Is anybody out there sick of the same old kid characters in movies, television, and books that make it seem like boys and girls are so different? Does anybody wish that there were heroic, smart characters that seemed more like…you!? Boys are often shown as active, adventurous, and heroic. They are also mischievous—the “bad guys.” Girls are often depicted as very gentle, beautiful, and sensitive. It is usually the girl who needs to be rescued. The Disney animated movies Aladdin and Cinderella are good examples of this stereotyping.

Aladdin is very active. He goes on adventures. He takes care of himself and does not let even the kingdom guards order him around. He is goofy, fun, strong, and exciting, but he’s always getting into trouble. Aladdin tries to make Princess Jasmine like him by pretending he is a very rich prince. He tries to impress her with his fancy clothes and his ability to fight.

In the other movie, Prince Charming falls in love with Cinderella before he has even spoken to her. Everyone stares at her at the ball because she is beautiful. This seems to be what the prince likes about her too. Cinderella, unlike Aladdin, is sensitive, obedient, and gentle; she always needs to be rescued. She is stuck in the house all of the time doing chores because her family treats her like a servant—until Prince Charming takes her away to his palace.

These movie fairytales send the message that boys will be liked if they are rich and girls will be liked if they are beautiful. Someone might also think that since Aladdin is so cool, it must be cool for boys to get into trouble. Girls might think that if they have a problem, someone should save them. These messages are wrong!

Someone can be rich like Aladdin, but if he is mean, people will not want to be friends with him. Kindness is much more important. Also, getting into trouble like him is no fun! It might get you grounded or hurt someone’s feelings. Some of Aladdin’s actions, like stealing and lying, are very uncool.

Messages about girls are wrong too. Cinderella is only one kind of beautiful. There is beauty in every single person you meet. You do not have to look anything like Cinderella to be absolutely gorgeous. And beauty should not be a reason that someone likes you. If you act like yourself, then you are attractive—it’s that simple. Cinderella lets other people make all of her decisions for her and is easily ordered around. Doing nothing about problems in our lives, like Cinderella, will not make them go away.

Walt Disney made so much money from these films that it has been able to build huge theme parks like Disney World and Disneyland . These parks make the company even richer when families visit them. Then the company can use that money to make toys, clothes, magazines, and radio and television stations for kids, and these make them even more money. Characters like Aladdin and Cinderella surround us—in toys and games or on giant billboards outside. This is why it is important to look at the messages they send.

Have you ever noticed these messages that Aladdin and Cinderella are sending? If this seems unfair to you, there are some things you can do. You can write to us at Rainbow Rumpus to tell us about what types of characters bother you. You can share with us and everyone who visits Rainbow Rumpus what characters you have found who present good role models. What are some movies, shows, and books with strong, smart girl and boy characters that kids would like?

Go to the librarian at school or your local public library, and ask him or her to recommend books with characters who are like you. Another good place to start looking is in magazines like New Moon. In New Moon real girls can have their voices heard. Does anybody know of a similar magazine that boys can write to and read?

By finding entertainment that shows girls and boys more realistically, you and your family will be supporting the businesses that want to give boys and girls good messages. You can refuse to give your money to companies like Walt Disney. Instead, you can focus on entertainment that shows both boy and girl characters who are smart, active, honest, and kind—like you!

Lauren Mulvey is a student at the University of Minnesota .