Beauty and the Beast had me like...

OH MY GOD!!! Last class someone ever-so-casually mentioned the upcoming live action Beauty and the Beast movie. My initial reaction was shock that I was unaware of this very exciting news. Then the shock was replaced with happiness. I LOVE this movie, and have very high hopes for what it could become. I'm kind of iffy on how exactly they are gonna execute Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and the rest of the talking/dancing household materials. But besides that minor (and by minor I mean not minor at all) detail, I really think this movie could make a killer live action film.

If anyone claims to not be ecstatic about Emma Watson playing Belle, they're either lying or are very disturbed. This casting decision is LITERALLY FLAWLESS. Emma will carry Belle's grace and intelligence perfectly. It is simply a match made in heaven. I think the rest of the cast thus far is pretty solid. It appears that Chip has yet to be cast, and the immediate actor that comes to mind is that little boy who played S.J. in The Blind Side. Except, come to think of it, since The Blind Side came out in 2009, he's probably in that awkward "about-to-start-puberty" phase and is therefore no longer a lil cutie. Whoever they case, he better be an adorable little munchkin.

That is all.
PS- is this goodbye, blog? If so, it's been absolutely real. Sydnerella out.

Word Searches Are NOT Just For Kids

I spent a solid 20 minutes successfully completing this BuzzFeed word search quiz related to Disney Villains. As tempting as it was to click on the first word I saw a part of, I was (surprisingly) patient and waited til I was absolutely sure that the word in the puzzle was entirely correct.

This word search was (1) way more challenging than I anticipated and (2) extremely entertaining. It took a lot of focus, requiring me to read through the lines. And once I did read through, I found that the author was having some fun, throwing in random words from the movie at hand just to see how closely you were paying attention.

Solid quiz. Some good, clean, Disney fun. Be prepared! <--- HA. Get it? Lol k I'm done now.

The Little Mermaid 2.0 starring... me

Often times when I take BuzzFeed quizzes, I am not fully convinced by the results. I mean, how can some random (a la "What is your favorite food?" and "Where would your dream vacation be?") clickable questions realllllly allow BuzzFeed to make any accurate conclusions about me and my  personality. However, this "Which Disney Movie Would You Actually Star In?" quiz gave me surprisingly (what I would consider to be) accurate results!

I was told I would star in The Little Mermaid. I was impressed by this solution because I find Ariel to be, in many ways, very relatable! She is adventurous, impulsive, trying her best to be independent, and, in some cases, growing up as she learns from her mistakes.

BuzzFeed told me:

"You’re curious, adventurous, and a hopeless romantic. You know The One is out there, be it on land or under the sea. Grab your dinglehopper and fluff up your hair, because your starring roll is here for the taking!"

While I wasn't planning on using my dinglehopper any time soon, I guess it's never to early to give it a try! Although I couldn't quite see myself as a redhead....

DUUUUUUKE BABY!!!

Still feeling the rush off of last night's NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WIN!!!! And while this is obviously a Disney blog, I have a moment from all of last night's magic that clearly relates to Disney and is, thus, "bloggable".

After the incredibly memorable and unbelievable (understatement) game, the glorious (really no other word to describe it) bonfire, and the overall excitement of the night, my friends and I headed back to East Campus on the bus. One of my friends wanted to Instagram a picture to commemorate the evening. She used the caption "The happiest place on Earth", aka the tagline for Disneyland. No offense, Disney, but I would have to agree that Duke University was, in fact, the happiest place on Earth last night.

LET'S GO DUKE!!!!!

Beauty and the Beast has my jaw dropping...

This course has made me question everything I have ever believed about Disney. The "why didn't Ariel just speak?" idea had me dumbfounded, and I'm even more shocked at this takeaway from Beauty and the Beast. It is simply a GREAT point. I'm honestly quite disappointed in Disney that there exists no resolute answer to this question.

This article provides clear evidence that the Beast was either 10 or 11 when he was cursed. There is literally mathematical proof of this, and I think it would be very hard to refute these numbers. That being said, I agree completely with the list of questions at the end of the article... who in their right mind would curse a child? Sure, I bet was as greedy and selfish as young princes can be, but if he was literally 10 or 11, I really don't think cursing him to become a beast was an appropriate solution. Especially when you consider the fact that what he did to deserve this curse was to not allow a stranger into his castle.

Sidenote---the whole Chip thing is hilariously perplexing. Definitely something that Disney did not think through. I really hope that Disney will reveal one day that Chip was, in fact, born as a teacup and was birthed by his lovely teapot of a mother.

I'm with you, Sarah Turner

I felt that Sarah E. Turner's Blackness, Bayous, and Gumbo: Encoding and Decoding Race in a Colorblind World was a well-crafted article on The Princess and the Frog and its portrayal of race. The essay was well written and brought up some good points from the movie. However, my biggest take away was that Sarah Turner, like myself and many other viewers of the film, had one unresolved question: "is [Tiana] too Black or not Black enough?" There really is no definitive answer to this question. The main reason, in my opinion, for this paradox is that Disney is trying to appeal to as wide of an audience as possible. In order to do this, Disney needs to somehow manage to have Tiana represent black culture the best way possible, while at the same time not expressing too much black culture to the point where white audiences would not be as interested in the film. Because Disney was trying to appeal to such a broad audience, of course there will be critics who view the film to lie on either end of the race-portrayal spectrum.

On a different note, I thought that Turner brought up a great point that Kurrti's book (deliberately?) leaves out descriptions of Tiana's physical appearance. This is definitely something I hadn't thought of, but it does make me question a lot about race. Is Tiana's appearance not a point of discussion due to her race? I strongly doubt it. In Princess and the Frog, Niveen is a character of color and his appearance is discussed. Similarly, the other previous princesses of colors–Pocahontas, Mulan, Esmeralda– are discussed in regards to their physical appearances as well. Specifically, since I am analyzing gender roles in Pocahontas, I've seen numerous articles that discuss Pocahontas' beauty. However, in the two films, Pocahontas' appearance is MUCH more emphasized that Tiana's. Turner discussed that Tiana dresses far more conservatively than, say, Pocahontas. Perhaps this is because of the difference in time period, but perhaps it has more to do with race than I would have thought.

RIP Cinderella's Castle

THIS IS A BIG DEAL!!!!!!!! Disney has fallen curse of it's own Frozen Fever, and has decided to turn its trademark Cinderella Castle into Elsa's Frozen Palace. I was with two friends when I got word of this breaking news, and both of them were outraged. One declared, "that's so messed up." The other one agreed, claiming "they just can't do that." Well, much to her dismay, Disney can and will do just that. But, apparently, my friends are not alone. Many fans are already bashing on this change. Definitely not the reaction was going for. Elsa's Palace is supposed to go into effect this September. I'm curious if the backlash from fans will stop Disney from following through with this new plan. To be continued....

My (overwhelming) Thoughts on "The Princess and the Frog"

Although I enjoyed my live blog of Up, for The Princess and the Frog I decided to do my blog post right after I finished the movie. I'd never seen it before, and I may have a jumble of thoughts (correction--  I DO have a jumble of thoughts) and feel like I want to get them all down in writing (err, typing) while the movie is still fresh in my mind! Here goes nothing:

• I really liked the ending!! I have to admit, when Mama Odie was telling Tiana and Naveen that they needed to "dig deeper" I knew there was going to be some sort of Disney moral/message that made you go "Awwww" at the end, but I couldn't figure out what it was. But of course, it was the fact that Tiana was already a princess once the married Naveen!! Super cute ending, but I have to admit part of me thought they were going to live happily ever after as frogs a la Shrek. 
• I was very much creeped out by those evil shadow things that appeared next to Dr. Facilier. And, once we're on the subject, I found him to just be plain weird. His role in the plot was kind of weird/random (I mean, voodoo witch, really?) but it made the storyline make sense so YOLO Disney. I could see how he fit the mold of the typical Disney villain: selfish, unattractive, kinda distored looking....etc. 
• Was Disney trying to make some statement about obesity? I couldn't really figure out what they were getting at, but that Big Daddy character was blatantly overweight, and his excessive eating habits didn't help either. His gigantic size may have just been to show him as a big, powerful figure, because Disney didn't say anything negative about him. Definitely something to discuss. 
• I don't exactly know where I stand on the movie's portrayal of race. In film (given the criticism of the field) there is such a fine line between being racist and ignoring racial differences. I can't decide where I feel this movie falls on the spectrum. I look forward to discussing in class to hear how other students feel about how race was portrayed in The Princess and the Frog. 

I think our class will have a lot to say on this film! While I was not the biggest fan of Up, I am excited to see everyone's reaction to this movie, especially since I think a lot of people have not seen it yet, myself included.

Disney Channel!!!!!

I had a slight revelation today--- why have I yet to blog about Disney Channel?!?! Given the name, I am assuming that this falls under the general umbrella of Disney, thus making it a kosher blog topic.

To say that I loved Disney channel would be a huge understatement. I will stand by this statement until the day I die that Disney channel shows and movies were of the highest quality. The shows were incredible! Lizzie McGuire taught me so much about myself, and that is no exaggeration. I literally lived and breathed Lizzie, especially when she hit the big screens in The Lizzie McGuire movie.

8pm on weekday nights was a sacred time: Disney Channel Original Movie time. Everyone in my generation knows that exceedingly catchy theme song: "Let's watch, a Disney Channel Movie!" Given that I was the oldest child in my family, my parents were relatively strict on bedtime. 10 year old Sydney was not allowed to stay up until the movie finished at 10. As a result, I can honestly say I've seen the opening half hours of Luck of The Irish and Smart House a dozen times, but the endings only a couple times. *Sigh*, I guess this is the typical life of a Disney-Channel loving child.

(Disclaimer- sorry for the lack of organization in this blog post, I just have a lot to say about Disney channel/it's been a long week/Lizzie McGuire deserved mentioning)

What does tell me about my Disney knowledge?

I am proud of/ ashamed of/ confused by (you choose) the fact that I got a 6/9 on this quiz. Yay! I was able to successfully guess 2/3 of Disney movies by their color schemes. GO ME! Kidding, that was not my exact reaction. It was more along the lines of *random click* Hmm, maybe that looks right, whatever, let me just go with my gut. Wow, I weirdly got a lot of these right. 

The point I'm trying to make –which may or may not be clear by my attempt to portray my thoughts– is that I literally found this quiz to be ridiculous. The Disney bowls were beyond weird, but this quiz was different in that it was an actual test with an actual result to prove one's ability to correctly decipher a color scheme of lines into a Disney film.

I get that BuzzFeed employees want to catch our attention, but I just don't know if this quiz will do just that. It's missing the "So, what?" factor that I think is relevant to all texts we analyze (films, readings, songs, etc.) My final thoughts on this quiz:  
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Shoutout to my sister!!! (ukwur)

This is accurate. Me and my sister and super close (and love Frozen) so this especially speaks to me. We take turns being the hyper sister who bugs the other one when she is trying to be productive. We fight sometimes, but it's true that we know each other better than anyone, and therefore know how to push each other's buttons.

Number 7 really resonates with me:

It’s always worth it, because you make fun memories that last a lifetime.

Whether we are spending our summers at sleep away camp, going on family vacations, talking about just about anything, singing, laughing, or just being weird, we are always making these memories that only we share. 

Kate Flynn needs some work....

The only thing that Kate Flynn's "Fat and the Land: Size Stereotyping in Pixar's Up" had going for it was that it was short and not too time consuming to read. JK, that was harsh. I've just always wanted to sound like one of those intense critics who can get away with being brutally and painfully honest. Anyways, I'll rephrase and say that I was most definitely NOT a fan of this article. Although it was short, I was pretty much lost the entire time, as I never could fully understand her overall argument and how the different details supported a broader claim.

One of the things I was most bothered by was how she kept starting her paragraphs with questions. This is a totally valid writing strategy, assuming that you answer the questions. However, Flynn's questions remained unanswered and ambiguous. At the end of each paragraph I would check back at its opening question, only to find myself even more confused. I think that these questions and lack of answers were a major fault in the organization of the paper.

In addition to the structural issues, I had a lot of trouble with the content of her paper. I think many people will agree that her argument stating that, "the lines of the waterfall are suggestive of female genitalia," is beyond absurd. LITERALLY WHAT. They are lines. They do not have significance. Kate Flynn, where's your head at? Even if the lines DID have this supposed symbolic meaning, I honestly don't think that this detail would further her argument in any way. It's not as if this idea was completely relevant or necessary for her article.

I was straight up confused at her argument about religion. Although Disney is known to have some deeper/hidden meaning in some of its films, I really don't think that there was any underlying religious messages in this paper. I think Flynn calling attention to religion was a poor attempt at analyzing the movie.

Lastly, what I found to be extremely distracting was her quoting. She stole little, few-word quotes from other sources a few times in every paragraph. The words she used gave no indication if her quote was an accurate representation of the author's original ideas. For some reason, I don't think all the authors she was quoting would have generally supported her....

Face Shapes....okay bye.

To be blunt, I thought this face shapes article was stupid. I get that some passionate people exist out there, but I really don't see why someone would feel the need to put such time and effort into expressing their opinions on the face shapes of Disney/Pixar characters.

In the specific web page I linked above, the tumblr author outlined each face shape and compared the female outlines and the male outlines. She declared, "[b]oys in animated movies have faces that are square, round, skinny, fat, alien-looking, handsome, and ugly. The only face that girls get to have is some round snub-nosed baby face. That’s not right." 

I, of course, can see the similarities in the female face shape. However, I find it such a minimal detail in the grand scheme of Disney that I'm actually chuckling to myself as I write this, amused by how ridiculous this is. I mean, think about it: people are actually freaking out about FACE SHAPE. It's so irrelevant. 

I'd also like to point out that there isn't as much variation in the male face shape category as this specific blogger would like to assume. Many of them have these same "snub" noses and only a few have slightly more chiseled jaws. It's really only that new character from Inside Out that has a dramatic difference, with his super thin face and long, pointy nose.  Besides that, they all have somewhat similar face shapes.

Also, just like to point out that the majority of PEOPLE have relatively similar face shapes in real life. Yes, there is slight variation, but for the most part we all have roundish faces. And two eyes. And a nose. And a mouth. Wow----what is Disney trying to say about our society?!?! (JK)

A Not-So-Little Loophole in The Little Mermaid

I agree with the author of this post: "Ariel, WHY?" It's quite amusing that this simple idea has never crossed my  mind. I'm curious to know if the Disney producers ever came across this idea. I mean, now that I've seen it, I can't get it out of my head...it's just SO obvious!

The author even backed her theory by giving proof that Ariel knows how to write. She signed her name (very beautifully I might add) on Ursula's scroll, showing us that she was indeed literate.

I was further inspired by this BuzzFeed article, so I did a quick Google search to see if anyone else was as shocked as I was by this revelation. It turns out, Reddit users were busily discussing this idea a month ago. Some commenters brought about interesting solutions. Perhaps Ariel is shown to speak in the same language, but actually speaks a different "Merpeople" language. To the Disney audience, the various languages seem like one and the same, but there may be variations between English/Danish/Merpeople language that we do not see.

I think that the latter suggestion could have some validity. In Pocahontas, I've always wondered how Pocahontas and John Smith were able to communicate given their language barrier. Perhaps Disney does not mean to imply that they are actually speaking verbally in one coherent language, but rather are communicating in ways that they can both comprehend. Maybe Ariel's "communication" would not be in the same language as Prince Eric and the rest of the people on land.

Unfortunately, I think I will have to accept the fact that this pressing question will never have a resolute solution.

PSherman Forty-Two WallabyWay Sydney has added you as a friend.

 I’m not sure how universal this is, but in my town there is a trend of high school seniors changing their names on Facebook. It is believed that by using a new alias, you prevent college admissions officers from finding anything potentially harmful on your Facebook page. While neither myself nor anyone else has any way of proving whether or not this strategy has any affect, it has become a fun tradition in my school.

Some people prefer the classic “Sydney Michelle”, as in using your first and middle name. Most, however, try to be more creative and punny with their names. If you’re going to the efforts to change your name on Facebook, you might as well go big or go home. I came up with a solid list of possible names: Syd Cudi, Sydney Australia, NewYork Syddy, etc. However, the Pixar-inspired name I selected was a total crowd pleaser. Hello from PSherman FortyTwo-WallabyWay Sydney.

My name, PShermz for short, was an instant hit. Finding Nemo references occurred frequently (no complaints there!). Towards the end of senior year, one of my friends decided that she was going to host a “Dress-as-your-senior-facebook-name” themed party. So naturally, I channeled my inner clownfish and ordered a “Sexy Nemo Costume.” Yes, this exists. Honestly, with the giant scope of Disney/Pixar, should we even be surprised anymore?

My costume arrive and it was, well, interesting. I’m not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that my friend ended up cancelling the party. The Nemo costume is in my college dorm collecting dust...but I wouldn’t be surprised if it got some use sometime in the next four years!

The Completely Sensible and Logical Disney Princesses as Bowls

I totally get that BuzzFeed strives to be creative. It's their job to come up with catchy, unique ideas that will cause internet scrollers to stop what they are doing and "click". I'm sure that the last thing BuzzFeed employees want to do is to create a boring, unoriginal article. So, I completely 100% understand why they decided to come up with the clearly logical... Princess Bowls?

That's right. This actually exists. And unless I'm missing some mutually understood joke or something, I see zero sense in this. LITERALLY there are bowls as princesses. I'm just beyond confused/amused/WHAT.

Through comments, I discovered that I was not alone in my thinking. BuzzFeed users were just as puzzled as I was. Over 500 people chose "WTF" as their reaction to the article. Others made comments to BuzzFeed about being drunk or high. Overall, this was just ridiculous, but definitely worth sharing. Off to go eat some soup out of my Disney Princess!

Live Blog of Up

For reasons I don't quite know, I'm yet to see the movie Up. Now that I'm watching, I figured it would be a perfect opportunity to live blog. I'll keep you updated on my reactions as I watch the movie unfold. Off I go!

1 minute in:
Momentary confusion that I was watching the wrong movie. Glad that got cleared up real fast.

3 minutes:
Are houses in real life actually boarded up like that? I feel like movies are so dramatic about that, to the point where the house practically screams "ABANDONED!!!"

7 minutes:
HA. They buy the house. How cute. Kinda embarrassed I didn't see that coming

11 minutes:
This is a sad, sad movie. Poor Carl. He reminds me of my Grandpa, and that makes me sadder. Now he's going to become Grumpy Carl and that's just not right. Why must there have to be any sad and lonely old men in the world?! :(

13:
Got enough door locks there buddy? Cool, just checking.

18:
Oh no!! Carl, get it together! No one knows the significance of that mail box to his heart. But now he has to go to Shady Oaks1 :( Unless, of course, he somehow manages to "escape"....

22:
Go Carl!!! Up, UP!!! Except, no offense Pixar, but why aren't people freaking out lol. Like that random family walking on the street who was kinda like "Oh, jeez, a flying house. Nice."

25:
LET HIM IN!

26:
K, thank god. That was quite concerning.

30:
Lol that the kid could shadily hold the entire house from falling off the cliff. Russell FTW!
In other news, hey! It's that place from the painting!!! Cliffs and waterfalls and greens! HAHA Russell, if you're strong enough to hold the house up why can you literally only climb an inch on the hose?

38:
Kevin!!! Lol (again). Carl's talking to Ellie is so cute. Makes my heart melt. Ellie would let them keep Kevin... she's fun!


41:
Not sure how I feel about this talking dog. Really unsure right now. WAIT THERE ARE MORE? This is concerning. And omg Alpha dog's voice sounds like it does when you swallow helium....are you thinking what I'm thinking?!?! #balloons

48:
Carl, be a father figure to Russell! Let him be the son you never had. Bonding!

50:
"Kevin's a girl?!" Ha. Ha.

56:
Yay! Interesting turn of events that Carl gets to meet his idol Charles Muntz. Still not a fan of these talking dogs. Seeing Carl looking at the artifacts/skeletons is like a little boy on Christmas <3

1 hour:
Am I missing something...why don't Carl and Russell just give Kevin to Charles?

1 hour 3 minutes:
DON'T DIE KEVIN.

1:06:
Charles you are EVIL. I am beyond disenchanted. This movie will be a huge disappointment if Carl cannot save both his house and Kevin...but I have a feeling it will work out ;)

1:12:
Aw. Cue sad music.
Sidenote- Carl has really wide fingers.

1:14:
Carl: a man with a mission. Aka it's time to empty your house of everything you own. Huzzah!

1:17:
Will he save Russell?!?!!?

1:18:
Yes, DUH.

1:22:
Okay, this movie is cute, but perhaps a little bizarre for me. The dogs are TOO MUCH. Also, how did Russell suddenly get buff enough to climb up the hose?

1:25:
Classic almost near-death experience. Goodbye, house.

1:27:
"The Ellie Badge" :'( and :')

Solid movie. Good? Yes. Superb? Not necessarily. Interesting to see how the discussion will unfold!

Emoji-fied Frozen

I think that this video ("Frozen As Told By Emoij") is a very telling representation of our current society. We are obsessed with both Disney and our iPhones. This emoji-fied version of Frozen is quite amusing. I lolled at the emoji troll (Apple, get on that!) and at Emoji Han's sideburns. It was a clever idea to create this video, and the execution was actually really well-done. It did a great job incorporating actual emojis (summer ones, the "NO" red circle with a slash, etc), while also creating new Frozen-inspired emoji to represent the various characters.

Honestly, the vid left me currently debating whether or not to go watch Frozen... I'll keep you updated on the verdict later!

Baruch atah adonai elohainu meerkat ha'olam....

I found Gael Sweeney's entire ""What Do You Want Me to Do? Dress in Drag and Do the Hula?" Timon and Pumbaa's Alternative Lifestyle in The Lion King" article to be both fascinating and extremely well-supported. She had a ton of evidence to support a really valid point that I (being as oblivious as I am) had never thought of before. It makes total sense!!! In my defense, I never knew any background info on the Broadway actors who played Timon and Pumbaa, but this knowledge doesn't really surprise me. Finding out that they often improvise lines and record together made me smile. As amazing as Timon and Pumbaa's on-screen relationship is, it gets SO much greater when you learn a little bit more about the actual actors' relationship :')

Of course, I was especially amused by all the details pointing at Timon being Jewish. That thought had literally never crossed my mind, but now I feel so silly for never noticing it! I was weirdly really into The Lion King 1 1/2 as a kid, and the Jew references are SO blatant. I do remember Timon's mom calling him meshugener, and me thinking that that easily sounds like some Yiddush jargon my grandma would use, but essentially it all went over my head. It's quite interesting to see the 180˚ turn around from Walt's anti-semitism to a key character having a ton of Jewish traits. I LOLed at the Nathan Lane's quip that the Jew-hating Walt must be "spinning around in a refrigerator somewhere". RIP, Uncle Walt (except maybe 'RIP' is not the correct term, because who know's, right?)

I agree with Sweeney's totally valid point that a NY inspired, Gay-ish, Jewish-ish meerkat is just slightly out of place in the middle of Africa. Especially when Timon's personality is compared with those of the rest of the jungle-like characters. But then again, we can't forget that this is an animated Disney film. Realistic isn't the name of the game. If you need some reminding of that, just check out 2:18 in the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" music video where Zazu is literally holding up 340859234059 lbs. of animals. Damn, Zazu must be going hard at the gym to have guns like those.

Mean Girls as told by Disney

THIS is hilarious. If you haven't seen it, then I guarantee it is about to make your life better. If you have seen it, I bet you'll still LOL.

The vid is truly amazing because it is SO well done. It was a hit or miss idea, and I think we can all agree that it was a HIT.

The "casting" was very well done. Ariel as Cady was perfect because of a) the red hair, duh but b) her sense of cluelessness. The Disney version of the plastics perfectly resembled their Mean Girls counterparts. Sleeping Beauty conveniently has really big hair (maybe it is full of secrets, you never know...). Slight issue with Aladdin being just a bit too attractive to be Damien, but I can get over that.

I was super impressed with how well the Disney clips fit in with the Mean Girls scenes. I actually LOLed at the Lion King clip used for the "I know how they would settle this in the animal world" bit. And Jasmine holding the apple and pointing at was a totally valid way to show the map of the cafeteria. Mulan being the "cool asian" was very accurate.

Moral of the story-- this video made me laugh a ton, and was the perfect way to break up my full Monday-night workload. Happy watching!

Do you REALLY want to know what your favorite Disney princess says about you?

So I stumbled across this BuzzFeed quiz called What Does Your Favorite Disney Princess Say About You? Intrigued, I clicked on the link and answered the first question: Choose your favorite Disney princess. Little did I know, but I had actually already completed the quiz. That's right, this one-question quiz was attempting to make generalizations about me after a single click.

I was humored by this "quiz" (the air quotes felt necessary) and decided to scope out the possible answers. Here are the summarized results:

• Pocahontas--you're adventurous (my personal pick, if you were wondering)
• Snow White -- you're sincere! (hmmm...not vague at all.)
• Cinderella -- you're a dreamer!
• Aurora -- you're charming! (or maybe more like, "you're tired!"
• Ariel -- you're brave!
• Belle -- you always see the best in people! (I thought this one would be more along the lines of smart or quirky. Oh well)
• Jasmine -- you stand up for what you believe in!
• Mulan -- you're fearless!
• Tiana -- you're a go-getter!
• Rapunzel -- you're loyal! (again, no vagueness here)
• Merida -- you're powerful!
• Anna -- you're passionate!

More than anything, it made me chuckle that BuzzFeed user Lara Parker felt the need to create this extremely telling and informative quiz. I really feel like I know myself better, so thank you Lara. Oh, and now that Pocahontas is my "spirit animal"  and that I "can't be tamed" (shoutout to Miley Cyrus), I'm really sure that I'm going places. 

I LOVE THE LION KING!!!

If my very telling blog title didn't make it clear, The Lion King has always been and always will be one of my all time Disney faves. It truly is a great movie! I'd like to use this blogpost to call attention to some of what I believe to be the movie's high points:

1. The MUSIC!!! Seriously one of the most memorable take aways from the movie. I would go as far as saying that "Hakuna Matata" is the most catchy Disney song of all time (though "Under the Sea" would give it a run for its money...). "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is also incredible. I can feel Lil' Simba's excitement so strongly that it literally puts a smile on my face. Also, Nala gets an A+ for harmonies. Also, we can't discredit "Circle of Life" for being beyond powerful and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" for melting hearts everywhere.  Ah, young lion love. Thank god someone else realized how great this music was and turned it into a Broadway show.

2. This may be the 4 years of photography class speaking from inside, but the graphics are absolutely beautiful! It all starts with the opening scene as being potentially the most breathtaking sunset ever. Yes, it is animated, but still. Kudos, Disney. Throughout the entire movie, the colors captivate me. The sky, the trees, the waterfall -- it's all so stunning! In the scene where Mufasa speaks to Simba telling him to remember who he is, the colors literally captivate you.

3. Although Simba is a lion, he is so relatable. I find myself easily being able to relate with his internal debate of trying to do the right thing (go home to be King of Pride Rock) and wanting to avoid all responsibility (staying with Timon and Pumba). Kind of like my daily struggle of deciding if I should be responsible and do school work or veg out and watch Netflix. I feel you, Simba.

4. Rafiki is amazing. That is all.


I believe a disclaimer is necessary. Like all the other Disney films I have rewatched this semester, I have noticed some flaws with The Lion King that I didn't notice as child. There are some issues in the movie that completely went over my head when I was younger. However, that being said, I still am a HUGE Lion King fan!

"Ariel, like the mermaid!"

While enjoying this much-needed snow day today, I heard a funny story. I'm not quite sure how it came up, but some friends and I were discussing how our parents chose our names. My friend Emily mentioned her friend named Arielle. She told us that Arielle got her name in an unusual way:

When Arielle's mother was pregnant, her parents asked her older sister (a young toddler at the time) what she would like her baby sister's name to be. Why they placed this responsibility in the hands of a three-year-old is beyond me, but not the point. The girl, without any hesitation, responds, "Ariel, like the mermaid!" And so, with a slight modification, her parents decided to name their newborn baby after The Little Mermaid.

My take away is that (1) it makes for a great two truths and a lie/fun fact and (2) at least her sister hadn't suggested Cinderella! It's a harder name to sport "casually"...

Amanda Putnam: Transgendered Villains?

Before I get into my personal view on the topic at hand, I would like to applaud Amanda Putnam for such a creative and thought-provoking essay. I found her piece to be both extremely well-written and engaging. I loved the way she framed the piece with her daughter's naïve point of view, and found that her style of writing was well organized and fluid. However, despite my interest in the idea of her piece, I do not share Amanda Putnam's view that Disney portrays its villains in a transgender way. While I can clearly see that Disney portrays its villains in a very different, more negative light than its other characters, I do not find this portrayal to imply that villains have transgender attributes.

Putnam used a plethora of examples to try to justify her point that these villains had transgender qualities. I fully agree with her evidence that proves Disney does not depict its villains to be as attractive as its protagonists. For example, the short and pudgy Governor Radcliffe is nowhere near as handsome as the lean, toned John Smith. However, I don't think that the details Putnam cited adequately prove that the villains' differences make them somehow transgender. With the example of The Lion King, Putnam claims that Scar possesses feminine traits. When discussing Mufasa's proposal that Simba will become king, Putnam states "Scar's sardonic "I'll practice my curtsy" reiterates his acerbic personality, but also adds a transgendered as it locates Scar again in the female role" (156). I believe that Putnam stretched the meaning behind this quote in an attempt to prove her point. Scar's snarky response is merely a testament to his hostility. Putnam mentioned Scar's "acerbic personality" but tried to brush this off as not being the actual explanation for his rude quip. However, I truly believe that Scar intended to be sassy and bitter towards Mufasa and Simba. I don't think that him mentioning the idea of curtsying makes feminizes him in any way. In fact, it seems more to me like Scar is mocking the idea of curtsying. In this regard, Scar making fun of the curtsy would disprove Putnam's theory by depicting Scar as ruthless and insensitive.

Similarly, Putnam claims that the stepmother Lady Tremaine in Cinderella is masculine because of her facial features. Putnam "Her nose is crooked and large for her face, more reminiscent of 101 Dalmatians male villains Horace and Jasper, rather than typical Disney female features. Her over-plucked, arched eyebrows characterize her expressions as surprised and menacing" (153-154). Putnam is trying to show how Lady Tremaine's physical appearance makes her more masculine, but I find this to be, yet again, quite a stretch. I don't find the shape of the stepmother's nose and eyebrows to be sufficient in proving her to be male-like. I agree with Putnam that these features clearly contrast those of Cinderella, but I don't think that it is fair to associate these differences with having transgender implications. I can see how Disney is depicting Cinderella as being more beautiful than her stepmother, but I don't think that doing so gives Lady Tremaine any transgender characteristics.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this essay and appreciated the creativity of the concept, I did find the overall argument to lack sufficient evidence in proving that Disney has given its villains transgender qualities by making them different looking than its main characters.

So You Think You Can Disney (I Clearly Can't...)

I'm truly ashamed to admit my results of the Seriously, How Well Do You Know Disney Movies? Buzzfeed quiz. This 10-question quiz tests viewers to identify the Disney movie from just a single frame. It's fun!!! Honestly, with only 3 answer choices, you have a pretty good shot based on guessing alone. Personal favorite answer to get correct was Cinderella....I'd recognize that little mouse nose anywhere. I was practically fuming when I got Aladdin wrong. How did I not realize that the lava was from the scene inside the cave of wonders. DUH. Anyways, it's a fun quiz, and hopefully you can do better than my pathetic 5/10. Happy clicking!

I Never Realized How Skinny Disney Princesses Were

Well, this is interesting: Pop Princesses Photoshopped To Have Disney Princess Proportions.

I'm not going to go on a whole rant about how the tiny size of Disney princesses is a trigger of eating disorders in society. Honestly, I don't think that's true. For starters, Disney princesses are cartoon characters. They aren't real people; they are literally drawn.

That being said, though, the article made me question Disney's motives in making his princesses so distinctly small-looking. I mean seriously, they're about half the size of Taylor Swift, and THAT is saying something! There has to be a reason that Disney designed princesses to have such tiny waists, long necks, huge eyes, and tiny feet.

What I've come to conclude is that Disney probably found this "model" to be the one that would be most attractive to his audience. I'm not saying he is implying that anyone who likes Disney princesses needs to look like this, but I'm sure his goal was to create princesses that would become popular. For example, a quick Google search told me that the big eyes are a symbol of the princesses' innocence. Makes sense, because the are supposed role-models for little girls.

It boils down to the fact that Disney making his princesses super skinny only parallels the ideal views of beauty in society. We see skinnier to be prettier, and this "we" is who Disney is trying to impress. Do I think we would oppose princesses to have a slightly thicker waist and feet that could actually hold themselves up? No, of course not. But at the end of the day we have to remember that Disney is merely marketing a product, one that we (his audience) approve of.

75 degree weather can’t stop Frozen…

 I spent the past weekend in sunny Santa Barbara for a club lacrosse tournament. It was SO nice to get a break from the cold Durham weather. During some downtime between games, my teammates and I hit the streets for some shopping. We ended up inside a little store that sold all types of trinkets (Nutella cookbooks, hamburger socks, etc.).

In the center of the store stood one display larger than all the rest. You guessed it: Frozen. Every inch of these tables was covered completely with Frozen gear. Literally. There were the classic dolls, of course, but what really caught my attention was the variety of other products. There were Frozen flip-flops (because that isn’t at all contradictory) and Frozen band aids ­– Elsa’s powers can heal your cut faster! My personal favorite was the totally necessary Frozen jellybeans.

I totally get that there are a ton of marketing opportunities for Disney. I also knew that Frozen totally killed it with the products– I mean Elsa outdoing Barbie is HUGE. But that being said, I was still baffled by it all. Maybe it was the context…there I am standing in sandals and a tank top and in front of me is a sea of Frozen. Or maybe it was the fact that Frozen premiered over a year ago and it’s still this relevant. Either way, I’m curious to see how much longer Elsa, Ana, Olaf, and the whole gang stay popular and keep rockin’ it.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel is a boss

Best part of watching The Little Mermaid? Being able to brag to everyone in my path that I was, in fact, doing homework. While sitting in the airport, my teammates slaved away on physics homework and polysci readings while I happily completed my assignment, and reminisced on my childhood memories while doing so.

The Little Mermaid always has and always will be one of my favorites. I think the main reason is that I love Ariel. I mean, how can you not?! She represents the angsty teen that we all once were/still are. Just a girl (technically mermaid, but same thing) trying to live her life without parental overprotection. Of course, Disney pulled the classic "leave-out-the-mom" move. Honestly I'm not even surprised anymore. Anyways, one of the things I love about Ariel is her badass-ness. First of all, she literally saves Eric. THAT'S A BIG DEAL. She casually rescues him after a dramatic ship explosion and returns him to safety. And then no one questions when he somehow turns up alive on the beach. Not the point, but just saying. Secondly, Ariel manages to actually make me feeeeeel. When she's pissed at her dad I'm thinking "I'm with ya, girl!". When Ursula persuades her to give up her voice I'm practically screaming, "NOOOOOOOOOO!". And when Eric keeps trying to get her to say something I literally feel Ariel's frustration. Like come on Eric, just kiss her...she's HOT. Ariel's just great. But major shout out to the aforementioned Buzzfeed quiz: HOW does her hair look like that?! Seriously, that volume + wetness combo is physically impossible. 

Confession time. Perhaps part of the reason I love the movie so much is that the story is near and dear to my heart. In 2005, my first summer at sleep-away camp, my bunk put on a fabulous performance of The Little Mermaid. I performed flawlessly as Flotsam, delivering my 5 lines with the poise of a Broadway star. For this reason alone, The Little Mermaid will always be special to me since, despite how minor my role was, it was one of my earliest memories from camp: my summer home for the next eleven years. 

Winnie the Boo-hoo-hoo

My cousins' family, much like my own, didn't manage to make the pilgrimage to Disney until their kids were older than most. When they finally caved and flew down to Orlando, I would guess that their kids were 18, 15, and 13. They loved Disney, but I think they were a little too old to believe in the whole "magical" aspect.

Little kids see the dressed-up characters that roam the streets of Disney as almost gods. They squeal with delight: "Look, Mommy! It's Simba!" With older kids, however, you're more likely to hear: "Hey, I bet that dude in the Simba costume is probably dripping in sweat right now!" While the younger crowd will happily wait on line to take photos with their favorite Disney characters, the older crowd may not be as compliant. 

My cousins saw that the Winnie-the-Pooh character was available for pictures, and went over to inquire. My oldest cousin, a boy around 18, tried to strike a conversation with the man beneath the Pooh costume. However, Mr. Pooh was not too into that idea, as I'm sure he felt the need to protect his image as a Disney character, and not some mortal being dressed in a costume. When Winnie wouldn't respond, my cousin gave him a light punch in the arm, in the way that boys mess with each other. They took their picture and Pooh scurried off quickly.

Just moments later, an announcement blared through the park: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are sorry to announce that Winnie-the-Pooh will no longer be available for photos today. He has been **dramatic pause** injured." 

As my cousin turned a deep shade of red, he heard a sea of "Awwwww's" from the young crowd around him. Let's just say that my cousins didn't do any more photo-taking that day...

Tracy Mollet: VERY Refreshing

My favorite part of Tracy Mollet's "With a smile and a song..." essay? The POSITIVITY. Not that the rest of the readings we have been doing haven't been interesting (they have!), but it was also great to read a piece that wasn't bashing Disney for all his flaws, greed, OCD, etc. Yes, the other readings did bring up valuable points, but so did Mollet.

In 11th grade I took an American history course. One of the most memorable lessons was the day that my class talked about The Wizard of Oz as an allegory for economic America in the 1890s. It was full of symbolism. The yellow brick road represented the gold standard of the time that lead to the green Emerald City, which represented the fact that the greenbacked paper money had no actual value. All of the characters stood for things in society as well. For example, the scarecrow represented the farmers that struggled as America shifted towards the big business boom.

I loved that lesson because, whether or not it was 100% true, enough evidence existed so that the connection seemed totally believable! Mollet's analysis of Snow White was so sufficiently supported with details from the film. She really sold her point to me! The way I see it, Mollet and I are similar in that we both see the positive side of Disney. She took this optimistic view a few notches further. With enough evidence and analysis, she was able to create a very convincing argument.

The reason Mollet's essay was so effective is because her points were SO true. In Snow White, the hard-working dwarves prevail over the greedy witch. This parallels American history, in which the cooperative attitudes of 1930s workers were successful while the selfish indulgence of the 1920s failed. The dwarves led simple lives, which turned out victorious in the end. Disney's signature "happily ever after" motif proved to be very relevant in that case that everything did work out after the Great Depression.

Overall, job well done on this essay!


PS: I also chucked at the "Not So Grimm" pun. Solid wordplay, Mollet.

The Original "Little Snow-White"

What could be so fitting but to blog on the original Grimm fairytale that inspired the Disney rendition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I went into this reading knowing only 1 change that Disney made: naming the dwarfs. Besides that, I had no prior knowledge of the Grimm version of Snow White. Here are the changes I found most noteworthy:


1. I'm not surprised by the "disnification" of the Queen's request to the Huntsman. In the original she requests Snow White's lungs and liver, while in the Disney version she wants her heart. The heart evokes emotions of love, making the audience forget how vulgar the Queen's request is. The Grimm version is a little more graphic in the sense that "lungs and liver" are a lot more grotesque. Also, the Queen ever-so-casually eats the organs that she assumed to be Snow White's. Cool.

2. One of the most emphasized points in the Disney film is how Snow White arrives in a cabin that is messy beyond belief. However, in the Grimm story, the cabin is described as "neat and clean." Literally, it's as if Disney read the fairytale and deliberately decided to directly oppose Grimm's vision of the cabin. Although in the Grimm version Snow White does end up staying and doing the cleaning in the house, it is Disney who changes the plot so that it is Snow White's idea to clean up the disgusting house. In doing so, he also portrays the dwarfs as being dirty and messy (think: bathing scene) which doesn't seem to be the Grimm brothers' intentions. I am left to believe that Disney wanted to depict women and men in very traditional stereotypes of the time, where women are clean while men are slobs.

3. I always thought Disney Snow White was ditzy, but Grimm Snow White puts her to shame. I am SO amused at Snow White's foolishness. First of all, how did she fail to recognize her stepmother when, one, the dwarfs had warned her that she would return, and, two, her disguise was literally just "coloring her face". C'mon, Snow White. You're expecting your stepmother to come and try to hurt you, but then a lady who, besides a really different skin tone, looks just like your stepmother arrives...nothing fishy about that, right? Oh, and also the fact that the Queen came back a SECOND time, and still Snow White didn't recognize her nor resist the urge to bite the apple after already having been a victim of a poisonous comb. Seriously, Snow White, get it together.

4. The Queen's death. Need I say more? Yet another case of "disnification". I don't think Disney's intended audience (or their parents, for that matter) would have been too chill with Grimm's cruel and unusual punishment killing of the stepmother. Disney chose to go with something a little more natural like lightning and cliffs, rather than to create an create an animated torture scene featuring burning shoes. Disney, I'm with you on this one.

For better or for worse, Disney made some changes that completely altered the plot and the overall feel of the Snow White story line. I wonder what the Grimm Brothers would have thought about the movie...

Mid Snow-White: my thoughts thus far

Of course I've "seen" Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs before. The reason I use quotes is because it's probably been nearly 15 years since I last watched it. I know the basic plot: Queen looks in mirror and gets mad, Snow White goes to live with dwarfs, the dwarfs mine, Snow White cleans, the Queen becomes an old hag, and the prince saves the day.  I was pretty sure that, for the most part, I knew what I was about to watch. That's where I was wrong.

I want to emphasize that I'm only about halfway through the film. Snow White just met the dwarves and learned all their names. My opinion of the movie so far? WEIRD. And rather disappointing.

First of all, why does Snow White have such a strange voice?!?! Not just her singing voice, her basic conversation voice. I literally gasped when she first spoke. It's so high and light. Her words are unnecessarily wavery and song-y. I don't know how movies were recorded back in the 30s, but I'm laughing picturing the actress who voiced snow white (Adriana Caselloti, thank you IMDb) actually speaking like that. I mean come on, nobody actually speaks like that. Even 70+ years ago. The way Snow White talks kind of reminds me of the way Dora the Explorer talks when she's talking to her audience. Dora goes, "Do you see the big tree?" *Pauses* "There it is!". Snow White had a similar, playing dumb kind of vibe to her speech.

Besides that obvious, in-your-face shocker, I was also surprised by the lack of complexity in the film. Now I know that, duh, there are going to be major differences in the levels of animation between Snow White and Frozen. Clearly the ever-changing technology has improved animation exponentially in the past decades. The simple style of animation in Snow White was pretty much what I expected to see. However, what I didn't consider was that not only would the actual style of animation be different, but also the ideas behind the animation. Animating was such a new and unknown field. There was no past evidence on what worked and what didn't, so Disney was pretty much taking risks and crossing his fingers for good luck. Conceptually, this film so far is very simple. For example, when Snow White is fleeing after the huntsman let her go, she runs through the dark forest. In that scene, the tree branches come to life and "attack" Snow White. Additionally, eyes pop up in a dark hole and bats fly out. The fast paced music creates a frightened mood. This scene looks like something a student would make in Animations 101. It was very cookie cutter, not just in technique but in concept too.

Overall, I was disenchanted by this film. I expected to reawaken my childhood love for an old film, but instead I was reminded why Snow White isn't one of the Disney films I watch when I'm bored. There are many films that fall into this category (Aladdin, Pocahontas, Frozen, etc.), but I can assure you that Snow White won't be one of them any time soon. Off to go finish the movie now. *Sigh*

Because What's a Princess Without Perfect Hair?

This Buzzfeed article had me actually laughing out loud: If Disney Princesses Had Realistic Hair. My first reaction was that the title and concept of this article was rather ridiculous and unnecessary, but after reading it my thoughts had completely shifted. THIS IS SO TRUE. HOW HAS NOBODY THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE?! I mean seriously, how in the world does Ariel have such voluminous hair when she is underwater. I know she grooms her luscious locks carefully (forks work wonders these days!), but no amount of hair care could defy the laws of nature and prevent her hair from being soaked.

The Pocahontas one was also BEYOND accurate. Pocahontas stands atop a giant cliff, hair blowing perfectly over her shoulder. I would estimate there to be a 0% chance of this happening in actuality. It's really windy on top of cliffs.... I know from experience:

Anyways... as humorous and entertaining as I found this article to be, it also provoked some analysis. The perfectly groomed hairstyles of the Disney princesses is just one feature of their flawless beauty. Disney creates it's princesses to look the way that people will respond best to: beautiful. No one would fall in love with a frizzy haired princess. How would that look on merchandise? Imagine how a frizzy haired doll would do on the markets. These princesses are sketched to be perfect looking. Unfortunately, the young girls who idolize them are not quite created the same way. I'd pay someone a lot of money to get my hair to blow gracefully in the wind like Pocahontas'. There's always wishful thinking!