Why Do Girls Love Horses, Unicorns And Dolphins?

[The Straight Story]

Why Do Girls Love Horses, Unicorns And Dolphins?

People have long speculated about why girls love horses, according to Peggy Orenstein, author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture.

By identifying with these dynamic, strong animals, Orenstein says, girls are expressing their own power.

"They're all active, they're all sources of power and motion and transformation," she says.

Laurel Braitman, an MIT graduate student in the history of science who writes about animals and what we think about them, says girls' fascination with these animals is more than power — the animals fuel girls' imaginations.

"Horses and dolphins and unicorns — these are all borderland creatures; gateway animals to other worlds," she says. "They help us imagine wonderful other ways of being in the world. They let us be cowgirls and oceanographers and mermaids and princesses."

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/09/133600424/why-do-girls-love-horses-unicorns-and-dolphins?ps=cprs

[notadmblnd]

1. because they're beautiful creatures

majestic, intelligent, strong with the exception of unicorns (we all know they don't exist).

[RocketTuna]

10. They do SO exist!!

:D

[ThatsMyBarack]

30. Welcome to DU, RocketTuna!

:hi:

[RandomKoolzip]

48. "Majestic, intelligent, strong..." That's all subjective. Eye of the beholder stuff.

I wouldn't associate "majestic" with horses, but that's just me. Everyone's mileage varies, as they say. To me, horses just remind me of horseshit.

[RandomKoolzip]

49. And why are teenage girls attracted to vampires? Why are boys

attracted to stupid shit like playing "army" and beating the living fuck out of one another?

It's all conditioning, and how you respond to that conditioning.

[ReggieVeggie]

2. cowgirls and oceanographers and mermaids and princesses

interesting mix of "occupations" for imaginative young women

[Geoff R. Casavant]

47. My daughter currently alternates among 3 of the 4

And I'm pretty sure at one point she was a cowgirl mermaid princess.

[rucky]

3. Unicorns. Dolphins. Why not Narwhals?

:shrug:

[Teaser]

5. Fuck Yeah! Narwhals!

http://fuckinnarwhals.tumblr.com/

[Teaser]

8. NARWHAL!

[MilesColtrane]

26. Why not Narwhals, indeed.

[Robb]

4. Well, the "gateway to other worlds" theory would explain

...my daughter's fascination with trash cans and putting things in them. :shrug:

She's nearly 2, and also is drawn to horses, dinosaurs, and Harry Belafonte. I'll have a unifying theory on all that any day now. :D

[sufrommich]

18. lol. Our little creatures are strange indeed. nt

[Imagevision]

6. and mermaids...

[Zephie]

7. I was a strange child, I always loved hawks best

Still do actually, they're just so majestic. I was always offended as a kid by the negative portrayal of birds of prey in childrens cartoons featuring animals.

[The Straight Story]

9. That's ok, you're a strange adult as well

;)

[Viking12]

11. Because they taste like Rainbows.

[MgtPA]

12. Don't forget Pegasus. The scene from Fantasia with the flying horses was my daughter's favorite when

she was about 6.

[seabeyond]

13. no to princesses. i asked niece, whats gonna happen when prince charming does not appear. how are

you gonna take care of self.

doctor.
lawyer.... yea

no to princess.

3 yrs old, she didnt get it.

my niece is teaching my great niece how to be coy, and pose, and be a princess.

rollin eyes.

[w8liftinglady]

14. lol... don't laugh, but I love pigs

well... all animals,but especially pigs.
my sister loves wolves.
yeah- we're weird.

[seabeyond]

15. it was charolettes web, wasnt it. lol nt

[The Straight Story]

16. I like bacon and ham, so I guess I love pigs too

:evilgrin:

[SpiralHawk]

65. "Thank you. Thank you very much." - Rush DraftDodger Limbaugh (R)

[pipi_k]

29. OMG!!! Are we related???

I love pigs too!

And wolves! In fact, last year (and this year too) I "adopted" a wolf from Wolf Hollow in Ipswich Mass.

His name is "Bear" and I get updated photos of him. I chose him because he looks so much like one of my own German Shepherds.

He's on this page...


http://www.wolfhollowipswich.org/wolves.htm


For your sis if she would like to adopt one :)

[here_is_to_hope]

17. For my little girl, I would add seahorses, eggs

and catapillars...
As to an egg (which, even at 7, is anything round), I have no idea but she has ostrich eggs, fake dinsosaur eggs and a hardboiled egg from 4 years ago.
Odd that one.

[bemildred]

19. Well, it's safer, for one thing, than football, guns, and motorcycles. nt

[mainer]

20. They also represent freedom. Get on a horse and GO.

Everything else ties us down.

[OnionPatch]

21. My daughter loves her troll dolls.

What can that mean? :shrug:

[The Straight Story]

22. That she has a future in being a troll on a message board?

:rofl:

[raccoon]

23. Not I--I prefered my bicycle.

One sister and two female cousins were horse-crazy; I didn't get the horse gene.

[gkhouston]

41. +1. I liked to look at them and read books about them but don't remember

wanting one of my own. I never really understood the infatuation with horses, anymore than I understood the infatuation with vampires a little later on. Now horse vampires, that would have been interesting... }(

[raccoon]

44. Now, vampires I liked as an adolescent. Only one I knew of then was Dracula. nt

[LibertyLover]

24. I loved horses as a kid and dinosaurs

Unicorns and pegasi weren't very common back then, so while I was aware of them in mythology, they didn't do much for me. I didn't think that much about dolphins either, at least not until I was older, in my late 30s, and got to swim with them down in Florida. Now my 8 year old daughter on the other hand loves all those animals and many more besides. Heck, her bed has so many stuffed animals in it that she winds up using them for pillows half the time. Manatees, giraffes, guinea pigs - she loves them all. LOL!

[Odin2005]

25. I listened to the NPR story on that book.

I found it almost disturbing how sensitive kids are to gender expectations.

[hyphenate]

37. I had a discussion with my mom

About some of that stuff. I reminded her that as a kid, I hated dolls and all that "female" crap. In fact, pink is one of the colors I most hate, especially baby pink.

I watched a lot of TV, and one of the things I remember wanting most was a lion--because I was in love with Daktari and Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion.

My mom had gotten me a fairly expensive stroller when I was about 9--I dumped it in an alley close to the house, and told her I had "lost" it.

I told mom that if I had had kids, I would have made sure they had lots and lots of stimulation, and would never be subjected to gender-specific toys and games, that I'd get the kids interested in things like legos, or lincoln logs, or things to build and grow. Mom protested by saying those were toys for "boys." I told her that was exactly the point--why should girls be saddled with the mommy toys, and boys could get anything they wanted? I told her that was what we were trying to do away with--the stuff that only boys could have, that maybe girls wanted to do, too.

I had my time with horses, cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens on my grandparents' farm. All I wanted was a kitty.

I do prefer pegasi to unicorns, though. Pegasi fly--unicorns are for virgins. I don't qualify. ;)

[EyeofRamen]

27. Cowboys, mermaids and princesses?

OK... oceanographers are cool. And so are cowGIRLS (it's kind of hard for an anatomical female to be a cowBOY, but I digress).

I'm sorry, but I don't remember ever wanting to be a mermaid or a princess and this new fad of "princess this" and "princess that" is concerning to me as I watch my toddler girl fall prey to advertiser/peer pressure whims. :( (FWIW, I can control some of the things she sees on TV, but I can't control all of the things her little Mommy's Day Out buddies bring up).

[pipi_k]

28. Mice...

Well, one mouse in particular...




He was my hero, and I used to daydream about him saving me from all sorts of scary situations.


At the age of 6, he was my second love after a cute little boy with big brown eyes and black hair who didn't pay attention to me...

[CRK7376]

31. My 12 yo daughter

loves horses and dolphins. For awhile there her nickname was divadolphin....She wants to be a Veterenarian. Her main passion these days seems to be trying to outride her 17yo brother on their Treks....Son has had mild concussion from a stupid jump. Daughter has knocked wind out of herself attemping jumps. They will learn to be less reckless, but will lose more skin and pride while learning the hard way I think....

[TwilightGardener]

32. Never had a huge fascination for dolphins and horses, though I was

very interested in animals as a little girl (still am). Unicorns...I don't know why little girls would like an invented animal, but always makes me think of The Office: "My horn can pierce the sky!"

[Motown_Johnny]

33. The same reason they love Harleys?

[ensho]

34. adv. media brainwashing - along with misguided mothers who have

been previously adv. media brainwashed, etc., etc.

[LanternWaste]

45. Much like console games, books and movies too I imagine.

Much like console games, books and movies too I imagine.

Everyone fits into a demographic, hence the post hoc ergo prompter hoc. :shrug:

[fatbuckel]

35. Conditioning. I have three, one loves acting, one is a Beiberhead, and one likes autorepair.

I didn`t take my parenting clues from corporate America.

[hyphenate]

36. Who knew?

What sort of creatures will be see in the new place? If these are "gateway" animals, does that mean we'll want to see mermaids, dragons, gryffins, or even--(gasp!)--centaurs?

My goodness--we might want to actually....read fantasy and science fiction! Perish the thought!!

[Cleita]

38. They are something powerful that you can tame and ride.

Little girls notice that women are pretty much under the thumb of men, even today, so being able to tame a large and powerful animal and especially to be able to ride it appeals to them. It's about having some control over their lives. There have been studies about this and sure, there's the fairy tale aspect to it too.

[RobinA]

39. Not Me

This ex-girl never liked any of those things. I do, however, like pink. I was a big fan of Aesop's Fables and had a book of Russian fairy tales. It quickly became obvious to preschool me who had all the power - witches and wicked queens. Princesses were all ninnies who had to enlist men to do just about anything, including wake up. The males were often buffoonish. Forget going to other worlds, I just wanted flying monkeys and poison apples so I could rule this one.

[jayfish]

40. I listened to that story on the way home from work yesterday.

As the father of an 8-year old horse, unicorn and dolphin loving girl; I found it wonderfully insightful.

[RedCloud]

42. So we should get them chocolate ones for valentine's day?

[madamesilverspurs]

43. Had a playmate in the 1950s who was obsessed with horses.

Mom was hanging laundry in the back yard and heard some odd vocalizations coming from the yard next door. Looking over the fence she spotted the source of the sounds -- the 10-year-old lying on her side on the ground, waving her arms and legs.

Mom asked if she was okay, the girl responded, "I'm foaling!"

-

[Generic Other]

46. Someone who works for CPS almost always finds unicorns

in homes where kids are being abused. He doesn't have a good explanation but has observed this is the case. Odd no?

[Poll_Blind]

52. Not odd in my experience, actually, though maybe a little misleading obviously.

Because I can't back it up (and because my example is inflammatory) I won't go into it much but I'd heard something similar. Didn't have to do with unicorns specifically, though. Obviously not everyone who owns unicorns is party to child abuse but I think there are fantasy outlets that people choose when there are serious stresses in their life or serious issues and sometimes those outlets take the form of "totemization" with certain types of items.

PB

[Generic Other]

59. I always notice if I see a unicorn these days

totally reflexive action on my part. I have nothing to back up this anecdotal evidence. It just stuck with me. Yours is the best explanation of why such a statement could have validity.

[JVS]

50. Dolphins are obviously phallic, horses are something they sit astride, unicorns combine the two.

[yella_dawg]

51. Oooh!

I didn't have the nerve to point that out.

[Poll_Blind]

53. I also didn't have the cajones to point that out.

:rofl:

PB

[Matariki]

54. Was going to say - the phallic symbolism of those three is pretty obvious.

But that possibly adds to the argument in the OP.

[LostInAnomie]

55. Haha... I was just about to say that.

Good thing I looked down thread before I did.

[lukasahero]

57. yes because even 3 yr old girls can't resist dicks

:eyes:

[JVS]

58. It's not my fault that kids like a fake animal that is a horse with a dick growing out of its head.

And how you phrase it fails to capture the complexity of the issue, but I'd remind you that there is not an alarm clock that suddenly makes kids notice their genitals when they turn 13.

[Cetacea]

61. Why don't they like rockets?

[JVS]

62. Too strong/dangerous. Rockets and guns are both aggressive phallic symbols, unicorns and dolphins...

are gentle/tame. Note that our society encourages boys to play with/ wield the aggressive phallus.

[originalpckelly]

64. "The gun is good. The penis is evil."

[Hannah Bell]

63. so are guns and cars as well -- to freudians obsessed with penises, everything = a penis.

& all children are secretly obsessed with penises.

[JVS]

67. Not everything is a penis. But there are penises out there.

[Lucinda]

56. I'm more a crow and bear girl myself!

:hi:

[Generic Other]

60. Whatever happened to soft cuddly bunnies?

I always liked them best.

[bklyncowgirl]

66. Power, speed and grace without violence

I'm talking about the image of these animals--not the reality. Dolphins and horses engage in real fights for dominence in their social groups but for the most part appear to live in harmony. Girls like that. Maybe it reflects their own lives.

It's also interesting that girls who are interested in dinosaurs are attracted to the big plant eaters like the one that back when a was a horse, dolphin, dino obsessed girl was called brontosaurus and is now known as apatosaurus. (I still like brontosaurus--I guess that means I'm an old fossil) I guess I liked them because, although these animals were peaceful, they were big enough and strong enough to drive off any predator. Back off T-Rex. Mama triceratops is HERE.

As a librarian, I can vouch that while most girls while girls gravitate to the books on horses and dolphins, boys ask for books on lions, tigers and of course the grand daddy of all havoc reakers, T-Rex.

This is all rather new. The "Black Stallion" series was written in the 1950s & 60s about a boy, presumably for boys. Its equine hero is a dangerous outlaw stallion. The Black kills predators, fights other stallions and is uncontrollable except for young Alec Ramsey with whome he shares a unique bond. He's no fluffy pink horsey with spangles in his mane and the stories are centered in the 1940s & 50s racing world of boys and men, not riding schools full of young girls obsessed with horses, boys and status not necessarily in that order, but I doubt you'd see too many boys wanting to read this series these days. It's still read, but mainly by girls.

Why this is, I honestly don't know.