helping me figure out how to attach the prosthetic, and of course the amazing Kelly Anderson for taking such beautiful photographs!! Wig is by On The Wall Wigs. Who needs magic when you are surrounded by such talented and generous people!

"The Prince and the Dressmaker" Graphic Novel Gets Optioned by Universal

If you're not aware of the graphic novel, The Prince and the Dressmaker, and are interested in how fairy tales are being told differently especially now that it's clear more diversity is needed in our collections and canon, you should check out this one by Jen Wang. Here's the description:

Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride—or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia—the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion! 

 

Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances—one of only two people who know that sometimes this boy is a girl. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances live in Sebastian’s closet? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.

And here's a brief preview of the pages, to give you an idea of how sweet it is.

Wang says the book is close to her heart as it's the first story she's written for her (younger) self:

“I wanted a story that explored questions about gender and self-identity in a way that was also really colorful and fun and positive. The personal themes are there, but also lots of dresses and princesses. The idea was to create my ideal Disney movie, and writing this has genuinely been one of the most fun, liberating, experiences I’ve had making comics. My awkward confused fourteen year-old self would’ve really connected with this book and I hope it does the same for other young readers." (Diversity In YA)

Even with the obvious issues of challenging gender norms, and family and societal expectations (for both the dressmaker and the prince), the book never gets preachy and doesn't words such as queer, gender-norms, LGBT, transvestite, etc, which is one of its most powerful storytelling features. Instead of talking at the reader and giving labels, it just tells the story of two good friends who have their own challenges and dreams, how neither of them fit what is expected of them, and what they choose to do about it. It's a tale in which everyone can see themselves, including people who don't identify with traditional gender identity and expectations - and that's freeing for everyone.

The graphic novel has been a big hit since it was released in February this year, and the lovely balance of storytelling, art and the feel-good story of friendship and reaching for one's dreams, has - as expected - caught the attention of Hollywood.

From Deadline:

Universal Pictures and Marc Platt have snapped up feature rights to The Prince and the Dressmaker, a graphic novel from Jen Wang which has crossover YA elements in it and in more ways than one. The story is a sweet one, it is about the friendship between a seamstress named Frances and a Prince named Sebastian, whose parents are looking for a bride for him. We were told this was a competitive bidding situation.  

...The book, which examines identity, love, family relationships and sexuality, was brought into the company by Marc Platt Productions’ Adam Siegel (Drive). Senior VP of production Kristin Lowe will oversee production on behalf of Universal Pictures.

Will it be animated? It seems there's a good possibility of that, but no development has yet begun for the feature. It's clear Wang would enjoy seeing an animated production so as to be close to "the Disney movie I always wanted", and it would delight the fans, of course. Then there's also the question of "will it be a musical?", which is a fair one with the "Disney-princess-movie-that-hasn't-happened-yet" being the "ideal". The story would indeed lend itself very well to being created as a musical, so we will follow this as it develops with interest.

As to how soon it will see the light of day - it won't be this year and probably not next, considering all that would need to happen, but because it was a "bidding war" situation, with more than a couple of parties (studios) interested, this has a very high chance of being put into production soon, and actually completed too.

Congratulations to Jen Wang and the beginning of some very different - mainstream - princess movies!

Amanda Allen Niday's 'Protesting Princesses'

Inspired by the recent Women's March around the nation and the globe, artist Amanda Allen Niday, created a 'Protesting Princesses's series, reimagining Disney heroines in the Women's March series. It quickly went viral and caught the eye of Teen Vogue.

Teen Vogue, once considered a fluffy distraction for teens into fashion, is a magazine that's quickly gained respect for recognizing that young people can - and should be - as politically aware as their parents, and that having a penchant for gorgeous shoes and lipstick isn't at odds with that. Teen Vogue, with their finger firmly on the social pulse these days, didn't waste any time getting an interview with Ms. Niday.

Here's an excerpt:

Would Disney Princesses want to be a part of the revolution? Illustrator Amanda Allen Niday thinks so, and thanks to her, we have an idea of what they’d say.

“I felt inspired by the way women expressed themselves on their signs, from the witty and charming to the downright scathing. Women coming together from all backgrounds to say "we are HERE and we MATTER’.” she said. “I wanted to hold onto that message as my newsfeeds dissolved back into squabbling and finding faults in our difference, rather than understanding.” 

...Niday designed a sketch of each major Disney princess holding a protest sign that incorporated a quote the princess actually said in their movie. 

“I didn't want to put words into their mouths. I believed their narratives of overcoming struggles was powerful enough without me trying to force something else on them,” she said.

... She told Teen Vogue she used Disney Princesses for the project because she feels Disney has been making an effort to use the cartoons to remind girls that they’re brave, strong and valuable and wants to pay homage to that. To her, the princesses’ stories of resilience symbolize what girls or women can or should do.

But she also recognizes that women can protest in their own way. 

“Being strong when you are being told you are weak is a form of protest. Being yourself when you are being told that isn't acceptable is a form of protest. Never giving up hope is a form of protest. I wanted to show that we can control the narrative,” Niday said.

You can read the whole interview HERE.

Want a copy of those posters for yourself? You can get that HERE at Society 6. They also have the options of t-shirts, totes, bedding... and much more.

Little Red Body Shames Grandma

At first glance this comedic video that's making the rounds, seems like a one note joke but it quickly develops into a reflection on Princess Culture and "fairy tale expectations".

It's worth a look.

From Huffington Post:

When you think about it, Little Red Riding Hood is rather mean to her grandma, body-shaming her features the second she walks in the door.
Excuse me, Red? Maybe instead of waltzing into someone’s home and judging them on their personal appearance, you should spend more time worrying about the wolf that’s going to eat you right now.
Comedy writer Taylor Cox creates a very modern take on this old tale. Sorry, didn’t mean to call it “old” and age-shame it.

(Warning for small amount of language.)

It's kind of satisfying that the Wolf takes the old path at the end though, don't you think?

"Rejected Princesses" Book Coming October 25th

Well-behaved women seldom make history.  

Rejected Princesses celebrates those who did.  

Part art project, part standup routine, part book report, this site imagines what if we made animated musicals about the women of history and myth who refused to behave. Rejected Princesses is not for kids. Unless your kid is awesome.

Jason Porath, a one-time special effects animator for Dreamworks Animation, has been working on this unique project for quite some time now. He's been assembling a collection of stories for strong women of history who, although deserving of recognition, will never (likely) receive the title of "princess". He also created illustrations for each character are created in a style reminiscent of popular animation, just to underline the fact that these are alternate role models (of sorts) that won't ever have a family animated movie made about them.

Asked in an interview how Porath got the idea for the project, this was his answer:

The origin of this came from a lunchtime conversation at my old workplace. There was an article going around about how the Frozen princesses weren’t good role models, and I asked, “well, we can SURELY do worse than them — who is the least likely candidate for an animated princess you can think of?” I asked it on my Facebook shortly thereafter, and got around 150 replies from my friends. I hastily sketched a couple as jokes — Elizabeth Bathory, an early version of Lolita, and weirdly enough, Charybdis — but kept in my head that I wanted to do more full-fledged pieces when I got the time. 

In quick order, as suggestions flooded in, it grew from being a list of hysterically poor fits (like Lolita and Beloved) to being fascinating women from history and mythology. I am a huge lover of the obscure, rare, and weird – I’m also a feminist, so the two interests collide with this series. Lastly, I’m a total information junkie, one of those people who gets lost in Wikipedia very easily. This is a rabbit hole I’ve tumbled down and have yet to see the bottom.

And now his wonderful collection of passed-over women of history will be in a book. You may wonder where the word "rejected" came in, though. Who's rejecting these women?!

From Porath's website:

Did they actually get rejected? Did you pitch these ideas? 

Nope, but I think we can assume that nobody’s going to want to do kids’ movies about a lot of these people. They’re either way too awesome, way too awful, or way too weird. For a much longer explanation of why “Rejected,” here is a more in-depth explanation.

We recommend reading the more in-depth explanation, linked above. It explains the context, how these princesses are different and the very difficult circumstances that make creating more diverse "princess" movies a huge challenge. Importantly, it also explains how Porath is not against animation studios or playing a blame game. Instead, he's taken the opportunity in being his own boss to spend time producing something both important to him, as well as something that would have very little chance of seeing a box office, due to the aforementioned studio realities.

You will find uncompromising language and less then family-friendly situations discussed among these stories but don't let that deter you. Porath has good reason and has even set up and area on his website to encourage lesson plans for children that take what he is presenting and make it more G-rated for education.

This project is entirely about not bowdlerizing powerful and difficult stories. I absolutely refuse to tone these stories down, or to write in a voice that is not my own.

But I could 

use your work for teaching, if you just didn’t cuss. 

I understand that, but I strongly feel the original, base version of these entries should remain uncensored. That said, in the future I would like to make a version that is more all-ages friendly for just such a purpose – however, I’m not able to give it much attention at present. If you have such an inclination, however, feel free to clean up any of my work, send it to me, and I’ll post it online for all to use.

You may have realized at this point that fairy tales aren't going to be the priority here, but that doesn't mean that they, and myths, legends and wonder tales, aren't related. In fact, every image shown in this post shows a  woman connected to a folktale, fairy tale, myth or legend of some kind - and this isn't the whole collection of women that are (we didn't have room!).

Beyond that, historically based magic and wonder tales make good fodder for new fairy tales. It's something to think about - and be empowered by.

To finish up, here is just one of the complete stories for the "rejected princess" shown below, giving you a fair idea of how the stories are written and presented, not to mention how fascinating they are, as well as portals to a very different - and educational - rabbit hole.

We applaud Jason Porath for encouraging us to fall down it.

Iara - Brazil's Lady of the Lake

Summary

• Morality: Mixed
• Personality: Martial
• Rating: PG
• Source: Myth
• Story: Up-and-Down

Maybe you’re familiar with mermaids as lovesick sea dwellers who just can’t get enough of hunky air-breathers. Maybe you have even read the unsanitized versions of said stories that, say, feature the besotted protagonist essentially stabbing herself repeatedly so the handsome prince will like her. (spoiler: does not work, do not emulate)

Well, the story of the Brazilian mermaid Iara is nothing like that.Iara was the pride of her Amazon-dwelling tribe. The daughter of the group’s spiritual leader, Iara grew to be the best warrior of them all — courageous, kind, strong, and (as I’m finding every single story ever written about women feels inclined to mention) beautiful. In short: she was hot shit, and everyone liked her.Everyone, that is, save her two brothers, whom she overshadowed by virtue of being far more awesome. Upset by this, they decided to solve their problem with mankind’s traditional go-to solution: murder. The only catch was, they knew they couldn’t take her, even two-on-one. So they waited until she was asleep, reasoning that two alert soldiers would be stronger than one unconscious one.They were incorrect. As soon as they got near her, she jolted awake and killed them both in self defense. Hell, she might have still been half-asleep.Afterwards, her father, unaware that his sons had tried to kill her first, and apparently deaf to her cries of “they started it,” led the rest of the tribe on a hunt for her. Although she eluded them for quite some time, eventually they caught up to her and tossed her into a nearby river, where she drowned. Bummer.But even underwater (and dead), she was still making friends! The fish there thought she was pretty cool, so they transformed her into a half-fish, half-human person — the first of an entire branch of river-dwelling mermaids called Iara. When men chanced upon Iara, usually in the afternoon, they would be so overcome by her beauty (or singing voice) that even if they somehow managed to escape, they would literally go insane. What happens if they didn’t escape changes from telling to telling. In some versions, the Iara would drown, and even eat them. In others, they would join her little aquatic harem, and she’d treat them pretty well! Life could suck more.The legends are unclear about what happens if a woman chances upon Iara. Presumably, a curt head nod.

OUAT's #HeroesAndVillains Season Finale Is Going to be a 2 Hr TV Movie On Sunday

OUAT fan art of villains by DadoSuperstar90 (characters by Adam Osgood)

Note: I'm not convinced there are really spoilers here. I don't think it reveals very much about what's happened all season and with this twist, everything is completely different anyway, so I think you'll be safe... Maybe don't watch the trailers if you're truly concerned about spoiling your finale viewing.

There are all sorts of promises being made about this season's finale for Once Upon A Time. 

You're probably aware that the first half of this season was the "Frozen" season (-sigh-) and that the second half has been about the villains looking for their happy ending (ditto -sigh-).

I have to say, I've been less than riveted for most of it BUT we have been promised writing that uses a full two hours to explore a whole flip side to the storyline - thanks to a devious move of "rewriting" by the nefarious 'Author', everyone switches roles: the good become "evil" and the 'evil' become good.

There have been a few gem-like pieces of writing that have been stand-outs this season* so I know they have the chops. I'm really hoping they had someone work as hard on getting this finale to work 'just right' for as long as it took, rather than have it be handled in the usual speed-writing manner of TV series, because, if they do it right, it could bring Once Upon A Time back onto the 'series you should be watching' map, but if they do the "everyone switches roles exactly and says each others' lines from previous episodes" (like the example preview I saw), I'm not going to be too impressed. (Must think positive!)

This finale, titled Heroes and Villains (add the hashtag to follow all the crazy on Twitter!) has potential to be interesting, that's for sure, and I'm glad they're just keeping it to the two episode/two hour length to explore it too - hopefully that will keep it tight and focused.

Here's the official description and promises making the rounds to get you excited before Sunday. But hang on - we need the trailer too. Make that two trailers...:

Things are really getting shaken up in the "Once Upon a Time" Season 4 finale. 
The above clip shows that the Author (Patrick Fischler) is having fun switching roles. The Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) is good, while Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Prince Charming (Josh Dallas) have slipped to the dark side.  

What else is in store for the finale? Creators Adam Horowitz and Eddie Kitsis tell Zap2it that fans should be ready for "Once Upon a Time" film experience. 
"The finale has to be when the Author starts writing," Kitsis says. "[Fans] should be prepared for a two-hour movie."   

This means the Season 4 finale will work much like the Season 3 season finale that introduced the "Frozen" story arc, rather than two different stories being forced together. 

"There's a unifying story idea that takes place over the two hours. It's not two separate episodes back to back," Horowitz clarifies.  

Kitsis uses the phrase 'concept world' to describe the changes coming to the Enchanted Forest -- but he doesn't want over-hype the finale before people get a chance to see it.  

"We don't want to over-promise, but just maybe. Our hope is that people will say that."  

See who turns out to be hero or a villain when "Once Upon a Time's" Season 4 finale airs Sunday, May 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT 

Oh and in other OUAT news? It has been renewed for a FIFTH season. (Please don't hit the reset button - again!) 

Is that watery ink..? 

* The Ice Queen was wonderfully drawn/written - and especially wonderfully played. Ursula's story was really interesting but far too short and easily wrapped up and the Author being revealed as a job rather than a specific person was great too. Despite my lack of love for the villains in general, Maleficent losing her egg-baby was heart wrenching and Cruella De Vil was completely evil through and through - and she always had been. It was wonderfully refreshing after the patterns we've seen. 

"Find the One" (aka When Animated Princesses Look for A Bra They Probably Do It Like This)

Ok, I admit it: I rolled my eyes when I first saw news about this campaign  of a fairy godmother helping animated girls find "the one true bra". I was not, however, expecting a whole musical!

Take a look:

Lingerie brand Triumph's sales division and marketing folks (Northern Europe) had this to say about this, quite involved, campaign. The key word to watch for here is "transform" - and I'll admit, they kind of have a good point:

A fairy godmother helps the girl find the perfect bra ("the one"). Ferguson (Triumph & Sports Illustrated model) is then seen (edit: transformed into a real girl) in a changing room, looking in a mirror at her bra as she whispers, "I found it." 

Eszter Szijarto, the head of brand marketing at Triumph, said: "It is really important for us to find new ways of bringing to life the bra finding journey so that we continue to inspire customers to go for a bra fitting. 

"By transforming our model, Hannah, into a cartoon we are treading new ground and by doing so, we aim to create a compelling visual experience that captures the magical feeling of finding the right bra that transforms your life – ‘the one’." 

"Women easily identify with animated characters, which explains the success of animated fairy tales all over the world. 

"Also, the perfect bra and Prince Charming have a lot in common: almost every woman dreams of finally finding the right one."

There's more information HERE.

I want to note - that's a very nice use of the frog prince motif too. Though we never see him transform, he subconsciously reminds the viewer this is all about transformation, right the way through (though the message might have been slightly clearer had we seen the animated girl actually transform into a real one). 

What do you think? Will this encourage girls and women to not settle on their undergarments but to get the right fit? I think at, the very least, it will do a good job of helping mothers of Frozen fans take their daughters bra shopping with a less self conscious atmosphere. 

(This is turning out to be such an eclectic fairy tale news day!)