The Little Mermaid

After struggling through my first midterm in one of my classes on Tuesday afternoon, I was definitely not in the best mood. Not wanting to start my other homework yet, I decided to watch The Little Mermaid first. Barely even twenty minutes into the film, I found myself in a remarkably better state of mind. Happily singing along to "Part of Your World" and "Under the Sea", two of my favorite Disney songs, there was no way that I couldn't be happy. Thanks to Ariel, Eric, Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle, my day dramatically improved for the better.

Later that night,with the details of the film still fresh in my mind, I sat down to read Roberta Trite's "Sub/Version of Andersen's The Little Mermaid". In her efforts to prove her argument that the Disney version is more shallow, materialistic, and sexist than Andersen's original story, Trite ultimately alienates her audience by adopting a point of view that is extremist. Personally, I found myself disagreeing with almost all of her assertions because she took everything just a little too far- her credibility was greatly diminished by her inability to provide evidence for her exaggerated claims. To cite just a few examples:


"Disney's message is obvious: If children are needlessly repressed, they may rebel by developing obsessive behaviors that cause them to reject their identity."

"Ariel's new obsession becomes the type of worship that makes the individual seem somehow larger than life and better than the rest of humanity. This implies that the only beings worth marrying are those who are perfect and that perfection is not only somehow attainable but is actually necessary for a man to be loveable."

"Ursula's corpulence underscores the anorexic appearance of Ariel's figure."

"Evils comes in the form of  a woman who covets the power of the male phallus. Ursula lovingly caresses Triton's trident while he is holding it. Her penis envy is stereotypical."

There is hardly any proof to warrant any of these four assertions that Trite confidently makes. It is far from "obvious" that Disney's message in creating The Little Mermaid was to illustrate to parents the repercussions of repressing your children; though Ariel's actions are rebellious, it is a far stretch to say that she is rejecting her identity because she feels repressed. Her fascination with the human world stems more from curiosity than anything else, as evidenced from the lyrics of "Part of Your World. Similarly, Trite's belief that Ariel's "worship" of Eric implies the necessity of perfection in relationships is utterly an exaggeration- nowhere in the film is Eric depicted as "perfect" or "better than the rest of humanity". Lastly, the comparison made between Ariel and anorexia is unnecessary, as is Trite's strange focus upon the largely nonexistent "sexual symbols" within the film.

Though I can understand how, in some ways, Ariel's obsession with becoming human and be with Eric can be seen as materialistic and sexist, I do not believe that this was Disney's intent. Rather, I view Ariel's disregard of the differences between the mermaid world and the human world as a message promoting acceptance. As Ariel and Eric's relationship illustrates, physical differences should not separate humans; it is character that is truly important. The closing scene of The Little Mermaid in which humans and mermen/sea creatures alike unite in celebrating the wedding of Ariel and Eric symbolizes the integration of all people notwithstanding race, social class, or ethnicity. When viewed in this light, the film encourages the audience, especially children, to be open-minded and accepting of cultural differences.

Disney Engagement Rings

While scrolling through my Twitter timeline, I recently came across this fascinating tweet about Disney-themed engagement rings. I was not surprised to find that this tweet, by one of those generic Twitter accounts that often clogs up our timeline, had a few hundred thousand retweets. I browsed through a few of the replies and, from what I saw, many girls were enthusiastically embracing this creation. This sparked my interest in exploring more about Disney-themed jewelry, so naturally I did a Google search and found some beautiful pieces that I have shared in the links below. Disney has created an empire that knows no bounds. The prevalence of Disney jewelry is merely one example of the the extent to which Disney movies and characters foster creativity and permeate all aspects of culture, a phenomenon is truly amazing to witness.

more rings
 creative Disney jewelry
disney princess wedding dresses

The History Behind the Films

     Tracey Mollet's article "With a Smile and a song" brought to my attention the fact that many Disney movies incorporate significant historical context into their plot lines. Though the knowledge that a film is heavily influenced by the events of its time period seems obvious, the idea that Disney movies are historically symbolic is often overlooked due to the nature of the productions. While some critics view works such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as mere forms of adolescent entertainment, deeper analysis reveals that these films are often a commentary upon the social happenings of the time.
     I found it extremely interesting that Mollet was able to make connections between so many aspects of Snow White and the culture that pervaded the era of the Great Depression. Specifically, I was intrigued by her argument that the Wicked Queen represented the superficiality of the 1920s that led to the stock market crash, while Snow White represented the 1930's mid-Depression values of patience and virtue. However, I cannot help but wonder to what degree these historical consistencies were intended by Walt and The Disney Company; I am curious as to which aspects of the film were designed to convey a message about society at the time and which aspects were simply designed for the purpose of the film itself. Nonetheless, this article definitely helped me to gain a new perspective on Disney movies and their inherent complexities. Approaching these films as simple forms of entertainment is to overlook the valuable insight that they can provide upon the development of American culture throughout the twentieth century and into the present.

Disney Pajama Party

     Last night, one of our female RAs organized a get-together in the common room for all of the ladies of Brown. Though I was only able to stop in for a few minutes due to an Investment Club meeting, I found myself amidst a group of pajama-clad women lounging on the couches painting their nails, snacking on junk food, and watching Disney films. The atmosphere was very laid back and everyone seemed to be having a great time.
     The first image that comes to mind when one thinks of "college women" could not be further from the one that was being lived out in our common room on a Sunday night. Considering that we are currently at an age in which we value our maturity and identify ourselves more closely with adults than children, I found the entire situation slightly ironic--it reminded me distinctly of my childhood slumber party experiences. Due to popular stereotypes surrounding Disney and its perceived target audience of adolescents, one does not typically associate Disney with teenagers or adults. However, I am noticing more and more that our generation is unwilling to let go of our connections to Disney and our favorite animated characters. As nineties' babies who were born alongside some of Disney's most popular, successful films, our childhoods are inextricably tied to Disney because the corporation had such a large influence upon American culture as we were growing up.
     As alluded to in many of the articles that we have been exploring in class, the Disney films of the nineties, in comparison to previous works, especially sought to cater to a wider audience of both children and adults. As a result, movies such as Aladdin, The Lion King, and Toy Story retain much of their appeal even as their viewers mature and age. This characteristic may in fact increase the enduring popularity of these films; personally, I love watching Disney movies and comparing my perceptions of them now to those from when I was a child. Similar to the experience of re-reading the same novel after many years, viewers of these films are able to pick up on new details and elements of humor with each subsequent screening.
     For all of these reasons, I believe that our generation will continue to celebrate Disney even as we enter the realm of adulthood. In the years to come, it will be immensely intriguing to witness the ways in which Disney influences both adolescents and adults, as well as American culture as a whole.

Under the Sea

One of my favorite bands, Timeflies, does a great cover of the song "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. By mixing a well-known chorus with contemporary rap verses and a catchy beat, Cal and Rez create a work of art that is both unique and classic. This song is just one example of Disney's lasting influence on culture and the ease at which it can be adapted to suit different purposes.