In the words of Emma Watson, “I feel like young girls are told this whole idea that they have to be this kind of princess and be all delicate and fragile.”
Erin Bried, an author and former magazine editor, understands and sympathizes with this statement because she worries that her own 5-year-old daughter, Ellie, will have societal limits placed on her due to the fact that she is a girl. The idea that anyone or anything would try to limit her daughter to gender-specific interests inspired Bried to take action and launch a magazine called Kazoo, which is dedicated to empowering girls to be whoever and whatever they want to be.
Bried set up a Kickstarter page to raise funds and public awareness for the launch of Kazoo. The goal of the magazine is to challenge various gender stereotypes by showing young girls that none of their interests or hobbies are “just for boys.” The magazine targets girls between the ages of 5 to 10 and issues will be published quarterly. Issues of Kazoo will focus on topics like science, technology, nature and art.
Bried was partially inspired to launch Kazoo due to her own disappointment regarding the selection of other magazines for kids that are sold in stores. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Bried said, “I don’t think there was a single title for girls that didn’t include a story on pretty hair. Every cover I saw featured a princess, a doll or a little girl wearing makeup. Since my daughter happens to prefer pirates to princesses, we left the store that day empty-handed.”
Bried wants each issue of Kazoo to feature a page of kid-created content, such as drawings, comics and photos. The rest of the content for each issue will either be created by or related to important women in various fields including activism, art, science and more. For example, notable artist Mickalene Thomas, whose work has been featured in art museums across the nation, has already agreed to turn one of her works into a color-and-glitter number project for Kazoo readers. Bried plans to have other notable women contribute recipes, features, interviews, short stories and comics.
As of April 25th, Kazoo’s Kickstarter page had officially reached its fundraising goals. Bried took to the page to announce that Kazoo magazine will be officially launching this upcoming July. “When I think about how many of you have taken a huge leap of faith to back this idea, the notes of encouragement you’ve sent to me and the impassioned pleas you’ve made to your friends on social media to get behind this project on behalf of all of our girls, I can hardly breathe. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude.”
Kazoo magazine will help little girls realize that they be just as curious, just as adventurous and just as innovative as any little boy and that there is nothing wrong with that. Don’t worry Emma Watson; soon every little girl will be aware that she can love princesses and pirates equally.
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock
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