Vanity in Fairytales

One thing I've noticed so far in reading these children's fairytales is that every story that has a princess as the main character elaborates on how beautiful the princess is. They are always the "fairest in the land," the most beautiful anyone has seen. I think this subconsciously puts the idea into young girls minds at a very early age that beauty is the key in finding a "happily ever after." There are so many things in today's culture that lead to vanity and a lack of self-confidence in women. I guess I'm realizing where this all stems from. We cannot only blame our Britney Spears and Paris Hilton for the high expectations women face, but also our Mother Goose and Brothers Grimm.