Hokay guys, I'm back!
Not over my anger, but I'm back! And tonight I'll be talking about Disney movies, instead of Harry Potter. Don't get me wrong, I've been reading a lot today. I just haven't come across an extremely thought-provoking quote or situation today. I'm not sure if my Disney entry will be thought-provoking, but I'll have a stab at it.
Tonight I was watching Tarzan. When I turned 21 I watched Beauty and the Beast. When I was a kid we didn't own that many Disney movies, so my memory of them is very hazy. I never got to watch them over and over again. Usually I was at the babysitter's house, and they didn't own any Disney movies. And yet, my favorite thing to do is watch them. I even brought my VHS player to school so we could have a Disney movie marathon freshman year.
Maybe it has to do with memories again, the reason why I love them so much. They take me back to a time when I was innocent and the worst thing in the world was to be hunted by poachers in the 1800's, or to be forced to marry someone (in the distant future). Or being forced to eat my lima beans before I could go back outside and play.
But when I watch the movies, I don't remember any of those times. I get sucked into the story again, and if I don't catch myself I have a huge smile on my face. I think it's because of the story lines. They may be simple, but they all have a message. Granted, Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty all tell us that we need to be beautiful and that's enough to fall madly in love with someone. But the ones from the late 80s on teach us something more.
The Little Mermaid teaches to do what you can for love. Beauty and the Beast teaches us that intelligent girls can not only be beautiful, but loved and strong characters. Aladdin teaches us that we should follow our hearts in marriage, not what is best for the kingdom or for anything besides for love. Mulan teaches us to embrace all of our quirks, because they may become something that can save someone, or a whole country of someones.
The Lion King teaches us not to run away from who we really are. Tarzan teaches us that even though we may look different, we're all pretty much the same underneath it all. Hercules teaches us that we can overcome obstacles, if we just set our minds to it. Pocahontas teaches us history incorrectly, but also teaches us to appreciate nature and everything in it. The Hunchback of Notre Dame teaches us that everyone's a person, even if they're deformed or a gypsy. (These are just the ones that I've seen the most)
Yes, there are flaws with each of them. Yes, the only mother figures are evil stepmothers. Yes, the women need to gain a few pounds. But when we were kids, we didn't notice these things. We were enjoying the stories. There are also themes in them that went over my head when I was a child, but are highly amusing when older.
Personally, Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty weren't ever in my top stories. My favorites were Mulan and Aladdin, and that's because the girls actually had character development, and in Mulan, she was the main character! I guess inadvertently I always identified with the stronger characters, because Beauty and the Beast is a close third for the ones with humans as the main cast.
Or maybe those were the main ones my parents allowed us to watch. I'm not sure. I do know that I get excited when I see that one's on TV, and will blast Disney music when I need to be cheery. They still make me happy to watch, and I do discover new things when I watch them another time around.
And they still give me unrealistic expectations on love. But don't make me feel bad about my body.
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