credit Doe-Anderson
Mercy Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school in Louisville, KY just launched a revolutionary new ad campaign and the national media is eating it up. The taglines:
You’re not a princess. But you can still rule the world.
Don’t wait for a prince. Be able to rescue yourself.
Life’s not a fairytale. Prepare for real life.
Let me establish first that I’m the proud product of a single-sex high school education. I went to a Mercy high school myself (also run by the Sisters of Mercy) and relished in my time there. It was a blessing for which I will always be grateful.
That being said, I completely agree that it’s good to encourage girls to be strong and independent, to understand that the “real world” is a tough, unforgiving place at times, and that they will have to be self-sufficient. According to Mercy’s president Mike Johnson, the ads “bolster a view…that women can achieve anything” and though fairytales are nice stories, real life “requires people to be able to think and problem-solve and access information and innovate and collaborate with others” (WFPL, Louisville); but after reading half a dozen articles on the subject, this is not the primary message the media is gleaning from what’s being called the “anti-princess campaign.” Secular columnists and bloggers are fawning over the idea that a Catholic institution is finally sending a feminist message to girls. Finally the Catholic Church is empowering women (they don’t understand that the Church has done so for 2,000+ years). Finally girls will be inspired to get a grip instead of waiting for some prince astride a noble steed to rescue them. I can’t fathom trying to communicate the depth and truth of real feminine genius to these writers or even the world at large. And I wonder if from these ads, people will infer a message that may ultimately work against the target audience – current and prospective students – than for them, at least in the grand scheme.
While the base ideas behind Mercy’s push are good, they strike me as incomplete for a Catholic school. Even after the tagline, one ad describes the type of education at Mercy, but mentions nothing of faith or God. Women can achieve anything and they should be empowered, but not by themselves. Call me crazy, but the campaign I would love to see from a Catholic all-girls school run by a religious order would be one oriented toward God over self. What if Mercy Academy affirmed that its students and prospects are, in fact, princesses? After all (and above all), we are heirs of God the Father by virtue of the fact that He is King of Kings and we are His children, which makes us royalty. What if Mercy sent the message that a girl’s power, intelligence, and confidence don’t come from within, but from God’s grace? In short, the campaign encouraging girls to rule the world, prepare for real life, and rescue themselves seems to be void of faith. The truth is that ability, preparation, and self-sufficiency are gifts from God to be accepted. What if Mercy Academy established this as their foundation of education and facing the real world?
Of course, this message is hardly mainstream and it wouldn’t gain the same national attention; but if you want to empower a young woman, tell her to humble herself before God and to accept His will, as the Most Powerful Woman in the world once did. A humble woman understands who she is in relation to God and walks in confidence of His love for her. Empowered by this truth, she can face any obstacle in the real world not by her own right, but by God’s grace. The campaign fights against the apparent farce of fairytale dreams; but a more godly approach would rise above the tone of the GIRL POWER movement all too common in secularist society.
Ultimately, I would love to see an effort that encourages young girls not to conquer this world, but to strive for the next; one that will tell them that our Happily Ever After exists in Heaven.
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU,the problem is that for the world if a girl is strong,intelligent and confident she’s got to measure up against men to see who ‘s the best in the big wide world.Surely she can’t use these God given qualities to provide a home where she, husband and children can flourish.
We are all encouraged even obliged by governments to become ecologically conscious to save the planet,but what about men and women being “ecologically conscious” about humankind, I mean every household needs a good manager with special qualifications which most women seem to have,why push them to use them outside their home
I see your point of view…and agree. Based on your preview last night, I learned all I could about this school via the internet. Let me tell you, if there was one in my city, I would send my daughter YESTERDAY. As a Catholic, I saw not only a faith based institution but a traditional CATHOLIC one. A school that not only wanted to provide my daughter with a classical education but teach her to use her knowledge in practical ways. A school that espouses our beliefs, traditions and ideals.
I am excited that such a wonderful school, via it’s marketing campaign, is gaining such attention. Sure, the media has skewed the message. That’s what they do. Along with all the attention Pope Francis has gotten for saying things that Catholics have believed for hundreds and thousands of years, I think this can only help the Church. It’s positive, thought-provoking attention.
It’s interesting to say the least. I think, based solely on this ad campaign, I would decide against Mercy Academy for my hypothetical daughter. When it comes to Catholic education, I’d prefer to see strength of faith advertised instead of a click option on the website. I have no doubt at all that the school is rock solid in quality education – I don’t know if that’s a Mercy thing or a single-sex thing, but my Mercy High School was hardcore and much more difficult that many of my college courses. Anyway, just my developing thought.
Love the last two paragraphs. So beautifully put and so very true. The messages, while good-intentioned, are missing the most important Presence – Him whom all good things come from.
“…but if you want to empower a young woman, tell her to humble herself before God and to accept His will…”
Can we empower a young man to accept God’s will? …to care for his unborn child, the child that he, the man just procreated?
YES! Men need physical, emotional, and spiritual camaraderie. They need the fellowship of other men, and women who will support them. There’s a myth going around that men need to be strong on their own, that they need to need no one. Provide physical, emotional, and spiritual support for any soul, and he or she will be empowered.