IDIOTIZED

This story about Moderna isn’t a fairy tale, it’s a fairy-empowerment tale

Moderna de Pueblo grew up hearing phrases like “that’s not ladylike,” “she’s a nasty one,” and “your wedding day will be the happiest day of your life.” But when she moves to the city and meets Sluterella, Snow Fat, and the Brittle Mermaid, she wakes up from her “idiotization” and sets off on the long road to unlearning all the things she should never have been taught. She realizes that all the things she saw in movies about little princesses, all the advice she received from her parents, grandparents, and friends to help her become “a proper girl in the eyes of God” has poisoned her, and she sees how much time she’s lost trying to please men and looking for the love of her life. So when she finally does find him, she’s afraid she’ll give up everything for him and will go back to being lulled by her “idiotization,” just like the sleeping beauty. If love is the opiate of women, will she have to detox from this drug and leave her relationship behind to become the woman of her dreams?