puzzling disney tradition - Page 4

[caro113]

The other trends in Disney

I hope I'm not hijacking and you don't mind my adding to your thread

Anyhow, has anyone noticed that it seems most Disney films always have the same basic plot? It always seems that the female role NEEDS to have a man in her life. Obviously they aren't all this way, but a lot of them are. And she always seems to give something up in order to have her man. Either way, though, in the end, she almost always gets married.
The Little Mermaid (my absolute favorite Disney film) gives up her way of life for a man she hardly knows. In Alladin, Jasmin still ends up getting married, although she does make the point to say "I am not a prize to be won". Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and Beast (I think, it's been awhile). They all have a lead female role who gets married in the end. What's that all about?
See, this is why I love Mulan. She is strong and self-sufficient. She doesn't need a man in her life and she knows it. The lead male does end up coming over to her house at the end, but it is in no way romantic. I'm not sure about the second film as I haven't seen it, so maybe that changes, but as far as the first film goes, she doesn't have, nor does she need, a man.


I have also noticed another trend in these movies. Wicked Stepmothers. What is up with that? I really feel this gives stepmoms just one more added challenge to already hard role of being a stepmom.

Anyhow, my favorite Disney films don't really seem to be in these trends, ironically enough. And Maybe that's why. I've always loved Little Mermaid (which does fit the trend) but I've also always liked Mulan and 101 Dalmations and Lilo and Stitch (which does fit the original trend). And of course, anything Pixar releases. They have always been amazing. Except for Meet the Robinsons. That movie just upsets me to no end because it's so sad.

[Smokering]

caro113: I'm not sure that's quite it. Disney heroines do tend to exhibit a certain dissatisfaction with their circumstances, but not necessarily for want of a man. Ariel was unhappy with life under the sea and fascinated by the human world long before she met Eric: giving up her way of life wasn't a sacrifice for her, it was a no-brainer. She didn't appreciate it. Jasmine wanted freedom, not a man; Belle in Beauty and the Beast longed for some vague unspecified grander horizons; Cinderella wanted to go to the ball (and ultimately, of course, to be free of her stepmother's cruelty, although she doesn't actually mention it that much in the film IIRC). Snow White does flit about singing 'Some Day My Prince Will Come', to be fair, and Sleeping Beauty obviously 'needs' a man quite practically, but that's not her fault: she's asleep! In general I think it's fairer to say that the Disney filmmakers tied the girls' wishes up, plotwise, with the male love interests; not that the girls themselves were dying for a man. (Even in Mulan: I believe the visit at the end was meant to imply romance, and there was certainly some burning 2-D sexual tension throughout the film).

[MusicianDad]

Another point on Mulan. The who story takes place because Mulan doesn't want to follow the tradition get pretty, get a man, get married, have babies path she is expected to take. The fact that she meets a man and falls in love is simply something that tends to happen for many women in this world whether they are looking for a man or not.

[KaraBoo]

Man, I love Mulan. The first one anyway. Different enough from the other Disney heroines that she seems worlds away.

[holyhelianthus]

Great thread!

I think the theme is that children have to at some point leave the nest (whatever that might entail) to find their independence and themselves. It doesn't matter if mom and dad are the best parents ever children have to discover things on their own at some point.

[Oriole]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

Another point on Mulan. The who story takes place because Mulan doesn't want to follow the tradition get pretty, get a man, get married, have babies path she is expected to take. The fact that she meets a man and falls in love is simply something that tends to happen for many women in this world whether they are looking for a man or not.

Is there something wrong with wanting to get married, and have babies?

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by caro113

I hope I'm not hijacking and you don't mind my adding to your thread

Anyhow, has anyone noticed that it seems most Disney films always have the same basic plot? It always seems that the female role NEEDS to have a man in her life. Obviously they aren't all this way, but a lot of them are. And she always seems to give something up in order to have her man. Either way, though, in the end, she almost always gets married.
The Little Mermaid (my absolute favorite Disney film) gives up her way of life for a man she hardly knows. In Alladin, Jasmin still ends up getting married, although she does make the point to say "I am not a prize to be won". Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and Beast (I think, it's been awhile). They all have a lead female role who gets married in the end. What's that all about?
See, this is why I love Mulan. She is strong and self-sufficient. She doesn't need a man in her life and she knows it. The lead male does end up coming over to her house at the end, but it is in no way romantic. I'm not sure about the second film as I haven't seen it, so maybe that changes, but as far as the first film goes, she doesn't have, nor does she need, a man.


I have also noticed another trend in these movies. Wicked Stepmothers. What is up with that? I really feel this gives stepmoms just one more added challenge to already hard role of being a stepmom.

Anyhow, my favorite Disney films don't really seem to be in these trends, ironically enough. And Maybe that's why. I've always loved Little Mermaid (which does fit the trend) but I've also always liked Mulan and 101 Dalmations and Lilo and Stitch (which does fit the original trend). And of course, anything Pixar releases. They have always been amazing. Except for Meet the Robinsons. That movie just upsets me to no end because it's so sad.

I think Disney keeps these themes because they are easier for children to relate to. Children understand instant and unconditional love more so then they do the true complexities love brings in the real world. If we had a Disney movie with all the drama of adult relationships our kids would be sitting there asking us "why don't they just live happily ever after?"

Methinks children really are wise.

[Oriole]

Originally Posted by caro113

I hope I'm not hijacking and you don't mind my adding to your thread

Anyhow, has anyone noticed that it seems most Disney films always have the same basic plot? It always seems that the female role NEEDS to have a man in her life. Obviously they aren't all this way, but a lot of them are. And she always seems to give something up in order to have her man. Either way, though, in the end, she almost always gets married.
The Little Mermaid (my absolute favorite Disney film) gives up her way of life for a man she hardly knows. In Alladin, Jasmin still ends up getting married, although she does make the point to say "I am not a prize to be won". Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and Beast (I think, it's been awhile). They all have a lead female role who gets married in the end. What's that all about?

All of these are classic fairy tales that are known around the world, and not thanks to Disney! Can you blame a cartoon company for making cartoons that draw on tales that people around the world have passed on through generations?

If one dislikes Disney for these reasons, I can't imagine the same person reading any of the classic fairy tales, those books should be banned, kwim? There is always someone doing something cruel, mindless, men are made fun of, women are mistreated, etc. etc. etc. I guess I don't understand why folk tales are okay, but Disney is bad for drawing on them.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by caro113

I hope I'm not hijacking and you don't mind my adding to your thread

Anyhow, has anyone noticed that it seems most Disney films always have the same basic plot? It always seems that the female role NEEDS to have a man in her life. Obviously they aren't all this way, but a lot of them are. And she always seems to give something up in order to have her man. Either way, though, in the end, she almost always gets married.
The Little Mermaid (my absolute favorite Disney film) gives up her way of life for a man she hardly knows. In Alladin, Jasmin still ends up getting married, although she does make the point to say "I am not a prize to be won". Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and Beast (I think, it's been awhile). They all have a lead female role who gets married in the end. What's that all about?

These movies are all based on old fairy tales, and based in cultural themes that make a finding a good man necessary for freedom, oddly enough. During the time that those stories were originally told, a woman without a husband wasn't free in any way that a modern western woman would understand...she was horribly trapped. The idea was to find a good man. And, really - Cinderella was much freer once she found the prince, as was Snow White. Sleeping Beauty, as another poster mentioned, needed the prince, because of the spell. Belle was a fairly strong character, imo - but she'd still have been trapped, looking for "more than this provincial life" without meeting the Beast (who is never named - that always seemed weird to me). As someone else mentioned, the prince in Little Mermaid was more symbolic of life above the waves than of "finding a man" (although I can't stand that movie). Jasmine was pretty much required to marry someone, so why not someone she loved, instead of someone her dad picked out?

I don't think that getting married is the be all and end all of every person's life, but it is an important (even the most important) part of life for many, many people. (For example, I put my marriage ahead of everything except my kids, in terms of priorities.) Plus, people tend to overlook that, in many of those movies, getting married is every bit as important to the male lead as to the female. I mean - honestly, does Jasmine need Aladdin as much as Aladdin needs Jasmine?

[KiwiZ]

I liked how Lilo's sister didn't have the standard extreme hour glass figure that so many Disney heroines have. Not there is anything wrong with that (to quote Jerry Seinfeld LOL), but there are many different body types out there, nice to see them too IMO

[SAHDS]

Originally Posted by magstphil

If we had a Disney movie with all the drama of adult relationships our kids would be sitting there asking us "why don't they just live happily ever after?"

:

Would children still love The Little Mermaid if she had killed herself (basically) as she did in the original fairy tale? I prefer Disney's version.

I think Beauty and the Beast is one with a few great messages. Love that movie.

[Pookietooth]

I noticed the same thing. Someone said they thought it was that kids only feel free to be themselves when their parents aren't around. I always figured it played into separation anxiety or fears of becoming orphaned. Weird.