A prince kiss? No, Thanks!

A prince kiss? No, thanks!

I bet that many of us enjoyed Disney princesses’ movies when we were kids. Disney Company is famous for making lots of interesting and catching films that made us want to be princes and princesses when we were children. One of the most famous stereotypes of Disney’s Company is the “True love kiss”. So what is the true love kiss for those who hadn’t seen a Disney movie before? (And I personally don’t think that anyone had done such atrocity) The “True love kiss” is the formula to save a princess from her curse. How does this “True love kiss” work? Let me tell you about it. A princess meets the prince one evening and they fall in love at the exact moment when their eyes meet. Then she falls asleep or is about to die because of a curse that the evil character had put on her before and the prince saves her with a “true love kiss”. But what if I told you that there is a movie that breaks this stereotype? The film that breaks the “true love kiss” stereotype is the one from the best evil characters of all Disney’s history: Maleficent.

Maleficent is a film that tells the story of Sleeping Beauty, but from the point of view of Maleficent, the villain. She is a fairy from an old kingdom that was betrayed by her love, the king Philip. That is why she puts a curse on the king’s daughter Aurora. So, how does the film break this stereotype of the “True love kiss”?

On the original story of the Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora is awakened from her eternal dream when the Prince kisses her. I must emphasize that they only meet once in an evening and they fall in love on that moment. That is why the “true love kiss” worked. Because this kiss always works when you fall in love with the person you only saw one day, which is very unreal. But in the film Maleficent, this doesn’t work. It is not the prince the one who saves Aurora with a kiss but Maleficent. In this movie the “true love kiss” is given by a person who really loves you and cares about you. Maleficent took care of Aurora since her childhood. Maleficent’s role was equal as a mother’s role, and we all know that most mothers love their children. The “True love kiss” is given by a person that has formed a long time relationship with the princess, someone who knows her from long time ago. Not the man she has just seen once in her whole life, because that isn’t true love. It’s unreal to fall in love with a person you have seen once. That is called attraction, not love. In order to really love someone you have to spend time with the other. It’s necessary to form a relationship.

So remember, if you ever need a “True love kiss” a Princes that you have just seen once in your entire life can’t save you. Sometimes different is good and fresh and Maleficent is a great example of the real life love.  

           The truth behind the doll
Barbie is tall, slim, and has sparkling blue eyes and blond long hair. She has the most fashionable designer clothes that every girl dreams of having in their closet. She is the doll of every girl´s dream.
Being an American copy of a German doll called Lilly, Barbie is originally introduced in America in 1959 by Mattel. In the early 60’s , the blonde doll had a slow start in sales due to rumours of being a bad copy of a cabaret doll accessory for men. However, her popularity began growing more and more until it became the best-selling doll in the United States. The denial of the rumours trying to defame Barbie helped a lot to improve the image of the doll. This is how Barbie is an industry of $ 6 million per year today.
It is not new that Barbie is beloved by young girls. Despite the big demand this doll produces, some parents yet refuse to buy this toy to their children. Surfing the web to do some background research, I found a web site called “The Anti-Barbie Group”. It is a group made up of parents who are against the blonde stereotyped doll, as well as the negative influence that she produces on young girls. After reading some of their articles I have to agree with them and say that I consider an Anti-Barbie person myself.
The very first thing I think of when looking at a Barbie doll is her one missing accessory: food. This is a very important thing to have in mind because if children tend to imitate adults, and don’t forget that Barbie is the figure of a woman, they will desire to become as skinnier as their doll: The skinnier they look the prettier. Besides, the first dolls introduced in the American market had a small book with different diets that weren’t appropriate for young girls. These diets tought girls which food they have to eat and which they don´t. In addition, the authors of this little book also included the number of calories each food contains, as well as a maximum of calories girlies should ingest per day if they want to have their doll’s body. So, if girls put into practise this drastic change in diet, they would get accustomed to such way of eating at an early age. This internalization would lead girls to their own one missing accesory and would promote an early approach to food disorders that would probably lead to the emergence of a premature bulimia or anorexia.
Another thing to have in mind is the unrealistic body proportions this blondie doll has. We as adults know that Barbie’s body proportions are not real. According to doctors’ declarations on “The Medical Daily” “if Barbie were a real woman, her measurements would force her to walk on all fours and she would be physically incapable of lifting her over-sized Mattel head(punctuation). She could be nicknamed the “impossible woman” with her unrealistic physical proportions that would make her look like she’s straight off a spaceship. She would stand 1,82 meters tall, weigh 45 kilograms, and have a 99,06 centimetres bust, a 48,26 centimetres waist, and the hips of a prepubescent boy.” Trying to imitate the figure of this doll, girls get their self-esteem lowered since such perfect super thin waist is impossible to get naturally, mostly for an adult. Only surgery is needed in that case.
    We cannot help paying attention to the superficial world girls are exposed to. Barbie’s subliminal message to young girls is that the only thing that matters is taking care of material and superficial things. Of course that living in a beautiful big mansion, having the last Volkswagen’s car and caring about how you look like is the most important thing isn’t it? Well, let me tell you that this kind of glamorous life happens only if you are a super mega millionaire person, or in movies.
All in all, Barbie’s hidden message transmits to young girls a negative motivation on their lives. So, without realizing, young children are seriously influenced by this "cute" doll prioritizing superficial and material stuffs, such as appearance, clothing, etc, whereas the most important things such as letting these girls be, act, play and live as girls are left behind.

Let’s fly together

    First, imagine being happily married to your unique childhood friend, sharing all your dreams with that person who has grown up next to you, building a life together in a cosy house. And then, imagine being alone in that same field where you have seeded that dream with your recently gone soulmate. Could you be polite and thankful for the rest of your life? And could you keep the idea of making your dreams come true? Of course not! You’d become a lonely hopeless ogre. 

    This is the case of Carl Fredricksen, an old, grumpy widower who is letting life pass through him, having no relationships or emotions because of the loss of his beloved wife Ellie. Accidentally, he gets involved in a relationship with an insistent but well-educated scout-boy called Russell, who knocks at his door offering his not so unconditional help. And there the adventure starts, showing how important social relationships are. This is well shown in the movie “Up”, directed in 2007 by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios, in which Carl and Russell are the main characters.

    As Carl is going to be put in a retirement village and his house is going to be destroyed, he decides to escape with the only thing he loves, his house. Guess how! He inflates lots of balloons with helium and his house takes off with him inside and flies away straight to his and Ellie’s dreamed place, Paradise Falls in South America. He has nothing to lose but to make their dream come true at last. It is well-known that dreams are an aid people need to survive. And that is what Carl thinks he needs to give his life a twist.

    But who has ever made a house fly? What made Carl believe that he could do it? Do you think he has watched the movie “I’ve got the power” by Jim Carrey? I don’t think so either. However, Carl doesn’t know that Russell is there too! This little chubby Asian boy wants to get his last scout-pin, so he insists on helping this old man. Human beings have been created to share their lives with somebody else –for good or for bad, indeed! And during this cloudy travel, Carl realizes that he needs Russell for good.  This old man starts learning to care about somebody else besides himself, and it is Russell.  As soon as he begins to look after this boy, their relationship grows in leaps and bounds. You can see, almost at the end of this adventure, that they find a bad scientist who puts in danger Carl’s house as well as Russell’s life. So Carl has to make a hard decision between saving Russell or saving his house --something so valuable for him-- from death, and he chooses Russell. As Carl says, “It’s only a house”. While things come and go, social relationships last forever. No matter how much you have or how old you are, but how much you care about somebody else besides yourself.

   Although you may be thinking about relationships are only among human beings, it is demonstrated that animals, especially dogs, are great and unique beings which are able to provide excellent friendship to people. According to a piece of news written in Clarin, a group of researchers in Japan sustains the hypothesis that the sight between a dog and its master is like the one between a baby and his mother. What a coincidence with this movie, as Carl and Russell meet an amicable dog in their adventure in Venezuela, and the first thing they do is to look at each other’s eyes. At the beginning, Carl does not understand the need of its company and wants to lose it. But Russell, who is more innocent and pure, understands the dog and wants to keep it. They discuss several times because of that dog. But at the end, it becomes their loyal friend and guides them safety along Venezuela. This casual four-legs-mate has helped Carl not only to understand how important is to be fond of somebody else but also to get to know Russell deeply.

    The dreamed mission is done, and Carl does not return in the same way he has started it, but in a better one. He will not be alone anymore and he will not need another dream to live for, but to go on feeding this new amazing relationship with Russell, and the dog. Carl knew something awesome was about to start since he saw this cute boy promising with his heart at the beginning of their adventure. That was the same way he used to promise to Ellie, making a cross over his heart! How many good memories!  Although he will never forget his beloved wife, he knows he has a new unconditional friend forever, to remember their old adventure as well as to share the new ones for the rest of their lives, together.

     As Carl already knows, the only engine he needs to go on living is to be sociable and to be interested in somebody else besides himself. So we should stop for a minute and think about it.  What Carl would you like to become in, the first or the second one? I’m sure that after having read all this, you’ll do your best to be affable enough for every second of the rest of your life, won’t you? Then do not tell me I have not warned you!

The Shallow Litlle Mermaid

In the Greek mythology, Ulysses is able to escape from the enchanting mermaid’s singing. For doing so, he plugs his sailors’ ears with wax and asks to be bounded to the mast of his ship. Unlike Ulysses, Eric, the prince of the Disney film “The Little Mermaid,” cannot avoid being captivated by Ariel’s voice. While he is having a birthday party in his ship, a heavy storm blows up. Ariel saves him from drowning and leaves him unconscious on the beach. When he wakes up, he just remembers that a girl with a sweet voice has rescued him.  For that reason alone, he immediately falls in love with her, without even knowing her.

It is known that The Little Mermaid gave back its success to Walt Disney Pictures, after 30 years of failure. Having stunning special effects and being one of the most entertaining movies for children as well as for adults, it raised more than 200 million dollars all over the world.  It seems to be a lovely fantasy film which shows how peaceful life in the sea is and how lovely sea creatures are. However, shallowness in love is the most important aspect in the film.

Some minutes after the movie starts, we learn that Prince Eric is in love with Ariel because of her sweet voice and singing; he is determined to find her and marry her. But how can it be possible to love someone if you don’t even know her? Although it’s strange, the main characters are very superficial in this movie. Eric wants to spend the rest of his days with Ariel because he likes her voice. That’s all. His emotional shallowness is reinforced when he meets Ariel. As she cannot speak (because she has given her voice to the witch Ursula in exchange for legs) and she doesn’t behave properly according to his point of view, he is not interested in her at all. But then, Ariel gets her voice back. And guess what! His love for her is awakened and they finally marry.

            Ariel quickly falls in love with Eric, too. As soon as she sees Eric for the first time, she says ‘He's so beautiful. What would I give to live where you are?  What would I pay to stay here beside you?’ She risks it all to be beside her prince charming, who she has seen just once. She is resolved to abandon her family and her home without knowing if Eric will love her back or if she will be happy with him. Ariel is so crazy about Eric that she wants to change what she really is --she even agrees on hurting herself by giving her sweet voice, the only thing Eric likes about her, to Ursula.

This box-office earner film had a great success. But the question is-- do you think it transmits a good message? I don’t think so. The value of affection is not present at all, but shallowness is shown by the main characters throughout the whole film. Maybe, Ariel and Eric will get to know each other well with the passing of time. Maybe, Eric will stop being enchanted by Ariel’s sweet voice, and ignore her as Ulysses did. We don’t know. Shallowness triumphs in this “happily-ever-after” movie. So, are you going to let your children and yourself enjoy “The Little Mermaid” and be exposed to negative influences and wrong values?

For God’s sake, I cannot do the “kame-hame-ha” inside the kitchen!

"Don't get your feelings hurt, but I'm still a lot stronger than you are." Those words belong to Number 18, a female android, talking to Krillin during a battle many years before they got married and had a daughter. If you ask me, this was the real and captivating essence in the female characters of Dragon Ball anime, and if you don’t believe so, take a look at the first episodes and you will see that I’m not so wrong. Failing that, keep on reading.

During many years, topics in most cartoons and films for little girls and teenagers had been about princesses, the charmed love, stories too pink and about the sense of playing safe. As a consequence of this stereotype, a little girl with different tastes to those expected by the majority of adults in western society was labelled as a butch girl, being stigmatized during her entire childhood. However, after a few years of female silent expectation, a huge phenomenon arrived to the screen in our country, Japanese anime. One of the most relevant cartoons of great success in Argentina was Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama. Around 1994 till 1998, the saga reached its highest peak of fame. The most striking and curious fact about this cartoon was how the female audience, little girls and teenagers, were totally hooked with it. In fact, this is a reality that is still observed due to the fact that Dragon Ball has included female characters, being the most interesting of all that they are strong fighters, very passionate, totally independent and they love to take risks. But careful! There’s more behind the images you see! Because unfortunately, over the years the saga evolved, and despite the fact that Dragon Ball had tried to break the gender stereotypes including strong and independent fighter women, it ended up giving priority to the male characters. Is evident that our dear friend Akira couldn’t avoid the female stigmatization and in some way, he resigned himself to the implicit popular belief of many men, which claims that women can be really strong and independent BUT we don’t have to get tooooo excited with the idea. 

Take, for instance, the case of the main male characters of the saga, Son Goku, Son Gohan and Vegeta. They belong to a race of super warriors called Saiyajins, when they are too furious or exploiting their maximum power during a battle, they transform themselves in blond blue-eyed fighters, wrapped in a bright golden aura and a spiky hair is the icing on the cake. But what is really surprising is that although there are women with Saiyajin blood, they never reach that amazing power and what is more, they never suffer that kind of transformation. Now, this is relevant. The implicit message here it's that there are certain parameters that would indicate the extent to which women can be powerful and independent, even in cartoons. It's clear that the hegemonic ideology of men over women can't be eradicated completely, no matter how hard one tries.  

Another point to consider is that from the very beginning, women in Dragon Ball go over a process in which they are growing up and maturing, but leaving aside their real nature. Most of them end up married with the strongest guys (these Saiyajins warriors) turning into devoted housewives. Characters as Milk, Son Goku’s wife, Number 18, Krilin’s wife, and Videl, which is Son Gohan’s wife, are portrayed as dedicated mothers that make the house chores while their lovely and brave husbands fight saving the world. In some occasions, these female characters are allowed to witness the different fights but they never participate as they used to do when they were, let’s say, “single girls”. As a result, they adapt the role of faithful cheerleaders and all those qualities that once were so intriguing for the female audience, evetually disappear.

It’s well known that Dragon Ball's success can't be denied. The anime allowed little girls and teenagers the option to choose how they wanted to be represented and the possibility to find something different to what was being watched on T.V. programmes for little girls. Nevertheless, what it seemed to be a clear innovation about gender role stereotypes, ended up being more than what was being observed, the reinforcement of the idea that men are the only ones who have power, courage, strength and the chance of taking risks. In addition to this, women have to stay at home washing the dishes and watching from their passives roles, that have been imposed, how men save the world, taking over all the fun. 

If you've come this far, it means you've followed my previous advice. Now, the possible questions are: Will you support this “innocent” reproduction of gender role stereotypes? Are you going to let your little girls enjoy the anime even though they are exposed to this negative conception about the role of women in society? Try to give it a thought. 

A separate essay, in fact, a SEPARATE-BUT-EQUAL one

 

Do U Mind Being Obscured?

By Andrés Lema

 

When calling for an end to racism in the United States, Martin Luther King said: “I have a dream.” His transparent words shadowy contrast with “If you can dream it, you can do it”. This last phrase was the brilliant response provided by Walt Disney when asked about the success of the film Dumbo. The unclear contrast between those two phrases seems to be the key for the persistence of an obscure message the film transmits.

 

In October 1941 a white stork flew from Paris to a circus in Florida only to deliver a blue-eyed baby elephant. Its arrival to the land of opportunities (in fact, of opportunists) gave birth not only to the main character of the famous film Dumbo, but also to the perpetuation of a somber message.

 

Produced by the bright Walt Disney, this successful film shows the gloomy story of Jumbo Jr., a little big-eared elephant ridiculed and teased for having some large ‘wings’. Mute from birth, he is nicknamed “Dumbo”. Clearly, happy endings have always been profitable for Disney Animated Classics. So by the end of the film, Dumbo’s ears will allow him to fly and become the star of the circus.

For decades, millions of children have enjoyed the funny Dumbo, partly because they got important messages from the movie, such as how to overcome to the fact of being laughed at or bothered for having long ears, a big nose or any other ‘abnormal’ physical characteristic. But were these the only messages conveyed?

 

Perhaps, the charm of Dumbo’s Aryan eyes has blurred our perception. Even our memories about him might be biased as they were constructed during our innocent childhood. Still, such a somber message crops up during the whole film. The racist message Dumbo transmits has been spread for more than seven decades. Currently, this message continues its legacy.

 

During the 1940s, racism was unhappily present in many places around the world, and it was expressed in several ways, even through music. Songs are essential in movies, especially, in the ones for children. So let’s check one of Dumbo’s songs, which is ‘cheerfully’ sung by some coloured roustabouts in this wicked film: 

“We work all day, we work all night. We never learned to read or write. When other folks have gone to bed, we slave until we're almost dead. Muscles achin', back near breaking. Boss man houndin', keep on poundin'. For your bed and feed, there ain't no let up. Keep on working! Stop that shirking! Grab that rope, you hairy ape!”

Well, this black-hearted message of the 1940s was created neither in South Africa during the Apartheid, nor in Auschwitz during the Holocaust, but at Walt Disney Studios in America. Of course, in the lyrics, slavery is a terrible issue referred to, but why is this abuse only suffered by coloured people?

 

Secondary characters in the film make the racist expression utterly explicit. If we picked any scene having Dumbo performing a clown in the circus show, we would see peanut sellers being dark-skinned and the audience enjoying the show being clearly formed by white people.

 

Another attack on coloured people is portrayed by a group of crows Dumbo comes across in the film. Shown as poor and uneducated, this flock of black birds is the only group whose southern accent is stereotypically African-American. Blinking at Jim Crow laws, which were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States, the leader of the crows in the film is strategically named “Jim”.

 

To reach foreign targets beyond America, Dumbo finds no barriers. We can confirm that by watching Dumbo in its Spanish version, in which the crows are ‘casually’ voiced by Gipsies or Cuban actors.

 

If we had to play the devil’s advocate, we could argue that the movie transmits a positive moral about getting through some difficult situations. It encourages people to think in a different way. But this could be done without hurting people’s susceptibilities. Does the end justify the means?

 

Going back to the contrast between dreams, we can state that Disney has used a speechless elephant to convey a message as strong as Luther King’s speech. Unfortunately, within the scope of Dumbo’s racist message, we may find victims from any part of the world. The dark intention of the movie seems to be as solid as ever. And it will continue building success over obscure foundations.

Is green the new black?

New Orleans is the setting. The 1920’s the time. Jazz is a boom. Voodoo terrifies people and princess Tiana sets a cultural debate.  Black turns into green and vice versa in this new-fangled movie: “The princess and the frog”. Who is Tiana? She is the first Disney’s African American princess. It was about time for Disney to come up with something new. This movie tries to widen children views by showing different races and social classes in order to include a new culture into Disney’s world. But, ladies and gentlemen, it failed big time! Instead of showing how to accept other races and how not to discriminate, it did the opposite. The movie is a pitiful example of racial segregation. What was my first hint? Most of the movie, the two main black characters are actually green. Yes! Both, prince and princess, are cursed to be frogs. It took eighty-six years for Disney to please us with a black princess and to do what? Turn her green the entire movie! Come on Walt!

First of all, the most important and shocking proof of segregation in the movie is Tiana’s dream. She comes from a poor, hard-working and low class family who lives in a humble but cosy black neighbourhood. All Tiana’s parents have ever known has been working hard to achieve their goals. Even though they are very poor, their dreams are very rich and ambitious. Tiana fights against all odds to make her dream come true. After her father’s death she became a double shift hard working waitress in order to save every penny she could. She yearned to buy the huge abandoned building downtown where she pictured her restaurant coming to life. Surprised? Me too! The dream of this specific princess is not to marry a beautiful man, be rich, have children, etc. No way! The first African American Princess must want to work at her own restaurant. Why is it that this was not the dream of any of the other Disney princesses? I found it a bit offensive since the movie is set on the 1920’s, where black people were treated as an inferior class that was only good at serving others. If the writers of this movie were trying to be inclusive with the so called race of this princess, they did the exact opposite.

Adding even more evidence to this segregation issue, we have Tiana’s beautiful future husband, Prince Naveen. He’s a distinguished, foolish little man that comes from Maldonia. It is surprising that the only possibility for a black young woman is to get together with a man of her own race. Would it be so unreasonable for a black princess to marry a white, blue eyed and blonde prince? Instead of showing these trifles are not important, the writers are letting everyone see there is a large gap between black and white people that cannot be removed. The movie, indirectly or not, shows that the conflict at that time was that the black were meant to serve the white, not marrying them.

“The princess and the frog” fails to set a deserving place to black people in America. Disney tried, at least, to make the unthinkable effort to show others, that society was starting to accept the differences that were apparent at that time. But it fell in the pit of the same old stereotypes that, sadly, are still a current issue even nowadays. Bittersweet is the taste this movie leaves us with; because where black should have been important, green was dominant. Now, the final questions are: Do you want your children to reproduce these stereotypes? Or do you want them to be better than that?