Short short short summary of the article:
1. Disney unfairly depicts mental illness through the physical illustration of their characters
2. Disney promotes biased and hurtful stereotypes of the mentally disabled.
3. Because of Disney, mentally disabled individuals are going to be treated in an inhumane way.
Rather than going on a rant about how I disagree with this article, I would like to just point out the few problems I have with the argument/the logic of the piece.
1. I don't think that one can legitimately use the depiction of physical traits as a way to support a argument about consistent character portrayal, mainly because it is rare that Disney films aim for their figures to be realistically accurate. Usually the advantage of a memorable and visually aesthetic picture is more important to producers than one that is true to what you see in real life. Therefore, it would make the most sense to take these images with a grain of salt when looking at them critically because it is not only the silly characters that are physical hyperboles, but the entire animated cast. Princesses have nightmarishly small waists and large eyes, the proportion of size from the arms/shoulders to the head of most Princes would make them terrifying in real life. However, the entire point of this construct is that it looks appealing to the audience's eye.
2. The examples that are used in this piece, primarily Gus Gus and Dopey, are both definitely portrayed as less intelligent than their peers but to label them as "mentally disabled" from this trait seems like an exaggeration. One could argue that they are supposed to be illustrated as the younger and/or less mature individuals of their crowd. I know that when I first watched Cinderella, I significantly identified with Gus Gus much more than Cinderella herself. Just like Gus Gus, I had an older brother who often kept me out of trouble and sometimes got me into it as well. I didn't always understand what was going on, but when I did, I was passionate about being a part of whatever the situation was. The greater issue here is the author's definition of mental disability and how wide of a range it covers, as well as the fact that the interpretation of a cartoon character is incredibly subjective to each audience it is shown to.
3. As with every criticism that we deal with regarding Disney, there is the idea that watching Dopey, Gus Gus and Lafou get pushed around by their fellow characters, the audience will be overwhelmed by the urge to do the same to those around them. I don't agree with this specific connection of Disney and their real life counterparts because there are several instances in other genres in which archetypes are portrayed a certain way.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
The Original Ariel
I've decided I'm going to live-blog my reactions to the original Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. I may not have as much to say as I would watching the movie, but I'll still be able to reflect upon my thoughts and connections of the piece.
"...they took it for the howling of the storm." I feel like this is a comment Simon Cowell would say on American Idol to a contestant that was convinced they were talented. I can just picture someone singing their heart out and Simon responding
"I couldn't quite understand the song...so I mistook it for the howling of a storm," and waving goodbye as he chews on a pen in the most condescending fashion humanely possible.
I feel like I would enjoy this story much more if there were songs distributed throughout. Trying to imagine if I would like the Disney version itself if there was no music in it. I think not.
Now we are into the part in which Anderson is describing Ursula's wretched home and the ugly evils that are within. The word "polypi" is used to describe the creatures that surround her house. I looked up what this word meant and it brought much confusion. Google says that this is a "polypus":
"...they took it for the howling of the storm." I feel like this is a comment Simon Cowell would say on American Idol to a contestant that was convinced they were talented. I can just picture someone singing their heart out and Simon responding
"I couldn't quite understand the song...so I mistook it for the howling of a storm," and waving goodbye as he chews on a pen in the most condescending fashion humanely possible.
Now we are into the part in which Anderson is describing Ursula's wretched home and the ugly evils that are within. The word "polypi" is used to describe the creatures that surround her house. I looked up what this word meant and it brought much confusion. Google says that this is a "polypus":
If Google was correct, which it usually is, then what exactly are these things that Disney depicted in the movie?
It is interesting to me that Disney excluded the pain that came with using human legs for the Little Mermaid. However, I do understand that it definitely gives the story a more tragic and dark tone.
Additionally, I think the Disney version was more successful among audiences because the line between good and evil was more clearly defined. In this version, there isn't a true villain or hero that consumers can choose to side with. Although the Sea Witch is clearly malevolent to some degree, she never really does anything to the Little Mermaid that wasn't described and cautioned beforehand. The Prince, while he is illustrated as handsome and arguably pleasant, is the main cause of the Little Mermaid's death, but is he really a "villain" for just falling in love with another girl? In the Disney adaptation, Ursula is shown to be deceitful and evil, while the Prince is attributed with kindness and humility. Because of this, the audience can fully justify to themselves why they are rooting for the success of the Little Mermaid and for Ursula to be conquered.
Anderson's version of this tale left me feeling torn, much of this happened because of the selfish nature of the Little Mermaid's actions. She gives up her life and puts her family at risk to pursue a love built upon physical attraction alone. Oh well. That is what the Bachelor is founded off of right?
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
A Return to Water
So I have decided upon a new layout for my movie responses. Rather than focusing on one aspect of the film like I did on the last movie, I'm going to present more of a reactionary piece of The Little Mermaid.
Before Viewing
Things I Am Looking Forward To:
- the songs, The Little Mermaid easily has one of the best Disney soundtracks of all time, also I really just miss hearing laid back and/or upbeat reggae on the radio everyday
- seeing water. even if it's fake and animated. Being surrounded by trees and concrete is suffocating and ironically, I feel more like I'm on an island than ever before. I MISS THE OCEAN.
- nostalgia.
Things I Am Not Looking Forward To:
- the flip side of nostalgia: watching a movie I have seen a million times before
- Ariel's waistline, especially after the tub of ice cream I just consumed
- Ariel's hair, considering the state mine is in right now
- the concept of a cartoon character making me feel self conscious
Commentary
First scene is a song that no one remembers. Similar to Frozen, lots of burly men singing a burly song that you don't really pay attention to.
Mermaid people with ethereal music!!! I'm legitimately excited right now for this royal performance.
Why do all of Ariel's sisters look like the same person with different hair/eye color?
I forgot that Ursula was part octopus. Does that make her a mermaid still?
Disney got the whole father/daughter argument down pat. I've only had one argument with my Dad once and it was very similar. Only with much less cliche dialogue. There is always a certain amount of surprise when your parnets yell at you for the first time. Even when you know you deserve it, it stings.
No time for sad feelings when one of my favorite songs ever is on. WISH I COULD BEEEE PART OF THATTTTT WORRRLDDDDDDD! I can not tell you how many times I used this song for auditions. Definite work of brilliance on both the lyrics and the composition.
My face trying to figure out what exactly Ursula's "garden" is made out of and how Ariel would make a "good addition" to it.
No time to figure that out! ANOTHER SONG I LOVE IS ON! Under the sea is definitely where I want to be Sebastian!
Hold up a second... "the fluke is the Duke of Soul?"
What is it about a young girl sobbing that is universally heartbreaking to some extent?
Interesting that it is very common for the trait of different colored eyes to be applied to villians. In the same way that fuller figured, heavier characters like Ursula are almost always "evil". I tried to explain a similar concept like this in class the other day. I am not trying to say that just because someone has these characteristics, they are automatically evil. I am trying to say that things such as appearance and intelligence are often used by writers and animators to identify specific types of characters. Whew.
"If you want something done, you have to do it yourself." -Sebastian speaks the motto of every Duke student during group projects
It's time to kiss the girl! Man, this soundtrack is phenomenal!
I don't like the fact that Eric is planning to marry a woman based solely off the sound of her voice. Then again, he was about to marry Ariel based solely off her looks. I guess the he's quite the catch?
The final fight scene was exciting and well done, but way confusing. During the tsunami that is caused by Ursula, what happens to the wedding ship that Eric and all of the royal humans were on? How did they all somehow get back to the castle safe and unharmed?
After Viewing:
Things I Loved:
- the soundtrack!!!
- the animation/design of the characters, even if things got a little redundant, they most definitely were stunning at parts
Things I Hated:
- the moral of the story seems to be that having an attractive husband is more important that staying true to yourself and your family
- it also bothered me that Ariel didn't fall in love in Eric for anything besides his appearance, she never once mentioned any other quality
Before Viewing
Things I Am Looking Forward To:
- the songs, The Little Mermaid easily has one of the best Disney soundtracks of all time, also I really just miss hearing laid back and/or upbeat reggae on the radio everyday
- seeing water. even if it's fake and animated. Being surrounded by trees and concrete is suffocating and ironically, I feel more like I'm on an island than ever before. I MISS THE OCEAN.
- nostalgia.
Things I Am Not Looking Forward To:
- the flip side of nostalgia: watching a movie I have seen a million times before
- Ariel's waistline, especially after the tub of ice cream I just consumed
- Ariel's hair, considering the state mine is in right now
- the concept of a cartoon character making me feel self conscious
Commentary
First scene is a song that no one remembers. Similar to Frozen, lots of burly men singing a burly song that you don't really pay attention to.
Mermaid people with ethereal music!!! I'm legitimately excited right now for this royal performance.
Why do all of Ariel's sisters look like the same person with different hair/eye color?
I forgot that Ursula was part octopus. Does that make her a mermaid still?
Disney got the whole father/daughter argument down pat. I've only had one argument with my Dad once and it was very similar. Only with much less cliche dialogue. There is always a certain amount of surprise when your parnets yell at you for the first time. Even when you know you deserve it, it stings.
No time for sad feelings when one of my favorite songs ever is on. WISH I COULD BEEEE PART OF THATTTTT WORRRLDDDDDDD! I can not tell you how many times I used this song for auditions. Definite work of brilliance on both the lyrics and the composition.
My face trying to figure out what exactly Ursula's "garden" is made out of and how Ariel would make a "good addition" to it.
No time to figure that out! ANOTHER SONG I LOVE IS ON! Under the sea is definitely where I want to be Sebastian!
Hold up a second... "the fluke is the Duke of Soul?"
What is it about a young girl sobbing that is universally heartbreaking to some extent?
Interesting that it is very common for the trait of different colored eyes to be applied to villians. In the same way that fuller figured, heavier characters like Ursula are almost always "evil". I tried to explain a similar concept like this in class the other day. I am not trying to say that just because someone has these characteristics, they are automatically evil. I am trying to say that things such as appearance and intelligence are often used by writers and animators to identify specific types of characters. Whew.
"If you want something done, you have to do it yourself." -Sebastian speaks the motto of every Duke student during group projects
It's time to kiss the girl! Man, this soundtrack is phenomenal!
I don't like the fact that Eric is planning to marry a woman based solely off the sound of her voice. Then again, he was about to marry Ariel based solely off her looks. I guess the he's quite the catch?
The final fight scene was exciting and well done, but way confusing. During the tsunami that is caused by Ursula, what happens to the wedding ship that Eric and all of the royal humans were on? How did they all somehow get back to the castle safe and unharmed?
After Viewing:
Things I Loved:
- the soundtrack!!!
- the animation/design of the characters, even if things got a little redundant, they most definitely were stunning at parts
Things I Hated:
- the moral of the story seems to be that having an attractive husband is more important that staying true to yourself and your family
- it also bothered me that Ariel didn't fall in love in Eric for anything besides his appearance, she never once mentioned any other quality
Monday, February 9, 2015
The Traditional Snow White
After watching the original version of Snow White, I had a feeling there would be a general community of comments about the film and it's production. So rather than discussing the obvious I'd like to reign my comments to the ones that may not get brought up in class today.
1. I could not keep my eyes off of Snow White. Everything about her was so unique and different to what I had become accustomed to in a Disney Princess culture. Her waist size was a reasonable size, her eyes didn't take up half of her face and it was definitely a weird feeling. My initial instinct was to say that she was certainly a more fuller figured princess, when in reality she is just one of the few with realistic measurements. The jarring difference between this Snow White and the one I was used to seeing definitely highlighted how formulaic Disney designers have become in terms of their female characters. Below I have an image of Snow White from the original movie next to an image of how her copyrighted image looks today.
(1938)
1. I could not keep my eyes off of Snow White. Everything about her was so unique and different to what I had become accustomed to in a Disney Princess culture. Her waist size was a reasonable size, her eyes didn't take up half of her face and it was definitely a weird feeling. My initial instinct was to say that she was certainly a more fuller figured princess, when in reality she is just one of the few with realistic measurements. The jarring difference between this Snow White and the one I was used to seeing definitely highlighted how formulaic Disney designers have become in terms of their female characters. Below I have an image of Snow White from the original movie next to an image of how her copyrighted image looks today.
(2015)
Although I couldn't manage to find one that wasn't blurry when uploaded, you can still see the differences made in her appearance. She was given more defined cheekbones, heavier makeup, a larger bust, a much smaller waist and thinner arms. The photoshopped effect is one that I don't think I enjoy. I feel as though I could swap the hair and dress of Belle or Aurora or Cinderella and still have the same looking character. While this bothered me, I can't say I wasn't surprised.
2. Music hasn't changed, but vocal styles sure have. The accompaniment of most of the songs in this film were really enjoyable to hear and almost comforting in a nostalgic sense. However, the voices of the singers made my head tilt like a confused chihuahua every time they started to sing. I've become so accustomed to digitally refined, pitch perfect soundtracks that it seemed foreign for me to be able to spot mistakes or hear the individual voices of each dwarves when they sung as a group. Now if there is an instance like that, a single voice is just looped and given the necessary audio adjustments to sound like many people.
3. I couldn't help but think back to an earlier reading we had in which an argument was made that humans are more inclined to like round edged characters than ones with many sharp edges. Less liked dwarves such as Grumpy were identified with sharp points and the the friendlier ones such as Dopey were dominated by curves in their visual composition. When comparing the Queen to Snow White, you can notice the overwhelming presence of angles and edges in the image of the villain, but not the princess. While at first I thought maybe that authoring was exaggerating, I am starting to see their point.
A Grimm Snow White
This is the best reaction I can muster after reading the Brother's Grimm version of Snow White.
Not only was the story way less appealing than the Disney film made it to appear, but it was almost hard to follow at times because of something that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it was the style of storytelling or how there were several parts that didn't make logical sense to me. Either way, I am definitely not a fan of the original. For instance, why did it take Snow White so many close encounters to understand not to open the door for strangers? What was it about this description of the dwarves that made them slightly creepy and less friendly than the movie version? And what was it about the Prince that seemed definitely more creepy than the movie version? Maybe it was the idea that he never actually proposed to his wife, but ordered her to marry him the moment she wakes up in a glass coffin.
However, I did enjoy the difference in how Snow White was revived. The idea of her coming back from death because of a kiss never really made sense to me. While the concept of a piece of apple being dislodged from her throat due to a bumpy hike is little far fetched as well, it made me happy to visualize the seven dwarves being able to save her after all the stressful and tedious housework she did for them.
The ending is one that I feel many of my classmates will comment on. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it and I've read the story at least four times now. I think a part of me enjoys the idea that the villain gets publicly humiliated at the end, but at the same time it is off putting to think of the graphic nature of how she was killed. Being forced to dance until you die usually doesn't sound like a bad way to go, but this case of burning iron shoes takes all the fun out of it for me.
I'm disappointed to say the least, because I usually like the unusual twists and turns that original fairy tales have. I think what bothered me about the original was that the changes didn't seem to further develop the plot or make it more complex. It seemed random and unnecessary and I guess that's why I felt annoyed when I finished the text.
Oh well. Maybe next time Grimm Brothers, until we meet again.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
The Downfall of Hunchback
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was an arguably well produced Disney cartoon. However, it was relatively unsuccessful in regards of it's profit and legacy upon fans. After watching it again recently for the first time in almost ten years, I am starting to pick up on why I so rarely asked my parents to put in the VHS of Hunchback and instead re watched The Little Mermaid and The Lion King hundreds of times.
1. The beginning sequence is terrifying and slightly traumatizing for a Disney film. I'm pretty sure the attempt to throw a newborn into a well is pretty high ranking on the list of troubling images that one can show a child.
2. The song lyrics aren't friendly. Even for a villain they are a little hard to swallow. "You're deformed, and you're ugly." to which, Quasimodo replies "I'm a monster and I am ugly." Not necessarily as catchy and relatable as "we used to be best buddies, and now we're not. " (One of the most negative lines in the Frozen Soundtrack)
3. I don't think it is the amount of violence that would bother kids, but the intensity of the actions that are portrayed that would make any adult uncomfortable. Just watched a group of "Gypsy" families, kids, parents, grandparents sobbing as they are handcuffed to one another and pushed into a small carriage. Then the carriage is ordered to be thrown into the river. This is seriously material pulled from horror films I believe.
4. Now a family is locked in their house, the dad pleading for mercy. The punishment they are receiving for "harboring gypsies" is now to have their house set on fire with them inside. I actually double-check to make sure I am watching the right version of this film. Yup. Disney right on the front cover.
5. The moments of humor are so dark that I am actually starting to find the idea of children under the age of twelve watching this insanely comical. As one of the gargoyles sings a light jazzy tune about love, he sings the lines "Of all the guys she could dangle..." while released a string of puppets that have nooses tied around their necks. Nothing like a simulated hanging to lighten the mood everyone!
6. I can feel physical pain in my heart watching Esmerelda kiss Mr. Blonde in Shining Armor. As they share a passionate embrace, the screen cuts to tears streaming down Quasimodo's cheeks and his hand clutching a piece from a deck of cards with a heart on it.
7. This isn't a specific moment, but rather an epiphany about this film and it's lack of success. Keep in mind I haven't made it to the end yet either. I keep trying to rack up the positive moments as well as the incredibly depressing ones, but I legitimately can't muster up one moment of happiness that didn't lead to something tragic.
8. Quick question, how did the city of Paris go from completely dark, with fire erupting from several locations and literal lava spewing from the roof of Notre Dame itself, to being completely intact and sunny within a couple of minutes?
Quasi's life arguably has been the worst in all of Disney history. He almost killed at birth for being physically deformed, then he is physically and mentally abused by a sadistic man who locks him away from all human interaction. Because of this, Quasi then develops a mental disorder to protect himself, in which he views inanimate objects as live creatures. The one day he leaves his isolated fortress, he is publicly humiliated by being tied up and physically harassed by a mob of people who taunt him the entire time. Then he falls in love with a woman, who works arguably as a stripper, and at once feels joy in his life. But, she falls in love with a handsome, muscular soldier instead, who Quasi must risk his life for in order to protect. Then at the end of the film, he insists that the two of them be together as a couple, because even though she is his reason for living, Quasi knows that she doesn't love him.
...Hopefully this blog post was as depressing for you to read as watching this movie was depressing for me. There was so little to relate to that even at the end of the film you are left feeling empty and unsatisfied by the town cheering on Quasi because the audience knows how meaningless fame was for him. Not to mention the whole conflict of the movie centered around the racial slur of "gypsy" and the stereotypes that accompany an entire ethnicity of individuals.
I guess you can't win them all Disney.
1. The beginning sequence is terrifying and slightly traumatizing for a Disney film. I'm pretty sure the attempt to throw a newborn into a well is pretty high ranking on the list of troubling images that one can show a child.
2. The song lyrics aren't friendly. Even for a villain they are a little hard to swallow. "You're deformed, and you're ugly." to which, Quasimodo replies "I'm a monster and I am ugly." Not necessarily as catchy and relatable as "we used to be best buddies, and now we're not. " (One of the most negative lines in the Frozen Soundtrack)
3. I don't think it is the amount of violence that would bother kids, but the intensity of the actions that are portrayed that would make any adult uncomfortable. Just watched a group of "Gypsy" families, kids, parents, grandparents sobbing as they are handcuffed to one another and pushed into a small carriage. Then the carriage is ordered to be thrown into the river. This is seriously material pulled from horror films I believe.
4. Now a family is locked in their house, the dad pleading for mercy. The punishment they are receiving for "harboring gypsies" is now to have their house set on fire with them inside. I actually double-check to make sure I am watching the right version of this film. Yup. Disney right on the front cover.
5. The moments of humor are so dark that I am actually starting to find the idea of children under the age of twelve watching this insanely comical. As one of the gargoyles sings a light jazzy tune about love, he sings the lines "Of all the guys she could dangle..." while released a string of puppets that have nooses tied around their necks. Nothing like a simulated hanging to lighten the mood everyone!
6. I can feel physical pain in my heart watching Esmerelda kiss Mr. Blonde in Shining Armor. As they share a passionate embrace, the screen cuts to tears streaming down Quasimodo's cheeks and his hand clutching a piece from a deck of cards with a heart on it.
7. This isn't a specific moment, but rather an epiphany about this film and it's lack of success. Keep in mind I haven't made it to the end yet either. I keep trying to rack up the positive moments as well as the incredibly depressing ones, but I legitimately can't muster up one moment of happiness that didn't lead to something tragic.
8. Quick question, how did the city of Paris go from completely dark, with fire erupting from several locations and literal lava spewing from the roof of Notre Dame itself, to being completely intact and sunny within a couple of minutes?
Quasi's life arguably has been the worst in all of Disney history. He almost killed at birth for being physically deformed, then he is physically and mentally abused by a sadistic man who locks him away from all human interaction. Because of this, Quasi then develops a mental disorder to protect himself, in which he views inanimate objects as live creatures. The one day he leaves his isolated fortress, he is publicly humiliated by being tied up and physically harassed by a mob of people who taunt him the entire time. Then he falls in love with a woman, who works arguably as a stripper, and at once feels joy in his life. But, she falls in love with a handsome, muscular soldier instead, who Quasi must risk his life for in order to protect. Then at the end of the film, he insists that the two of them be together as a couple, because even though she is his reason for living, Quasi knows that she doesn't love him.
...Hopefully this blog post was as depressing for you to read as watching this movie was depressing for me. There was so little to relate to that even at the end of the film you are left feeling empty and unsatisfied by the town cheering on Quasi because the audience knows how meaningless fame was for him. Not to mention the whole conflict of the movie centered around the racial slur of "gypsy" and the stereotypes that accompany an entire ethnicity of individuals.
I guess you can't win them all Disney.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Racebent Disney
Although I would like to lie and say that I frequent the New York Times often and use the internet to look up academic inquiries, but that is not the case. I like news articles that have a lot of pictures. I enjoy being able to take quizzes that tell me what type of cat my personality is most similar to. It makes me happy to be able to go to a website that provides stories about the conflict in Syria as well as entire articles about the left ear of my favorite celebrity.
"But where can one find all of this Jessica? In what world does such a place exist?"
That place my friends, is called
Buzzfeed.
Buzzfeed often writes about Disney and Harry Potter and other facets of media that young adults often consume. Lately they have been following a trend called "Racebending", where they take popular fictional characters and change the race of them. The concept of this started with "Genderbending" which is the same concept, only gender is the aspect that is changed. Tumblr was also the original source of origin. The latest article that Buzzfeed posted on the concept of Racebending was on Frozen, using images found on Tumblr. The link is below:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/jennaguillaume/these-racebent-frozen-characters-are-absolutely-stunning#.eoD775dK4
Changing the race or gender of a well known character does a number of things to it's original purpose. It provides an incredible amount of depth to it's design and the foundation the character was built upon. If Elsa were African American, the idea of being afraid to be her "true self" has a whole new meaning in terms of isolation and fear. Every character has a package that allows readers to relate to them, but by bending something so minimal, we are able to observe things we have never noticed before.
If only you could do this to real people. The world would be a much more interesting place.
"Why Disney Scares Us"...ALIENS
Before reading this article I had a number of thoughts that I knew to be true about Disney:
1. Disney is a universal symbol of innocence and happiness.
2. Disney, and Mickey Mouse as a character began as an American cultural icon.
3. The people who get to live in Celebration, Florida are the ones who are wealthy enough to do so.
After reading this article it seemed I had some revisions to make:
1. Disney is a universal symbol of innocence and happiness labor exploitation.
2. Disney, and Mickey Mouse as a character, began as an American cultural icon...subtly soaked in a stew of hatred for democracy.
3. The people who get to live in Celebration, Florida are the ones who are wealthy enough to do so trapped in a world of residential oppression.
While I felt a lot of the thoughts prompted in this article were exaggerated and much of a stretch, there were definitely points that I found truth in. This company values a very specific set of values and to hear the background of how these values came about was interesting to read.
P.S. A quote in the article compared finding out the truth of Disney to finding out your parent is really an alien in a suit. This quote brought a plethora of images to my mind that I am going to share below.
And in case those upset you:
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