Hitting us where it hurts

I went to Wal-Mart the other night to buy some more panties for Maddie. We're potty training and we needed more for the frequent changes throughout the day.

Like every other little girl, Maddie is currently IN LOVE with the Disney Princesses. She has some princess panties already, but I thought getting more might be good motivation for her.

I looked at the selection they carried:

Dora the Explorer $3.49
Nemo $3.49
Curious George $3.29
My Little Pony $3.49
Strawberry Shortcake $3.29
Disney Princesses $8.99
Care Bears $3.49

No, that's not a typo. The Princess panties were $8.99 for a set of 3!!! Oh holy crap! I wish I'd had my camera with me because I almost couldn't believe my own eyes. And they weren't mislabeled either.

I knew little girls were obsessed with Princesses but I had no idea just how far that obsession extended and how much stores would capitalize on it in any way they could. I mean, what mother is NOT going to buy the princess panties when she promised them to her little girl if she would just use the potty?