In the 21st Century, does every American girl still dream of growing up to be a princess?

Kate and William (photo/public domain)

I ride my exercise bike for 20 or 30 minutes every morning; I’d like to increase my pedaling time, but I can’t tolerate the programming on TV’s early shows much longer than that. Lately, it’s gotten worse. Stuck with only basic cable, I flip back and forth between the Today Show, Good Morning, America, and the CBS Early Show.

The mindlessly euphoric coverage of the royal wedding on all three networks transports me back to the middle ages. The roles in which women are cast in this extravagant pageant are stunningly regressive.

The media’s preoccupation for several days this week with which fortunate designer will do Kate’s wedding gown would convince a thoughtful person that the struggle for women’s rights in the western world has permanently stalled.

And I even heard one drooling female commentator the other day suggest that every American girl dreams of growing up to be a princess. Does that mean that none of our daughters or granddaughters are dreaming of becoming religious, political, or business leaders, doctors, scientists, writers, or maybe, entrepreneurs?

It’s not surprising that today’s Doonesbury comic strip shows Zonker and his charge Samantha in London trying to crash the royal wedding. Samantha winds up in a crowded holding area for American girls wanting to marry Harry, while Zonker tries to make the best of the situation by saying, “No, no, this is good. You can size up the competition.”

Think about it.