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So there are (at least) two fairy tale art exhibits out there now: one in New Orleans and one in Brooklyn. Since I divide my time between Massachusetts and Minneapolis, I don’t get to go to either of those places, and will blog about them instead. Ah, sweet blogging!
First off, the New Orleans Museum of Art has an exhibit entitled: “Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio,” which runs November 15, 2009 – March 14, 2010.
Of the exhibit, NOMA helpfully says:
Visitors to the exhibition will encounter themed rooms showcasing artwork related to specific animated features. Arranged chronologically by year of release, the rooms will feature, in order: Silly Symphonies, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Frog. Film clips will accompany the artwork to demonstrate how individual sketches and paintings lead to a finished celluloid masterpiece. An adjacent Education Area will highlight Disney’s long association with music and also will serve as a mini library for animation research and storytelling programs.
There’s also a publicity plug for “The Princess and the Frog” underneath, which of course also has artwork displayed. Sigh. Disney. Sometimes I just get tired of getting tired of you.
But that’s not the only fairy tale art exhibit that’s up nowadays!
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As you all are probably aware, Disney’s The Princess and the Frog came out on the 10th. Or the 11th. Or…*not yet,* depending where you are. Here in Nowhere, MA and Nowhere, MN, we have yet to see the film, since the outside world doesn’t come in here often. But, we’ve been reading reviews, and preparing to see it on the 23rd, after which a review will go up.
Here’s the thing: I’m concerned about this film. I means it! Concerned. For one thing, I’m worried about gender and racial stereotyping. Tiana, for example, dreams of success…by owning a restaurant. Restaurant ownership is good. It’s also traditionally feminine: cooking, cleaning and sewing are OK things for women to do. Like Giselle in “Enchanted;” she opened her own business, to be sure, but it was a clothing store. Wassamatter, Disney? Don’t women become doctors, lawyers, actors and candlestick makers anymore?
Also, there’s the racial stereotypes to contend with. I haven’t seen the film, so I can’t judge, but isn’t it interestingthat a film which has been marketed as a breakthrough for having a Black princess actually has her spending most of the movie as a frog? Oh yeah, she gets turned into a frog. When she kisses Prince Naveen (he of the ambiguous ethnicity). Clip below
So what do we make of this? Is it OK that our heroine spends the almost entire time as a frog? Are Mama Odie and Doctor Facilier going to be 2D stereotypes? And what are the critics saying?
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Psychoanalysis is no way of life. We all hope that our patients will finish with us and forget us, and that they will find living itself to be the therapy that makes sense.
- D.W. Winnicott, “The Use of an Object and Relating Through Identifications.”
Ok, so remember that post I did about fairy tales and psychoanalysis a few days ago? Well, I’ve been thinking about the topic some more. A lot more, actually. And I want to revisit the last part of that post, in which I posit that there is a way for people to relate to fairy tales that is not destructive; this way involves relating to fairy tales in a Winnicottian sense. That is to say: fairy tales can be used by individuals as objects.
Yeah, I know. This sounds a little heady to me, too. Also because I’m not a psychoanalysis type of gal. But! I realized today that Joss Whedon’s TV show Dollhouse actually has an episode that would be perrrrrfect for analyzing this phenomenon! It’s called “Briar Rose.”
Successful Use of a Fairy Tale
Ready? ‘Cause this is gonna get pretty fun.
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Sometimes it seems that this blog is dedicated to far too much Disney-stalking and Disney-bashing. Sammy! Take a note! Henceforth, we shall have more scholarly pursuits and less Disney-ness.
But! On to business. Since my (rather prolonged) absence from the blogosphere, much has happened with regards to Rapunzel 2010.
So what do I have for you? Two things: old concept art, and new news.
As far as I can tell, this concept art isn’t crazy new (or it would probably look more along the lines of the Fragonard style stuff that the concept art has led us to expect). But it isn’t as old as some of the stuff we’ve seen. Here’s the first taste:
Why yes, I do like your hair this way.
And here’s some more:
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The lovely folks over at Wonders and Marvels are having a fairy tale week, and want you all to join them! They have a delightful series of posts about fairy tales, and also some *giveaways.* Ah, music to a poor college student’s ears. Giveaways.
One post that I particularly enjoyed was Heidi Anne Heiner’s post (she of SurLaLune fame) about the Five Greatest Fairy Tales you’ve never read. Go check it out! I heartily approve of the list, since one of *my* favorites (The Peasant’s Clever Daughter) is among them.
Heiner’s list is awesome because it showcases tales that go outside the “stereotypical” fairy tale mode. I use “stereotypical” in *scary quotes* because fairy tales are more varied than we give them credit for; it’s their portrayal in mass-media that gives them a super bad rap. Folklore, people! It’s alive and it’s among us!
Don’t you love Freud? Neither do I. Too bad I’ve got to work with him, since I’m writing a paper about fairy tales and psychoanalysis. Hah! How about that?
Here’s the thing: even though I hate to admit it, there’s more to psychoanalysis than finding phallic symbols. If that was all there was, it’d be easy to snap my fingers and dismiss the entire field. “What, that stuff? Useless for fairy-tale scholars. Pass me some of those cookies!”
But it isn’t that simple. Those darn psychoanalysts won’t stop coming up with useful concepts. Especially that Lacan. Darn that man! After the jump, you’ll find some musings I recently presented about fairy tales, psychoanalysis, and what happens when the two meet. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Internet,
Yep! Litscribbles is back, and far more dangerous than ever! A lot has happened at FairyBlog HQ recently. Dae was in Germany, Catie was in France, and the both of them were too busy exploring the Wondrous World of Europe to sit at home in front of their computers. Good for us, sad for this blog…which has consistently maintained a surprisingly high hit-count, considering that we posted zip content this whole time.
However, all that is gonna change.
We’re not promising a flood of updates; after all, we are college students. College students writing theses. Dae is working on one about (what else?) the Brothers Grimm and Homeric Epic. Can a fairy tale collection be a deconstructed epic? Catie is tackling the TV show “Supernatural” and gender issues. Will they ever write a good female character on that show who doesn’t die a horrible death? So yeah…our time is limited. But our hearts are strong. There will be updates, even though they might not be super-frequent. So check your RSS feeds!
Here’s a little something (for those who are interested): Catie’s got an LJ for her thesis project! If you’re a Supernatural fan, mosey on over, read her thoughts, and share your own.
Here’s to our rebirth! Thanks for reading, and tune in soon!
