My Daughter Doesn't Want to be a Princess, She Wants to be a Pirate

Since we accidentally left our Chromecast in San Diego, we have been watching a lot of Disney Junior in our household while living in Virginia.  Previously, Anduin had only watched "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" on Netflix on demand.  However, since it is a Disney show, she now can watch it several times a day, along with any other show Disney has geared towards her age group.  I've noticed that there are several shows geared specifically towards little girls like "Sofia the First" or "Doc McStuffins."  And both of these shows are pretty decent in that the protagonist is a little girl trying to learn some valuable lessons and show how much she cares about others.  In fact, neither of these shows offends me.  What offends me is what happened when I decided to go buy Anduin a t-shirt of "Jake and the Neverland Pirates."

At the Disney Store, I was told they didn't carry any "Jake" merchandise, except for a 20 inch stuffed Izzy, the female character in the show.  I personally am creeped out of dolls that large or anything resembling such, so I veoted that one.  I was told by the ever helpful clerk (excuse, me "cast member") was that they did have "Miles from Tomorrowland" t-shirts... In the boy's section.

So I ventured online to buy Anduin a t-shirt because of course, the internet has everything.  Well, it turns out it has everything except "Jake" shirts in girl sizes featuring someone other than Izzy.  Izzy is not her favorite character, it's Jake because he's the leader who wields a sword (whereas Izzy gets stuck with pixie dust she can only use in emergencies).  And then I got annoyed.  Why do we think little girls would only choose to identify/emulate another girl character?  Why can't they have heroes who are boys too?  Or in Anduin's other case, she wanted a t-shirt with Merck, the silly ostrich from "Miles and Tomorrowland", any other creature than a girl?  By limiting our little girls to identifying with other girls, are we setting them up to believe that the only people they can grow up to inspire are other little girls?  I suddenly remembered the CMC on the CHUNG-HOON awkwardly telling me that he hoped I could inspire not just the female engineers but um, all engineers too, and maybe um, non-engineers too.

So Anduin, I hope you keep asking me for a slide in a hideaway that goes to your own pirate ship (because come on, I want one too!).

And yes, I bought her two "Jake" shirts online.  In blue and yellow.  With no sparkles, just a really cool sea serpent.