isn't it neat.
and he's mad cause she loves a human, and she's mad because she's a teenager searching for independence and autonomy, and he goes on a rampage destroying all of her stuff with his magical scepter...
then ariel is sad and ursula's little eels show up and ariel decides to go with them.
then i realized i'm not really into disney's hero formula. betray everything you've known, gain your independence through the betrayal, everything's rainbows and butterflies in the end. lion king, mulan, cinderella, snow white, sleeping beauty... they're all the same basic plot. and i'm also not into how westernized it all is. yah yah, i'm a westerner, obviously. but really, individuality isn't what life's all about. it's about family, and working together, and the greater good for the greatest amount of people.
back to ariel hooking up with ursula. so my girls, mostly deli, noticed that ariel disobeyed her daddy, and she said, "hey mom. did ariel do a no-no? she's not being obeying, right?" so then we talked about how ariel should have gone back home to her dad and talked to him, and how dad was mad but he still loved her and he needed to say sorry, and ursula gives us yucky feelings and we don't want friends who give us yucky feelings, and how mermaids should marry mermaids and humans should marry humans... and i gotta say, that's the day that "little mermaid" lost it's bedazzlement for me.
now it's not like i'm boycotting disney or anything... i'm sure we'll be popping in "the princess and the frog" in an hour or so. i'm just finding myself to be the ultra-sensitive, borderline paranoid parent i never thought i would be. cause if in 14 years from now deli is falling in love with the "wrong guy" (i mean, erik was quality human, but not good for ariel... you know what i mean??) and we lose our tops over it, i hope she comes back home to us instead of running off to the nearest elvis impersonating dude and tying the knot without so much as a call home.
is anybody out there picking up what i'm putting down?
7 comments:
It's like you read my mind. I must be just as paranoid as you are. I remember these movies as peaches and cream and now I'm wondering if I will show them to my kids.
Seriously Stef my kids don't even watch the first part of Nemo because I'm scared they are going to think loosing mommy means good things to come. You'll be stronger and the world is hard and sad but you'll be better for it. So then they think mommy should die too. I had day when I noticed most disney movies don't have both parents present....Toy Story, Nemo, The little Mermaid, Beauty and the beast (my personal favorite btw)...so what is that teaching kids I wonder?? I freak out about all that stuff ALL the time. I need a perma bubble for all my kids!!!! Even then I wouldn't be happy!! :) Gotta just do the best we can and hope they get it!
i get it. we don't watch caillou or max & ruby over here cause those boys are naughty. and even though i played with them, my girl won't have barbies. she'll have baby dolls. i never even really noticed that all those movies only have one parent. hmm.
It's a sad truth.
Gwenevere points out that Nemo is naughty when he doesn't listen to his Daddy. That's why he is said and misses his Daddy.
ha! totally. ariel is a little punk. ;)
I'm going to be the devil's advocate.
We don't have TV. My kids only watch "movies" (including episodes of whatever on hulu, netflix, whatever) on Fridays. So, understand that I totally get the whole "power of media".
But, just as a general statement, I think that independence isn't always such a bad thing. Yes, I believe in families. And I want my kids to ALWAYS make good choices. However, I want THEM to make those choices. I don't want to make them for them. I want THEM to have a testimony. I don't want them to rely simply on mine. And I want them to be empowered. Not scared. Etc. Etc. Etc.
Of course, I believe there is a "better way" to everything; you don't have to run away from home, be single parented, or hang out with evil friends. to learn the lessons of life. But I want my kids to know that I will always be there for them, and I love them. Even Jesus was not spared from the "hard knocks" of life. I believe that is what strengthens and builds us.
So, with all that said, I hope and pray (to my core!!) that my kids don't run away from home, participate in harmful activities or marry the wrong girl. But it happens! Even in Disney movies. Instead of hiding all of the harsh realities of life, I want to make everything a learning experience. I don't think seeing examples of what NOT to do, is such a bad idea. I would hope that if/when my child comes to a similar cross road in his life, we will have talked about it, and he would know what to do. If I don't take the time to teach in my own home, the world WILL teach him what it wants to.
And that my love IS unconditional. It's never too late to make good choices.
I watched Disney movies. And I think I turned out ok.
LOVE YOU STEPH. You are a GREAT Mom. Your girls are lucky to have you.
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