Princess Swagger: Empowered or Entitled?

Yesterday was International Women’s Day and the social media sites were buzzing with posts and tweets celebrating and recognizing the “sheroes” who inspire and empower us and the role models and leaders who change our world. However, amidst all that woman-power, I can’t help but wonder if the brave women who fought for our rights and who continuously strive for gender equality had Princess Swagger in mind as the end result for all of their determination and dedication. Little Sophia Grace Brownlee got the opportunity of a lifetime when she got to sing her own original song “Princess Swagger” on the Ellen Degeneres Show recently. in case you’ve been living under a rock, Sophia Grace and her little cousin Rosie have become overnight media sensations since their first appearance on Ellen last year. They were discovered on YouTube rapping to Nicki Minaj’s song, Super Bass. The next thing you know, they’re on Ellen singing “Boom badoom boom boom badoom boom bass” WITH Nicki Minaj! Ever since that moment, those little girls have been on a whirlwind of guest appearances on the Red Carpet for the AMA’s, the Grammy’s and were the guests of honor at Disneyland! It’s been fun to watch the excitement of Sophia Grace as she screams at the top of her lungs with every new gift Ellen has bestowed upon them; tiaras, tutus and shopping extravaganzas – and to watch little Rosie sort of take it all in stride as she goes along for the ride of her life as Sophia’s sidekick. It’s pretty astounding when you think about what these two little girls have experienced thus far in their young lives; Sophia Grace is 8 years old and Rosie is six. The two of them have done more in a few months than most of us will get to experience in our entire lifetime! But what concerns me most is how their lives will unfold expecting all this attention and more so how this has set up little girls all over the country wanting and dare I say expecting the same kind of royal treatment. Millions of pre-teen girls have their own YouTube channel, posting all kinds of videos, just hoping and praying that theirs too will go viral. Sophia recently squealed with excitement over the fact that the Paparazzi had been following them! We’ve seen how too-much-too-soon has effected other child stars like Lindsay Lohan. And yet, with all those train wreck examples of what not to do, why do we keep repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results? Somehow all that girl power has morphed from empowerment to entitlement and in some cases exploitation. Disney took full advantage of these girls’ new found celebrity status and what would’ve cost them millions in on air advertising, got them free publicity for their theme park when every princess in the place acted as if the girls were the new queens in town! Negative media messaging and over-the-top examples of having it all, are setting our girls up for a lifetime of striving to get theirs; opportunities, fame, popularity, and lots and lots of stuff. When our self-worth is based on external looks, possessions, acknowledgement, attention, popularity, fame and celebrity, there will never be a point when any of it is enough. None of it is sustaining or deeply fulfilling and it keeps us in a precarious place of desperately trying to get more of what we want, or keep what we have.

Yesterday, Lady Gaga tweeted about her latest obsession with a new girl group called the OMG Girlz. Curious, I clicked on it and at first glance, thought they were adorable and their song “Gucci This (Gucci That)” was cute and catchy. Then it got me thinking that this is a perfect example of the culture of brands and labels and where we place our value. Don’t get me wrong, I love fashion and would like nothing more than a closet full of beautiful designer clothes. But I don’t need any of it to justify my self-worth either. How many young girls do you know who can afford a closet full of designer clothes? Who’s paying for all that stuff? Daddy’s little princess has morphed into Daddy’s biggest financial drain! We have to teach our girls that their value and true power comes from within. We have to tell them that the only approval they should be seeking is their own self-acceptance by learning how to trust their own internal guidance and stop buying into society’s standards. We need to be role models who demonstrate what real leadership and girl power is all about by showing up in service with integrity and courage, daring to speak the truth, even when it’s not popular or when it goes against the so-called norm. That is where true confidence comes from and that to me is the only kind of swagger that can change the world. Let’s face it, not all of us are going to get discovered or have the whole world cheering us on…