Major props to this mom that hand sews her daughter Disney a TON of Disney costumes and takes her to Disney EVERY week (so envious of this little girl; her life=life i want)! Anyways, her outfits are super cute and she looks adorable modeling them at Disney and you check out the article with al of the pictures! :)
http://www.boredpanda.com/cute-toddler-takes-on-disney-world-characters-as-mini-sized-versions-of-them/
Peace Love Disney :)
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Lessons and Morals of Beauty and the Beast: Good or Bad?
Looking for a blog post to reference for my research paper, I stumbled across Bayan Jaber's blog post (https://bayanjaber.wordpress.com/ml-papers-2/critique-of-disneys-beauty-and-the-beast/) analyzing Beauty and the Beast. Viewing the film with an objective, open mind, I feel Bayan Jaber introduces cool points that most viewers of B & B fail to consider.
For instance, Bayan suggests that kids may be negatively influenced by the submissive portrayal of women in Beauty and the Beast. For instance, Bayan illustrates that Belle is bossed around by the Beast; he confines her to a room and refuses to let her eat unless she eat with him. Despite this, Belle continues to be friendly to the Beast and is tolerant of his poor behavior. I agree with Jaber that Belle is experiencing emotional abuse and is letting the Beast dictate her life (not that she has much of a choice). Though the movie ends with a compassionate, humbled Beast and Belle's getting her happy ending, it is easy to overlook the violence Belle suffered by the Beast in the beginning of the film. Jaber hints that this may cause children to unconsciously accept this relationship between Belle and the Beast. While this is true, even more so I feel that it serves to disempower Belle and convey that patriarch dominates. That the needs of the male comes first and the women is subject to these needs regardless of her own. Having research feminism and empowerment in Belle in B & B, I agree with authors that argue against a feminine portrayal of Belle and propose that suffering domestic violence is okay if it means pleasing your man. You can argue that this is reading too much into the film and that the Beast eventually changes his behavior for the better; however it is the lack of acknowledgment given to this abuse and the manner in which this abuse is excused by the Beast finding his soft side (with the help of Belle), that makes this problematic.
Also, I REALLY liked Jaber's interpretation of inner beauty and appearance in the film. We admire the Beast for becoming compassionate and gaining the love of Belle, thus it is nice to see that he can return to his human form and live a happy life with Belle. Jaber, on the other hand, offers that if the Beast really grew to appreciate inner beauty, why would he need to go back to being a "handsome prince"? The point of the film is supposed to be that looks are not important, however the Beast's good looks are restored at the conclusion of the film. His "inside" being good corresponded to his "outside" looking good, thus Jaber calls Disney out for implying that "people beautiful on the inside aren't attractive on the outside..." After considering Jaber's viewpoint, I feel B & B would have been more meaningful if Belle's declaration of her love for the Beast was too late and both her and the Beast decided that it didn't matter as long as they loved each other.
I enjoyed reading Jaber's post because it is easy not to pick up on these subtleties and alternate interpretations when you've watched the movie over and over, considering it to be an innocent children's film that wanted to show a cute love story. As innocent as Disney may seem, commentaries like these may suggest otherwise and I look forward to watching more of my favorite Disney films with an objective eye!
Peace Love Disney :)
Friday, April 3, 2015
Disney Movies Interrelated!
Entertaining the linkage between Disney movies is crazy to me! How do I miss these things?!? Check out this link yourself and see if you're convinced!
http://disneytheory.com/2013/08/25/thedisneytheory/
http://disneytheory.com/2013/08/25/thedisneytheory/
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Depiction of Characters in Disney's Mulan. Are they Accurately Portrayed?
For one, I always thought (and still think) that the Emperor, Chi Fu was so chill and badass! Like so badass! He has chill facial expressions, chill lines, and his presence is commanding (okay isn't he like a Chinese version of Dumbledore???)! Minna, on the other hand, acknowledges the more stereotypical aspects of Chi Fu that are often dismissed due to comedic effect. She writes that he "is drawn like a racist caricature...has pronounced and heavy accents...is annoying and pompous...sounds like he is quoting from slips of paper inside fortune cookies." Honestly, everything she writes is so true. His wise yet cliche sayings can be construed as cheesy and all-knowing and his voice has a strong Chinese accent compared to the neutral voiced Mulan and Li Shang. Coupled with his visibly darker skin compared to Mulan and Li Shang, his depiction seems caricatured. Should he have been less visibly Asian (like Russell in Up) or would it have been offensive to do so? Either way, Disney can't win but it's fun to ponder these things!
Lastly, I agree with Minna that Mulan is empowered during the film for being the bravest, most courageous soldier and being able to hang (and outshadow) the guys, I disagree that Mulan's only successes were derived from being male. At the end of the movie, she has transitioned back into her girl self for the defeat of Shan Yu and the recognition she receives from China for saving the country. In this sense, I think it would be better to state that her initial acceptance into the army and the training she received there was only made possible due to her male disguise, seeing that the movie concludes with an admiration and honoring of female Mulan.
Anyways, overall I thought this was an intriguing blog post that drew my attention to stereotypes I had not seen before. Check it out if you have time/watch Mulan cause who doesn't want to watch Mulan!
Peace Love Disney :))
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Does Race Play a Big Role in Disney's Princess and the Frog?
Live Blog on The Princess and the Frog!
To start, LOVE this movie! The jazzy tunes and cuteness of Tiana and Naveen warm my heart :). However, watching this films with a critical, racial eye, there are issues already within the first five minutes.
Why is it that Tiana has to be poor and live in the dumps of New Orleans while her best friend, Charlotte, is living large and wants for nothing?? Even though the two are super cute and seem equals at first because of their youthful and innocent relationship, there is a clear line drawn already. Eudora, Tiana's mom, slaves away taking care of the children and sewing dresses, yet she can't shower Tiana with gifts like Charlotte's hardworking father can (he's also dressed in all white all the time, reminds me of imperialism and white man's burden).
Similarly, Tiana's struggle is that of the stereotypical struggle. She is on the bottom of the food chain because of her poor status and needs to overcome some hurdle or work super hard in order to make her dreams come true. Charlotte lives an easy life and is rewarded continuously, while Tiana slaves away working as a waitress and gets by on crappy tips. It's just frustrating because the black person is usually always depicted as being challenged in some way and needing to overcome that challenge to be successful. I remember when I became valedictorian of my high school, many often asked me who influenced me and motivated me to work hard? I was very confused, because it seems people made the assumption that I had to overcome some hurdle in school or be inspired by sometime to do well, however, there was no challenge that I had to overcome to want to do well. I worked hard like everybody else, however in a predominantly white town, many assumed that I needed a rags to riches type story. Tiana's plot reminds me of this.
Also, aside from being portrayed domestically, it is problematic that Tiana's future of owning her own restaurant lies in in the hands of the white man. Despite her success in acquiring the money to startup her restaurant, she is still shut down by two white realtors. She is not in control of her future and happiness, the white man is.
When Tiana envisions what this abandoned, dirty property could like it if it were transformed into her restaurant, Eudora reminds her that what is important in life is love, not necessarily living out your dream. This message reinforces this idea that the black girl likely won't be accepted by her society, limiting her chances of success, however, she'll still be content with her life is she can love!
Fenner and Fenner, the two white realtors, imply that a person of Tiana's background likely has no business trying to run a restaurant when they tell her another buyer has topped her offer. Disney here is clearly saying something about race; though they address it here, is that enough?
Lottie wishes on a star, her wish of Prince Naveen coming to her party comes true. Tiana wishes on a star, she becomes a frog. Hmmm, something wrong there.
Let's not forget the jazz stereotype. As seen in Disney's Dumbo and The Jungle Book, animals voiced by black characters or that are depicted as black erupt into jazzy show tunes and dance giddily. The jazz that emerged in 1920s America that was largely associated with blacks is another stereotype portrayed in the movie. Jumping off of black stereotypes, despite the animation of characters, the broke, Southern accents of Ray (the firefly) and Lewis (the alligator) suggest blackness, though there may be no "proof." Fact of the matter, most wouldn't hear these characters voices in the middle of the bayou and think that they weren't black.
Okay, one thing that I absolutely HATE is that the Disney movie with the Black princess has to take place in the south and in the bayou. You want to say that Tiana is simply a princess that is black, however, when you look at Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, and other classic Disney princesses, they are not in a setting that defines their whiteness. The southernness and jazzy-like, wild nature of the bayou in conjunction with being black, however, does imply a connection to race. Why couldn't Tiana speak in a neutral accent like the majority of Disney princesses and be some submissive, oppressed princess, born a royal, living in a castle, and awaiting her prince?
One last thing that I find interesting about this movie is Mama Odie. Tiana journeys through the bayou to find Mama Odie and seek help to be transformed back into a human. Interestingly, Mama Odie, the person that is supposed to restore Tiana's hopes and wishes, is decked out in white. This prevalence of whiteness and its connections to success imply to me that whiteness is necessary for Tiana's wishes to be accomplished.
As much as criticize this movie, I still love it. The characters are so lively and personable, the music is FANTASTIC, and I think Tiana and Naveen=cutest couple ever. If ya haven't seen it, please watch. There are many aspects that you can identify and critique, however, it is still a great children's movie.
Peace Love Disney :))
To start, LOVE this movie! The jazzy tunes and cuteness of Tiana and Naveen warm my heart :). However, watching this films with a critical, racial eye, there are issues already within the first five minutes.
Why is it that Tiana has to be poor and live in the dumps of New Orleans while her best friend, Charlotte, is living large and wants for nothing?? Even though the two are super cute and seem equals at first because of their youthful and innocent relationship, there is a clear line drawn already. Eudora, Tiana's mom, slaves away taking care of the children and sewing dresses, yet she can't shower Tiana with gifts like Charlotte's hardworking father can (he's also dressed in all white all the time, reminds me of imperialism and white man's burden).
Similarly, Tiana's struggle is that of the stereotypical struggle. She is on the bottom of the food chain because of her poor status and needs to overcome some hurdle or work super hard in order to make her dreams come true. Charlotte lives an easy life and is rewarded continuously, while Tiana slaves away working as a waitress and gets by on crappy tips. It's just frustrating because the black person is usually always depicted as being challenged in some way and needing to overcome that challenge to be successful. I remember when I became valedictorian of my high school, many often asked me who influenced me and motivated me to work hard? I was very confused, because it seems people made the assumption that I had to overcome some hurdle in school or be inspired by sometime to do well, however, there was no challenge that I had to overcome to want to do well. I worked hard like everybody else, however in a predominantly white town, many assumed that I needed a rags to riches type story. Tiana's plot reminds me of this.
Also, aside from being portrayed domestically, it is problematic that Tiana's future of owning her own restaurant lies in in the hands of the white man. Despite her success in acquiring the money to startup her restaurant, she is still shut down by two white realtors. She is not in control of her future and happiness, the white man is.
When Tiana envisions what this abandoned, dirty property could like it if it were transformed into her restaurant, Eudora reminds her that what is important in life is love, not necessarily living out your dream. This message reinforces this idea that the black girl likely won't be accepted by her society, limiting her chances of success, however, she'll still be content with her life is she can love!
Fenner and Fenner, the two white realtors, imply that a person of Tiana's background likely has no business trying to run a restaurant when they tell her another buyer has topped her offer. Disney here is clearly saying something about race; though they address it here, is that enough?
Lottie wishes on a star, her wish of Prince Naveen coming to her party comes true. Tiana wishes on a star, she becomes a frog. Hmmm, something wrong there.
Let's not forget the jazz stereotype. As seen in Disney's Dumbo and The Jungle Book, animals voiced by black characters or that are depicted as black erupt into jazzy show tunes and dance giddily. The jazz that emerged in 1920s America that was largely associated with blacks is another stereotype portrayed in the movie. Jumping off of black stereotypes, despite the animation of characters, the broke, Southern accents of Ray (the firefly) and Lewis (the alligator) suggest blackness, though there may be no "proof." Fact of the matter, most wouldn't hear these characters voices in the middle of the bayou and think that they weren't black.
Okay, one thing that I absolutely HATE is that the Disney movie with the Black princess has to take place in the south and in the bayou. You want to say that Tiana is simply a princess that is black, however, when you look at Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, and other classic Disney princesses, they are not in a setting that defines their whiteness. The southernness and jazzy-like, wild nature of the bayou in conjunction with being black, however, does imply a connection to race. Why couldn't Tiana speak in a neutral accent like the majority of Disney princesses and be some submissive, oppressed princess, born a royal, living in a castle, and awaiting her prince?
One last thing that I find interesting about this movie is Mama Odie. Tiana journeys through the bayou to find Mama Odie and seek help to be transformed back into a human. Interestingly, Mama Odie, the person that is supposed to restore Tiana's hopes and wishes, is decked out in white. This prevalence of whiteness and its connections to success imply to me that whiteness is necessary for Tiana's wishes to be accomplished.
As much as criticize this movie, I still love it. The characters are so lively and personable, the music is FANTASTIC, and I think Tiana and Naveen=cutest couple ever. If ya haven't seen it, please watch. There are many aspects that you can identify and critique, however, it is still a great children's movie.
Peace Love Disney :))
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Unanswered Questions of Disney
LOL the shit that you overlook in Disney but notice when a Buzzfeed article points it out to you!!! Check out this article on the unanswered questions. Best one by fair, #12: Why did the enchantress basically curse an 11 year-old for being a brat?
http://www.buzzfeed.com/samstryker/why-disney-why#.jhLLbpjpp
http://www.buzzfeed.com/samstryker/why-disney-why#.jhLLbpjpp
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