Originally Posted By tcsnwhite I have no clue why people are coming to conclusions about how they feel about this film- a film that is still in pre-production. Animation has not even begun yet!!! I would not feel so strongly yet, it is just WAY to early for that. And as for the remark that this princess will be less glamorous? There is nothing in all the online rumor about this film that states she will be somehow less than glamorous compared to the other princesses. So it seems that she starts out as a maid? hmmm, how many other disney princesses did too? =) Maddy could go on to be THE most glamorous Disney princesses that there is- who knows at this point. The fact that she is black and seems to fall in love with a prince who is white has nothing to do with glamor. And, we don't even know the story yet (which is being written and developed now). Who says she even falls for this Prince Harry? Too many pre-concieved notions way too early.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORWEN: But it's a free country--in America, anyway, and there's no law against pre-conceived notions. Now--here in Morva--it's a different story. Nobody's allowed to have ANY sort of opinion that doesn't already agree with the Horned King's. I guess that's why us Cauldron girls enjoy expressing whatever pre-conceived notions we might have, here, where it's supposed to be okay. ORDDU: In any event, per-conceived notions are quite common. I've heard certain individuals put down a particular movie just because it has a particular actor or actress in it, whom they don't happen to like, and they'll refuse to go see it for that reason. Perhaps they are missing out on something but that's their choice. In regard to the Frog Princess, we have a pre-conceived opinion against it for the simple reasons we've already stated and don't wish to repeat them over and over. But for those who think they'll enjoy it, anyway, have at it. It's no skin off our wart laden noses.
Originally Posted By tcsnwhite ok, so since it is a free-er country (we are not truly 'free'), I can still say that people are making judgements way to darn early. You can have your opinion Witches, but I would hope that when the film actually comes out 3 or so years from now, that you actually go and see it once before you come to a definitive conclusion.
Originally Posted By BlueOhanaTerror Well of course they're going to see it. Disney fans are different that most folks who prejudge these sorts of things... They go anyway - they generally can't resist. So endure the carping for now... You're going to hear it for a lonnnnnng time.
Originally Posted By basil fan Besides, we've all seen how many changes an animated film can go through between the first announcements and the finished product. The Tarzan Equation <a href="http://www.whatsitsgalore.com/disney/tarzan.html" target="_blank">http://www.whatsitsgalore.com/ disney/tarzan.html</a>
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORWEN: No, we have no intentions of seeing it. We didn't bother seeing CHICKEN LITTLE, either, for the same reason. Whenever Disney decides to go out of their way to distort a fairy tale in that manner, it disgusts us. We're just hoping and pryaing that RAPUNZEL isn't modernized to the point where it loses all the old world charm of the original story. (RAPUNZEL was always a personal favorite of mine and if they destory it just like they're destroying FROG PRINCESS, us Cauldron girls won't bother with it, either.)
Originally Posted By sapphireprima It's always logical to aim a movie to one group of people. :eyeroll:
Originally Posted By KiNOO Witches, your point is so ridiculous from my point of view, i mean if we had internet bakc in the early 90's, would the same blank descriptions such as "redhead rebel mermaid, raggae musician crab, bright yellow fish and transvestite-like squid witch" would excite you about Little Mermaid? And look at the result! So don't bloody judge Frog Princess before seeing the finished product!
Originally Posted By bpinca I heard about Disney producing the Frog Princess and I have to say that I'm truly disappointed. As a mother of an African American 4 year old girl, I don't really want the first princess that Disney creates to be have the slave name of 'Maddy', who is a 'chambermaid' in a story entitled the Frog Princess... I just can't take my daughter to see that. All the other Princesses are Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White -- Heck I would prefer Black Beauty over Maddy in the Frog Princess. Many might say that blacks are being too sensitive and that we should just be happy that there is finally an African American Princess. But as someone previously wrote, this princess will not be seen on the same level as the others. I think the idea that the princess is a singer is wonderful. But I also have a problem that it is interacial relationship. What is wrong with having the first black prince? I guess that's too much to ask for and we all know that it comes down to what will bring in more than just African American viewers. just venting...
Originally Posted By xrayvision ^Honestly, I didn't know "Maddy" was a slave name as I more associated it as an abbreviation for Madaline. On a classic T.V. show called "Moonlighting," Bruce Willis often called his TV female partner "Maddy" (she was upper class White). Regarding Blacks being portrayed as royalty in Disney films, James Earl Jones was the voice of an African Lion King, among other talented Black voices. The fact that the large Black voice-over cast were all portrayed as wild animals, with exception of the main character "Simba" being voiced by a suburban White boy, this concern being voiced by the Black community was rectified with the Broadway version of Lion King, where the human face, African music and dress were more prominantly showcased. In Disney's recent animation productions for television/film, there have been young Black males featured as leading characters...including Fillmore, the Proud Family, Freezone the superhero in in Disney/Pixar's Incredibles, Recess, as well as live and animated character portrayed by Mr. Bassett(?) in Song of the South. In Disney live action, young Black males were castmembers in Mickey Mouse Club from 1970's and later, Disney Channel's Kids Incorporated, the movie Holes (several Black male characters), Power Rangers and Raven's family and best friend in "That's So Raven."
Originally Posted By xrayvision Wait, I just remembered that Disney's Haunted Mansion movie featured a leading Black family where the Black mom was being seduced by Master Gracey (a White male) to join him in the bliss of afterlife matrimony. While some people on these boards were underwhelmed by Murphy's preformance, I don't remember reading heavy concern raised on LP about Master Gracey's attempts to love and marry a woman outside of his own race.
Originally Posted By KiNOO COME ON Cut the CRAP!! Was Cinderella black??? Was Snow White black?? Don't think so! Yet nobody seemed to care about them to take the broom! (i'm not talking about the Brandy TVfilm ) Don't victimize yourself when there's no reason to !
Originally Posted By sapphireprima bpinca I glad to see you agree with me. But we haven't gotten a full plot outline of the movie so it might not be as we expect it now. After thinking about it there have been alot of interracial relationships from Disney so maybe this might not be as quite a shock.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: Well, KiNoo, duckling, it just so happens that my sisters and I WERE somewhat bothered by the treatment of THE LITTLE MERMAID--despite the film's obvious success with the masses. For one thing, we were always bothered by the way Ariel referred to her father as 'Daddy'--which made her story come across as though the time period was more modern than the costumes worn by the characters indicated. Plus, since Hans Christian Anderson wasn't a modern author, we already know that the term 'Daddy' wasn't to be heard way back in his or Ariel's day. ORWEN: At least Belle referred to her father as 'Papa', which was a lot more fitting to the time period of BEAUTY & THE BEAST. ORDDU: It really boils down to a matter of taste. Some people are not bothered by outrageous distortions between original story time periods, versus modern adaptations that take the original themes into an era that is drastically foreign to the orginal tale. We're merely stating that we ARE bothered by it and have no interest in Disney's many recent attempts to modernize fairytales so much. What's so difficult to understand about that? ORWEN: I think a lot is lost in the translation of a story that is modernized to the nth degree. Period pices of fairytales take you to a old fashioned world that's really worth learning about--and savoring over.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros There also aren't many singing mermaids who are willing to give up their voices for a couple days on land without being able to talk, so I see no real problem with the use of the word "Daddy," other than it makes her seem much younger than she is. (I mean, she's old enough to get married, right?)
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I agree Ferrot - I don't see a real problem with Ariel calling her father daddy! It definitely wouldn't be enough to take away from my enjoyment of the movie. All Disney movies are going to be changed to some extent - didn't the Little Mermaid turn into foam in the original? I don't think anyone would argue that Disney should have kept THAT ending. >>I don't really want the first princess that Disney creates to be have the slave name of 'Maddy', who is a 'chambermaid' in a story entitled the Frog Princess...<< I can understand that you might be upset, but I hope you do take your daughter to see this movie when it comes out. I also didn't know "Maddy" was a slave name - I have to say that Madison and Madeline are both EXTREMELY popular here in Australia (I don't know about in the States) and every second little girl I've encountered recently is known as "Maddy". Maybe they were just going for a name with popular appeal that didn't sound too modern (since the story was set in the '20s). As for the Chambermaid aspect, Snow White and Cinderella were both dressed in rags and working hard at the beginning of their stories. Cinderella in particular was definitely treated like a slave by her stepfamily. I'd bet anything that Maddy isn't going to end the movie that way. >> this princess will not be seen on the same level as the others<< I didn't understand this assumption when someone previously said it and I have to say I still don't ... who's to say this princess won't be on the same level as the others? And if she isn't, it will probably be because the set "group" of princesses is already created, not because she's African-American. No, Maddy probably won't be popping up in the Princess range of merchandise alongside the other girls, but I don't think she would no matter what her skin colour was. Also, Jasmine is Arab and she's in every set of princess merchandise I've seen - often looking even more exotic than she did in the actual movie. >>What is wrong with having the first black prince? I guess that's too much to ask for and we all know that it comes down to what will bring in more than just African American viewers<< I actually think an interracial relationship is a more "daring" avenue for Disney to go down here than having an African-American couple. I think if they wanted to play it safe they would have a black prince *and* princess. Although as sapphire pointed out, Disney have portrayed several interracial relationships already (Pocahontas and John Smith, Esmerelda and Phoebus).
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy <I see no real problem with the use of the word "Daddy," other than it makes her seem much younger than she is.> It's not a "young" thing, it just depends on the relationship. My grandfather is the apple of my mom and 2 aunts' eyes, and they all still call him "Daddy". They're welll into their 40s and 50s but they don't sound juvenile saying it, because it "fits" their dynamic. It's kind of like that saying "A son is a son till he takes a wife, a daughter's a daughter all of her life". I really don't like that saying for the relationship limit it implies about fathers and sons, but it does ring true for the implication of many daughter-"Daddy" relationships. And "Daddy" isn't just for girls and mermaids. For example, there are country boys and rednecks who call their dads "Daddy".
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle ^^^^ True ... "Daddy" seemed to fit the relationship Ariel had with her father, because although he was strict, she was his youngest daughter and he obviously doted on her. It's kind of like Veronica in the "Archie" comics called her father daddy, because she was outrageously spoilt - not that Ariel got lots of material things, but she was probably his spoilt little girl in terms of love and affection.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy And she probably saw her dad as being a stoic, strict no-nonsense father with a temper, and calling him "Daddy" was a way for her to get to a soft spot in his heart and melt him a bit. Wow, psychoanalyzing "The Little Mermaid"...threads sure can take interesting turns, LOL.
Originally Posted By basil fan I just think it's cool that Ariel calls her father "Daddy," Belle says "Papa," and Jasmine uses "Father." How dull if all the princesses talked the same way. Donald Duck's Family Tree <a href="http://www.whatsitsgalore.com/disney/donald.html" target="_blank">http://www.whatsitsgalore.com/ disney/donald.html</a>
