#something about disney and the commercialism of fairytales?

[marciabrady]

did you see that jodi benson is applauding the lyric and story changes to the remake? does that make you feel like the energy is of the film is the same as the original?

I'm going to preface this by saying that I haven't been a fan of any of the live action remakes and that, while I do admire Jodi, I can be objective about what's going on.

Before I state my opinion, let me start with just listing some facts: Jodi is currently a Disney employee and relies primarily on her Disney salary for her income and livelihood. Jodi has become very deferential to Disney and has contradicted herself and changed her opinion many times in the past, vacillating between what was arguably her authentic opinion and a PR answer (for instance, she was pretty vocal about having a lot of difficulties with the creative team of the third movie and disliking it, before changing her tune entirely and giving seemingly rehearsed soundbites; she also did this when asked about the character of Ariel. Anytime she would give her take on how strong Ariel was or if the character was a good role model before 2019, she would always defend Ariel, but after 2019...well, we'll get into that later). Jodi has been vocal about getting in trouble with Disney in the past and having to adjust accordingly. Jodi is doing everything she can to maintain her relationship with the company and is trying to have her daughter hired into the company and possibly her son. Now, take all of those things into consideration, alongside the fact that anyone who's said anything against the live action remake has been essentially labeled as a bigot or problematic, etc, so it's impossible to really have any discourse about the film in a way that's earnest or isn't overly flowery and complimentary, which is what Jodi is doing.

I think art ceases to be art and becomes completely commercial the minute every person has the exact same take on the film, and this has been the case with this project since before even a single frame of it was shot. And, honestly, that kind of encapsulates why I don't think this film will be anything like the original? Well, it won't retain its energy, at least. Obviously they're ripping off the songs and the characters for their own gain.

It's hard to overstate how dire the conditions were that the original creative team was working under and how much was riding on this project- how inventive it was, how fresh a concept, how much it married a traditional reverence to the classic Disney films while marking a stamp all of its own to it. Time and time again, the success and novelty of this film has been accredited to one man- Howard Ashman. Howard Ashman did so much for the original production- he wrote some dialogue, he wrote the music, he performed key numbers for the talent to the point where they just copied whatever he did- he even invested his own money into the film. The fact that this was the first time an openly gay man had so much creative control over a project at Disney is something that, sadly to this day, is an outlier that has never happened again. This, married with some of the other gay talent working on the film- like Andreas Deja- infused a necessary element of queerness into the energy of production. Even the fact that Ursula was based on drag queen Divine, or the animator working on the scene where Ariel's grotto was destructed drew parallels of his father kicking him out when he came out...this is the definitive queer-coded fairytale for the gay community, going back to the original author and his artistic intent, and that's why I'm so happy that so many LGBTQIA+ people were able to contribute to the film in the 80s. When you mix that with how down animation was at the time and how animation would've ceased to exist at Disney, had this film not been successful, how the animators were pushed off the lot to working in trailers for the first time in the company's history...I think all of that contributed to lending an authentic energy of repression and being underground, etc, all things super necessary to illustrating the gay experience and having all of that ring through on screen. All of the people involved had something of being an outsider in society, too, which I think is perfect for the story of Ariel. Did you know about Jodi Benson before The Little Mermaid? No, of course you didn't, because she had virtually no fame and had auditioned for Ariel as a pity gift from Howard after the show she had been performing in had flopped, according to Jodi. Whenever she told her family and friends about the project, they laughed at her and told her the only people that do animation are ones whose careers are downhill and were so discouraging, until she finally stopped saying anything to them about it at all until the premiere where the success shocked everyone. Even Pat Carroll was a third choice- they wanted a different actress, and once they didn't get her and hired another one, she didn't work out either which is why they finally called Pat in. This film was solely riding on the creative energy and passion and love the creative team had for it and so many bets and stakes were on its back. The success of it came as a surprise to everyone, and it arguably reinvented animation and brought forth the animation period known as the Disney Renaissance.

Compare that to the 2023 film...literally nothing about it is inventive or edgy. It's the 100th live action film that is anything but the reimagining it's remarked as- it literally tries to be the same film as the animated which has already found success, down to naming the mermaid Ariel, giving her red hair, a green fin, a fish friend named Flounder and a crab named Sebastian, and other inventions that were created specifically for the 1989 film as opposed to going back to the original story and trying to be its own thing (every single live action Disney film does this which I think is so stupid honestly; like people being surprised that Sebastian and Flounder look like that...of course they do, because they were created for the medium of animation, not whatever this movie is try to be; how much better would Emma Watson's performance have seemed if she didn't have to live up to the animated Belle's songs or the iconic gold dress?). It rips off the same songs, which have since become Americana and already proven to be successful. In the age where so many critiques have come up regarding the original film, this movie softens both the characters of Ariel and Ursula to appeal to as wide a demographic as possible further illustrating that while the emphasis on the first film was to bring forth a reality to the characters of Ariel and King Triton, this movie just wants to be liked by everyone and has nothing to say.

While many people have stated that Halle's casting was progressive, every other principle character is portrayed by a white actor- Ursula, Eric, Ariel's Father, Vanessa, etc. The man that has taken over Howard Ashman's seat is painfully straight (sorry Lin Manuel, but I can't get on board) and has already written songs for huge Disney productions in the past (ever heard of Moana?) and is currently very popular (ever heard of Hamilton?). Besides, a Disney Princess being racebent isn't a new concept- as we saw with Brandi's Cinderella in the 1990s- and it isn't even new to this property, as we saw the voice actress of Moana playing Ariel in a live action version back in 2019. Remember when I mentioned how the original cast hadn't been super well known prior to the film's release? Halle was literally recognized by Beyonce and had already been in an established singing group with her sister and news of her casting was announced four years prior to the release of the film and super publicized- which, by the way, the marketing budget for this film is nearly double than the production budget for the original, so just think about that...Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem literally admitted to texting the director begging for a part, which they got since they were already bigshots in Hollywood. Speaking of Melissa, if Disney really wanted to be progressive or inclusive or be any of the things they're touting to be, I feel they should've hired a drag queen to portray Ursula. Instead, they gave us a white straight married woman from Illinois who's never sang a note in her life. I'm sorry but there's no way she was the best possible choice for the role. Also, outside of not hiring any substantial amount of queer talent or talent of color in front of or behind the camera, Disney has intentionally tried to distance themselves from the community and the subtext of the original movie's queerness. I already mentioned how Ursula was based on a drag queen, and it was Howard's invention that she had a fling with Triton in the past, which you can hear Pat confirming in this interview. This 2023 film makes them siblings...also, I'm sorry, I'll never get over the fact that the original author of the fairytale was part of the community, Howard was, and then they give us...Lin Manuel? There's so many things about the production of this film that make me so uncomfortable and it's all rooted back to the erasure. Which reminds me- Disney announced that they were taking a documentary based on Howard Ashman, his creative achievements and his struggle with AIDs, off of the Disney+ platform the same day they were going to release TLM 2023, before they later repented due to complaints. Aside from the erasure, it's also unsettling to me, as I mentioned before, that there's such a lack of diversity in the cast and it's nearly all white principals when this movie LITERALLY has advertised how "diverse" it is above all else.

In 2019 they announced they were going to set the film in the Caribbean, which I thought was new to this retelling and I was excited to see what it would've looked like and what the new music would've been etc...but this was back when they were planning on casting Harry Styles, a white British man, as Eric. I think having a white British man as the ruler of the Caribbeans is horrible optics, and when he backed out, they hired another white British man...it honestly doesn't sit well with me, especially when other young actors of color were auditioning and were allegedly encountering racism (just saying allegedly because I'm not trying to get sued lol). Also take into account that women of color that have actual talent when it comes to singing were auditioning to be Ursula, even women with pull and influence in the industry, before it was given to director friend Melissa McCarthy who begged for the role via text. Unfortunately, none of these topics are being addressed because Disney very smartly tied audience approval to this film on whether or not they agree with Halle's casting so people are treating it as above reproach and don't really want to speak out or discuss these really problematic elements of production for fear that they might come across as not being in support of Halle having gotten the role and, by extension, making it appear as though they don't support any leads of color.

Finally, where the original was a labor of love with barely any money going into it, fueled purely by a spirit of creativity and love and art, such is not the case with the remake. The remake doesn't offer anything new in the endless strings of live actions, which are doing the same thing with each film- down to how they're marketing the female talent (a strong woman who don't need no man!!). The director has even shown that he doesn't understand the character of Ariel multiple times and fed right into criticism that the talent from the original, like Jodi, used to speak out about before she was ironically silenced. Because she doesn't anymore...because Disney won't let her, allegedly. Jodi allegedly works with a speechwriter and you can kind of tell. I've met her and I've seen almost every panel she's been a part of, and when you ask her about an experience or a memory or her opinion, her stories change a lot. There are still the same truths to them, but she'll reveal different details in each, just the way you would when you're telling the same story to different people because anything that's natural isn't something that will be duplicated too much and there are going to be changes and shifts depending on when you tell it, who you tell it to, etc. Starting in 2019, Jodi stopped defending Ariel and began reciting a speech which she's repeated ad nauseam over how Ariel was appropriate for when she was made but, by virtue of how much "stronger" female characters are now, she'll pale in comparison to someone like Merida or Mulan. She claims you can't hold a 1989 portrayal up against a 2019 or 2023 one, because of course it would have aged...which is the opposite of what she used to say. I've heard her parrot this speech time and time again- and even in person. And that goes back to your original question...I wouldn't place my bets on the remake offering anything authentic or new if Jodi's saying it. Even aside from this, the BATB original cast have all said disparaging things about the remake, aside from Paige O'hara, who's continuously sung its and Emma Watson's praises (and what a coincidence that she's been invited to the premiere and gets more attention from Disney)...until you catch her on an off day or at a convention and she starts complaining about the darker tone, or the gun inclusion, or how Emma couldn't really sing but it was fine because she could act, or how she didn't approve of elements of the costuming...at the end of the day, these people are celebrities in their own right and have to do and say things that are canned tbh just to keep their likability up and remain palatable to the masses and hirable to Disney and Jodi's unfortunately sold out, in my opinion, in that way.

[zikadraws]

I dunno if it's just me, but I'm kind of very intrigued by the Wahoo World mascot, Fresh Fish. Like the idea that Seafolk in Splatoon have their very own cartoon culture, it's interesting to me. What are their fairytales like ? Their pop culture ? And how much of it may have human pop culture ? Is the Pokemon/Transformers/Smash Bros Splatfest thing canon lore-wise ? Do they know what these are from archeology or something else ?

Whatever may be the answers to these questions, I thought I'd do some fanart about this little toon guy. Also some headcanons.

So the Mascot gear that we get in the game is very different aesthetically from Fresh Fish the original toon character, exactly like these animatronics/mascot costumes from Disneyland or whatever fast food place that look fundamentally uncanny compared to the advertised toon characters.

So the OG Fresh Fish is obviously nowhere as creepy that the dudes who wear his mascot gear, however the recent public commercialization of this gear to Turf Players -to try and advertise Wahoo World in sports- triggered the start of his creepypasta era, to the greatest regret of his owners, but also their greater profit. You know how creepypasta fans can be.

Fresh Fish currently has about a dozen creepypastas to his name, even though practically all of them are about Mascot Gear wearers being creepy. These stories are in the vein of "Treasure Island"/"Abandoned by Disney"-type of creepypastas.

Fresh Fish is pretty much the Splatoon equivalent of Mickey Mouse, complete with being more than 80 years old and being one of the most known cartoon mascots out there. (Except his company struggle to keep the flame alive, as most youth lose interest to get into sports and quest for freshness, and it's mostly popular with little kids and nostalgic adults. Also they don't own as much animation than corporate monster Disney, though they're on that brink and very wealthy, it's just not quite as bad.)

Fresh Fish is mostly successful in his 'classic rubberhose toon' series, as many fans enjoy slapstick, and much like Mickey before him, goes on adventures/mysteries during his episodes. His personality is similar to Mickey, in the sense that he's "that nice guy that helps everybody", except he's more fashionable and just a tiiiny bit clueless ; and relies mainly on cartoon luck and hopes that his foes will go easy on his dense ass. He also has pals/acolytes, but no romantic partner.

He can't use ink, but he's been known to have a shot at it (ha ha) more than once.

There are a bunch of sponsor episodes staring brand mascots that are either horribly cringe or very engaging, no in-betweens.

After the creepypasta uprising, his company started out spookier episodes and a new character trait to be unintentionally off-putting (pretty much making him unknowingly autistic), which have actually a decent success.

His eyes actually DO glow in the dark, but it's just a specie thing.

And boy I'd probably come up with more, but I think I'm gonna stop here.

Alright anyway, I hope you like it ! I totally agree that the dudes who use his mascot gear are one whole other level of Splatoon player, but you get my vibe. It's just funny to speculate.

Oh yeah btw I do indeed love "Classic Toons" characters. I might do more around him in the future. (Maybe in the style of that one fake Splatoon 3 artbook I did for school that I have yet to show someday.)

Thanks for your attention and have a good day :)

[rainydawgradioblog]

Best opening songs (in my opinion)

You know what they say, first impressions are everything. If I turn something on to watch it, and I am not immediatley entertained, im turning it off. You got to know how to captivate an audience! Opening a movie is hard. Opening a tv show is hard. A good soundtrack can make or break a production. Look at saturday night fever, a godawful movie. I dont think people actually know the plot of the movie, just that they had the bee gees gong crazy. Anyways. Please enjoy this list I have curated of my favorite opening songs in various TV shows and movies.

Real Gone By Sheryl Crowe - as heard in Cars (2006)

Everybody already knows Cars is a genuinely good movie, and its soundtrack is a big part of that. The opening scene of the movie is one of the best I have ever seen for an animated kids movie. Mcqueens opening “I am Speed” monologue, followed by his entrance to Real Gone (which somewhat foreshadows parts of the movie in the lyrics) is electrifying, and welcomes the audience into the movie. This is such a good introduction to a movie I am not even kidding I highly recommend a Cars rewatch.

Kids in America by The Muffs - as heard in Clueless (1995)

Clueless is another iconic movie. I think everyone should be legally required to watch it, at least once. The movie opens with a montage of the amazing life of Cher Horowitz, with a cover of “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde. The song is the perfect backdrop for the totally normal, noxema commercial-esque life led by our main girl Cher. These truly are the kids of America!

Stayin Alive by The Bee Gees - as heard in Saturday Night Fever (1975)

As mentioned above, nobody really cares about Saturday Night Fever aside from its soundtrack. The only reason you would want to watch this movie is for the soundtrack. You might get hooked into thinking "wow, this seems like a genuinenly good movie" as it opens swinging, John Travolta sashaying around as the Staying alive plays, but trust me, the only good part of this movie, is the opening. Source: I have seen it twice.

All Star by Smash Mouth - as heard in Shrek (2001)

What would a radio show of iconic opening songs in movies and shows be without shrek? We live in a PS (post shrek) world, so its hard to imagine a world without this movie. Shrek was released at the end of the disney renaissance era, and was meant to parody the cliche fairytale movies. If you didn’t know this before watching the movie, maybe the opening scene featuring shrek reading a fairytale, before ripping out a page to wipe his ass, and the bursting through his outhouse door, as Smash Mouth plays in the background, might be a tip off. All Star is the perfect contrast to the perfectly polished soundtracks of the fairytale that the movie was parodying. And you know what? Sometimes, the years start coming, don't stop coming.

Perfect Day by Hoku - as heard in Legally Blonde (2001)

The opening of Legally Blonde is quite similar to the opening of Clueless, probably because Elle Woods is like the slightly more grown up version of Cher Horowitz (Minus the whole stepbrother/boyfriend thing). We are introduced to Ms. Woods in a montage of Blonde, pink, and sorority girls. The background song of choice is a bit on the nose - it IS the perfect day, Elle is going to get engaged! But that's fine, because it's catchy, and fits the vibes of the movie perfectly. 

Don't Trust Me by 30H3 - as heard in Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)

When most people think about pretty little liars, they think of the trainwreck that was the last couple of seasons, which is unfortunate, as the first three seasons of the show were 2010s teen drama perfection. Nothing is more 2010 than the opening scene in the barn, with the girls blasting 3OH3. If only they knew what was in store. This song is so funny, what do you mean “Do the Helen Keller, and talk with your hips”? What does that mean? Maybe it's fitting that they chose a song with baffling lyrics to begin a tv show that would end with twelve million baffling plot lines.  

One Week by The Barenaked Ladies - as heard in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)  

Before somebody tries to argue with me that the movie was opened with Bad Reputation by Joan Jett, We see the Seattle skyline with One week in the background. So I consider this to be the opening song. Was there a movie geared towards teens made in the late nineties that didn’t feature this song? The barebaked ladies had the teen movie soundtrack curators of the nineties in a chokehold. While I do absolutely adore this movie, the fact that they try to pass off Stadium High School as being located in Seattle grinds my gears. It's in Tacoma!!!!!!!!!!!

What's A Girl To Do by Bat for Lashes - as heard in Scream Queens (2015-2016)

I think Scream Queens was underrated. I was hooked on the show immediately, especially after the haunting first drum beats (A sample of the drums originally heard in Be My Baby by The Ronettes). The tension created with the ominous tone of the background music is crazy. The song is just eerie enough to fit the mood, and adds a very haunting ambiance.

[airasilver]

Wow. Goes hard. Tries to be nice but… I didn’t want to see it and now I never want to see it.

Disney’s Wish is a Commercial For Its Greatest Hits

Wish tries to put Disney back on the map — but in the age of Spider-Verse, is there room for the brand’s traditional house style?

If you’ve seen any of the animated features in Disney’s sprawling back catalog, then you’ve already seen Wish. The company’s latest is not so much a film as it is a highlight reel of their greatest hits, a Disney expo turned Easter egg hunt that rewards even the most casual fan.

The instinct to catch every reference does give Wish some sense of purpose. The haze of nostalgia is undoubtedly powerful: Disney has been weaponizing it for the better half of its century-long history. But it’s been a long time since the illusion was totally effective, and that’s a big part of what keeps Wish, occasionally delightful as it may be, from justifying its existence.

Despite a game cast and some earnest, pop-infused music numbers, Wish doesn’t really have anything new to say. That wouldn’t be so bad if it existed in a vacuum. Disney’s rested on its laurels before, and has bounced back from far worse. But we’re a long way from the novelty that Steamboat Willie, The Lion King, or even Frozen offered the world. As the magic kingdom grew into a sprawling empire, animation became less of an artistic pursuit and more of an exercise in futility. Disney still strives to keep up with the times — but in the face of so much innovation elsewhere, could something like Wish ever be enough?

For what it’s worth, Wish does remix the Disney formula where it counts. Where most of its animated movies are pretty faithful to their respective time periods, Wish follows Disney’s live-action Little Mermaid down a path of anachronism. The kingdom of Rosas is our film’s fairytale setting, a melting pot of cultures where people of all creeds live in harmony. Its protagonist is Asha (Ariana DeBose), an adorkable Afrolatina whose free-flowing box braids stand in cheeky defiance of Wish’s 13th-century setting. What is historical accuracy to a world where animals can talk, anyway?

Adding to the offbeat imprecision — albeit behind the scenes — is Chris Pine as the Hispanic-coded King Magnifico, the sovereign ruler of Rosas and sole magic-wielder of the realm. He founded the kingdom on the premise of safe-guarding his people’s wishes … literally. When each citizen of Rosas turns 18, they make a wish and hand it over to the king, who stores it in his castle and reserves the right to grant it at a later date.

As long as it’s not too dangerous or too vague, most wishes are fair game. But very few actually meet Magnifico’s requirements — and it’s not until Asha gets close to the sorcerer, in an audition to become his (wink!) apprentice, that she notices the flaws in this system … and starts asking one too many questions about it. No, she does not get the job: like any authoritarian, Magnifico has a thing about too many questions. But that inspires her to make a powerful wish of her own, one that sends an impossibly cute anthropomorphic star hurtling from the heavens to help her make Rosas a more democratic place.

With Wish, Disney finds itself at its most self-reflective. It’s always been a company in conversation with itself — the trends, tropes, and motifs its films once created have become a sort of holy text to be remixed at will — but with other companies in the industry moving on to greener pastures, Disney’s most recent efforts have put it in an echo chamber of its own making.

There was a time where Disney’s house style was at least occasionally innovative. At the very least, it was frequently gorgeous to look at — but as the company distanced itself from hand-drawn animation and embraced the convenience of computer graphics, homogeny inevitably set in. Of course, by that time, Disney had long established itself as king of the castle: it’s hard to dissent against the progenitor of so many fond childhood memories, and the standard that so many others have followed. When Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse burst onto the scene, however, that spell was irrevocably broken — and Disney is still trying to catch up.

In the five years since Spider-Verse made imperfect, painterly visuals cool, a quiet revolution has taken hold in the industry. It’s no longer enough to coast on a polished, familiar technique, and for what it’s worth, Disney seems to recognize that. Wish runs on an interesting blend of old and new: computer-generated characters play in a 2D, watercolor world. It adds a literal bent to the storybook motif that opens the film, cribbed from classic Disney flicks like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. But it’s not quite enough to tip Wish into new territory.

Wish is, of course, meant to serve as an homage — but at every turn, it conflates that responsibility with rote imitation. So many of its characters feel like regurgitations of past favorites: “Disney face” has been an issue as far back as Tangled, and it rears its head again here, too. Its ideas are occasionally intriguing, especially when it’s willing to confront the part that fear and failure play in our daily lives. But too quickly does it slip into a more traditional (and trite) battle of good against evil, or worse: a winking reference to a far superior Disney film.

By the time Wish reaches its Fantasmic-inspired showdown, it’s hard to wonder if it would have functioned better as fan fiction than a celebration of a billion-dollar enterprise. This experiment is not without its merits, and hopefully it’s a sign that Disney is finally willing to take a harder look in the magic mirror. As great as its past triumphs have been, no amount of nostalgia can stand up to the excitement of something new. It’s time for the company to let go of its own fear — only then can it reclaim the innovation that once made it such a juggernaut in the first place.

Wish is now playing in theaters.

[thestuffedalligator]

Almost all fairy tales are newer than I think they are

There is a portion of fairy tales that have their roots in folk traditions dating back hundreds of years, but they’re always alongside stories that are barely older than the late-nineteenth century

Little Red-Riding Hood dates back to the 10th century, but the Little Mermaid was published in 1837

Beauty and the Beast borrows tropes from classical tradition, but it was first written in the late 18th century

The Gingerbread Man was first printed in 1875. Pinocchio was published on a weekly basis in the 1880s. Wizard of Oz was published in 1900. Peter Pan was published as a novel in 1911, and is still under copyright

[oldbaton]

Thoughts on The Lion King musical nearly 25 years in

Something about the return of Broadway has made me want to resist long runners. I've seen The Lion King once when it was running at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas back when theatre thought it could turn Vegas into ~The Broadway of the West~. (That did not go as planned lol). I thought it was pretty but not much else but I was at my most pretentious then so I don't think I engaged in good faith. Still cried at Circle of Life though. It's difficult to engage with because it is the most commercial theatrical property in the history of the theatre. Like in human history. That's not hyperbole. It has grossed more money than any ENTERTAINMENT venture ever. Not just theatrically speaking. In the history of entertainment. Worldwide, there are 8 productions running as of writing. 8 productions that nearly sell out nightly. You do the math. The Minskoff Theatre, where the flagship production is currently running, is a roughly 6 story high complex ( the orchestra seating begins on the THIRD floor) overlooking times square. A giant digital billboard playing McDonalds commercials takes up all of the window space. I had McNuggets bigger than my body assaulting my eyes during intermission. This is as commercial as it gets.

And yet this commercialism is directly at odds with what I saw. It hit. And it hit hard. It isn't just a cool production. It is beautiful. And more importantly. It is incredibly artistically intelligent. The way Taymor highlighted community, grief, triumph, and humanity into it is. Astonishing. I haven't seen Ragtime in person yet so I will wait to comment on whether it was the right winner. But was this production deserving of best musical? (Which as a reminder is a cumulative award). Absolutely. A critic said there is absolutely nothing like it and they were right.

I've been mostly seeing plays since theatre came back but the last musical I saw was Hadestown. So myth is on the mind. And, this could be me projecting, I was so shocked by how the musical spoke to the universality of myth and how we respond to it. The Lion King is a crossroads of so many cultures and properties: Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era, the traditional Zulu culture in which it is draped, the ultimate Americanization that only 1990s Disney is capable of, and Julie Taymor's brain (which, trust me, is a culture all its own). And despite this mash up of wildly different eras the themes are distinctly universal and human. Myth! Battles! Betrayal! Family! Heritage! Love! I was struck by just how many themes The Lion King hits that are common in myth across culture. This is a story that deals with concepts broadly. Not necessarily in an examination of them, but largely in the feeling of them. How large these things feel to a human when they experience these things. Which I find many myths deal with. How universal is legend? Despite the breadth of human history all these things tend to show up in myth and fairytales and, yes, Disney properties.

And that is what makes the staging so brilliant. Taymor staging isn't just pretty it is in tune with the largeness of the experience of the characters. It is grand. Unrelenting. It revels in its largeness because that is one of the key aspects of the story. And god what a production. We see many other spectacles. Many other good and intelligent ones! But nothing will ever be quite like The Lion King. The Circle of Life made me cry. Again. No video really prepares you for it. Raiki's voice piercing through the silence. The rising of the paper sun. The elephant. The rise of Pride Rock through the ground. And many many directors think that people think its cool just because the puppets go through the audience. And it is neat. But what brings people to tears is that not only is The Circle of Life about a gathering it is about a community. And thats the impact of the amazing puppets through the audience. We are also gathering along with the characters. Thats why it doesnt feel like a gimmick like it usually does when actors ask us to clap along in the audience. And, again not hyperbole, one of the best opening numbers theatre will ever see. The fabrics. The costumes. Even the small effect like scar snatching the mouse. And of course, because of the post covid excitement the cast is giving 110%. Adrienne Walker killing Shadowland (my fav song in the show) was a particular highlight.

The Lion King film is far from my favorite Disney property. It's fine. But the way the stage version captures the emotion of the piece. The beautiful interludes of Zulu music. The way the grass moves and the animals hunt and the power of the scenes where Rafiki mourns and Nala solemnly vows to leave and find help and the tears streaming from the eyes of the lionesses and Mufasa's face assembling in the sky. Myth. Emotion. And, most importantly, the moment where Simba's foot touches Pride rock as king and the orchestra and chorus explode in triumph. Chills and tears again. The script is not the best, but these moments would not exist unless they were thought out. It is better than it is given credit for. Of course the show fails when Disney takes over. Zazu's cringey 4h wall breaks. Scar's terrible dialogue. THE HYENAS. The evening has its fair share of difficult moments to get through. What the fuck is that Timon waterfall sequence? Still. It's thrilling beyond belief. And it is such a celebration of an experience only the theatre can provide! Every element, for the most part, is working in tandem. Even the imperfect script. It is both down to earth and at home and larger than life. A difficult thing to achieve.

An accomplished piece of art becoming the Disneyfied behemoth of capitalism is a difficult thing to contend with. And it is one of the contradictions you just plain have to sit with to enjoy Broadway theatre. I really like The Lion King. It is a genuine achievement. Despite what the McDonalds advert might have you think.

[katseesmovies]

So, Shrek

In honor of Shrek turning 20 today, lets take a quick second to explore the legacy of Shrek. 

On April 22nd, 2001 the world changed forever with the release of Shrek. A green middle finger pointed in the direction of the Disney company and Michael Eisner Shrek captured the popular imagination. It begins as all great movies do, by flushing an outhouse.

Jeffrey Katzenberg was the head of Walt Disney Studios and Animation under Michael Eisner for many years and by all accounts worked his tail off to help make that studio great. However Michael Eisner wouldn’t promote him even though he kept saying he would so eventually a very frustrated Katzenberg left Disney and started his own studio with David Geffen and Steven Spielberg called DreamWorks SKG. Katzenberg’s bonuses were then withheld, it went to Court, it was a whole *thing*. (This is a simplification there are several hundred page books about this) 

Shrek tries to set itself apart by applying cynicism and a bit of crassness to the traditional Disney formula, which seems simple enough as a gimmick however if you examine some of the real life drama that was happening while Shrek was being made suddenly Shrek becomes a lot meaner. (Lord Farquad is a caricature of Michael Eisner) (Also go on and say “Lord Farquad” out loud if you haven’t recently).

Initially DreamWorks’ plan was to hire a  bunch of animators out from under Disney and start making takeoffs of things he knew were in the pipeline while also making traditional hand drawn “boys adventure” animated films, which was an arena Disney had struggled in. Working on Shrek was considered a punishment at DreamWorks and allegedly 4 million dollars worth of animation had to be redone when Mike Myers realized that Shrek needed to have a Scottish accent. Shrek, in many ways, is a  film for parents. The venom-laced barbs at Disney’s image and commercialism are aggressive and especially funny in hindsight, considering how over marketed Shrek became. Lord Farquard perusing bride choices in bed with a drink is an image I didn’t understand as a child, but knew adults thought was funny. For many children, though, Shrek was their introduction to the fairytale mythos and for some older children it was their first foray into subversion. Fiona killing a bird during her princess moment is ballsy and it feels dangerous. Shrek was also released in 2001 to compete with the Pixar movie that year Monsters Inc. (They did this many times, like Antz and SharkTale) 

The anti-Disney sentiment is one that continues throughout counter-culture (here’s looking at you, Banksy) but I can’t help but feel that Shrek is the last gasp of something that was lost. Obviously the American zeitgeist was changed forever on September 11th, 2001. Suddenly the restrictive and clean Disney values seemed comforting and safe for many. Even Shrek 2 conforms to more fairy tale norms and isn’t as pointed as Shrek. Part of me wonders if Shrek is so nostalgic to folks because it’s a last gasp of a simpler time. Then the marketplace was flooded with Shrek content. Between sequels, tv specials, merch, tie ins, and then winning the inaugural Oscar for best animated picture it seemed like Shrek was here to stay. However, many folks became tired of Shrek and it became an incredibly popular meme property. People were modding video games to add Shrek into them, playing All Star in seemingly random places and groups upon groups of memes by and for people who love, hate or just want to laugh at Shrek. Through the internet Shrek has cemented itself in culture. (If you haven’t please check out Carlye Wisel’s podcast Very Amusing, and her ongoing quest to make Shrek into a Hanukkah icon) 

I was starting to find my anthropology/history lens cluttering my view of the movie so I asked a colleague of mine, Jeffrey Tardiff, why he loved Shrek so much. His answer was kind of eye opening, honestly, “Shrek is a true fairy tale. It's the antidote to Disney princesses—depicting love at its best, worst, and greenest. Though Shrek is the focus of the franchise, Fiona is the story. She's a victim of years of abuse and trauma, yet she's able to reclaim her life, embrace who she is inside, become the self she sees, confront her family and her abusers, and still manage to start a new life with her true love.”

Maybe we’ve all gotten too cynical, too burnt out on Shrek and its marketing machine. I think it became popular to hate because it became the very thing it was parodying - an over marketed fairytale. But revisiting for this piece I was repeatedly caught off guard by the joy that exists in these movies that came from such a spiteful place. (The first two especially) There’s a lot of love and important lessons hidden in this weird corporate amalgam. I guess, you could say, much like an ogre or an onion, this film’s legacy has a lot of layers. 

I’d like to thank Jeffrey Tardiff, coworker and Shrek guru for his remarks for this piece. 

[doakaptan]

Shrek 2 is the hero we needed and here is why

You see I could have just embedded this clip and that would be enough for an answer. Nobody and when I say nobody I mean literally nobody can argue with me about the greatness, the elegance, the excellence of this scene. The song surpasses the original in delivery, and the scenes that are recreated within the castle sequence, is even better than the ones it’s mocking... Overall, it is a theme within the Shrek franchise to do better than the ones you’re mocking, even when the movie itself is not taking anything serious.

On a more serious note, Shrek is a movie that started out as a parody of overused Hollywood tropes, but, through great writing, the franchise found its soul, right here in this film. While the first installment did not have much story to begin with (other than the fact that it was mocking Hollywood and Disney) Shrek 2 is a genuine attempt to have depth in characters and storylines while still mocking everything the fairytales stand for. 

The movie takes of from where it left in the previous installment. Before delving into the story we see Shrek and Fiona’s honeymoon in a montage and all is well within Shrek’s universe. Until, a letter gets delivered to their suite and they learn that Fiona’s family are expecting them to visit the kingdom for a celebration. This moment is a crucial one for me, because finally we are about to get answers to questions we had in the first movie. Like, where is she the princess of, why did her parents leave her at the castle, who are her people and the movie expands on these in a great way. Not only that but the movie also expands on its own universe. The newly introduced concepts are not foreign to us. Like of course an evil Fairy Godmother recruited people through a deal he made with King Harold long long time ago to make sure his son Prince Charming married the princess and became the king. By the way King Harold turns out to be the Frog Prince so the deal he made with Fairy Godmother for his happily after makes sense.

While, Shrek 2 is a great follow-up movie it's also a great standalone story. It is told in such a way that we are unburdened by a need to know what happened in the previous movie. The movie introduces new characters and places with such ease that we don’t question whether something like that belongs in this universe. New characters such as Puss in Boots, Prince Charming, king and queen, and Doris are all fan favorites. The way these characters rose to favor kind of reminds me of the Star Wars Sequel but don’t quote me on that. 

I will use this section to point out insane attention to detail and great scenes apart from the final scene. Specific scenes like the dinner scene, thank you mother; mother!? are some of the greatest scenes that were ever produced. There is also the scene where Shrek, Donkey and Puss get arrested and a bag of ‘catnip’ is retrieved from Puss, the reference went over my head at the time but now, it is even funnier knowing the context. I would also argue that the dinner scene is a masterpiece on its own but sadly I don’t accept objections. The delivery of the characters are great as well. All the actors are on their best game and you can tell by the way they mend so well together. 

Other than that, the details such as Far Far Away being modeled after Los Angeles is such a great idea. It plays more into the fact that Shrek doesn’t belong into the life Fiona previously had. The villain being a commercialized character within the Far Far Away makes a lot of sense as well. The pop culture references are integrated into its world don’t stand out, almost like they were always there. There is a burger king knock off named Friar’s Fat boy and Farbucks. It has been more than a decade (almost two) but the jokes they made about the consumerism culture still stands; like when Mongo (giant gingerbread man) destroys a Farbucks people who escaped from there go to the one across. 

Don’t worry this is the semi-final segment of my rant on Shrek 2. One of the most important parts of Shrek is its soundtrack. The songs are great at setting the tone and enhancing the viewing experience. A fair example of that would be Fairy Godmother’s Holding out for a Hero. It ties into the story better than it did in Footloose and I can fight you on it, try me. In the first movie soundtrack was good too but this… this is above that. Every single song has a meaning and contribution to the overall story and nothing stands out. While the first movie used the music to subvert expectations that this wasn’t your typical Disney movie second one aims for the neck. That is why still to this day you associate All Star by Smash Mouth, Livin La Vida Loca, and Holding out for a Hero with Shrek. It is that good. 

Now, let’s talk about the greatest scene in animated movie history. I referenced it probably too many times but still... Fairy Godmother’s Holding Out For A Hero... Who came up with it, how can one come up with this, we are unworthy of such viewing. Jokes aside the scene is both suspenseful and funny. The rules are set straight and we know this has to have a good ending but there is a what if Shrek can’t make it, in the back of our minds while viewing that makes us scoot to the edge of our seat. The sequence has so many remarkable moments to point out like when Mongo slowly drowns or Puss fights with the knights, even the simple dancing is amplified and I’m not even talking about the vocal performance. This scene outdoes every scene ever existed full stop.

I cannot let go of this movie I’m so sorry but to close this one off I will share my thoughts with you on a more serious note. 

I think everyone falls in love with Shrek at least once, because we can relate to the way he feels and thinks on so many levels. Shrek was told time and time again that he was unworthy of being loved by a society that hated him for simply existing. He believed that until he met Donkey and later Fiona. Shrek 2 comes in when Shrek has learned how to love and be loved and to open up to someone but he is not ready to face society and, society is not ready to face him. Despite being loved by who matters to him the most he’s not the ideal husband for Fiona according to her family, friends and people. So he starts second guessing his worth. It’s when you get something you’ve always wanted but don’t feel deserving of it and it is something we experience everyday until we settle within our minds about who and what we are. Like a great philosopher in the name of Shrek once said: Ogres are like onions, they have layers; Humans are like onions too we have too many layers to be one thing. And That’s exactly why it is easy for us to connect with Shrek.  

[quarterfromcanon]

1-4. For the asks

Thank you so much for sending these! <3 

Once I started to answer them, I realized there were comparatively few recent television shows appearing on the list. I seemed to keep gravitating toward older ones I remembered from years ago. I took a handful of days to mull it over in case I was forgetting something, but nothing else comes to mind. Maybe my ongoing list of Shows to Watch During Quarantine will turn up some fresh results but, for now, it looks like I’ll be taking a little trip down memory lane. :) 

This turned out to be a pretty long and rambly post, so I’ll stow it under the cut!

Top 5 TV Shows 

1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - I can’t imagine this surprises anyone who has been following this blog for the past two years or so. It brought fellow fans into my life, got me back into writing fic, and prompted countless tags of meta. It’s the show my mind drifts to on a weekly basis (if not daily) even a full year after the finale. Just when it seemed I’d reached an age where that level of intense fandom involvement and character attachment might be fading, it proved that quite the opposite was true. I’m very thankful to the series for that, and for the people whose paths have crossed mine as a result.   

2. Schitt’s Creek - This is my #1 Feel Good show and, though I’ve been dodging spoilers for the final season until it gets uploaded to Netflix, I get the impression that it will remain in that top spot. The world feels softer and more hopeful there. It’s healing for my soul. I’m going to have a dreadfully difficult time saying goodbye, but I’m glad there are six season to revisit whenever I want. 

3. Stranger Things - The theme song alone sends such a rush of excitement through me. I love the aesthetic and the atmosphere. I sometimes have mixed feelings about the romances but the FRIENDSHIPS sure do have a direct line to my heartstrings. I think the way they’ve combined media influences into their own story is really neat. You get something that’s new and engaging, but you can also go back and enjoy the sources of inspiration with fresh appreciation. 

4. Joan of Arcadia - I can’t help it. The snark, the jackets, the early 2000s songs, the performances -- the nostalgia for this show is so strong. It’s not without its problems, but it did have some really good things to offer as well. I remember an episode that was one of my earliest introductions to the concept of a trigger, and the effect it could have on a person if exposed to one of theirs. The series dealt a lot with grief and the many forms it can take (I STILL can’t hear Fiona Apple’s cover of “Across the Universe” without getting misty-eyed). I’m also surprised, looking back, at the somewhat positive way I recall them discussing homosexuality on the several occasions that it came up in the show. Not to give too much credit since I don’t think there were recurring canonically LGBTQIA+ characters but, for a kid who spent most days around closed-minded people of a certain religious leaning, it was meaningful along my individual journey. I’d like to provide the several examples that are most vivid in my memory:

A. A girl with short hair, short nails, little to no makeup, and a bulky leather jacket is generally assumed to be a lesbian by the bullies at school. The show directly confronts the fact that “gay” should not be used an insult, that identity should not be assumed without the person telling you so, AND makes sure that the character in question never pushes back by saying harmful things about lesbians despite not actually being one herself. 

B. A boy who is questioning is able to confide in his big brother and have a fairly calm conversation about it; the awkwardness mostly comes from neither of them being accustomed to openly discussing emotions, not from the possibility of a negative response regarding the subject matter. 

C. Another character is accidentally discovered to be gay (he only appears in the one episode, if my memory serves), and some of the leads have the opportunity to share that for personal gain. However, even though he is a popular jock who is a bit of a jerk in the hallways, the show makes it clear that the right choice is still to leave the telling of that information up to him and him alone. 

Like I mentioned, it can’t be said that representation was in abundance here - for instance, I don’t believe anything other than straight or gay was presented as a possibility - but any accepting acknowledgement in a faith-centric series was something for me to hold on to in my still-deeply-closeted days. As a final Very Important personal side note, this show brought Judith Montgomery into my life (pictured below on the left), and that feels like it merits a shoutout for being what I consider a rather significant marker in my awakening. 

THE OVERWHELMING CRUSH I HAD - and still have - is one for the books. 

5. Pushing Daisies - This is another show with an aesthetic I adore. The series has such a fun, whimsical energy. The crime-solving! The clothes! The cast! There's a lot to love. It’s the kind of world I wish I could visit... well, minus the evidently rampant murder rate. 

Top 5 Overrated TV Shows

1. Once Upon A Time - *deep sigh* I tried to stick with it for so long. I think I’ve seen five out of the seven seasons in their entirety. It just felt like everything got mired down by excessive (and increasingly convoluted) subplots, often for the purpose of tossing in as many fairytale and/or Disney characters as possible. Plus, quite honestly, there was too much emphasis on romantic love. For a show whose first season involved a curse being broken by [potential spoiler, I suppose] a mother kissing her son’s forehead, I ultimately found myself up to my ears in romantic ships. It reached such a stifling extent that, if you were not particularly attached to those pairings, there wasn’t a whole lot else to entice further viewing. 

2. Under the Dome - I don’t know for certain what the general public opinion of this series was, but it felt like the commercials always featured alleged rave reviews, so I figured I could include it here. I was vaguely interested in Season 1, mainly as a fan of Rachelle Lefevre’s work. Season 2 pulled me in with the introduction of a new townsperson and I threw WAY too much of my heart into that attachment, which backfired when that character was killed. I made quite the spectacle of my heartbreak, so much so that my family doesn’t let me mention this show around them anymore. :P Season 3 was, to phrase it delicately, not a great time. The series did introduce me to a few new-to-me actors, though, so that was cool. 

3. Bates Motel - Even the incentive of learning that the two characters I liked most share a lot of screen time later in the series hasn’t been enough to call me back to this one. I don’t know if it was the pacing that put me off or what, but the prospect of finishing the remaining seasons feels so daunting. There are evidently five seasons in total and I believe I’ve only seen two of them thus far. I will probably muddle through it someday just to see how it goes, but the fact that I am so disinclined to prioritize it made this feel like a fair addition to the list. 

4. Lost - My interest in this series unfortunately waned right before fervent fandom spiked. I don’t have any specific complaints that come to mind about what I saw; I just sort of drifted and then stayed away. Teachers I liked and peers I spent time with were starting to latch on to the show and I couldn’t find even the slightest inclination to give it a second try. However, did I still dutifully read all the latest installments in my friend’s Sawyer Ford and Kate Austen fanfiction when she passed me handwritten copies at lunch? Sure. I was glad it made her happy, even if I was no longer a viewer. 

5. Hemlock Grove - I say this as someone who still mourns the fates of some characters in this show, so I wouldn’t go so far as to claim that the series stopped being able to make me feel anything. I’m just of the opinion that, in some ways, it might’ve been better off stopping at one season. That’s where the book it was based on ends, and things just didn’t feel as cohesive after that. Season 3 especially was - borrowing from my above review of Under the Dome - not a great time. That being said, there are also certain elements from the book that I could’ve done without in the Season 1 adaptation but... well... here we are. 

Top 5 Underrated TV Shows

1. Picnic at Hanging Rock - Another one that won’t surprise followers of this blog. I have rhapsodized about it quite frequently since I found it a little over a month ago. It’s a period piece mystery miniseries with LGBTQIA+ representation, gorgeous costumes, and Samara Weaving. This felt specifically designed to wedge its way into my heart, and I’m quite content with the space it now occupies.

2. Dark - I’m so intrigued by the overlapping timelines with all of the morally gray characters. It’s possible to like one of these people in the timeline where they’re young but dislike them as adults, or vice versa. It also makes me think of Rant by Chuck Palahniuk a little tiny bit with the idea that time travel, specifically tampering with your own timeline, might make you physically and behaviorally unrecognizable to yourself. And the SONG CHOICES! I have gotten some solid new music selections from this series. 

3. Sense8 - I still need to watch the finale. I really do. But I knew it would make me sad so I’ve avoided it for... two years now? Pretty close, I think. The concept is fascinating and the cast is so strong. Plus the cinematography! They came up with some of the coolest ways to depict the link these characters share and what it’s like when they connect over distance. The planning and careful editing it all must’ve taken... I remain in awe. 

4. Penny Dreadful - There were definitely some story/writing choices I didn’t particularly like along the way, but I did get engrossed in the creepy goodness and the performances -- Eva Green’s Vanessa Ives most of all. It left me wishing for more period piece “monster mash” stories, because having all those classic characters in one place was a blast. It also helped me understand why Helen McCrory was once slated to play Bellatrix Lestrange because she can be terrifying. Oh and Sarah Greene in her Wild West outfits? Perdita Weeks with short red hair in fencing garb, and later in all leather with boots and a long jacket? I WAS NOT PREPARED AND I HAVE STILL NOT RECOVERED. I NEVER WILL.

5. Wonderfalls - There’s some cringe-inducing handling of certain representation in the series, but I have such a weak spot for quippy outcasts who become reluctant chosen ones (Joan Girardi in Joan of Arcadia, Wynonna Earp, Jaye Tyler in this series, et cetera). I also really love the sibling dynamics here. They bicker, tease one another, help each other out of trouble, and have rare but genuine heart-to-hearts. Caroline, Lee, and Katie all did such a great job blending their characters’ adult personalities with certain childhood attributes that rise to the surface in the presence of family.  

Top 5 Movies

1. Addams Family Values - I’ve rewatched this movie at least once annually since I found it in Media Play at age 13. Usually, I’ll play it around Halloween or, at the latest, Thanksgiving. It’s mouth-along-with-every-line level ingrained in my memory. I find myself leaning forward in my seat before favorite parts because I’m still that excited to relive them. Why this movie, and why this devotion to such a degree? It’s hard to explain, even to myself. I can tell you, however, that I hold up every other portrayal of the Addams characters to the versions found in this. Everybody in the cast just feels that perfect for their part. 

2. Clue - I was already pretty fond of this movie to begin with, but then my sister got older and claimed it as a favorite of her own, so now she just supplies me with further excuses to watch it repeatedly. It’s also been a bonding piece of media with a couple of close friends and such through the years. It’s incredible to think not everyone in it was the first choice for their roles; what everybody brings to the table is so top-notch that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I also LOVE knowing that it originally went to theaters with different endings depending on which showing you attended. I gather people weren’t terribly thrilled with the stunt back then, but I kinda think some moviegoers would be into that approach these days? Then again, one hit that tried something different tends to start a fad, so maybe I’d end up regretting the suggestion after a while. :P

3. The Craft - This. Movie. Yes, Act III is a major bummer even though I know it’s coming, and I’ll always wish it ended differently. Even so. This. Movie. I tend to headcanon mostly for shows and sometimes books, but The Craft is a beloved exception. I love so much about it: the magic, the music, the clothes, the settings, the dynamics within the friend group, the performances. I had no idea when I first got the DVD at 17 that it would become such a part of my life, but I’m so glad it found its way to me. 

4. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion - The soundtrack is a glorious ’80s and ’90s treat for my ears. The colorful costumes are perfectly suited to the main characters’ version of the world. There are so many great lines and it feels like everyone is having a lot of fun in their roles. I LOVE HEATHER MOONEY SO MUCH. She’s my awful, scathingly sarcastic, little grungy grump and she fills my heart with joy. 

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - I was pretty sure at least one of the three had to appear on here. I think, if I were to tally them all up, The Return of the King features most of my favorite moments, so it wins the spot. “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!”, ‘Edge of Night,’ Éowyn in battle, The Army of the Dead, ‘Into the West’... I end up crying during the end credits every time. So, yeah, ultimately, I would choose the third part of the trilogy if I could only watch one. 

Phew, that’s it! All the questions answered, all the shows and movies listed! Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read it all, and thanks again to @monaiargancoconutsoy for sending in the prompts! <3

[davidmann95]

So, what's the deal with Kingdom Hearts? I mean, it's a Disney/Final Fantasy crossover, right? Hard to see why would that cause such dedicated whatever.

I’ve had this in my drafts for a while, and given today’s the series’ 17th anniversary it seems like the time to finally get back and finish it. Simple answer: the music slaps and you just want the soft children to get to go home.

Long answer: Even now people joke about the baseline absurdity of a universe in which Donald Duck can go toe-to-toe with Cloud, and while I think 17 years in we’re past the point where it’s time to accept that this is just a part of the landscape for these characters, yes, that does remain objectively bonkers. It’s not a natural, intuitive combination like your JLA/Avengers, this is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe-level “well, I suppose they both exist in…the, uh, medium of visual storytelling” stuff, other than I suppose that they both tend towards fantasy in this case. And then that whole wacko premise got hijacked by Tetsuya Nomura for an extended epoch-spanning drama driven by labyrinthine, (occasionally literal) dream logic mythology where it’s genuinely impossible to tell at this point what’s being thrown in by the seat of the creators’ pants and what was planned out since day one, pretty much casting aside the franchises that were in theory the main appeal as relevant parts of the plot even as you still hang out with Baymax from Big Hero 6. Step back even a touch, and there will always be a whiff of derangement about the entire affair - it’s simply baked in at this point.

My controversial opinion however: it’s actually good. There are structural issues and awkward moments and aspects ill-served, I’d never deny that, but even diehard lifelong Kingdom Hearts fans tend towards prefacing appreciation with at least two or three levels of irony and self-critique. I suppose it’s in part a response to the general reaction to it I mentioned before, but no, I absolutely think these are genuinely good, ambitious stories build on a foundation that’s still holding strong. An important note in service of that point: Winnie the Pooh, maybe Hercules, and with III Toy Story aside, I have basically zero childhood nostalgia for any of the properties involved. Wasn’t a huge Disney kid outside maybe very very early childhood, and only dabbled with Final Fantasy after the fact (still intend to play through XV someday though). It won me over young, yes, but on its own.

The building blocks help: the characters designs are great, the individual Disney settings in their platonic representations of various locales and landscapes make perfect towns packed with quirky locals to roam through on your quest, the Final Fantasy elements are tried and tested for this sort of thing, the original worlds each have their own unique aesthetics and touchstones and come out lovely, by my estimation the gameplay’s fun adventure/slasher stuff even if it’s had ups and downs over the years, the actors largely bring it, it all looks pretty, and as noted, the score is as good as it gets. They’re games that look, sound, and play good made up of component parts that unify into a sensible whole. And for me, the scope and convolution of the plot that so many leap at as the easy target - with its memory manipulations and replicas and time travel and ancient prophecies and possessions and hearts grown from scratch and universes that live in computers and storybooks and dreams - is half the appeal; I live for that kind of nonsense. Not that folks aren’t justified as hell in taking jabs at it, but I’ll admit I often quietly raise an eyebrow when I see the kind of people I tend to follow having an unironic laugh at it given *gestures toward the last 40 years of superhero comics*.

All that through is ultimately window dressing. The most powerful appeal of Kingdom Hearts is I suppose hidden if you’re going by commercials and isolated GIFs and whatnot, and even the bulk of the content of the average Disney world, charming as they are. It’s deceptively easy to pick out something else as the fundamental appeal too; even if I’d call them incredibly well-executed examples of such the character archetypes it deals in are relatively broad, and while it handles the necessary shifts in its tone from fanciful Disney shenanigans to apocalyptic cosmic showdowns for the heart of all that is with incredible skill - and that might be its most unique aspect, and certainly a critical one - a lot of that comes down to raw technical ability on the part of the writers, appropriate dramatic buildup, and demarcation between environments and acts of the story.

The real heart of the matter, to speak to my typical audience, is that Kingdom Hearts in a profound way resembles 1960s Superman comics and stories inspired by the same: it’s 90% dopey lovely cornball folk tale stuff, until every now and again it spins around and sucker punches you in the goddamn soul with Extremely Real Human Shit. Except here instead of being lone panels and subtext, it builds and builds throughout each given adventure until it takes over and flips for the finale from fairytale to fantasy epic.

That can probably be credited directly to Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi suggesting to Tetsuya Nomura to try treating this weird gig seriously instead of as the licensed cash-in it seemed destined to be, since if this didn’t have a soul the target audience would recognize it. But in spite of that seriousness, it’s perhaps its most joyfully mocked aspect in its entirely unselfconscious dedication to making Hearts and Feelings and Light and/or Darkness the most important things in the universe that lets it do what it does. It’s childish in the most primal way, absolutely, but what that translates to is that there aren’t cosmic or personal stakes that swap places as major or subsidiary at any given point, because in this world they’re always literally the same thing. There’s no major relationship where the fate of a primal power or a last chance at salvation doesn’t ultimately hang in the balance depending on how it shakes out, and there’s no prophecy or ultimate weapon or grand scheme that doesn’t have direct, fundamental ramifications on the life of an innocent or the memories that define them or whether they’ll ever be able to find a place to call home. ‘Hearts’ is an all-encompassing theme, whether in strength of will or redemption or questions of personhood or the ties that bind us, and by making it a literal source of power, it lends personal dimension to the unfathomable universal and the grand weight of destiny to whether or not someone can come to terms with who they want to be or apologize to those they’ve wronged. It’s a world where emotional openness and personal growth ultimately works the same way and achieves the same results as doing calisthenics in five hundred times Earth’s gravity does in Dragon Ball. and it’s tender and exuberant and thoughtful enough where it counts to take advantage of that as a storytelling engine.

That’d be why Sora works so well as the main character, because he straddles the line most directly between those poles. He may stand out as a spiky anime boy when actually next to Aladdin and the rest, but when it comes down to it he’s a Disney character, just a really nice, cheeky, dopey kid who wants to hang out with his friends and go on an adventure and believes in people really really hard. As the stranger in a strange land he’s a tether to a wider, sometimes more somber and weighty world when he’s sticking his head into the movie plots, but when he’s in the midst of stacked-up conspiracies and mythic wars that make all seem lost, he’s the one whose concerns remain purely, firmly rooted in the lives of those connected to him. Other characters get to go out there into bleak questions of self-identity or forgiveness, but while he might wrestle with doubt and fear Sora’s the guy who holds the ship steady and reminds all these classic heroes and flawed-yet-resolute champions and doomed Chosen Ones what they’re fighting for by just being a really good dude.

Given superhero comics are my bread and butter it doesn’t come up much, but Kingdom Hearts is really about as foundational to the landscape of my imagination as Superman and company, and while 100% that’s in part because it came into my life early it didn’t take hold by chance. It manages its stakes and its drama in a way and on a scale unlike just about anything else I’ve ever seen (even prior to getting to the weird mythology stuff that’s so profoundly up my alley), and somehow the aesthetics and gameplay and dialogue and all the million and one details that needed to come together to facilitate that story joined together into something that’s become one of the most curious, beloved touchstones of its medium. It’s a small, lovely bastion of warmth and sincerity in a way that only feels more like a breath of fresh air with time, playing out over decades a bunch of kids’ journeys to try and find the people they love most and help them and go home together when everything in the universe seems to be against them. It’s special in ways that will for me always be unique and meaningful, and I’m glad it seems to have plenty more in it before it’s through.

And seriously THAT MUSIC.

[alternativeartifactspodcast-blog]

1 - Ruby Slippers

This week’s episode explores the unique story behind one of America’s most iconic and beloved objects: Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers.

LISTEN NOW

Resources Used (in order of reference)

Smithsonian History

“The Slippers” Documentary

Smithsonian Magazine

Henry Littlefield’s Piece on Allegory

American History Blog on Recovered Slippers

American History Blog on Conservation

Kickstarter Campaign

Learn More about the Ruby Slippers

Antique Roadshow Podcast

The Populist Movement in America

The Ruby Slippers of Oz

To access the transcript, click read more.

Greetings and welcome to Alternative Artifacts, a museum in your ear, the podcast that explores the strange stories behind the most unique objects in museum’s collections. Ever wonder how a gigantic Naked George Washington ended up in the National Museum of American History? Or why there is an entire museum dedicated to art made from human hair? Now you can listen to the stories of America’s most iconic objects from your favorite exhibit or from the comfort of your own home. My name is Lexi and I will be your tour guide. 

[Transition Music]

Our first season will focus on objects in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Founded in 1846 with funds donated by British citizen James Smithson, the Smithsonian Institution is the largest museum complex and research centers in the world, and serves as an umbrella organization managing 19 museums and a zoo. Access to all Smithsonian Institution museums is completely free to the public. Beyond these publicly accessible venues, the Smithsonian also manages dozens of research centers throughout the United States and internationally, leading scientific research and disseminating knowledge. Some of the object’s stories we explore will expose the complicated, colonial history of the Institution, some will reveal how museum methods effect objects, and others will provide a glimpse into the lives of objects beyond the confines of the museum. Today’s object falls in the last category. 

Picture this. You enter the American History museum from the bustling DC street Constitution Avenue, you will need to head upstairs to see our first artifact. This object is so famous it has its own special gift shop, instigated an investigation led by the FBI, and inspired a documentary. It is regarded as an object of cultural significance, despite being linked to no significant religious or political event. In the newest renovation of its exhibit, this object now sits on a pedestal in its own room, surrounded by walls decorated with murals that harken to the object’s origin. Poppy flowers, emerald green, a sweet little dog, a girl in a blue dress…I am talking about the Ruby Slippers. An American icon visited as often as the Star Spangled Banner and regarded by generations of movie lovers as a symbol of the American film industry. But how did these slippers become icons of American history? How did they end up property of the federal government? Why is the FBI involved in the science of their preservation? And what is the weird history behind them so few of their visitors actually know about? Today on Alternative Artifacts we investigate the Ruby Slippers. 

[Transition Music] 

In L. Frank Baum’s original book “The Wizard of Oz” the slippers that took Dorothy home were silver. Spoiler alert, if you can even spoil something that’s 119 years old. Some historical scholars argue the fact that the slippers were made of silver was meant to serve as a symbol from American politics. In the 1960s a scholar named Henry Littlefield claimed that Baum’s fairytale of a magical land called Oz was actually a satire. Littlefield argues that Baum’s experience on the prairie, which overlapped with the establishment of the Populist movement, or people’s party, in the region, was fodder for the allegory present in The Wizard of Oz. But this detailing this allegory could make an episode all its own, so for today’s episode we will only be focusing on the ruby colored slippers from the MGM film and how they came to be. 

So how did the slippers we know and love today end up ruby instead of silver? During the early stages of production for the film “The Wizard of Oz,” MGM studios had a script that mentioned the shoes being silver. However, they decided to change the color to red during a round of script edits. There were several reasons for this change, but the most significant was actually quite simple and direct. If you recall the film, the scenes in Kansas are depicted in dull, black & white. The scenes in Oz are bright and colorful. Think of the yellow brick road and the emerald city. This was a very deliberate choice made by the film studio. While the Wizard of Oz, released on August 25, 1939, was not the first major motion picture to use Technicolor technology, the use of this tech was still very new and many audiences had little exposure to color footage. Making the slippers a vibrant color made them “pop” on screen, drawing viewers attention. 

During the production of the film several pairs of the slippers were created, using commercially produced high heels which prop designers dyed red and added sequins to. There are four known surviving pairs of these original prop shoes. Today we will focus on two. First, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is home to one pair, donated in 1979.

Another museum which possessed a pair of the shoes was the Judy Garland Museum. In 2005, their pair of Ruby Slippers went missing. They disappeared almost without a trace, with the thief leaving behind only a single red sequin. More on this later.

In 2016, the Smithsonian launched a kickstarter campaign to preserve their pair of the Ruby Slippers. Prior to this conservation, the slippers could only remain on display for short periods of time yet remained an iconic object, one visitors inquired about daily. This most recent conservation effort addressed many issues facing the aging footwear. It also included in-depth research into the properties of the materials the shoes were constructed from to better conserve them and similar objects in the future. Then, the team working to restore the slippers received an odd call from an unexpected party inquiring about their research. 

[Transition Music - Suspenseful]

In a plot twist straight out of Hollywood, the Ruby Slipper conservators were about to become forensic scientists. The call was from the Federal Bureau of investigation, who had in their possession a pair of Ruby Slippers recovered in a sting operation. Suddenly, the conservation had become an investigation. The FBI asked the conservators to take a look at the slippers they had confiscated and compare them to the pair from the Smithsonian’s collection. The FBI wanted to know if it was possible for their pair of shoes to be an authentic pair of Ruby Slippers, and perhaps the ones stolen 11 years prior from the Judy Garland Museum. Dawn Wallace, the conservator leading the project, compared the moment she learned that she may be helping identify the pair of stolen slippers to the Indiana Jones films. After all, it is not often a museum professional gets the chance to fight crime. 

Upon examining the FBI’s pair of slippers, Wallace knew that they were in fact an authentic pair of Dorothy’s iconic shoes. This pair of shoes was in fact so similar to the Smithsonian’s pair, it lead to another question. Why were they so similar? What Wallace noticed while trying to answer this question an even more astonishing discovery. When comparing the slippers side by side, it became clear that they were in fact mismatched pairs. The next question the team wanted to address was obvious: did the swap occur before or after filming? The evidence suggests the pairs were in fact swapped when they were made, and filmed as mismatched pairs, just as they are presented and preserved today. This conclusion is drawn from the fact that the construction patterns are similar between the matching shoes, but the wear patterns are similar between the mismatched shoes, suggesting Judy Garland wore and used them mismatched. In other words, the prop team working on the Wizard of Oz made the two pairs of shoes separately, but at some point swapped one shoe of each pair, leading to mismatched pairs being used on the set of the film.

The Ruby Slippers have developed a life beyond MGM’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” and outlived many other homages to the iconic film, including its depiction in Disney’s Great Movie Ride. They serve not only as an attraction for tourists, but as a monument to two major moments in American History: the introduction of technicolor technology to the American people and the immortalization of a wholly American fairytale. Today the Smithsonian’s pair of Ruby Slippers keep the magic alive. They can be viewed daily in their humidity and temperature controlled display case at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History at 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washingtion DC. 

[Transition Music]

Now here’s the museum tip of the week. Did you know the Smithsonian fossil hall recently reopened after being closed for 5 years? The newly renovated exhibit features 700 fossils and tells the story of 3.7 billion years of earth’s history. The only downside is that the Natural History Museum which houses the collection is also one of the most trafficked museums on the mall. The best time to go to avoid crowds according to a local? Wait until the weather cools down. By the end of October most of the Smithsonians will clear up, but the best time to go for an almost empty museum experience is always the month of January. Happy museum travels.

Want to learn more? Show notes including sources, further reading, links to cool stuff and podcast transcripts for each episode are available through our tumblr, alternativeartifactspodcast.tumblr.com. Alternative Artifacts is hosted through Anchor.fm, a free hosting service for podcasts of all kinds. You can subscribe to us on Anchor.fm directly or through Spotify Podcasts.  Interested in sponsoring an episode? Have an awesome idea for an episode? Want to be a guest star? Email us at alternativeartifactspodcast@gmail.com. Theme music was created by NordGroove and downloaded via Fugue. The sound effects were provided by zapsplat.com. Remember, there is no place like home and never stop exploring. 

[Outro Music]

[greenglasslov3]

Auld Fashioned - Chapter 1: Ain’t No Mountain

Author’s Notes:

This fic was inspired by a prompt from @theministerskat​ for a prompt exchanged hosted by @thelallybrochlibrary​: Imagine modern life on Fraser’s Ridge.  Well... over six months later, this fic has grown into a modern re-imagining of Roger & Bree’s engagement, wedding planning process, and eventual marriage.

The soundtrack for this chapter is (of course) Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

This is un-beta-ed word vomit - so please be gentle.

Chapter 1: Ain’t No Mountain

Stumbling over the jagged rocks in the path, Roger crested yet another incline.  Sweat covered his brow and trickled down his cheek, stinging uncomfortably as it occasionally dripped into his eyes.  As they climbed impossibly higher, his lungs burned from the added exertion of trying to breathe in the ever thinning atmosphere.  His muscles slowly fatiguing, his legs felt heavy as if his shoes were filled with lead.  He couldn’t fathom how he could take another step, and yet he did.  Step after step, mile after endless mile, Roger kept climbing, his goal clear in his mind’s eye pushing him to reach the top of this mountain.  He could do it - would do it.  He had to reach the top… for Bree… for their family...

If he didn’t die first…

It was all Faith’s idea.  She had accompanied Roger on his final trip to the jewelers to inspect the ring he’d soon give Brianna.  She’d babbled over the bauble for a good twenty minutes, examining the cut and the quality of the stone, testing the fit by trying it on her own ring finger.  Roger endured twenty minutes of endless chatter from the dear girl who would someday be his sister-in-law before she grew suddenly quiet.  Faith paused as she returned the ring to it’s velvet box.

“So,” she began, rocking to and fro on her heels, “how do ye plan to ask Da?”

Roger nearly fainted in the middle of the shop.  He’d been so focused on picking a ring and planning the proposal he hardly had time to think of anything else.  Certainly, Dr. Fraser was a modern woman.  If he’d formally asked her permission for her daughter’s hand, she’d waive him off, ever the cool and collected Brit.  

“Roger, darling,” he imagined her explaining to him in her office on a sunny afternoon over a proper cuppa.  “Brianna is a grown woman - and a mother no less! She is clearly old enough to make her own decisions without her dear, old mum throwing in her two cents. Ask her yourself!”

Dr. Claire Fraser was not his concern.  Brianna’s father, however, was a different matter entirely.  Roger simply could not propose without his permission, and yet the thought of asking Mr. Fraser for his blessing made his stomach uncomfortably roll as if he’d just ridden the dizzying teacups at Disney World.

James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser was possibly the most intimidating man to walk the earth.  One harrowing look with his piercing blue eyes could send Attila the Hun crying for his mother.  Fraser stood well over six feet tall, solidly built with large hands that could probably challenge a bear if he wished it.  The son of Scottish Catholic immigrants, Fraser was an outdoors-men at heart, preferring the sound of rushing rivers over blaring rush hour traffic, but he loved his wife Claire even more than the rugged wilderness of the Smoky Mountains.  Since her life’s work as a surgeon required her to live in some sort of metropolitan area - like Charlotte where they settled - he adapted and compromised.  He combined his love of nature and his head for numbers to establish the most lucrative specialty outdoor retail franchise in the Southeastern United States.  

Physically imposing, fiercely traditional, incredibly sharp, and insanely successful - yes, Roger found James Fraser to be particularly intimidating, especially when it came to his daughters. He desperately wanted - no needed - Mr. Fraser’s permission… which is how he found himself scaling a bloody mountain with the Scottish Grizzly Adams on this particularly warm spring afternoon.

“Do something with him!” Faith had suggested urgently.  

They reviewed all of the options.  At first, Faith had suggested either shooting or fishing - at both of which Roger was entirely inept.  He held a strong objection to guns, and Mr. Fraser swore the deep, melodic timber of his voice lulled every fish in the Atlantic to sleep.  It was then Roger suggested a whisky tasting at the distillery their cousins - the Murrays - had just opened.  Before he could finish his thought, Faith had her arms across her chest and was shaking her head as she bit back giggles of the memories of Roger and her father last New Year’s Eve entirely pissed and loudly singing the auld songs entirely off key in the middle of The Green.  

No, simply none of these activities would do… but hiking might.

Two men at one with the wilderness, scaling a mountain side by side, celebrating with a wee dram as they reached the top - his plans played out in his mind’s eye, ruggedly romantic and ideal like one of those Barbour advertisements he’d seen when watching that far-fetched Scottish time-traveling show Brianna loved so much.  As silly and idyllic as the commercials appeared, Roger could not argue with the sentiment.  They offered the perfect plan on how to win over his (hopefully) soon to be father-in-law - enjoying the outdoors in not matching but coordinating plaid, hiking up a mountain, toasting their victory once they’d reached the top with a wee dram… and Jamie Fraser’s blessing on Roger and Brianna’s impending engagement.

This plan had to work… or so he thought about a mile back before his left calf muscle cramped for the millionth time.  This proposal was long overdue - longer if you asked the gossiping old ladies at church, but if you asked Roger himself, he’d wanted to propose marriage to Brianna the first moment he ever saw her.  After almost two years of irregularities, stress, and unnecessary judgement, they - Brianna, wee Jem, and himself - needed some normalcy in their lives.  This was what people did after all - fall in love, get married, start a family… Although their plans had gone a bit out of order, Roger was eager to check that last box on their to-do list.

Fueled by determination and grit, he dug deep as he crested that final hill to reach the top of the mountain.  The thick, dense forest gave way to a clearing that overlooked the valley below.  The sky above them was fairytale perfect blue - bright, clear, and not a cloud in site.  A gentle wind filtered through the trees.  Roger shed his jacket and allowed the breeze to cool his heated skin.  He staggered towards a fallen tree to sit upon and rest his weary legs when he spotted his future father-in-law proudly staring off into the vast horizon, flask in hand and cheeks barely flushed as if he’d just taken a brisk walk around the park.

Was he part Scot and part bloody mountain goat?!

Reaching into the pocket of his cargo shorts, Roger retrieved his own flask before stumbling over to join Jamie.  He never imagined that he’d ask for Mr. Fraser’s permission for his daughter’s hand in marriage at the edge of a cliff, and as he peered over the edge, he quickly understood why.  Though he knew that posing this very question to one Jamie Fraser he would be taking his life in his own hands, he hadn’t realized the threat to his own person would be quite so literal.

The clinking sound of metal tapping metal broke Roger from his thoughts as Jamie offered a salute to their successful climb.  Together, they murmured the traditional Scottish toast before tipping back their flasks to enjoy more than a drop or two of whisky.  Silence fell between the pair as they quietly enjoyed nature’s splendor in each other’s company.

“So…” Jamie started after quite some time as he rocked forward on his toes, “What did ye need to discuss wi’ me, then?”

Roger’s eyes grew wide as his heart began to hammer behind his ribs.  This was not how he had planned to begin the conversation, and he never once expected that Mr. Fraser would be akin to his plan.

“Nothing!” he managed to squeak out around his constricting throat.

“Come on, Mac, it’s written plain on your face that ye have something on yer mind...” The older Scot nudged him with his elbow before taking another generous sip of whisky.

Shaking his head, Roger swore. “‘Tis nothing, Mr. Fraser...”

Jamie snorted and rolled his eyes, “If I told ye once, I’ve told ye a thousand times - ye can call me Jamie, lad.”

With just one long stride, Fraser closed the gap between the pair.  Roger always thought of himself as a tall bloke of decent size, but next to Brianna’s father, he felt like he was no bigger than the wee lads he led in the choir at church.

“So what is it?” Jamie asked again, looming over him and prying a little more, the timber of his voice deepening as his questions grew more serious.  “Ye did no’ get my daughter pregnant again, did ye now?”

“God, no!” Roger exclaimed, jumping backwards about ten feet to escape the grasp of his rather intimidating, hopefully soon-to-be father-in-law, who in turn gave him a suspicious look.

“No?” Jamie questioned with a raised eyebrow.  “Ye dinna wish to grow yer family with my daughter? Was wee Jem a mistake then?”

Roger felt the color rising in his cheeks as he began to panic.  His heart hammered wildly against his rips as his breath came quick and shallow.  Things had taken a horrible turn, and he had no clue how to redirect the course of the conversation.

“Yes!” he shouted, blurting out the first answer that came to mind.  “Wait - no!”

Fraser’s expression changed instantly.  His eyes narrowed to thin slits as he sized Roger up as if he were a 12-point buck he intended to snag.  Brianna’s father took another step towards him, and Roger backed away quickly, stumbling over rocks, twigs, and even his own feet until he felt his heels leave the edge of the cliff.  He felt his balance shift backwards and fear settle into the pit of his stomach.

Suddenly, Roger felt himself jerking forward as Mr. Fraser grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him away from the cliff.  They stumbled forward further into the belly of the clearing.  Both men rested, hunching over with their hands on their knees and panting with the exertion of their efforts.

“For Christ’s sake, will ye tell me why ye brought me up here before you throw yerself off the top of this God forsaken mountain?” The older Scot demanded, his deep voice booming throughout the clearing.

It was now or never.

Roger took several deep breaths before he stood up straight and shouted his truth for all of creation to hear:

“IWishToAskForBrianna’sHandInMarriage!”

Roger’s words echoed over the cliff and throughout the valley below, his love for this girl - this perfect woman - ringing out above the treetops. Brianna’s father straightened to his full height and folded his arms across his chest.  His long fingers drummed against his forearm as the words sank in.  A moment passed, and then another - which felt like an eternity for Roger before Jamie crossed the clearly to him and firmly shook his hand.

“Of course ye can, lad,” Mr. Fraser said with a smirk as he clasped his left hand on poor Roger Mac’s shoulder.  “An’ for the last time - it’s Jamie.”

To be continued...

[princessweddingtiaras-blog]

Princess Wedding Disney

Unique Wedding Venues - The Palm Beaches Florida

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Below comes the bride. Planning to state, "I do" in Hill Nation? Why not stroll down the aisle at one of Cedar Park's premier wedding celebration venues. Whether you are trying to find a quiet family event or a cheery fete, the estates, inns as well as clubs around the city offer picture-perfect backdrops to your big day.

55 Salisbury Road, Worcester, 508-793-4327, worcesterart.orgIndustrial trendy is a wedding celebration fad, and this seaside winery is packed with it. The location was initially the house of the Plymouth Cordage Company, a 19th-century rope manufacturer that generated rigging made use of on the USS Constitution as well as run with the mid-20th century. Now the brick walls, rustic wood floorings, and also beamed ceiling offer a stunning background for wedding events of approximately 200 visitors, with an ordinary expense of the location, food, and also alcohol being available in at $25,000.55 Rope Park Circle, Plymouth, 508-746-3532, 1620winery. comYou might have heard of James Beard Honor semifinalist Will certainly Gilson, the chef-owner of Puritan & Business in Cambridge.

Gilson's family members developed the ranch's home and carriage residence in the late 1800s, as well as the team behind his dining establishment runs all wedding celebrations at the ranch. Host an intimate, 30-person wedding in the carriage residence or a 150-person party in the greenhouse. "There really is no place else that I can think about in the region where you would certainly have the ability to drop in such well manicured and also fabled yards that somebody driving by wouldn't also be able to tell [are] there," Gilson claims.

[joeygoespolitical]

Everything Politically Correct About Beauty and the Beast

Hollywood has been dry of creativity in recent years, so they figure instead of just doing remakes of classic films, they can “modernize” them. From black Annie to the all-female Ghostbusters, it was only a matter of time until Disney got in on the PC action. 

Here is everything that is politically correct about the new live-action Beauty and the Beast.

(Warning: Politically-Correct Spoilers)

1. The “poor provincial town” is very diverse. 

Despite the film taking place in 1700s France, the cross-section of the people there could have been borrowed from contemporary New York City. And yes, slavery was a thing in 1700s France. Sure, this is a fairytale, but this film namedrops real-life things like Shakespeare, so there is an element of realism in this universe. While it’s nice to be inclusive, seeing people of color singing and dancing in a time period when they were slaves eliminates believably. Either fully commit to it like Hamilton or don’t. And the town earns extra PC points for having a black guy run the bookshop. 

2. Belle is a feminist. 

What made Belle so brilliant in the original animated film was that she was intelligent, independent, and kind. Even when she turned down Gaston, she was still charming. In the new film, Belle (played by Emma Watson) was actually pretty mean to Gaston! She definitely had a “I’m a woman, hear me roar” attitude that sorta tainted Belle’s gentle nature. And to drive the feminism message even further, they added a scene of her teaching a little girl how to read and showing a couple of townspeople scowling at her for it. 

3. LeFou is gay. 

The new Beauty and the Beast film got lots of free press when it was announced that they made LeFou, Gaston’s sidekick, gay (a first for any Disney film). Upon seeing the film, the controversy was waaaaaay overblown. In a nutshell, he’s flamboyant, drops a couple of verbal hints, and shares a brief romantic embrace with Gaston (which was solely meant for comedic effect). Honestly, unless you’re a bible thumper, this isn’t a big deal. That said, while the filmmakers can be seen as brave for making LeFou gay, they’re definitely cowardly for making him a good guy in the end. According to Political Correctness 101, you can’t make a gay guy a villain. Throughout the film, LeFou expresses sympathy for others and after being left for dead by Gaston in the third act, he decides to help the inanimate objects fight the mob that crashed the castle. So in short, making LeFou gay? Whatever. Making him good? Weak. 

4. Interracial relationships are totally common. 

Remember how controversial it was when a Cheerios commercial featured an interracial family? Well Disney wanted to top it by having not one but two interracial relationships in the Beauty and the Beast remake. One relationship was between Lumière (Ewan McGregor) and Plumette (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), aka the feather duster, and the other was Madame Garderobe (Audra McDonald), aka the wardrobe, and a brand new character Maestro Cadenza (Stanley Tucci), aka a grand piano. Granted, at least 90% of their screen time is in CGI-mode, but that 10% of the time that they aren’t, they flaunt it. 

5. Women can be angry villagers too!

In the original film, Gaston led a mob full of angry men from the village to “kill the beast” and you see a woman and her child waving to the men from the window as they go marching into battle. Obviously, it’s sexist to force women to stay at home to protect the children. So in the new film, women get to fight too! 

6. Gaston shows us that guns are EVIL. 

In the climax of the animated film, Gaston’s weapons of choice were a bow and arrow and a knife on The Beast. So naturally in the 2017 remake, he uses a scary gun instead. The subliminal messaging ain’t so subliminal Disney!

In Conclusion

Look, the new Beauty and the Beast is still entertaining and fun for the whole family.  Is there a chance that I’m simply overanalyzing this movie? Perhaps. But there’s something that I want to make very clear. It’s okay to have a diverse village. It’s okay to have interracial relationships. It’s okay to make someone gay. Just because I point these things out, it doesn’t mean they’re bad. However, what’s bad is Hollywood’s lack of creativity. They think by changing the race or sexual orientation of famous characters of the past is “fresh and original.” If being fresh and original is their ultimate goal, maybe they shouldn’t remake a tale as old as time. 

[joeygoeshollywood]

Everything Politically Correct About Beauty and the Beast

Hollywood has been dry of creativity in recent years, so they figure instead of just doing remakes of classic films, they can “modernize” them. From black Annie to the all-female Ghostbusters, it was only a matter of time until Disney got in on the PC action.

Here is everything that is politically correct about the new live-action Beauty and the Beast.

(Warning: Politically-Correct Spoilers)

1. The “poor provincial town” is very diverse.

Despite the film taking place in 1700s France, the cross-section of the people there could have been borrowed from contemporary New York City. And yes, slavery was a thing in 1700s France. Sure, this is a fairytale, but this film namedrops real-life things like Shakespeare, so there is an element of realism in this universe. While it’s nice to be inclusive, seeing people of color singing and dancing in a time period when they were slaves eliminates believably. Either fully commit to it like Hamilton or don’t. And the town earns extra PC points for having a black guy run the bookshop.

2. Belle is a feminist.

What made Belle so brilliant in the original animated film was that she was intelligent, independent, and kind. Even when she turned down Gaston, she was still charming. In the new film, Belle (played by Emma Watson) was actually pretty mean to Gaston! She definitely had a “I’m a woman, hear me roar” attitude that sorta tainted Belle’s gentle nature. And to drive the feminism message even further, they added a scene of her teaching a little girl how to read and showing a couple of townspeople scowling at her for it.

3. LeFou is gay.

The new Beauty and the Beast film got lots of free press when it was announced that they made LeFou, Gaston’s sidekick, gay (a first for any Disney film). Upon seeing the film, the controversy was waaaaaay overblown. In a nutshell, he’s flamboyant, drops a couple of verbal hints, and shares a brief romantic embrace with Gaston (which was solely meant for comedic effect). Honestly, unless you’re a bible thumper, this isn’t a big deal. That said, while the filmmakers can be seen as brave for making LeFou gay, they’re definitely cowardly for making him a good guy in the end. According to Political Correctness 101, you can’t make a gay guy a villain. Throughout the film, LeFou expresses sympathy for others and after being left for dead by Gaston in the third act, he decides to help the inanimate objects fight the mob that crashed the castle. So in short, making LeFou gay? Whatever. Making him good? Weak.

4. Interracial relationships are totally common.

Remember how controversial it was when a Cheerios commercial featured an interracial family? Well Disney wanted to top it by having not one but two interracial relationships in the Beauty and the Beast remake. One relationship was between Lumière (Ewan McGregor) and Plumette (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), aka the feather duster, and the other was Madame Garderobe (Audra McDonald), aka the wardrobe, and a brand new character Maestro Cadenza (Stanley Tucci), aka a grand piano. Granted, at least 90% of their screen time is in CGI-mode, but that 10% of the time that they aren’t, they flaunt it.

5. Women can be angry villagers too!

In the original film, Gaston led a mob full of angry men from the village to “kill the beast” and you see a woman and her child waving to the men from the window as they go marching into battle. Obviously, it’s sexist to force women to stay at home to protect the children. So in the new film, women get to fight as well!

6. Gaston shows us that guns are EVIL.

In the climax of the animated film, Gaston’s weapons of choice were a bow and arrow and a knife on The Beast. So naturally in the 2017 remake, he uses a scary gun instead. The subliminal messaging ain’t so subliminal Disney!

In Conclusion

Look, the new Beauty and the Beast is still entertaining and fun for the whole family.  Is there a chance that I’m simply overanalyzing this movie? Perhaps. But there’s something that I want to make very clear. It’s okay to have a diverse village. It’s okay to have interracial relationships. It’s okay to make someone gay. Just because I point these things out, it doesn’t mean they’re bad. However, what’s bad is Hollywood’s lack of creativity. They think by changing the race or sexual orientation of famous characters of the past is “fresh and original.” If being fresh and original is their ultimate goal, maybe they shouldn’t remake a tale as old as time.

[targsdaenerys]

let me tell you all a story. a story of my experience with ouat.

2012.

in fourth grade, i was watching american idol. during commercials, i viewed a promo consisting of a dragon and unicorns. now, at the time, unicorns were my ver y favorite, so of course, i was intrigued. i told my mom that i heard about a show with unicrons, but that i didnt know what it was called. she told me how she had heard of it and wanted to check it out. after watching the season one interviews between red and snow, she believed it was too old for me. i agreed. no unicorns. not what i was expecting.

2013.

a year passes. fifth grade was a blur, and all i know is that we went to disney. i had no idea what would change since then.

2014.

my friends are suddenly starting to talk about this kid’s eyebrows. how they are “so hot” and “sexy”. she showed me a picture off of robbie kay’s instagram and i laughed. ha, peter pan? whatever.

but then, it started to reoccur each monday, they would talk about it. i actually started to look forward to monday lunch periods. i begged them to discuss what they thought of the episode. once again, i was intrigued. 

so of course, i wanted to see what the fuss was about. whats this big deal with peter pan? and who the hell’s rumple after only a few clips, i suddenly loved snow and charming. i needed more. i needed to watch.

so i tried. desperately.  i only had an ipad, and was unaware it was on netlfix, so i tried to watch the first episode of the series by typing in “once upon a time season 1 episode one online free to any platform.i actually was able to find it and went in excitedly the next day to tell my friends. that was when i learned it was on netflix and thati could not wait to get home and watch it. so i did. but the thing is, i was only there for snow and charming scenes.  i literally only skipped to their scenes. thats how i watched the show.

but then, as i was scrolling around youtube one day looking forsscenes for them, i came across “Emma and Hook Kiss scene” my frirst thought? it was between “ew”and “serioulsy?”

i watched it anyway.

and to behonest, it was kind of just a “okay, that happened” kind of thing. it wasnt until my friend told me after the season 3 finle that emma and hook kissed again before i got alitle excited. not much more, though.

then months pass, and suddenly, scrolling around netflix, i come across the hunger games. i held a grudge against the series since it became big with the popular group in my school that year. but i was thirsty for romance. and i heard it had some.

and thats how i fell in love with everlark. one night. the next morning i started following pages on instagram. i look up the ship on googlge. and tumblr posts pop up. i make a tumblr.

i start to follow pages on there with everlark, but then i start to see things on both platforms. emma and hook. and then, i slowly started to fall in love. not much. i just watch a couple of their scenes during season three, come across their second kiss. getting really, really excitated for the fourth season.

at the point, i had written about two everlark fanfictions. i wanted to write one about emma and hook, but i had no i dea how. or what .

but then tumblr inspired me. to the point where i started to freak out over every episode no matter how small the scenes were. in october of seventh grade, i wrote my first captain swan fanifction. i also drew my first drawing that i never thought i was able to do. sure, it was with a sketchbook my aunt got me in second grade and a #2 pecil, but i believe its still beautiful. it wasnt long after i actually found the name, captain swan, rather than using “kemma” or “killimma”.

2015.

and from there, my obsession sky rocketed. i stayed up until four every night after an episode, despite schol the next morning. i wrote little drabbles that arelong since gone ever since my laptop broke. i drew more drawings, i rewatched every scene until thats all that was in my head.the s4 finale was as hard on me as everyone else, and i tried to write a specualtion fic to the s5 premiere. i neverfinshed. although, looking back at the writing now, i can still feel the pain i was in by it.

and then season five started. again, i freaked out as much as everyone else. every episode. i still remeber the week after the first episode, we lost someone int he fandom. we miss you, love.

and then it was late october.saturday the 22nd, my mom came into my room to ask me if id seen my friend alyssa that day. she was a year older than me, afreshman in highschool. i didnt, so i told her. i didnt ever think what might have been.the following day, i was working at the food pantry when my mom caled me.they had found alyssa. but she wasnt okay.maybe in her mind she may have been the best shes ever been, but to us,she wasnt.

no one else knew, and i had to walk home in silence. i didnt cry because at the time we werent as close as the year before and it didnt hit me.but then my mother’s words repeated in my head. “Alyssa died, sweetie.” it was asentence i never forgot.

im not the best at keeping my emtions with myself. i always think people will judge me and call me selfish if i cry, and i didnt want it to be like that. so i kept it in.i kept the tears in for so, so long, even to the point here i didnt even cry at her wake where she looked like an angel although the scarf around her neck was something shed never wear. and what kept my sanity? once upon a time. it was then when i realized it was my anchor. 

2016.

back in 2015 my mother made me audtion for a vocational school. earlier that year i had found its dance program and wanted to go, but along the way my intrest dwindled. she told me to give it a shot anyway because i had a very low chance of making it in due to my grades at the time. 

i made it in. 

the following months were the worst of my life. every day on the way home from dance wed fight about which high school was better, and although she was right about me going to the vocational one, i wanted to stay in my district. lets just say the only thing that kept me from following alyssa into the darkness was dance competitions. oh, and what else. the damn once upon a time episodes.

she forced me to go to that school, by the way. sure, i enjoy it now, but the people there suck and i still do not like how she went at it.

that fall, i take my friend to our first convention.since i started watching oneupon a time, i wanted others to watch it, and my one friend agreed to. until the end of the neverland arc.  and peter pan died. no more ouat for her. but, since robbie was going to be there, lets go. she got a picture with him, i got a picture with bex. yayay.

2017.

last week, we experienced the best sunday of our life. a wedding we never really thought would happen. it was unbelievable. emma got her happy ending(or beginning) aand we got ours. it was so thrilling that even my friend who stopped watching in season three was excited. but as much as it was unbeliable the night, the following morning was too.

that was the most giddiest i had ever felt for school. every more we have a forty five minute bus ride and the but whole time i listened to the musical on repeat. but then, as i looked down to pause the music as we pulled into school, i saw my friends text. Jen’s facebook post.

i was in a daze all day.

it wasnt until lunch, the last period since it was a half day, where i just broke down. people asked me what was wrong and i explained as best i could, but shitty people have shitty outlooks on things and they didnt understand. it was the loneliest ive ever felt.

my mom kind of comforted me, telling me how she felt the same when parent hood ended and that ill find a new show ill like just the same, but one upon a time is special. no show can replace or even add onto what kind of mark it had left on me. it was what started my career in wririting and drawing. in someways it kept me alive. and what did people do when i told them this? they laughed.

it was tuesday night when i ran down stairs, telling my mom about convention tickets for colin and jen photo op i found on sale. we had them in mind for awhile, but never got them. she told me wed look into it. we missed the sale.

so here we were, here i was, aall i was able to think about was how id never meet the people who played the characters that shaped me and my future. until the next morning, my birthday, where i was given the tickets.

and today,to night, was pretty much the end of the storybook. im not going to go into it because i have it on a post from about an hour ago. but thank you everyone, for helping me be me. and thank you for this blessed oppurtuniy, in which i had never and will never take for granted, to be a part of such a magical communtiy. because of this platform i have aspired my career of writing, drawing, and fulfilling my dreams of being a princess by being able to contact disney about the program.if it wasnt for this damned, beautiful fucking shwow, i would probably bedrastically different. this story we created is timeless, a neverending fairytale in both real life and on screen. the story contiues for ever and ever in our hearts and writing and drawing and all of the incredible talents we all have.