Okay, so I'm going to buck the trend here a bit and admit something: I'm not a huge fairy tale person. I kind of hate most of them. They tend to be mysogynistic, cruel, and generally their roots are kind of terrifying. Maybe that's because I've read too many of the originals, and they're often a little O.O and kind of make you want to back away slowly.
Now, don't get me wrong, I've seen some great re-tellings where the story has been crafted to carry some of the elements of the original, but also have an awesome take on things. Mary Waibel (linked above) has a few of these, and I've caught some others. But in general, for me to really enjoy a fairy tale retelling, it's got to be different from the original in order for me to get into it. And this does not mean Disney.
Sorry, not to dog on Disney, because they have their place and I do enjoy the parks for their escapism (and I love a rollercoaster), but most Disney princesses, especially in the way they are pandered to young girls, make me kind of want to be ill. That was not me as a kid, and I am grateful to my mother for the thinking that I could be more. (True story: I was Peter Pan for Halloween for a couple of years. Not Mary, not Tinkerbell. I wanted a sword and to fly, haha!)
Now, there are some Disney princesses who have movies in which they are the force behind change, but then they are twisted into these costumes and tea parties and other things that turn my stomach when it comes to how they are used by the toy market. That bugs me. Can't the toy manufacturers come up with something a little less stereotypical for kids, both male and female? I know I'm not a parent, so I can't say what's right or wrong for individual kids, but the images I sometimes see make me be like "no wonder little girls don't think they'll be good scientists!"
Anyhow, enough of my rant. Just my two cents on the matter. What do YOU think about fairy tales?
I think the fairy tales in their pure original form work better than the cleaned up Little Golden Book versions. In the original Red Riding Hood, the wolf wins. There's no lumberjack showing up out of nowhere to save the day, the wolf eats Granny and Red Riding Hood, the end, period. That's a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI think they were a lot darker than people realized originally! Especially Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Those earlier writings of them weren't suitable for children. So it's interesting the way Disney has prettied them up for more recent generations!
ReplyDeleteLife lessons were delivered differently back when there was plague and pox and you died before 40. No one had time for the moral to be hidden in a happy ending! Ha. That's why I appreciate a good retelling. Same life lessons in a more meaningful package. I don't require a happy ending either, but you can't market the story if the wolf wins, the princess has pimples, and the prince is a jerk. ;) I hope you'll stop by my post this month and read my Goldilocks retelling.
ReplyDeleteI totally get where you're coming from that fairy tales (particularly the Disney versions) can be problematic, especially the ones I grew up reading/watching. The princess narrative can be anti-feminist. Despite that, I still love them. And I actually find the darker, early versions to be fascinating and even better sources for inspiration.
ReplyDeleteOh, those fairy tales. I grew up with it. I just don't like the damsel in distress mentality it teaches. I'm glad that the stories now like in Frozen and Moana are more on girl power and inspiring for little girls.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy a good re-telling and as a reader I read all!
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