We figured it's time to look back at our childhood Disney classics, and since we're 80's kids, we consumed most Disney's popular renaissance films. We still watch them annually and enjoy them. We have tons of nostalgia for these movies, but as we've matured we have started to notice some discrepancies and some things that pose serious problems for us. This is an exposé of how we watch these films as adults. That does not go to say though that we don't love them anymore, because we do. We love Disney. On to the first one.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
We'll kick off with our thoughts on the characters.
Ariel: It's imperative to say that she was the first proactive princess from Disney, she was the one whose decisions and actions forwarded the story. Right, we have always thought that she was kind of an airhead, even as children. Who falls in love before even talking to the person? Although considering Disney's track record, it doesn't really surprise us. Maybe that's why they made her a teenager... But let's face it, there's no way to make it less ridiculous. Well, then on to her character's arc. Yeah, she learns absolutely nothing and gets everything she wants in the end. Bless her heart, we still love her. We would totally understand why someone might get frustrated with her though.
Triton: If there was a 'worst single dad' award, he'd get it. Okay, did his wife just die or something? Because how can a father of SIX daughters not know how to deal with an angsty, hormonal teenage girl? Plus, the whole "getting angry because my daughter isn't there to worship and sing my praises" thing is a bit iffy. We almost forgot to mention his completely unreasonable fit of rage, which results in destroying Ariel's most precious collection. Chill out! It's only a teenager's crush, have some perspective. In the light of his horrible parenting skills, you sort of understand the thoughtless rebellion of Ariel. Maybe only Triton was meant to develop as a character as in the end he learns to be more tolerant and relaxed. But sill, letting your daughter marry at 16?!? Just no. Even with his faults, he is a much more interesting character than Ariel.
Eric: The generic. There's nothing more to add. We suppose you could have the hots for someone much worse (ie. the tedious prince club from the early Disney trilogy).
Ursula: We love her, she's such great fun to watch. She's got the attitude and the song. An enjoyable villain.
Minor characters (Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle): They were/are our favourites and a big part of why we still like this movie. Eg. the dynamics between them and all the comedy they create work so well.
The story: Simple and entertaining. Perhaps the biggest issue we have with the movie is its ending. The whole "you need to change yourself for a man" and getting married at 16. 16!!! The story isn't very faithful to the original fairytale, but this is the one aspect they decided to keep? We can't deny that we think that those are pretty poisonous things to promote to children. There's nothing wrong with liking boys and thinking about boys (in fact, it's pretty awesome that Ariel works as an empowering figure for those girls), but hell, no girl should be contemplating on getting married at the age of 16. It's fine to think about marriage etc, but actually wanting to get married at 16?? Not healthy. The good thing is, that if parents have taught their kids anything about how to watch movies, they will take it as it is, a movie. We certainly did.
There are scenes we really like, for instance, the market/town scene. The music and imagery work really well, and give you a glimpse of what the relationship actually could be (the one and only time). And then of course the music is the best part. We dare you to not sing along.
We think that sometimes when people discuss children's movies it seems that they would want kids to have "perfect" entertainment. Where all the characters are role models for them and always do the right thing. We think that children are much smarter than adults sometimes give them credit for, and underestimating their abilities to look at things critically will deprive them of experiences that will help them to develop that quality. It's important for kids to realise that it's okay to like problematic media, as long as you recognise the issues. Obviously, kids won't think in those terms, but they are able to spot faults or problems in the story and characters. The main point is, that you shouldn't let media raise your children; that's a job for parents. Lastly, it's weird that Ariel is some kind of a sex-symbol for men, right? 16, people. It's creepy.
