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Snow White

Poisoned Princesses – Disney’s Monopoly on the Monarchy

 

Okay, I admit it. ?It’s a little weird.

As a (nearly) forty-year-old man, the last thing that you’d think I’d be writing about would be Disney Princesses. ?Still, with the release of their latest remake/reboot/resale of?Beauty and the Beast, I can’t help but think about how much has changed in a very short period of time for this contemporary image of women.

Personally, I think that it?s fair to say that so much of our modern understanding of what it means to be a ?princess? stems from Disney?s all-powerful influence.? When Disney first created the ?Princess? line-up in the early 2000s, it proved to not only be a great way to help familiarize this generation with their older characters, it also proved to be lucrative franchise of dresses, magic wands, and make-overs.? (In fact, just last year, the Disney Princess line-up helped propel Hasbro to record sales.) Interestingly though, they also became known for marketing a certain image of young women and, subsequently, a standard of beauty for young girls as well.

Eventually, this was met with backlash as fans became more away of Disney?s subtle stereotypes.? All of a sudden, Disney?s iconic princesses were becoming viewed with greater suspicion.? This, of course, placed Disney in a difficult position where they were suddenly forced to rethink the nature of a Disney ?princess?, lest they lose their market.

And, maybe, things have begun to change.

In recent films, Disney has shown that they are deliberately attempting to deconstruct the very princess stereotypes that they themselves worked so hard to build.? In their recent remake of Beauty and the Beast, Belle?one of the pillars of Disney?s Princess line of toys?proclaims that she is not a princess at all.? Moana is adamant that she?s ?not a princess.? [She]?s the daughter of the Chief.?? (?Same difference,? Maui replies.) Even Wreck-It Ralph?s Vanellope, after discovering her princess roots, throws off her fancy garb in favour of more comfortable clothes.? (In fact, following the tragic death of Carrie Fisher last December, there has even been an online campaign from fans to include Princess Leia in the line-up due to her fearlessness and strong character.? Admittedly, Disney has yet to officially comment on that, however.)

All of this shows a decidedly different tonal shift from the House of Mouse, even if they do seem to want to have their cake and eat it too.? Yes, they still want little girls to be excited about the frilly dresses and magic wands.? (A fact that, potentially, could be what?s keeping Leia and Venellope out of the Princess line-up.)? Still, maybe? just maybe? Disney is also trying to break down the walls of limitation that the labels have established.

This deliberate distancing from the name ?princess? shows that Disney realizes that the term has become limiting in a number of ways.? Through the representation of ?princesses? as primarily ??damsels in distress?, Disney has reinforced archaic understandings of gender roles over the years.? Still, whereas the term has often been associated with a need for rescue, it?s the princesses that are now, in fact, doing the rescuing.? In fact, they?re often assertive, proactive and, sometimes, more courageous than their male counterparts.? (For example, Moana may need Maui?s help but not because he?s a ?strong male?.? Rather, he draws much of his strength from her ferocity.)

One of the best examples of this change comes through Disney?s new vision for Belle in Beauty and the Beast.? Many have commented that Belle was the first Disney princess to really set herself apart.? Educated and fiery, Belle seemed a breakthrough for Disney as they moved into the 90s.? In the 2017 live-action remake however, this ?princess? is not only educated but also empowering, teaching young girls in the village to read for themselves.? She has a greater sense of the world around her and the limited worldviews of others.? (?Your library make our village seem small,? she says.)? Most importantly though, she?s even less complicit to her capture than the animated version by staying at the castle as an act of sacrifice and even generates a much more natural relationship with the Beast than in the original.

This, to me, is a far better example to the young women of this generation (and to the boys as well).? While there is nothing inherently wrong with the label of ?princess?, it should never define the qualitative behavior of a young woman.? What?s more, this sort of divisiveness is not isolated to ?princess? either.? As a pastor, I constantly think back to Scripture and how terms like ?leper?, ?tax collector? or ?sinner? are always culturally imposed and create spaces of judgment and limitation.? However, these loaded terms lose their power in Christ, where ?there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female??? In Christ, labels fall away and we are invited to be at our most whole.? (In fact, I would even argue that Jesus empowered women throughout the Gospels in ways that biases within his culture and the church prevented at the time.)

It?s possible that, maybe, Disney is finally buying into what we?ve known for ages: that people can?t be limited to any specific label (or even that labels are, at best, incomplete pictures).? While the cynical might simply call it a marketing ploy, it?s definitely a step in the right direction.? In the future, I also hope that the next step would not to distance themselves from the term ?princess? but to reclaim it, showing that the term is far from limiting in and of itself.? Nonetheless, by releasing the stigma attached to the ?princess? label, Disney has begun to offer young girls role models that are contain qualities of being strong, educated and sensitive.

After all, like Moana says, there?s no telling ?how far [they?ll] go?.

 

On The Small Screen: From Snow White to Sandra Bullock (2/2/16)

SmallScreenThis week’s offerings include:?Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Our Brand is Crisis, Rocking the Kasbah, The Last Witch Hunter, Batman: Bad Blood, Freeheld, The Assassin, Man Up, and?Meadowland.

 

ourbrand

Our Brand is Crisis?(Warner Bros.)

Sandra Bullock has never looked so bad – even in?28 Days!?As Calamity Jane Bodine, she is drawn out of retirement to provide political advice (and spin) to a Bolivian presidential candidate (Joaquim de Almeida). What transpires is an exploration of truth, lies, and politics (a non-too-gentle blend of the in-between) that seems to be like a drawn-out episode of?Scandal?that just isn’t that interesting. Sure, it draws in Billy Bob Thornton (Bodine’s adversary politically), Anthony Mackie (Avengers unite!), and Zoe Kazan, but unfortunately there’s just not enough to make this non-politically savvy reviewer care. [There is however a notable special feature here about how Bullock persuaded them to make the main dude into… a woman, just for her.]?Verdict? Rent… if you’re a Sandra Bullock fan.

 

kasbah

Rocking the Kasbah?(Universal)

The last time we saw Bill Murray, he was?Aloha… (or was it the five minutes we watched of?A Very Murray Christmas?) Somehow, the one-time great has succumbed to a list of average roles that play on who Murray was rather than who he is. Here, he’s cross-cultural as a has-been rock musician’s manager who ends up ditched in Kabul, and ‘discovers’ a local who he tries to leverage through the Middle Eastern version of a talent show (think?American Idol). While it’s amusing to consider the ways this could all go wrong with some sweet sentiment, it’s just not the Murray that we once knew and loved. Yes, it’s clever in the turnabout, but there’s just not enough to make us true believers. [Special features here include a look at Murray’s character, Richie Lanz, and Murray himself.]?Verdict? Rent and sing along.

 

assassin

The Assassin?(Well Go USA)

After winning the Best Director award at the 2015 Cannes Festival, director?Hou Hsiao-hsien must feel pretty good about his film – now selected as Taiwan’s choice in the 2016 Academy Award race for Best Foreign Language film.?Here, the young woman?Nie Yinniang learns both how to be a saint (a nun) and a martial arts expert at the feet of the military leader who abducted her as a child. Now, she finds herself back in her native land, aimed at killing her husband-to-be. She faces her own emotions, and those of her family and culture, battling the age-old combat of nature versus nurture. A decidedly different film than typical Western fair,?The Assassin?speaks lyrically and visually in ways that put most blockbusters to shame (except the nearly dialogue-free?Mad Max: Fury Road). Who would you choose to be if you had to fight what you considered your nature? (The Apostle Paul had a few things to say about such things…)?Verdict? Cultured fans – buy; Everyone else – rent

 

freeheld

Freeheld?(Lionsgate)

When Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, she recognizes that while her life is over, she can still help her partner, Stacie Andree (Ellen Page). Battling for her benefits, Hester enlists the aid of her police officer partner, Dane Wells (Michael Shannon), and Steve Goldstein (Steve Carrell), the founder and chair of Garden State Equality. A heartfelt and, at times, intense drama, the film challenges us to consider those who are marginalized and left out because they do not fit inside of what society considers its norms. Regardless of belief system, how a society cares for its “least and last” has a lot to say about it, right??Verdict: Rental — too tough to watch twice!

 

lastwitchhunter

The Last Witch Hunter?(Lionsgate)

For the love of Vin Diesel… I wish this one was better. The cursed eternal Kaulder (Diesel) fights evil wherever he finds it, with the help of a “Dolan” – think the Companion to Doctor Who. The thirty-sixth Dolan (Michael Caine) dies and is replaced by the less-experienced thirty-seventh (Elijah Wood) in a bit of casting that is surely intended to amuse… Then there’s Ygritte, er, Chloe (Rose Leslie), who goes from bartender to ally a la Miriam in?Raiders of the Lost Ark. Are you getting the picture here??The Last Witch Hunter?is just?a little?derivative, and only the boldest of Diesel fans will any on for this whole CGI-spawned ride about good versus evil.?Verdict? Ouch.

 

batman

Batman: Bad Blood?(Warner Bros.)

In the latest animated (direct-to-home media) feature length film, Batman (Jason O’Mara) is presumed dead as a new villain, The Heretic, unites various lower-level villains like Killer Moth, Electrocutioner, etc. to terrorize Gotham. But Batman’s “family,” in the persons of Robin, Nightwing, Batwoman, and others, rise up to meet this new threat, even as they investigate what has happened to their fearless leader. But there is more going on here in terms of the conspiracy behind Bats’ disappearance: the League of Assassins and Bats’ sometime-girlfriend, Talia al Ghul (Morena Baccarin), have a nefarious plot in mind. While some believe that Batman/Bruce Wayne has actually gone over to the dark side, the ‘true believers’ hold onto their knowledge of him – they know he would never abandon them or Gotham City. Part mystery/part adventure,?Bad Blood?proves to be a good holdover until Batman vs. Superman. Verdict??Batman Fans: Own;?Others: Rent

 

meadowlandMeadowland (Cinedigm)

Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson play against type in this close-up study of grief, marriage, and what makes us human as Sarah and Phil. Having lost track of their young son while on a road trip, they struggle with his loss through the means that they are provided – both legitimate and illegitimate. But the struggle they experience seems reasonable given their grief, and those seeking to examine the depths of their own pain may be moved, but … entertained? Director Reed Morano moves Wilde, Wilson, John Leguizamo, Elizabeth Moss, and Giovanni Ribisi in their paces in his directorial debut (of which you can catch the behind-the-scenes view on the DVD). Verdict??Rental.

 

snowwhiteSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs?(Disney)

The beautifully simple animation of Walt Disney’s 1937 feature-length allegory is still spellbinding. As Snow White wrestles with the evil in the world in the person of the Evil Queen, the audience sees that the beauty of this young woman is in her hope and gentle grace. Her impact deters the Queen’s Huntsman and changes the lives (positively) of the dwarves; in the end, her innocence is redeemed because she refuses to succumb to the darkness around her.?This is the first time the story has been presented in Digital HD but the Blu-ray combo pack contains special looks at?Disney’s love for the film, the impact socially (in pop culture) of the story, and much more. Verdict??Must Own.

 

man up

Man Up?(Lionsgate)

Simon Pegg is hilarious. Star Trek,?Mission Impossible, The World’s End, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead. But can he play the leading man? Lake Bell co-stars as a woman mistaken for Jack’s (Pegg) blind date. Whether you’re British or American, Pegg is funny, but it’s hard to know whether everyone will find this one as charming. Sometimes, you have to grab life, hold on, and go for it – both of these two do it, making for the adorable date movie you need just in time for Valentine’s Day.?Verdict? Totally worth the rent.?

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