Response to "'You're a Surprise From Every Angle': Disability, Identity, and Otherness in The Hunchback of Notre Dame"

          In "Disability, Identity, and Otherness in The Hunchback of Notre Dame,"Martin Norden criticizes Disney's portrayal of its protagonist, Quasimodo as a disabled other. Norden argues that Quasimodo is very much separated from the "normal" people of Paris and remains that way throughout the movie. In typical Disney happy ending spirit, the last scene of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is that of Quasimodo being carried by a Parisian crowd. While this may seem like acceptance, Norden points out that he is still very much isolated from the rest of the community. He can never be one of them. He can never just be "normal."
          The fact that Quasimodo had to save the entire city from fire and an evil villain in order to gain only the respect of the townspeople is offensive enough. With The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney hopes to send out the message that beauty is only skin deep. However, this is very hypocritical because, as Norden points out, the animators working on the movie spent just over eight months trying to make Quasimodo kid-friendly. If he was too deformed or ugly, Disney wouldn't think the audience could ever accept him. That is exactly against the argument of the movie. Adding onto that, Quasimodo must be perfect in every way in order for the audience to forgive his deformity. Norden describes this as the film trope, "The Sweet Innocent."
          Norden ends the article with a sweet description of the budding romance Quasimodo has in The Hunchback of Notre Dame II. I, on the other hand, am not so optimistic for Quasimodo's love life. To me, Disney sequels don't really count because they are made by entirely different people. I don't think that the Quasimodo from the real movie has any romance to look forward to. Quasimodo only wants to be normal, but in this movie, I just don't see that as possible.

Response to "Disney's Sub/version of Andersen's The Little Mermaid"

          In "Disney's Sub/version of Andersen's The Little Mermaid," Roberta Trites examines Disney's changes to Andersen's original story, which in turn, made The Little Mermaid (1989) more sexist.
          To start, in Andersen's original version, Ariel wants to turn into a human to gain a soul. Disney flipped that entirely around in making Ariel want to be human to win over a boy. On top of that, Disney's Ariel has never officially spoken to him, so she is merely admiring him as an object. This goes along with Trites's argument that Ariel's motivation for becoming a human is entirely materialistic. Adding to that, Andersen's Ariel realizes that she cannot win over the prince's love based off of looks alone. Instead, she only redeems herself in the end, when she sacrifices herself. Disney's Ariel is, one again, the opposite. Disney's Ariel finds love even though she has no way to communicate with Prince Eric, which shows that she believes in love based off of looks.
          Not only is Disney's Ariel materialistic, but she cannot solve her own problems. Throughout the movie, she is entirely dependent on men to solve her issues. Trites's points out that Ariel runs from the protection of her father to the protection of her husband, Eric (who, in the end, kills Urusula, not Ariel). This is just a reiteration of the sexist belief that women need a man's protection.
         These sexist ideas are not the kind that should be sent out to children. While Andersen's The Little Mermaid is very dark and gloomy, it holds more substance than Disney's The Little Mermaid ever will.

Response to "Challenging Disney Myths"

           In "Challenging Disney Myths," Janet Wasko breaks down five different myths surrounding the Disney corporation. The one I will be specifically responding to is Myth 1: Walt Disney, the Creative Genius.
           Janet Wasko begins by pointing out the inaccuracies surrounding Walt's hometown. She states that Walt was born in Chicago, moved to Missouri for four years, moved to Kansas City for seven years, then finally back to Chicago. She then states that Walt's southern roots are therefore relatively shadow, which makes him phony for his attachments to small-town America. I think that her assessment is unjust. Walt Disney spent eleven years of his childhood in the South, which constitutes a large majority of his childhood. Even if he lived in the South for only a few years, that may have just been the place where he had his fondest memories. People are allowed to romanticized whichever towns they please, Janet Wasko.
          Then next point which I think is outlandish is Wasko's argument against Walt as a family-man. Wasko seems to imply that because Walt and his older brother were abused by their father, Walt isn't in a position to build a company promoting positive family life. In my opinion, I think the poor relationship Walt had with his own family actually pushed him more towards creating a company promoting a healthy family environment. Walt never had it, but he wished it for everyone else.
          In thinking about my strong reaction to this article, I feel like I may overly idolize Walt Disney, but I can't change my opinion on him. Walt Disney made his dreams come true and that makes him a true American hero. I might just be stubborn, but Wasko's article did not change my perceptions of Walt Disney in the slightest. I

Response to "Saving Other Women from Other Men in Aladdin"

           In Erin Addison's article, "Saving Other Women from Other Men in Aladdin," she argues that Disney's Aladdin (1993) is wildly racist. Addison points out that Arabs as a whole are portrayed negatively with the exception of Aladdin. But, Aladdin has been made to look like Tom Cruise, so can he even be considered as an Arab? Arabs are portrayed as needing rescuing from their own cultures. Jasmine rejects the Q'ran and Aladdin offers her the American perspective of marriage. I agree with Addison that Islamic culture has been villianized in Aladdin. Islamic culture should not have to be saved by 
          The most interesting point I think this article makes is the significance of Aladdin's last few lines in the movie. When Aladdin and Jasmine are finally together by the end of the movie, Aladdin says to Jasmine, "call me Al." Now, not only does Aladdin look like an American (Tom Cruise specifically) just with slightly darker skin, he now has just a typical American name. Aladdin has now become fully Americanized. Addison also raises the issue that Aladdin is influenced by greed, which is portrayed positively, while Jafar is influenced by power, which is portrayed negatively. This is an entirely capitalistic American perspective, which is highly biased.
          But why should we care if this silly cartoon portrays Islamic culture in a negative light? We should care because American portrayal of Islam and Muslim people as in need of our help needs to stop. Aladdin  depicts Muslim culture in such a way that it needs “rescuing” by American culture, when that is not the case. It villianizes Eastern culture by introducing an elitist American perspective.

Response to "Blackness, Bayous, and Gumbo: Encoding and Decoding Race in a Colorblind World"

           In Sarah E. Turner's article, "Blackness, Bayous and Gumbo: Encoding and Decoding Race in a Colorblind World," she discuses Disney's The Princess and the Frog (2009) in regards to race and the idea of colorblindness.
          Turner leads with that Disney wants the audience to think that Tiana is not "a black princess" but just "a princess." However, Disney clearly had race at the forefront of its mind when making this movie. This race the paradox of colorblind racism. Turner argues that simply ignoring Tiana's race is still a form of racism. I agree with her here. Disney seems to entirely avoid any issues with race, but that shouldn't be entirely done. Just like being a girl is part of my identity, being black is part of Tiana's and that doesn't have to be ignored just to make people feel comfortable. But, I understand that Disney is a corporation that needs to make money, so they can't alienate their largely colorblind audience.
          In addition to those complaints, Turner then goes on to talk about the setting. The Princess and the Frog takes place in 1920s New Orleans. You can already see why there might be issues with that. This movie may not have depicted an accurate portrayal of race relations in the 1920s, but that would've lead to entirely different movie. I think that this is a bit of a nit-picky complaint because since when has Disney been realistic? When the premise of a movie evolves around turning into frogs, you can't really sit and complain about the setting being inappropriately portrayed.
          While there are quite a few poor choices by Disney in this movie, I still enjoyed it and I don't feel that it is racist. But is this movie a revolutionary step forward for Disney? Not quite. Turner ends with the same conclusion as I do: at least they're trying.

Response to "Post Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar"

          While I could read endless papers about female gender roles in Disney movies, I've noticed a lack of research on the male gender roles. The idea that a female can be masculine is entirely more widely accepted than the idea that a male can be feminine. That just simply doesn't make sense to me. In "Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar," the author explores these ideas along with its creation of a postfeminist model of gender.
          The most interesting part of this article to me was the realization that quite a few Pixar movies follow very similar plot lines. The basic outline of this fundamental pixar plot is an overly masculine male protagonist is defeated. The rest of the movie follows that newly de-masculinized protagonist gaining back his masculinity and finding friendship along the way. In the end, he finds a middle ground between his original overly masculine self and femininity. In this way, Pixar is creating its "new man." This generic Pixar plot can be seen in Toy Story (1995), Monster's Inc (2001), Cars (2006), Monster's University (2013) and The Incredibles (2004). To me, this is a shock. I always thought of Pixar movies as incredibly unique, so the fact that they all have the same underlying plot is startling. However, I can see where this is an important plot to show.
          Pixar's creation of the "new man" in all of their movies may seem like a lack of creativity, but it's truly just that important of a message. Pixar tells us that men don't have to act or look like Prince Charming to be in Disney movies anymore. Pixar finally gives a place to the average man. This "new man" accepts the idea of a gender spectrum in which feminine qualities in a man are as normal as masculine qualities in a man. In my opinion, Pixar is doing a great job at preaching gender equality and if they have to sacrifice inventive plots for it, so be it.

Happy Birthday Walt Disney!

    This past thursday was Walt Disney's 112th birthday. Check out this super cool segment of What's My Line where Walt Disney was a guest star!

Response to "Disney's 'Little Mermaid Second Screen Live'"

         This year Disney has decided to expand its movie viewing experience to include iPads. The Little Mermaid is set to be screened in select theaters alongside a new app for the iPad. The app includes games to play along with other audience members and sing-a-longs.
          To be honest, I’m torn about this new idea. The film production student in me is entirely against it, but the revolutionary millennial inside me is for it. I am a theatre-going purist and I am the type of person that most definitely WILL yell at you if you're texting at a movie. To me, it is the biggest insult to the movie-goers and on top of it all, the filmmakers. Tons of people have spent countless hours pouring their heart and soul into this piece of art but instead of watching it, you'd rather text your BFF Jill about how totes cute Johnny is. Not on my watch. I believe in an America with darkly light, silent movie theaters filled with attentive audiences and popcorn. But I would be ignorant to not realize that this art form is dying. Millennials are not easily entertained and they need to constantly be multitasking. Their short attention span could change film as we know it. However, do not fret because this happens every few generations in the film world. Every generation watches different kinds of movies and the later generations tend to see the earlier generations as boring. You can see this specifically in black and white movies and silent movies. Is this the new move for film everywhere?
          I personally will not be jumping on the Second Screen Live bandwagon, but I won't condemn it either. It's change or die in the entertainment business, so if this expansion of the theater experience gets more people to enjoy The Little Mermaid, then job well done Disney.

Frozen: Disney's Latest Hit

          As a busy college student, I don't really have as much time as I'd like to see movies so whenever I'm home for break, I try to see as many as I can. This time, I decided to see Disney latest smash-hit: Frozen.  
          Frozen's advertising seemed to follow the same path as Brave's in that it really is nothing like the commercials. (SPOILERS AHOY!) The story follows two princesses in Scandinavia who were very close as children, but then grow apart when Elsa, the older sister, thinks her magical powers are too dangerous. Elsa pushes away her younger sister, Anna, which makes her very lonely. In Elsa's coronation, her magical powers are revealed and she runs away. In the process, she accidentally freezes the entire town, so Anna now must try and talk some sense in to Elsa and the rest of the town. That explanation makes it sound not very exciting but it is surprisingly suspenseful.
          I have to say the best part of this film for me was Olaf. When I realized Olaf was voiced by Josh Gad (aka Elder Cunningham from Book of Mormon), I flipped out. Josh Gad is one of my favorite comedians and he made Olaf the star of the film. I genuinely laughed at so many points in this movie that it surprised me. The one thing I worry is that the kids in theatre with me weren't really laughing. I think this film appeals more towards the subtle humor of teenagers and maybe young adults. While its still a fine movie for children thematically, I think a lot of the humor goes over their heads.
          I don't want to give away the ending of the movie, but it has a surprise ending that really made the movie for me. With this ending, Disney throws away its true-love-at-first-sight/kiss-with-a-man-you-hardly-know idea for a sisterly love. Although Disney takes a step forward with this idea of love between sisters, it entirely sacrifices the parents to achieve that. Once again, Disney takes baby steps.

Atlantis: The Lost Disney Classic?

         Yesterday, as I lay procrastinating my real homework, I decided I wanted to watch Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). What can I say, Netflix just makes not doing calc homework so easy. I always had really fond memories of this movie when I was a kid and for some reason, it just wasn't a movie I ever revisited.

          First off, I really couldn't get past the sloppy animation. There are some sequences that are really captivating with beautiful landscape, but then others just look a little bit too much like a cartoon. Also, they tried to do sort of meta-3D shots with the submarines that look really outdated. They lacked any sort of shadows, which sort of took me out of the film entirely. However, I may be looking at it from a fairly spoiled eye, so I'm sure this animation was more advanced than I'm giving it credit for.

C'mon guys, are you even trying with this lobster?

          What this movie lacks in animation, it makes up for with captivating characters. Milo is a refreshing take on a male lead. He is very awkward and nerdy, but incredibly lovable. He in unlike any other Disney male lead (except for perhaps Quasimodo) in that he lacks the stereotypical Prince Charming look. The entire crew was so funny and dynamic that I'm surprised this movie isn't more well-liked. Vinny, the demolitions expert, genuinely makes me laugh more than I think any other Disney character (props to whoever wrote him in). I just wish the cast had gotten a little bit more screen time. 

Sorry not sorry.

As much as I love Milo and Kida, the crew is just simply more entertaining. Kida also has really cheesy lines, but she still is an interesting character. And why isn't Kida considered a Disney princess? ...Maybe it's because she'd be the first Disney princess to punch someone in the face.

          While the characters themselves were entertaining, the plot just wasn't interesting enough for me to want to watch this movie again. It was fairly predictable and got boring after the first half hour. Even though its a bit boring plot-wise, they somehow rush the plot so there is never really any moment where the audience feels a powerful moment. That's not to say that I didn't like this movie though. Atlantis was definitely enjoyable, but I might bury it down into the ocean for a few more years before I watch it again.

It's the little things....

Throwback Monday?

Don't question it. Just let it happen.*

 Left: This picture has been hanging in my bedroom for the longest time. I'm still a little unsure of my expression....happy?....sad?....get this costume off of me? Maybe.
Right: No description needed. Cuteness at its absolute finest.

Left: I don't think that was my swimsuit. ...But then again I don't think all that human stuff wasn't exactly Ariel's, right?
Right: I hadn't even seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame and somehow I decided to be Esmerelda. With a sweater, apparently.

Center: Me as Belle just contemplating life with a crown(?) and wand(?). Alternative Description: 2 sassy 4 u 

* = DISREGARD THE BOWL CUT.

Fall Break in Downtown Disney

                            

OPENING SIDENOTE: This post is long overdue, but I figured in true procrastinating spirit, better late than never!

            For me, fall break roughly translates to Halloween Horror Nights. And if you’ve never heard of Halloween Horror Nights, you are missing out on one of the most thrilling experiences of your life. I kid you not. HHN is a Halloween event hosted by Universal Studios, where guests can scream their way through seven different horrifying haunted houses. It’s exciting, but it, of course, only starts in the nighttime.

            I had planned to spend the entire day in Orlando with a few of my friends that go to the University of Florida. We greatly miscalculated how long we would spend at the Mall at Millenia and were left with a three-hour gap before HHN opened. With so much extra time, I had the brilliant idea to visit the typically overlooked Downtown Disney.

         From Legoland to a hot air balloon ride, Downtown Disney is full of a lot more excitement than you’d expect. We started off in the candy store because why not? If you go to Disney, you’re clearly not going for the healthy food. And let me tell you, this candy store did not disappoint. It was filled with Disney-themed sweets including, but most definitely not limited to, cheshire cat cake pops (delicious), Mickey Mouse candy apples (even more delicious), and Mike Wazowski-shaped cookies (I need more adjectives than delicious). We eventually decided to make a valiant effort to drag ourselves away from these glorious, glorious treats.
        The most interesting part of Downtown Disney to me was, not surprisingly, the art gallery. They had the typical intricately painted Disney landscapes that you would expect, but they also had a surprising amount of contemporary art. These pieces were more centered around the artist’s unique perspective of Disney and its impact on American culture. My absolute favorite was a set of two paintings (pictured below) that depicted only a few aspects of a Disney character, such as their hair or their foot, and given only those visuals, one could easily tell what Disney character it was. This forced me to think about how embedded these characters are into the American mindset.

 

          After visiting the art gallery, we ended up strolling around Downtown Disney, which is actually incredibly large. We passed by Legoland, a hot air balloon ride, the largest Disney store I think I've ever seen, and even a Christmas store. Before long, our three extra hours in Orlando were over and we were on our way to Universal Studios. The trip in total was very fun and I would definitely recommend Downtown Disney to anyone in the greater Orlando area. However, I can only take the bubblegum "magic" of Disney for so long and by the end, I was ready for one thing: ZOMBIES!!!!

New Disney Clothing at Forever 21

I absolutely adore Forever 21 and the fact that they made a new line with Disney makes me beyond excited. Disney is just as prevalent in the lives of young 20-somethings as it is in the hearts of young children and this is just further proof of that. I can't wait to go pick up one of those Mickey Mouse sweaters!

Snarky Commentary on Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"

My mother never allowed me to watch The Hunchback of Notre Dame when I was younger, so this weekend I watched it for my very first time ever. I decided that I should record my every thought because after all, my opinion is the most important. Here are my unfiltered thoughts throughout the movie:

3:50 – This movie is very violent and scary already. Good job Mom for not letting me watch this one.

4:15 - Attempt at infanticide at only the 5 minute mark? They just get right into it, don’t they.

4:30 – I’m already sick of every mention of “Notre Dame” getting a little sing-along. Let’s hope this doesn’t continue through the rest of the movie.

7:40 - Another stereotypical British mentor. Classic Disney.

10:00 – I wonder if Phil from Disney’s Hercules is just a better version of the shorter gargoyle.

22:00 - Was that just a transferring range of focus shot? Dang they really stepped up the animation in this one.

23:44 – ESMERALDA IS VAGUELY POLE-DANCING WHAAAAT.

26:21 – Oh wow, a true Carrie moment. Good thing Quasimoto isn't psychokinetic or this would be different kind of Disney movie.

36:21 – Uhhh I'm getting a little uncomfortable with all these religious undertones...

40:17 – I’m starting to notice more and more that Esmeralda has lighter skin on the poster for Hunchback than she does in the actual movie. That's an interesting marketing strategy.

51:31 – Something about the combination of Frollo faceplanting on the ground and an immediate zoom out makes me laugh so hard. Maybe they could've shown his angst a little bit differently. 

56:33 - Ahhh here comes the less catchy "Be Our Guest."

1:01:00 – The card heart ripping thing was a bit too much. I don’t need your clear metaphors, Disney. I got it.

1:02:04 – I think this is just me, but I almost had a heart attack when Quasimodo pulled the tablecloth up over an open flame.

1:02:33 – Frollo’s got some bling-bling.

1:04:01 – Ok, the people in this movie need to be more cautious with flames. …And why hasn’t the church caught on fire yet if he just threw fire on wood?

1:06:41 – Wait a minute, didn’t Phoebus get shot in the back with an arrow maybe a couple hours ago???? This could only mean one thing...

...or just Disney "magic."

1:11:51 - Here comes the two dimensional archdeacon again. And what impeccable timing he has to advise Frollo against doing something!

1:13:11 – Hunchback: The Original Spiderman

1:14:21 – Look at that dynamic 3D shot. So good.

1:21:04 – No way did Phoebus just catch a falling Quasimodo. AND HE WAS JUST SHOT IN THE BACK A COUPLE HOURS AGO!!!

1:21:43 - Ok since when does lighting a house on fire a few miles away equate to an entire city turning into the fiery pits of Hell. Get out of here with your nonsense, Disney. 

       Alright, so this movie wasn't as bad as my snide comments were making it seem, but it definitely has some serious pitfalls. First of all, the gargoyles were definitely missing some charisma. They simply didn't stand out to me and I felt like that could've been something that gave another level to the film. Also, the archdeacon would've been interesting to explore and could've given more dimension to the film. Instead, Disney simply uses him whenever Frollo needs a warning. Just as the secondary characters were lacking, the music needed some changes too. While it wasn't bad, it simply wasn't catchy enough for a Disney film. Although I think Esmeralda's spunk is a good example for young girls, I'm not really upset with my mom for not allowing me to see this movie. I'd say Belle was probably a better role model anyway.

via: http://bealor.deviantart.com/art/Princess-of-the-year-389904913

Escape From Tomorrow

"Bad things happen everywhere."

   

        Randy Moore made his directorial debut earlier this year at Sundance with a film that he decided to shoot inside Disney World without Disney’s knowledge. The film is entitled Escape From Tomorrow and the surrounding hype for it definitely means it’s one to look out for come awards season. The premise of the film is that the main character, Jim, loses his job on the last day of his family vacation to Disney World. Jim decides not to tell his wife and instead becomes obsessed with two French girls wandering through the park. Lucky for us, the trailer was finally released to the public last week on September 12^th. Let me just say, the trailer does not disappoint. From seemingly possessed children to Epcot exploding, this is not a movie to miss.

        Looking at the footage from the trailer, it’s clear that this was not home-movie style footage, but how exactly did they film it? According to Moore, it was shot guerrila-style and completely under the radar from Disney. Actors were forced to keep scripts on their phones and Moore only used consumer video cameras for filming. Moore also snuck away to South Korea to edit the film so that Disney wouldn’t shut it down before it was done. So far, these tactics have worked in as much as Disney has yet to contact them. However, many suspect that Disney’s strategy in simply not acknowledging the film might be the smartest course of action. This would mean less attention given to Escape from Tomorrow and therefore less box office success. Like always, Disney knows best.

        Although it may on first glance seem like an outright attack on Disney, this is not necessarily the case. It is very much based in a bizarre Lynch-like version of reality. Moore is not trying to shut Disney down. He has explicitly stated multiple times that he was not trying to make an activist film, but simply a film exploring the relationship he had with his father and the parks as a child. Be that as it may, Moore still does harshly critique Disney’s style of mass entertainment through his use of B&W. B&W reveals an alternate Disney without the veil of bright colors. The surrealism and dream-like quality of this film also add to its appeal.

        The movie is set to release in select theaters on October 11th. I know I will definitely be seeing this movie and hopefully that will be before Disney shuts it down.