taleswithtemi

[taleswithtemi]

Beauty and the Beast live-action Response

Growing up, my favorite actress was Emma Watson because I loved her performance in the Harry Potter movies, so I was so excited to hear that she would be playing Belle in the new Beauty and the Beast remake. I had high expectations for the movie because I was aware that Emma Watson is a very vocal feminism activist, so I thought her taking this role would mean that the movie would have a more feminist take of the original. I was not a fan of the Beauty and the Beast growing up, so I was hoping that this live-action might change my mind on the story, but unfortunately, my mind was not that impressed with the remake because I realized that I’m simply not that big of a fan of the storyline. After watching the movie, I do not think that Emma Watson was the best actress for this role. I would have preferred an actress that was less well-known and who could perform the vocals that a Disney movie requires. Currently, I’m not the biggest fan of Emma Watson because I find that she can be contradicting at times and I realized that she is not the best actress since she has been in the Harry Potter movies. Even though I’m not a fan of the movie, The 2017 version of Beauty and the Beast did do an excellent job of recreating the scenes, the imagery, and the costumes from the original. My favorite scene in the original Beauty and the Beast is the “Be Our Guest” scene and I was really glad that they took the time to make it look even more magical in the remake.  

The writers also made a point to make the remake more progressive by making Gaston’s sidekick LeFou gay and by making Belle an inventor and her dad an artist. Even with the progressive changes to the original, I still don’t believe that the tale needed to be remade because the main plot of the movie can never be progressive or feminist. The story revolves around a young woman who is shown falling in love with a beast who is noticeably aggressive and borderline abusive towards her. She not only falls in love with the beast, but she also tries to actively change his abusive tendencies, which is definitely not a message that should be portrayed to girls everywhere. Emma Watson does address this very message in interviews about the movie, but I think that movie still does portray this message even though Emma denies it. As I mentioned earlier, the live-action does portray Belle as an inventor, which makes her even more independent and progressive compared to other girls in her provincial town. She is actively using her skills as an inventor to make life easier and more efficient, which does give young girls something to aspire to when they are older, but again this is within the context of the other traditional and conservative things that Belle is boxed into within the movie. In conclusion, I believe that instead of consistently making live-action remakes of older Disney movies, I think it’s more productive for Disney to put its energy into creating new stories that are truly progressive. 

#required

[taleswithtemi]

Moana Response

I have seen Moana so many times that I’m pretty sure I know the movie like the back of my hand. The reason I’ve watched it so many times is mostly due to the fact that I used to work at a child-care center where that was the one movie that all the little kids all loved and adored, even the little boys. The little boys that were at the child-care center did not just only talk about how much they loved the powerful and strong demigod Maui, but they also showed Moana love too, which is a testament to how well Disney created Moana as a character that goes beyond gender binaries. Even though I did watch Moana a lot at work, the very first time I watched Moana was in the movie theaters when the movie was first released. The first thing I noticed was how impeccable the animation was throughout the movie, especially the way they animated the water. I was so impressed that the first thing I did when I left the movie was to look up youtube videos on how the animators were able to bring the story of Moana to life so realistically. Another thing that caught my attention was the songs, both the integration of the native Polynesian languages and the lyrics themselves. I’m an avid fan of Lin Manuel Miranda and was so impressed by his ability to make the soundtrack a memorable one. Moana’s feature song, How Far I’ll Go is amazing and I’m still upset that Lin Manuel Miranda did not win an Oscar for that song to earn an EGOT. 

The story of Moana was also remarkable because it simply focused on the coming-of-age of a young girl that didn’t revolve around a love interest, which I’m glad that Disney made sure of that fact. It sends the message to young girls everywhere that you can still achieve your dreams and be happy independent of a love interest. Also, I really enjoyed that when talking about how Moana would be the next in line to becoming a chief that no one had reservations about it and instead encouraged and celebrated it, which diminishes the stereotype that girls are not capable of becoming effective and capable leaders. The adventure that Moana goes on throughout the movie to restore the heart of Tafiti is one where she learns to overcome her insecurities, show confidence, and exert leadership. Even though Moana needed Maui in this journey, Maui needed Moana just as much and at the end of the movie, Moana is made the heroine of the story when it could have easily been the other way around. Both Maui and Moana help each other find themselves without establishing a romantic relationship in the process, which is definitely a step in the right direction for Disney. Another reason why I love this movie is due to the fact that the characters are extremely relatable on the outside and the inside. Moana is sixteen and actually looks her age, which can’t be said for some of the other Disney princesses. She is not super skinny with unrealistic proportions, but rather looks realistic and how most other sixteen-year-old girls look. Moana is also not seen as perfect and disobeys her parents, doubts herself, and is a little weird, which shows young people that they don’t have to strive for perfection. Overall, Moana is an amazing movie and is definitely a must-see movie for people of all genders and all ages.

#required

[taleswithtemi]

Thursday (Wednesday) Tea Time

for today’s tea time, I will be discussing the newest Disney and Pixar movie collaboration: Coco

When I watched Coco for the first time, I had no idea what to expect because I hadn’t been hearing a lot of buzz about the movie, but I was surprised by how much I absolutely loved the movie. It touched on Mexican culture in a respectful and tasteful way that I didn’t expect from Disney. The animation, the songs, and the characters in the movie were absolutely beautiful and so well-thought out. The plot is never dull and keeps its audience engaged at all points, I’m still shocked that it was Hector who was Miguel’s ancestor and not Ernesto. The movie is just the perfect blend of funny and emotional that you would want in an animated movie. I recommend this movie to anyone because it truly transcends age and culture. Coco is simply amazing. 

#supplementary #tt

[taleswithtemi]

Musical Mondays

Moana (2016) dir. Ron Clements and John Musker

“Don't walk away Moana, stay on the ground now Our people will need a chief And there you are

There comes a day When you're gonna look around And realize happiness is Where you are”

While the song “Where You Are” is not as popular as Moana’s flagship song “How Far I’ll Go”, it’s still an integral part of the movie. In this song, you realize how much the village views each other as one large family and that they will all do anything for the success of everyone that is part of it. The song also stresses that Moana is supposed to show loyalty to the village by sacrificing her love for the ocean and fully integrating into life on the island and then becoming cheif one day in her future. My favorite part of this song is when gramma tala starts singing that Moana should follow her heart even though it might not be what her father wants.  This song is such an excellent opening song and sets the stage for the other great songs in the movie.

#mm #supplementary

[taleswithtemi]

Reflection

in today’s reflection, I’m going to be live-blogging and reflecting on Disney’s Mulan

Liveblog:

●"one man can be the difference in defeating the Huns” oh... the irony

●honor to us all is a mix you would get if you put every single gender stereotype into one song

●interesting how the song only mentions her father standing tall and didn't mention bringing her mother honor...

●the matchmaker said Mulan was too skinny to marry, which I think was an odd way to counteract other body stereotypes that Disney has perpetuated in the past

●oh how I wish my makeup came off as easily as Mulan’s did in Reflection

●so harsh....women should hold their tongue in a man’s presence

●the bravery Mulan has is honestly so inspiring, she doesn’t hesitate for a second in order to save her father

●”cross-dresser” “Mrs. Man” “drag show” these lines are so...........problematic

●ok but Mushu has to be THE funniest Disney animal sidekick ever

●why do the Huns have gray skin and darker complexions??? it’s only perpetuating the notion that dark means evil

●I find it funny that Mulan thinks putting “manly” in front of words makes her seem more masculine

●Li Shang is such an attractive animated character, I can’t even imagine if he was real

●Mulan showed all of those men she’s not only as good as them but even better

●Mulan is not only brave, she’s also super smart (aiming the canyon at the mountain, putting her dog’s bone right over its mouth to get it to do chores)

●Mulan rescued Li Shang! female power!

●the fate of the entire country rests on Mulan’s back because the rest of the army is actually incompetent lol

●all of the men refuse to believe it was a woman who saved them....typical

●the men won’t listen to Mulan because she’s a girl...shaking my head

●the irony of the men dressing up as women in order to distract the Huns is simply amazing

●I love that Mulan is using a fan, a stereotypically feminine object, to defeat the lead Hun

●Li Shang defending Mulan despite the one of the Emporer's council saying she’s not worth anything

●China bowing down to Mulan is one of the best scenes in the movie

●the fact that even after saving China, Mulan still thinks she would bring dishonor to her family is so sad

Reflection

Growing up, Mulan has always been one of my favorite Disney movies. I absolutely love how Mulan breaks out of the norm for Disney movies and shows that it’s “princess” can be strong, powerful, and brave. Mulan thankfully never falls into the stereotypical damsel in distress trope and instead holds the entire of country of China on her back and successfully saves them from their enemy, the Huns. All the messages in Mulan like standing up for your family, standing up for what you believe in, taking charge of your personal destiny, and you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it were all very inspiring and made a significant impact on my childhood. Overall, I think Mulan is one of the best movies that Disney has made and 100% deserves all the praise and recognition it receives. 

#required

[taleswithtemi]

Susan Jefford’s Response Post

In Susan Jeffords’ The Curse of Masculinity, she opens up the article by discussing the culture of masculinity in the 1980s and how masculinity is portrayed in popular culture shifts in the transition from 1980s to the 1990s. She provides extensive background information on the history that takes place during the 1980s pertaining to Ronald Reagan legacy and how that impacted the time period. Jeffords utilizes the movie, Kindergarten Cop, to convey the various stereotypes of men during the time of the movie. The main character in the movie is described as a “tough, unshaven, brutal, determined police officer” (Jeffords 162), which was a prominent view of men in the 80s. The overall message of the movie was his ardent desire to be with his family, which is similar to a number of other movies during the 80s and 90s. She uses these movies to come to the conclusion that society’s concept of masculinity is always seen in reference to white men as opposed to men of color. Jeffords uses this conclusion along with the other movies she mentioned earlier to lead her audience into her main film analysis of Beauty and the Beast. She begins her analysis of the film by stating that the purpose of the movie was to show that unhappy men don’t need criticism, but rather need acceptance in order to change into the men they want to be. Jeffords also makes the point that compared to the original tale the Disney movie sidelines Belle in order to highlight Prince Adam’s dilemma. Personally, I disagree with that specific criticism of the movie. While watching the movie, you’re focusing on the relationship between Belle and the beast rather than thinking whether or not he will finally get forgiveness for his actions as a child. Jeffords does mention that Belle’s purpose in the movie is to be that “someone” that saves the beast from the curse and she has to teach him everything he needs to become a productive member of humanity again. This is one of the reasons why I personally don’t like the message in Beauty and the Beast because of this emphasis of the woman saving the man and teaching him to be “nice”. Jeffords concludes her article by saying that the well-being of society is contingent on men being saved and being viewed as their true selves.

#required

[taleswithtemi]

Reflection

in today’s reflection, I’m going to be live-reflecting on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Growing up, I have to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Beauty and the Beast because it was never one of the movies that I watched on a consistent basis. I had seen bits and pieces and knew the general storyline but I was never invested in the movie. When I watched the movie recently, I realized that the movie highlights a lot of questionable things that I didn’t expect in the movie. The relationship between Belle and the beast is arguably abusive in most of the movie and that’s a horrible message to be sending to young girls who look to movies and tv shows on what “real love” is or should be. The relationship between Belle and the beast also enforces the narrative that women can change or “save” the man if she is willing and tries hard enough, which can lead to women staying in abusive relationships longer than necessary. While it was nice not seeing Disney’s typical love-at-first-sight trope, the enemies to lovers dynamic happened way too quickly for it to be believable. The beast is nothing but cruel to Belle’s father and even to Belle at points, so I don’t understand how she can she quickly forget about those things just because the beast saved her life and he showed kindness a few times. Another thing that I find problematic about the movie is that Belle clearly shows interest in leaving her provincial town in the song “Belle (reprised)” yet at the end of the movie she never truly achieves her dream but instead simply gets a happily-ever-after with Prince Adam. Personally, when she sings about an adventure in the "great wide somewhere" I don’t think she meant finding a castle in the forest next to your village and agreeing to be a prisoner there for the rest of her life. Once she reaches the castle, she never goes anywhere except for a brief trip back to her village -- her world is barely any less narrow than it is at the very beginning of the movie. Sure, she has a bigger library and an enchanted castle now, but it somehow feels lacking. Her adventure could have been much more exciting and be fulfilling without the romantic love at the end of the movie. 

While Beauty and the Beast has a multitude of faults it does have some promising and feminist aspects as well. Belle is the first princess to have a strong personality and actually stand up for herself in instances that simply don’t revolve around her love interests. Unlike some of her princess predecessors, she wasn’t mute or sleeping for 75% of her movie, she was an actual protagonist. She also is the first one to show signs of intellectual curiosity because of her affinity for reading books. Belle also exhibited her lack of interest in being married off to a walking caricature of toxic masculinity, presented a portrait of a more empowered Disney princess. Knowing what I know now, even though there are some okay parts in Beauty and the Beast, I won’t be watching it again anytime soon.

#required

[taleswithtemi]

Reflection

It’s the middle of my second semester at Duke, and I just want to use this post as a way to reflect on my experience in a class that I was so excited to take, Decoding Disney: Power of the Princess. Growing up, I was always surrounded by Disney movies, Disney television shows, Disney dolls, and Walt Disney World. I loved the escapism that Disney provided because I could always forget about what was happening in my life and solely focus on the magic and beauty of Disney. Since taking this class, I have now been exposed to ways that even though Disney is often used as a way to forget about your worries, Disney can actually have its own problems as well. It’s easy to turn a blind eye when a company that you hold in such a high regard does something that can be perceived as problematic, and that’s exactly what I did until this class. At this point, I realize that Disney does bear the fault of perpetuating hyper-feminine culture and unrealistic beauty ideals for young girls, but earlier in the semester I couldn’t fathom how a media company could hold this much influence over how a little kid’s worldview. My reasoning for this claim was because that I refused to believe that growing up watching Disney movies affected me in a negative or constricting way because I believe that I have a very open-minded, liberal worldview. Even though Disney didn’t affect me in any major or significant ways, I can’t claim that it hasn’t affected other girls and boys who watch these films all over the world. 

Once I was forced to re-watch the movies that I loved as a child with a more critical eye, I began to see the stereotypes and ideals that Disney spread more clearly and began to understand what some of the articles that we read in class were talking about. One of the most surprising to me was one of my favorite Disney movies, Aladdin, and how there were various subliminal racist and pro-western messages throughout the movie. Before this class, I would have never picked up on the blatantly racist line in the song “Arabian Nights” or how Aladdin did not have key Middle Eastern features. While I still really enjoy watching Aladdin, whenever I watch it with my younger sister, I’m going to be more cognizant of how she interprets some of the messages in the movie. While I enjoyed watching Aladdin, a movie that I don’t even remember watching as a child was Sleeping Beauty. Honestly, I think I did myself a favor by forgetting that movie because re-watching the movie for this class was brutal. I can honestly say it was one of the most forgettable Disney movies and near the bottom of my personal list of Disney movies. The fact that Aurora barely speaks in the movie is very troubling because she is supposed to be the protagonist of the movie. The only saving grace of that movie for me was the three fairies, without them I don’t think I would’ve been able to finish it. I’m just really grateful to have a class where I can reflect on something that was so integral to my childhood and see how my viewpoints change as I reach adulthood.

#required

[taleswithtemi]

Thursday Tea Time

the tea for this week is about is Disney’s latest live-action movie that’s coming soon, Christopher Robin.

Earlier this week, the teaser trailer dropped and I went through a range of emotions, mostly nostalgia.

I remember watching Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin’s adventures as a child and it’s going to be interesting to see how Disney brings that into the live action realm. Seeing an adult version of Christopher Robin interact with Pooh is going to be very cool to see, I’m excited to see how their relationship will be the same or different. While watching the trailer, the voice of pooh really got me, I’m so glad that they kept the same voice actor for pooh for my childhood’s sake. 

#tt #supplementary

[taleswithtemi]

Musical Mondays

Tangled (2010) dir. Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

“All those days watching from the windows All those years outside looking in All that time never even knowing Just how blind I've been Now I'm here blinking in the starlight Now I'm here suddenly I see Standing here it's all so clear I'm where I'm meant to be”

Honestly, “I See the Light” is such an incredible duet song, yet it doesn’t get even half of the recognition that Aladdin’s “A Whole New World” gets even though both songs have similar messages. Both Aladdin and Eugene (Flynn) take their princesses on a “ride” in order to open them up to the wonders of the world. Both songs do a great job of developing the relationships between the princesses and her love interest, which is why I think I love both songs so much. It makes me long for the future where I can someone in my life who can expand my world and compliment me and make me an even better person.

#mm #supplementary

[taleswithtemi]

Reflection

in today’s reflection, I’m going to be live-blogging and reflecting on Disney’s The Little Mermaid

Liveblog:

●prince eric is the first prince with a dog, so he’s automatically a fave

●the never-ending trend of princesses having beautiful voices continues

●honestly, the best things about this movie is all the sea-oriented puns and cliches

●i have never related more to a crab  in my life, sebastian keep doing u bud

●ok but prince eric going back into the burning boat to save max is giving me jack pearson from this is us flashbacks, and I’m getting very emotional about this

●Ariel saves prince eric!!! GIRL, POWER!

●okay, Ariel, you’re being a tad creepy just feeling eric up like that but it's still cute tho

●”daddy I love him” ICONIC and honestly for a cartoon character prince eric is so handsome so girl I understand

●”why don’t you go tell my father” dang ariel with clapbacks

●dang poor unfortunate souls is more problematic than I remember 

●a choice between your family and a guy you literally just met.....how is this even a decision

●honestly, Ursula is a horrible villain, at least Maleficent was somewhat likable

●the fact that Ariel gave up the ability to speak for a man......what a role model

●how come all the maids and servants have heavier body types, but the princesses continue to all be stick thin

●a random thought, how do mermaids sleep in the ocean? do they have beds?

●ariel is feeling like the classic side chick, I truly feel for her

●okay but Ariel and prince eric saving each other!!! couple goals!

Reflection

Growing up, I actually watched The Little Mermaid II, which focuses on Ariel and Eric’s daughter Melody, more frequently than the original one because that’s the movie my family owned on DVD. Therefore, watching the original one was a reminder of how Ariel’s story originates, and I realized that I had forgotten a lot about the plot and how the relationship between her and Eric developed. After watching the movie, I realized that I really enjoyed Ariel as a character and princess. She was the perfect balance of being vulnerable and rebellious, plus she had actual opinions of her own, which can’t be said much for the three princesses that came before her. While Ariel did disobey her father multiple times, she fought for what she was passionate about and for what she loved, which is a good take-home message to send to little girls who watch this movie. On the other hand, however, The Little Mermaid did have some very problematic aspects. The mere fact that Ariel agreed to give up her ability to speak and sing for the sake of seeing a man again is not progressive at all. Ariel’s character is built on her feistiness through her words and when she gives that up a part of her is gone too. Another thing that was problematic was how Ursula coerced Ariel into getting her voice, emphasizing that men like women who are meek and quiet, who get what they want by using their body language. It plays into the concept that women are seductresses who have to use their bodies to get men to listen to them. Overall, The Little Mermaid is a step forward for Disney as it moves into the second wave, but there was definitely some room to improve the movie.

#required

[taleswithtemi]

Thursday Tea Time

so for today’s tea time, I’m going to be discussing Disney’s Frozen.

Initially, when I watched Frozen, I like most people really enjoyed the movie, and how they focused on sisterly love more than the traditional romantic love. After watching it about 100 times over the past couple of years due to the kids at the child care center I used to work at, I began to have issues with it. Most people claimed Frozen was this amazing progressive, feminist movie because it rejected the traditional, heterosexual happily ever after trope, Elsa was a figure of independence and was in a position of power, and Anna showed courage, drive, and a need for adventure, while all those things are true I don’ t think Frozen lives up to the acclaim that people give it.

Anna and Kristoff are together for most of the movie and we even see them kiss at the end after knowing each other for a mere two days, so there is still definitely a traditional relationship within the movie. While Elsa is given these great ice powers and builds an ice palace for herself, her solitude and independence begin to turn her ice powers evil, which can lead people to think that women can’t handle positions of power.

Although I’m not the biggest Frozen fan, I certainly still sing Let it Go at the top of my lungs when it comes on and dance around my room. The soundtrack is one thing that Frozen does perfectly, it is truly iconic. 

#tt #supplementary

[taleswithtemi]

Musical Mondays

so over the weekend, I had the pleasure of seeing the new movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther, which utterly exceeded every single expectation I had for it. Honestly, if I can be half as amazing as Princess Shuri was in the movie when I’m older than I will be content with life. The film did incredible at the box office, breaking multiple records over the weekend, but the movie isn’t the only thing doing well. The soundtrack debuted number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and I agree it is fantastic. My favorite songs on the album are Pray For Me, All the Stars, and The Ways. The artistry of the music video for All the Stars was exceptional, it made the song even better for me. 

honestly, I can’t think of a better representation of all of my interests than Black Panther from Disney to Marvel superheroes and black excellence. This movie came out at an amazing time, even during Black History Month, I can’t wait to see little girls and little boys now have a superhero that they can actually relate to in a major feature film.

#mm #supplementary

[taleswithtemi]

Reflection

so, for today’s reflection, I’m going to be live-blogging and reflecting on Disney’s Sleeping Beauty

Liveblog:

●First off, Aurora is such a hard princess name to pronounce especially since it’s geared to children. I get that it’s based off of a story but still

●Are Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather somehow by chance related to Cinderella’s fairy godmother?? I would love to read a conspiracy theory about that being the case.

●The fairies are really giving the gift of beauty and song??? ok but how about the gift of intelligence or kindness, I’m just saying

●Why does the spell HAVE to be broken by true love’s kiss?? I’m so confused, why not a kiss on the cheek from someone she already knows...like her mother or her father...or literally anyone that Aurora knows besides her “true love” like cmon Merryweather you could have done A LOT better

●The analogies in this movie are so unnecessarily extravagant, “hair like sunshine gold, lips as red as roses”, who says that out loud or even thinks that

● dang, the early princesses’ singing voices are so obnoxiously high-pitched like I can barely understand what she’s saying or singing, I’m so glad the voices of the female characters became more realistic as time went on

●Why do all of the earlier princesses have a strange affinity for a having a variety of animals with them at all times, especially birds?? at least the more recent princesses only have a sole animal companion

●The way that Prince Phillip just came out of nowhere and started dancing with Aurora is so incredibly creepy if that was me I’d be considering a restraining order not rushing to hold hands with him

●If only I had magic wands like the three fairies to make recipes for me then maybe I would have more food points and wouldn’t ever have to eat at marketplace 

●Aurora’s really crying out here for a man she met for less than 5 minutes, cannot relate

●Interesting to see Prince Phillip say that his dad is living in the past because he wants him to marry a princess

●how come all the “evil” creatures are portrayed as having darker skin/features?? 

●the fight between Merryweather and Fauna over if aurora’s dress should be pink or blue is quite interesting, I never remembered that I only remembered it being pink throughout the entire movie

Reflection

After watching Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, it is definitely very different from how I remember it when I watched the movie when I was younger. While Sleeping Beauty/Aurora was never my favorite princess, I remember her being more likable than she was when I watched just now. Aurora is completely bland and does not have any character development throughout the film, making her character exhaustingly boring.  She has no agency over her own life and is constantly being told what to do and how to act and is not much of a protagonist in the traditional sense. Maleficent, on the other hand, was portrayed as the antagonist of the movie, but I ended up liking Maleficient and her quips far more than anyone else in the movie. I found it hilarious when she called those trolls/gnomes fools when they were looking for Aurora as a baby for the past sixteen years. I did also appreciate that the three good fairies, all female, were the ones who made all of the significant decisions in the movie, albeit some bad, but for the most part helpful. Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather are the ones who technically save Aurora by hiding her away in a cottage to attempt to undo the curse and then again when they rescue Prince Phillip to kiss Aurora and wake her from her deep sleep. Without the fairies, Prince Phillip would definitely not have been able to stop Maleficent. So, while Sleeping Beauty is not my favorite Disney movie by a long shot, there were a few aspects that I did enjoy. 

#required

[taleswithtemi]

Thursday Tea Time

For today’s tea time, instead of a rant, I wanted to cover something more lighthearted....the highly anticipated Incredibles 2. 

So, earlier today a new sneak peek came out for the movie, and I have to say after watching it I’m even more excited for this sequel.

I am a huge fan of the original, it was often me and my family’s go-to movie whenever we went on summer road trips, so I hope that Incredibles 2 lives up to the expectations that I have of it. Like most people, I’m not a major fan of sequels, especially Disney/Pixar ones, because they are often hard to get it right, but Toy Story 2 and Cars 2 have proven me wrong, so I hope to add Incredibles 2 to that list!

Also, a thing that stood out to me was the gender role-reversal between Elastigirl and Mr. Incredbile. It’s going to be interesting to see how Disney portrays a dad doing typically “mommy” duties, while his wife is outside of the house saving the world.

#tt #supplementary

[taleswithtemi]

Musical Mondays

Today I wanted to do something slightly different and actually talk about my love for Disney musicals. I’m still very upset that the show for The Lion King recently came to Atlanta, my hometown, but I was here so I couldn't go see it with the rest of my family. I already love Broadway and Disney separately, so combining the two together is like icing on top of the cake for me. It’s so interesting to me that Disney has now begun to dominate most entertainment spaces, from cartoons and theater to TV shows and movies. 

This topic of Disney musicals reminds me of this iconic video of the Broadway cast of The Lion King and Aladdin having a sing-off after getting stuck in an airport for a six-hour delayed flight. If only I could have been there to see it.....

Honestly, I love both casts, but personally, I think that The Lion King cast outshone the Aladdin one in this case. Plus, I absolutely love the authenticity of the African music in The Lion King and how it is a perfect blend of traditional African sounds and western modern sounds. 

#mm #supplementary

[taleswithtemi]

Reflection

During class this week, we analyzed the more criticized aspects of Disney over the years and how Disney impacts culture and society as a media conglomerate, a business, and a theme park. We watched a documentary that highlighted many things that Disney has gotten wrong over the years. The two themes from this documentary that stood out to me the most were how women are often turned into seductresses in order to gain what they want from men and just how characters that are voiced by black voice actors are often portrayed in Disney movies. In the documentary, they showed a clip where Jasmine is using her body and seductive tone in order to distract Jafar so that Aladdin can succeed in getting the magic lamp. The documentary also showed a clip of The Little Mermaid where Ursula is telling Ariel that she has to use her “body language” in order to get Prince Eric to fall for her. While growing up, I had no idea that these two scenes could be seen as showing women that the only thing they are good for is their bodies. Even though most little kids are not going to directly see the problematic things that Disney does, I think that Disney should still make a conscious effort to make sure they portray princesses in a more relatable and unproblematic light. It’s unlikely that what Disney puts in movies will overtly affect a child’s life, but Disney should still use its platform to inspire young girls to be smart, successful, and ambitious as they grow older, instead of sending the message that their looks will get them what they want in life.

Since taking Decoding Disney, many things have been brought to my attention, and I’m even more aware of the other problematic things that occur in Disney movies. Another example that the documentary specifically mentioned was that animals that are voiced by black actors were always portrayed as “urban” or “dumb.” In the Jungle Book, all the animals in the jungle have regular British accents, while the monkeys talk in gibberish and urban accents and have the desire to become real people. Continuing on this theme, in The Little Mermaid Sebastian, who dons a Jamaican accent, often says that life is better “under the sea” because on land they have to work and “slave away.” These scenes might be a little nit-picky, but kids do eventually pick up on subliminal messaging and might unconsciously use it in their day to day life.

While I do believe that Disney has done many questionable things in movies, I do not think that kids should be stopped from watching them. I believe that Disney and parents should be held responsible for the messages that children take away from Disney movies. In order for Disney to make a better impact on future generations, Disney should not only strive to be more inclusive and relatable for kids of all walk of life, I also believe that they should send out statements apologizing for the mistakes that it has made in the past. Parents should also make a conscious effort to tell their kids when there are problematic things in movies so they can take good messages out of the films when they’re watching them together.

#required