Comments on: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: A Codependent’s Fairy Tale

By: The Second Road Family » The Man in the Mirror

The Second Road Family » The Man in the Mirror — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:41:04 +0000

[...] same ways I had myself. As I came to better understand my own love of Peter Pan and the fantasy of Disney and my own desire to escape into some fantasy childhood, I suspected I better understood his too. [...]

By: Mantramine

Mantramine — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:54:00 +0000

I just don't know what to think, accept that sometimes I think we think too much. Not that I think we should reamain ignorant...

All this talk just brings Women Who Run with Wolves to mind-

and I hate that book.

By: longvowels

longvowels — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 03:37:00 +0000

Damn. i never thought of that.
I love Grease but I love it for Rizzo.

By: R

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 03:18:00 +0000

The other codie flick I hate to love is Grease. The message is you gotta change if you want your man to love you. But I can't help loving the movie, anyway.

By: Slutty McWhore

Slutty McWhore — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:53:00 +0000

Damn. I missed Pussy G's comment. I want to know what she saiiiiiddddd!

It was a long time ago that I read either "Beauty or the Beast" or "The Little Mermaid" but, even as a little child, there was always something very disturbing about these two fairytales. I remember being particularly upset about the part when The Little Mermaid goes through so much pain, and leaves all her nearest and dearest behind, just so she can have two legs and can be with her prince. Even then I think I thought "Was he worth it?!"

I don't think I realized that the Beast raped Beauty (I was too young to pick up that was what was happening) but, again, I always felt there was something very sinister about that story.

I do wonder what I will do if I have kids of my own. There's a part of me that doesn't want to deprive of knowing about these literary classics first-hand but, then there's this other part which recognizes that little girl pick up negative messages from fairytales about how a "proper" woman behaves. Hmmmm.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:12:00 +0000

Oh the hardest part: she has to learn it for herself!

By: Recovering Wino

Recovering Wino — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:16:00 +0000

I like Disney, too, even though I think they are a bit sexist. It's so hard not to get caught up in the "magic". (or is it the marketing?)

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite, too. I dragged my boyfriend to see it when it came out in 1991. But I don't admit that to many:)

By: Wayward Son

Wayward Son — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:36:00 +0000

Fairy Tales in general seem a horrifying bunch of stories to me—especially the Grimm ones. I mean come on—a witch who bakes kids? What could be scarier? One thing about Disney that one would not necessarily see in their product is that behind the scenes are some very smart, very powerful, very creative women who, for me, define feminism via the practical application of forging new ground for woman—especially in the theme park businesses. And then there's Barbie, an impossible ideal for the female gender who was brought to market by a pioneering business person who just happened to be a woman. I guess my point is there is always more to the story then what's on the page. Also that the idea that love conquers all is a complex conversation to have. Even love has a practical aspect to understand—or so I have heard.

Do these things seem significant to me only because I am male? I wonder. Thanks for getting me to think about something other than myself, though—it's been a while.

By: Mary P Jones (MPJ)

Mary P Jones (MPJ) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:28:00 +0000

Disney princess bringing out the beast here...

Sorry, Pussy G -- I rethought things and deleted your comment. Thought it could be inadvertently hurtful. I know. I'm tweakin'. I'll chat with you later.

By: thejunkyswife

thejunkyswife — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:00:00 +0000

Damn, Pussy G. Real talk.