I definitely grew up with Disney more than Barbie. I had Barbie dolls, watched all the Disney princess movies, and never really questioned any of it. I loved the coming of age stories and alwas tried to find ways to make them relate me me.  Looking back now, I can see how those things shaped the way I thought about beauty, relationships, and even what being a girl was "supposed" to look like. At the same time, they were also fun and gave me a chance to use my imagination, so I don't think they're all bad. It allows kids to be represented and to be creative.

Christiansen made me think a little differently about children's culture. I always knew media had an impact, but I didn't really think about how much kids are picking up from the toys, movies, and shows they love. It made me realize that children's culture isn't just entertainment it sends messages, whether we notice them or not. As an ELA teacher I began to use disney shorts to incororpoate theme in my lessons and they were super effective.

 I also liked that the reading didn't make it seem like Barbie or Disney are simply "good" or "bad." It's more complicated than that. As someone who works with kids, it reminded me that it's important to help young people think about the messages they're getting instead of just accepting them without questioning them.