Introduction
Hello -
I'm Jack Rhodes and a student in Decoding Disney at Duke University. I am from Northern Virginia (about an hour west from D.C.) and I'm planning on double majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science.
I grew up watching many Disney and Pixar movies alongside Disney Channel. Some of my favorite Disney Movies are Moana, Zootopia, Big Hero 6, and Wreck it Ralph. My Pixar favorites are Finding Nemo, Coco, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Inside Out. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody was also one of my favorites growing up. I am also a huge Marvel fan too which I suppose is Disney now!
Being from NoVA, I enjoy the proximity to D.C., but I also love the rural side of Virginia, with the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River, and the back roads in my county (cue "Take Me Home, Country Roads"). With that, and the rhyming scheme, I choose Back Roads as the name of my blog as I dive into my thoughts. The back roads in my area usually don't take you where you need to go, but where you want to go, often deep into nature and history. I hope to use this blog to share some of the thoughts and opinions that I want, amidst all the other school work that I feel like I have to do.
In regards to unpacking classic stories and Disney Movies, I hope to specifically look into the personal and social dynamics that revolve around our characters. I'm curious about how the character's goals are reflected in their actions, and how those objectives may have changed from antiquated stories to more modern, progressive movies. I'd also like to look into how the social expectations of the characters have evolved, and how it is a reflection of the times in which the work was produced. I'm a big fan of the growing cultural diversity we see in more modern movies and the included familial relationships, such as with Coco, Moana, and even Into the Spiderverse (although I guess that movie is more Disney-tangent).
I'm excited for all that this course offers!
Jack--so glad you liked Zootopia. I got a chance to see that movie about a year ago, and I always thought it had this sort of hidden layer to it. It's fairly clear that the movie's topical arguments reside within the realm of what it means to be "tough" and society's overall appreciation of it. However, I think there's more too it. Specifically, the fox adds more depth to it. In the movie, we see that the "antagonistic" (I'll loosely call him an antagonist, because it could be argued that what the bull/what the bull represents is more the primary antagonist) fox eventually "changes sides" and uses his know-how to stop crime. While this structure is not particularly unique to Disney movies, what is unique is the real-world relationship between the cop and the criminal, because stuff like this has actually happened in the past. Take for example Frank Abagnale, Jr., an imposter and check fraud mastermind. By the end of his teenage years, Frank had counterfeited millions of dollars and had even posed as an airplane pilot for a few years before getting caught by the FBI. Curiously enough, he was eventually given immunity by the FBI in exchange for his knowledge on check fraud. In fact, he was widely influential in developing contemporary check security measures. But, I digress. The point is that Zootopia really has a second-half of the story that is not explicitly touched on: what happens next between the fox and the cop? Moreover, isn't it curious that they're both depicted as younger members of society?
ReplyDeleteHey Alex, I love your thoughts on Zootopia - I haven't watched it in a while and you've made me want to watch it again haha. It definitely represents one of my favorite parts of Disney films: the layered stories. It's an enjoyable story for kids, but there's so much depth to it with how the fox grows and the dynamics between police and civilian (which is more topical than ever now). I also love the story of Frank Abagnale, Catch Me if You Can was such a captivating movie and it's even more mind boggling to know it's true. I appreciate how Frank's skills were eventually used for a net positive to society in evaluating fraud.
DeleteHi Jack! Welcome! :)
ReplyDeleteI've gotta say -- I feel like you missed a big pun opportunity by not calling your blog "BackRhodes"! :) But I'm a sucker for a good (bad?) pun!
Also -- I think Coco is my favorite Disney movie, for all the reasons you mentioned above. The sense of family is so strong, and I love the idea that we can still be connected to our family even after they're gone.
It was a tough choice over the blog name, but I went for the more low-key rhyming over the pun.
DeleteThe sense of family is definitely one of my favorite aspects of Coco, especially how they represent it so differently between Miguel's family members. The Grandmother and parents are more traditional with Miguel being more explorative, although they're all looking to provide love and respect to their family as with Dia de los Muertos :)
Hi Jack! First of all, your taste in Disney movies is so good. Big Hero 6 is the only one you listed that I don't absolutely love, but that's only because I haven't seen it yet. I also really love your back roads metaphor, and am excited to read your thoughts throughout the semester!
ReplyDeleteThe point you made about familial relationships in Disney movies is really interesting -- in particular I've always wondered why Disney Princesses never have moms. I think I read somewhere that the absence of parental figures, (especially mothers) was seen as necessary to give Disney princesses the opportunity to go on the adventures that they needed to go on for the plot, since present parents probably would have put a stop to that, especially back when women didn't have a ton of agency. I'm sure there are other explanations, but I think it's cool how in Moana it's the maternal figures in her life (her grandma and her mother) that push her to explore and find herself, making it the presence of strong maternal figures that enables her to go on her adventure instead of the absence of them.
I'm also interested in how the goals of Disney characters have changed over time. I'm especially interested in what I'd consider the "transitional" princesses (Ariel, Belle, Jasmine) where the characters are in-between the really old fashioned norms that were present in the earlier princess movies and the more progressive ideas that are in the newer ones. Those princesses definitely have more personality and drive than the older ones did, but their stories all ultimately revolve around romance in a way that sometimes even contradicts their personalities (for example Belle starts off the movie dreaming of adventure and is terrified of being trapped in marriage with Gaston, but her happy ending isn't getting to go see the world -- it's marriage, and the audience is supposed to accept that because the Beast is less of an asshole than Gaston even though that's not what she dreamed of).
The details in Moana are truly amazing. They incorporate so much about Polynesian culture with the songs, society, legends, and family dynamics that come together for a really unique movie compared to the "traditional" older princess movies. I appreciate how they used the maternal aspect in Moana's goals and pursuits in the movie, particularly with her Grandmother's spirit. I like the point you raised about how Disney princesses often don't have mothers, with makes me curious about more ways that family/social relationships have grown in representation in Disney Movies.
DeleteI never watched too many of the classic Disney princess movies, but I do understand that much of them revolved around romances and the happily ever after coming from two ending up together. Even Mulan, which was focused on the strength of a female star, added in the love interest with Shang, which I feel almost makes it generic. It seems that the more unique, non-romance based storylines tended to be reserved for non-human movies like The Lion King or Toy Story. I'm definitely a fan of modern movies incorporating more of the individuals goals of the star, with them stretching far beyond romances and into cultural goals, such as Moana restoring the Heart of Tafiti (a cultural icon), Miguel from Coco in search of his ancestors for Dia de los Muertos, or the more abstract storylines like in Inside Out or Soul. Especially in the last decade or so, I feel that Disney has been pushing the bounds on both the animation/production and the storylines of their movies and I'm a big fan. The classics have a special place in my memories, but I welcome the growth of the industry.
Ooooh, I really like your point about Beauty and the Beast, Rina -- especially because it's one I like to play Devil's Advocate for.
DeleteI mean, on the one hand, yes! You're absolutely right! Belle does dream of adventure in the great wide somewhere, and she KNOWS that marrying Gaston will trap her into an awful, unhappy marriage.
BUT, on the other hand, she marries a prince! With a fully stocked library! Are marriage and seeing the world mutually exclusive? With Beast's financial stability (not to mention any political duties he'd have to fulfill as a ruler), is it not possible that Belle could see more of the world than in any other situation?
This film (and the live-action adaptation) are so great for devil's advocate discussions! :)
I have THOUGHTS on this one. So many, in fact, that I'm going to have to do this in two parts because I exceeded the character limit for comments trying to answer it. Oops. Here's part 1:
DeleteI totally had those same thoughts while I was writing that comment. Belle was my homegirl as a kid (she had the prettiest dress, she looked the most like me, and she could read!!), so Beauty and the Beast has a very special place in my heart, which means I spend a lot of time trying to justify that ending to myself by using the same arguments that you said. My response, though, would be that even though it's fun to imagine what happens after happily ever after, and I'm sure for Belle that would include a life of adventure with the Beast, at the end of the day the movie did not show that ending. A movie with a similar-ish structure to Beauty and the Beast that I think does this right is The Princess and the Frog (so underrated. Almost There is THE BEST "I want" song and I will die on that hill. Also, Friends on the Other Side is at least a top 3 villain song. Lottie and Tiana have the best example of female friendship in a Disney movie, and Ray the firefly makes me cry every time... must I say more? Plus this one has a very special place in my heart because my parents took my sisters and I to this special premier event when it came out in New York where you watched the movie and then immediately afterwards they take you to go MEET THE PRINCESSES. Like imagine you are seven years old, you watch the first princess movie that's come out in your lifetime, and then immediately afterwards your parents are like surprise it's time to go meet Tiana and all of her princess friends. There was also a make-your-own tiara station and a foam pit. Dreams come true!). They establish Tiana's goal of running a restaurant, have the fun romance plot with Naveen, and then they make a point of showing us that her happily ever after is getting married to her prince AND running a successful restaurant. They don't ask us to assume that she achieves her dreams -- the movie explicitly shows us a montage of her opening up her restaurant with her husband supporting her every step of the way. The fact that this is what closes the movie, rather than the (gorgeous) wedding scene makes it super duper clear that opening up her restaurant was just as important a part of her happily ever after as her marriage. They're not even really presented as separate -- what makes Naveen so awesome is that throughout the movie he overcomes his arrogance and selfishness and becomes the supportive partner that Tiana deserves and helps her achieve her happily ever after.
Part 2:
DeleteIn contrast, Beauty and the Beast ends with... a ball. It would have been awesome if the movie had ended with Belle and Prince Adam hopping into a carriage on their way to go see the world -- I think a really great ending for Belle could have been her finding someone to have adventures with, especially since her longing for knowledge and adventure was something that had isolated her from other people throughout the movie, and would better utilize Gaston as a foil for Adam -- but that's not the ending we got. I don't have a problem with romance or marriage -- I love love! And I love that there are examples of healthy, supportive partnerships in Disney movies! It's awesome! What I don't love is movies taking the ambition of princesses and turning them into an afterthought. These movies are fairytales with children as their target audience. When I watched Beauty and The Beast I took it at face value. They were in love! The teacups are people again! There's a ball! I did not, at five years old, think: wow, it is so great that the Beast is providing Belle with the financial stability she needs to go see the world. When I saw the Princess and the Frog, I also took it at face value. And when I did that, what I took away was that they were in love! They're not frogs anymore! And, crucially: Tiana has her restaurant! The whole point of fairytales and Disney magic is that it takes dreams and possibilities and makes them reality within the realm of the story. It's not enough for there to be the possibility of Belle achieving her dream at the end of the movie -- that's not why we watch fairytales. We want to see dreams come true, and if we don't see it, then the fairytale fails to fulfill its promise. In Belle's case, her ambition is excluded from the fairytale arc, which, at best, makes her dreams a tool to establish her personality instead of an essential part of her actual story. At worst, it makes them an afterthought.
Reading this over, I think the best way to summarize what I’m trying to say is that the problem with Beauty and the Beast is that it presents Prince Adam AS Belle’s happy ending, instead of a partner in creating it. The distinction is subtle, but it’s important, and I think in a lot of cases it makes all the difference.
DeleteOk I’m done for real now lol, Jack you can have your blog back.
Okay, so 2 weeks later, I'm just now reading this because I didn't turn on post notifications. Whoops.
DeleteBUT. Regardless -- this is the level of in-depth thought about Disney Movies that I AM HERE FOR. *insert clap hand emoji here bc Blogger doesn't support it*
I think the way you phrased it in your last comment -- "Beast AS Belle's happy ending, instead of a partner creating it" is such an important one and I really, really hope you bring this up in class when we get there. I will, of course, play Devil's Advocate with Tiana but that's the "maybe-I-could-have-been-a-lawyer-bc-I-like-to-debate-so-much" side of me. (Which is not a reason to become a lawyer, at all. Academia however....) :D
The details in Moana are truly amazing. They incorporate so much about Polynesian culture with the songs, society, legends, and family dynamics that come together for a really unique movie compared to the "traditional" older princess movies. I appreciate how they used the maternal aspect in Moana's goals and pursuits in the movie, particularly with her Grandmother's spirit. I like the point you raised about how Disney princesses often don't have mothers, with makes me curious about more ways that family/social relationships have grown in representation in Disney Movies.
ReplyDeleteI never watched too many of the classic Disney princess movies, but I do understand that much of them revolved around romances and the happily ever after coming from two ending up together. Even Mulan, which was focused on the strength of a female star, added in the love interest with Shang, which I feel almost makes it generic. It seems that the more unique, non-romance based storylines tended to be reserved for non-human movies like The Lion King or Toy Story. I'm definitely a fan of modern movies incorporating more of the individuals goals of the star, with them stretching far beyond romances and into cultural goals, such as Moana restoring the Heart of Tafiti (a cultural icon), Miguel from Coco in search of his ancestors for Dia de los Muertos, or the more abstract storylines like in Inside Out or Soul. Especially in the last decade or so, I feel that Disney has been pushing the bounds on both the animation/production and the storylines of their movies and I'm a big fan. The classics have a special place in my memories, but I welcome the growth of the industry.
(Oops this was supposed to be a reply to Rina's comment, I copied it there, disregard this lol)
Delete