If your child asks you for a "Sofia the First" DVD, there are some readily available reasons to say "no." Maybe you think the first Disney princess aimed at toddlers is steeped in stereotypes and sends the wrong message to girls. Perhaps you remember there was controversy over whether or not Sofia is Latina. Or, like the father of a boy named Sam, you might just think your kid has too many DVDs.
But what happens when a stranger assumes that the reason you are denying "Sofia the First" to your little boy is because it's a "girl movie" that will make him "funny"? If you are Sam's dad, you respond to that kind of ignorance in a way that puts you in the running for "Father of the Year." On Friday, the following screengrab of Sam's dad telling his story on Facebook shot to the first page of Reddit with that victorious headline.
This exchange made many people happy, but "Sofia the First" creator Craig Gerber would likely be especially thrilled to read it. In a blog post he wrote for HuffPost last year, Gerber said that he actually made up the character for his son. "When I tell people about Sofia the First, they are surprised I have two boys and no daughters," he wrote. But that's one of the things my children have taught me -- stories resonate when there's something they can relate to."
Despite any of the aforementioned criticism of the series, Gerber's vision certainly translated into television gold for Disney. "Sofia" is a "ratings monster," according to TV Guide, and NBC Latino reported that the premiere of the movie was the top cable telecast of 2012.
Likewise, the story of how Sam got his DVD turned into Reddit gold. By Saturday, the image, originally shared by Reddit user propane-accessories, had racked up 990 comments.
Our only question is WHO'S taking bids for OLD LADY of the Year nominations?
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