Disney: To bleach or not to bleach
Firstly, it is true. My blog had a makeover. I never did like that pink color scheme. I don't like pink, and it was too dark and somber for my personality. This is much more me, and I've always liked yellows and oranges.
Now, for the post.
Disney likes to take classic stories and turn them into a new story. Sometimes this makes them fresh, but sometimes I'm not a fan. The reason I'm not a fan is because it destroys culture sometimes. Ask anybody out there that grew up with Disney the story of The Little Mermaid, and you will most likely get a happy story about a mermaid who wanted to be a part of that other world. She just wanted to be part of their world. And then she fell in love and her bad choices and dealings with...well, the devil...all work out in the end. Right? Wrong. The Little Mermaid is a Danish story, as recorded by Hans Christian Andersen. People like to bring this one up and say that it actually has a sad ending. It doesn't really, but it is much more graphic. She doesn't get the prince, but she actually doesn't turn into sea foam, which most people like to say she does in the original. In fact, it's odd that she doesn't, because that's what the story says all mermaids turn into at the end of their 300-year-lives. They do not have immortal souls, as humans do. In fact, that's one of the reasons she wants to become a human. It's true that each step on earth is like stepping on swords to her, and that had to be sanitized for the story. However, when the prince weds another, she will "become the sea foam." He weds another but before she dies, her sisters bring a knife so that she can kill the prince. The blood will turn her back into a mermaid and she can live the rest of her life as a mermaid. But, she cannot bring herself to kill the prince as he sleeps next to his new bride, and so she will die and become sea foam. However, come the morning, she turns into sea foam with a spirit. Because of her last good deed, she has become an air spirit. If she continues to do good works, she will obtain an immortal soul and eventually go to heaven. However, we can see The Little Mermaid underwent some serious sanitizing. Another one that bothers me even more is Hercules. Would it have been so hard to include the ten tasks? Really?
And yet, sometimes, they choose not to sanitize things that probably could have done with some serious disinfectant.
Exhibit A: Hunchback of Notre Dame
They actually did a fairly good job of keeping this one together. Yes, Phoebus became a good character instead of the perfectly jerky "frat-boy" (Caleb's description, and I think it is an awesome description) that he is in the book. But they didn't take out ANY of the sexual tension in Frollo. The song Hellfire is a perfect explanation of the character Victor Hugo created. It even says, "Choose me or you will burn!" which pretty much sums up Frollo's entire feelings. It is exactly what Victor Hugo depicted. And maybe even a bit much for children. The song God Help The Outcasts is a perfectly beautiful song. One of my favorites, in fact. Maybe part of that is because it is a song for an ALTO (represent!), but also because it's gorgeous. But it's pretty deep too.
Exhibit B: Princess and the Frog
I thought this whole movie was one big disappointment. But one thing is for sure. They don't play down the Cajun voodoo at all, now do they? Friends on the Other Side is a perfectly creepy song.
Exhibit C: Pocahontas
So, this is very educational. I like that they show that both sides of this were afraid of the other for just being different. It wasn't like the Whitemen were just convinced that everyone different was evil and the Indians were all cool with it all. They were just as afraid. But they didn't sanitize that hate, now did they? And then they sanitize the fact that he is going to die.
Exhibit D: The Lion King
Mufasa's death in The Lion King might just be the creepiest thing out there. What is scarier that a lion's brother throwing him off a cliff to be trampled by wild animals? That is not brotherly love. And while he was trying to save his kid, too! And then, someday, you'll have to fight your uncle with embers in your eyes.
Exhibit E: Old Yeller
Someday, your dog will become rabid, and will try to kill you. Then you will need to shoot it. For its own good. I know that this is the way that it happens in the book, and that's really all you can do with a rabid dog in the foaming stage. But it's still traumatic
So, sometimes we just have to ask ourselves. What will we sanitize and what won't we? I don't think I disagree with any of these (except maybe Friends on the Other Side), but it's interesting what they decided was too much for the kids and what wasn't.
Now, for the post.
Disney likes to take classic stories and turn them into a new story. Sometimes this makes them fresh, but sometimes I'm not a fan. The reason I'm not a fan is because it destroys culture sometimes. Ask anybody out there that grew up with Disney the story of The Little Mermaid, and you will most likely get a happy story about a mermaid who wanted to be a part of that other world. She just wanted to be part of their world. And then she fell in love and her bad choices and dealings with...well, the devil...all work out in the end. Right? Wrong. The Little Mermaid is a Danish story, as recorded by Hans Christian Andersen. People like to bring this one up and say that it actually has a sad ending. It doesn't really, but it is much more graphic. She doesn't get the prince, but she actually doesn't turn into sea foam, which most people like to say she does in the original. In fact, it's odd that she doesn't, because that's what the story says all mermaids turn into at the end of their 300-year-lives. They do not have immortal souls, as humans do. In fact, that's one of the reasons she wants to become a human. It's true that each step on earth is like stepping on swords to her, and that had to be sanitized for the story. However, when the prince weds another, she will "become the sea foam." He weds another but before she dies, her sisters bring a knife so that she can kill the prince. The blood will turn her back into a mermaid and she can live the rest of her life as a mermaid. But, she cannot bring herself to kill the prince as he sleeps next to his new bride, and so she will die and become sea foam. However, come the morning, she turns into sea foam with a spirit. Because of her last good deed, she has become an air spirit. If she continues to do good works, she will obtain an immortal soul and eventually go to heaven. However, we can see The Little Mermaid underwent some serious sanitizing. Another one that bothers me even more is Hercules. Would it have been so hard to include the ten tasks? Really?
And yet, sometimes, they choose not to sanitize things that probably could have done with some serious disinfectant.
Exhibit A: Hunchback of Notre Dame
They actually did a fairly good job of keeping this one together. Yes, Phoebus became a good character instead of the perfectly jerky "frat-boy" (Caleb's description, and I think it is an awesome description) that he is in the book. But they didn't take out ANY of the sexual tension in Frollo. The song Hellfire is a perfect explanation of the character Victor Hugo created. It even says, "Choose me or you will burn!" which pretty much sums up Frollo's entire feelings. It is exactly what Victor Hugo depicted. And maybe even a bit much for children. The song God Help The Outcasts is a perfectly beautiful song. One of my favorites, in fact. Maybe part of that is because it is a song for an ALTO (represent!), but also because it's gorgeous. But it's pretty deep too.
Exhibit B: Princess and the Frog
I thought this whole movie was one big disappointment. But one thing is for sure. They don't play down the Cajun voodoo at all, now do they? Friends on the Other Side is a perfectly creepy song.
Exhibit C: Pocahontas
So, this is very educational. I like that they show that both sides of this were afraid of the other for just being different. It wasn't like the Whitemen were just convinced that everyone different was evil and the Indians were all cool with it all. They were just as afraid. But they didn't sanitize that hate, now did they? And then they sanitize the fact that he is going to die.
Exhibit D: The Lion King
Mufasa's death in The Lion King might just be the creepiest thing out there. What is scarier that a lion's brother throwing him off a cliff to be trampled by wild animals? That is not brotherly love. And while he was trying to save his kid, too! And then, someday, you'll have to fight your uncle with embers in your eyes.
Exhibit E: Old Yeller
Someday, your dog will become rabid, and will try to kill you. Then you will need to shoot it. For its own good. I know that this is the way that it happens in the book, and that's really all you can do with a rabid dog in the foaming stage. But it's still traumatic
So, sometimes we just have to ask ourselves. What will we sanitize and what won't we? I don't think I disagree with any of these (except maybe Friends on the Other Side), but it's interesting what they decided was too much for the kids and what wasn't.
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