In this song, we see a Cinderella character who is judges for what is on the inside. Usually, we see how beauty is so important and so is the outfit that Cinderella wears to the ball, however, in this song we see someone who loves Cinderella even without all of these aspects? Does this absence of beauty’s importance take away from aspects of the traditional Cinderella tale?
Archive of Twice Told Tales Class, Fall 2010 
I believe this spin on the tale allows for a new message. Rather than promote beauty through materialism, this song promotes natural beauty. Also, it allows for the “prince” to seem more in love with his Cinderella. He sees the real girl and not the sparkling costume. The song gets rid of the need for the transformation to find love.
I don’t think this takes away aspects form the traditional tale. Cinderella is known to be naturally beautiful. Her getting made up with the gown and shoes just takes her beauty one step further. In some versions of Cinderella the prince falls in love with Cinderella before the ball. For example in Ever After the prince is already in love with Danielle before the ball. He falls in love with her natural beauty not what she is made into with her beautiful gown and shoes.
I agree with the previous two posts. I feel that this song helps to enforce the idea that to have a happy ending, a magical transformation is not necessary. Instead, this Prince Charming is able to see his Cinderella’s natural beauty and goodness, and he appreciates her, even if she is “barefoot,” without shining glass slippers. Instead of perpetuating the “patriarchal status quo” and making submission to male authority seem “romantically desirable” as critic Karen Rowe suggests, Cinderella stories such as this one allow for redeeming qualities to be emphasized. This song encourages women to stay true to their character, because finding love should not mean that you have to change who you are.
I also think that this song shows that you don’t need to change for someone to fall in love with you. The prince falls in love with his “barefoot Cinderella” because of the way she is naturally, she doesn’t need to dress up to impress him. However, I couldn’t help but notice the passivity in this song. She sings about dreaming and waiting for her prince to ask her to dance. Despite the fact that this song may not reflect the classic Cinderella tales that involve losing her glass slipper at the ball, she still manages to find her Prince Charming without having to dress or act any differently.
I agree with many of the comments posted above about natural beauty. However, I do think that there is still a dependence on a strong male. This song is nothing but a dream, as it says in the beginning, the female dreams of the same thing every night and it is always the idea of a guy saying these things to her. This again brings in the concept of dreaming and the differences it may have with reality. Yes, the prince likes her without the normal facade of a big ball gown and constantly looking beautiful, and this is definitely a different aspect (and a good one I think) but we don’t know if this ever happens! The song is about a dream of this happening, its idealistic and potentially unrealistic.
I do agree that the song makes the prince seem more loving and caring, and that he may have some personality, which is definitely a difference from previous versions we have read.