[ right now i'm reading ]

Right now, I'm reading a book called The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived: How Characters of Fiction, Myth, Legends, Television and Movies Have Shaped Our Society, Changed Our Behavior, and Set the Course of History. Really f'ing long title, huh?


So far, I'm really enjoying it. It's a lot of fun, with people such as Midas, Santa Claus, Robin Hood, Godzilla, Luke Skywalker, and more. It describes how these made-up characters have shaped American society. It offers some fun anecdotes, lots of further reading, and a lot of "Oh, I never really thought of it like that" moments.

My favorite section so far (I'm about a third of the way through) is about Cinderella. Mainly because, it kind of shows Cinderella as, if you really think about it, what she really is: a whiny, pathetic princess.

Cinderella is pathetic, but we fall in love with the idea that the meek will triumph in the end. To this purpose, a fairy godmother provides her with elegant clothes so that she can attract the eye of the prince, who happens to be looking for a girl to marry. Decked out in her finery, Cinderella gets his attention at a ball where she is nothing but a clotheshorse. She has earned nothing. She deserves nothing, except perhaps back wages at home. And yet, she gets the prince to marry her. This is not the lesson we should teach our children. There are more important values than good looks, fine clothes and expensive trappings -- intelligence, independence, self-esteem, responsibility, and self-motivation -- none of which characterize Cinderella.

So very true, but you never think of it like that. It's always, "Oh how lucky Cinderella is. How amazing that she finally got what she deserved." But she didn't really work for it. She happened to fit a certain shoe size.

Makes ya think.

Anyway, the book kinda reads like Chuck Klostermann, who I love. Ironic, and witty, with truth put out in plain view. I recommend it.



TIATF:

My love of reading. Without it, I don't think I would have been half as successful in my life as I have been. I certainly wouldn't have been such a good student!

[ image from amazon ]