I love Little Miss Sunshine. I actually don't remember if I encountered her as a child, although she is an original Little Miss character and was published when I was young. I remember we had Mr. Bump and Mr. Happy, and I remember reading them over and over. Recently, I bought Little Miss Sunshine for my own Little Miss (Mostly) Sunshine and was surprised to find it was more sophisticated than I had remembered.
Little Miss Sunshine encounters Miseryland, a place where SMILING, LAUGHING, GIGGLING, and CHUCKLING are forbidden by the king. After some lengthy walking into and out of the large castle of the king, Little Miss Sunshine, smiling the whole time, helps him change Miseryland so that SMILING, LAUGHING, GIGGLING, and CHUCKLING are permitted, and she even helps him get started with some practice smiling and laughing. Thus is Miseryland transformed into Laughterland.
A charming story, yes? But it struck a more complicated chord with me, especially the further I thought about it. The giant sign posted at the border of Miseryland that stated YOU ARE NOW ENTERING MISERYLAND in loud capital letters seems just what some people (and at times, myself, too) do: declare unhappiness, an act that by it's very nature gives it power. The Miseryland sign also stated the behaviors that were not allowed, which if you believe the words on a sign (or in a book, or stated by others, on on tv), define the way one should behave. While talking to the king, Little Miss Sunshine asks, "But wouldn't you like to be happy?" and the king replies, "Of course I would! But how can I be? This is MISERYLAND!" as if he had no control over his own choices because of the sign at the border of the land. The king later says he doesn't know how to be happy because he's never tried, clearly because he was locked into the idea that he was in Miseryland and there was no other way to think or behave. At the end, with a few strokes of Little Miss Sunshine's black marker, Miseryland is eradicated. It no longer exists! The king and his subjects are no longer under the self-imposed culture of Misery, all because a new perspective re-framed the old paradigm.
Finding and being friends with the Little Miss (or Mr.) Sunshines of the world and working to re-frame assumed behaviors can be life changing!
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When I started this post, I looked at the Mr. Men site to see what I could learn about the characters, and if there was anything interesting about Little Miss Sunshine I could include in my (over)analysis of her book. I was extremely disappointed. Apparently, merchandising is most important for the Mr. Men company, and sexist drivel with no substance is promoted. According to the site, Little Miss Sunshine amounts to nothing more than a "girly girl" who "loves giving her friends makeovers!" Really? She single-handedly changed the world, and that's all they say about her?
I'm currently visiting Righteous Feminist Angry Land... a place I sometimes find myself. Unfortunately, ranting about it tends to keep me here, which isn't really enjoyable for the long term (though I admit, a short visit can be very cathartic), so I'll be leaving it now for Family Fun Land, a much better place to be.
Happy weekend!
Little Miss Sunshine encounters Miseryland, a place where SMILING, LAUGHING, GIGGLING, and CHUCKLING are forbidden by the king. After some lengthy walking into and out of the large castle of the king, Little Miss Sunshine, smiling the whole time, helps him change Miseryland so that SMILING, LAUGHING, GIGGLING, and CHUCKLING are permitted, and she even helps him get started with some practice smiling and laughing. Thus is Miseryland transformed into Laughterland.
A charming story, yes? But it struck a more complicated chord with me, especially the further I thought about it. The giant sign posted at the border of Miseryland that stated YOU ARE NOW ENTERING MISERYLAND in loud capital letters seems just what some people (and at times, myself, too) do: declare unhappiness, an act that by it's very nature gives it power. The Miseryland sign also stated the behaviors that were not allowed, which if you believe the words on a sign (or in a book, or stated by others, on on tv), define the way one should behave. While talking to the king, Little Miss Sunshine asks, "But wouldn't you like to be happy?" and the king replies, "Of course I would! But how can I be? This is MISERYLAND!" as if he had no control over his own choices because of the sign at the border of the land. The king later says he doesn't know how to be happy because he's never tried, clearly because he was locked into the idea that he was in Miseryland and there was no other way to think or behave. At the end, with a few strokes of Little Miss Sunshine's black marker, Miseryland is eradicated. It no longer exists! The king and his subjects are no longer under the self-imposed culture of Misery, all because a new perspective re-framed the old paradigm.
Finding and being friends with the Little Miss (or Mr.) Sunshines of the world and working to re-frame assumed behaviors can be life changing!
------
When I started this post, I looked at the Mr. Men site to see what I could learn about the characters, and if there was anything interesting about Little Miss Sunshine I could include in my (over)analysis of her book. I was extremely disappointed. Apparently, merchandising is most important for the Mr. Men company, and sexist drivel with no substance is promoted. According to the site, Little Miss Sunshine amounts to nothing more than a "girly girl" who "loves giving her friends makeovers!" Really? She single-handedly changed the world, and that's all they say about her?
I'm currently visiting Righteous Feminist Angry Land... a place I sometimes find myself. Unfortunately, ranting about it tends to keep me here, which isn't really enjoyable for the long term (though I admit, a short visit can be very cathartic), so I'll be leaving it now for Family Fun Land, a much better place to be.
Happy weekend!
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