Personality Quizes

There are so many personality quizzes for anything you can thing of Disney! From which Disney princess you are, to which Disney song represents you, the options are limitless. Some of these quizzes are more "accurate" than others but I always have a lot of fun taking them. I would be interested to see what kind of algorithm they use to decide what you are. The most recent quiz I took said that my Disney character would be Aladdin!

http://blogs.disney.com/oh-my-disney/2015/06/19/quiz-which-disney-character-are-you-part-1/

Lion King = Hamlet

Several articles I have read about The Lion King give reference to how the film was based off of Shakespeare's Hamlet. After Googling this topic I have found that many people have address this popular theory. In looking at the similarities between the two texts, I was surprised by how many similarities there were between the two. One scene that particularly stuck out to me is when Scar was staring at at skull in his hand, an iconic image from Hamlet (although perhaps Simba was supposed to be the one holding the skull).

I wondered if the writers intended to model their movie on Hamlet and I found two quotes from director Rob Minkoff:

"The similarity to Hamlet was noticed only after we had come up with the story structure and had been working on it for a while."

"Because The Lion King was considered an original story there was always the need to anchor it with something familiar. When we first pitched the revised outline of the movie to Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Peter Schneider and Tom Schumacher, someone in the room announced that Hamlet was similar in its themes and relationships. Everyone responded favorably to the idea that we were doing something Shakespearean and so we continued to look for ways to model our film on that all time classic."

Here is a link to a YouTube clip outlining some of the similarities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYheFyrahng


Citations:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/06/11/article-2339722-1A439A34000005DC-606_634x831.jpg
https://dogstocats.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/lion-king-scar-holding-the-skull.jpg
http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2011/09/special-features-q-with-lion-king-co.html

WALL-E Design Not So Innovative?

I have always loved WALL-E's structure and design features.  However, as I analyzed his design and compared it to other film robots, I found that WALL-E is not very unique or original. Director Andrew Stanton claims that he came up with WALL-E basic figure while at a baseball game wearing binoculars. While WALL-E certainly has a binocular styled face, Stanton's design was likely was influences from many other robotic characters, which look strikingly similar to WALL-E.

R.O.B. from the 1985 Japanese series Gyromite and Stack-Up

Johnny 5 from the 1986 film Short Circuit

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6400000/Wall-E-Wallpaper-wall-e-6412322-2560-1810.jpg

http://www.ssbwiki.com/images/thumb/8/83/R.O.B._SSBB.jpg/250px-R.O.B._SSBB.jpg

http://www.ez-robot.com/uploads/$(KGrHqR,!jYFCO-y1In9BQzmWpLrz!~~60_1-634921495810048828.jpg

Timon and Pumbaa's "Alternative Lifestyle"

In Gael Sweeney’s article, “What Do You Want Me to Do? Dress in Drag and Do the Hula? Timon and Pumbaa’s Alternative Lifestyle Dilemma in The Lion King”, she assert the claim that Timon and Pumbaa are Disney’s first homosexual couple. Some of the reasons I take issue with this assertion are as follows:

• Disney’s “first” gay couple
•  It is one thing to argue that Timon and Pumbaa are a gay couple, but proving that they are the “first” gay couple is a much harder task. To do this, one would have to address every other potentially gay couple in Disney proceeding The Lion King. Sweeny gives no mention to any of these couples.
• Stereotyping
•  Too often, Sweeny uses stereotypes to support her claim that Timon and Pumbaa are gay. Examples include when Sweeny equates flamboyance and a love for theater with gayness. Additionally, Timon and Pumbaa being outcasts can not be used as evidence for them being gay (in this case Simba would be gay too). For Sweeny to use these stereotypes, she at least should have tried to justify why stereotypes can be considered relevant – perhaps an animator could be quoted who discussed how he uses stereotypes to anthropomorphize animated characters.
• Use of word that imply finality or fact
• “certainly the first openly gay animated characters”(130)
•  “obviously a same sex couple”(131)
• “decidedly queer characters”(134)
• By using words that imply absoluteness, Sweeny weakens her argument by distancing herself from her audience who might not find her conclusions ‘obvious’. If instead, Sweeny said “one might interpret…” or “it  is reasonable…” it would be harder to disagree with her claims
• Male relationships vs homosexual relationships
• It is clear that Timon and Pumbaa have a strong bond, but the film never directly suggest that their relationship is anything more than two close pals. In my watching of the film, I considered Timon and Pumbaa as two bros comparable to Spongebob and Patrick, or Wazowski and Sullivan.

I think that it is reasonable to believe that the relationship between Timon and Pumbaa is unusual and “alternative,” but I don’t think there is substantial evidence to claim the Timon and Pumbaa are, “obviously a same-sex couple.”(131) I think that Sweeny’s argument could have been made stronger by using her evidence to suggest that Disney has created a new image for men, much like how Gillam and Wooden discussed Pixar’s “New Man” in their article. 

20 Things You Didn't know about The Lion King - Buzzfeed

In light of having just watched The Lion King, I have searched for many interesting articles and blogs about the film. I found BuzzFeed article "20 Things you didn't know about The Lion King" especially entertaining. Some of facts actually provide relevant insight into the scholarly articles we have read about the film, particularly in the casting of voice actors. Many of the other facts are almost unbelievable, and I will have to do some fact checking on a few of them.

The link to the article:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-lion-king#.qxzjpBBxP

Animating Cuteness

One of my favorite Disney characters is Baymax from Big Hero 6. Baymax is impossible not to love due to his antics and his marshmallow like figure. As we learned in class, Disney animators see roundness as a way of depicting happiness and cuteness, and Baymax is pretty much as round as it gets. It is interesting to consider what physical attributes makes certain animated characters cute or lovable.

This thought reminded me of a video I watched on a science YouTube channel called Vsauce. The video is titled "Why Are Things Cute?", and it provides in interesting discussion of how humans perceive cuteness. It even mentions Mickey Mouse!

Check it out! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0zConOPZ8Y


http://40.media.tumblr.com/eb68193f17b99126abad8853c0b65d44/tumblr_n9fmvhmXux1tyeailo1_500.png

Mulan!

To appease my appalled friends, I watched Mulan for the first time this weekend. It definitely wasn't my favorite Disney film, but I was very entertained, and I am happy I finally watched it. I tried to watch the film from a non analytical perspective, but I couldn't help notice the interesting depiction of the Chinese culture. As part of this culture, there was a lot of references to the gods, prayer, and religion, which seem uncharacteristic for Disney. From what I perceived in a single viewing, the movie seemed to portray the Chinese culture as very oppressive, and Mulan triumphs over the evil that is her culture. I would be interested to read reviews of this movie, and I wonder if anyone more informed than I about the Chinese culture and the movie found it offensive.


http://aimg.disneystore.com/content/ds/skyway/2012/category/full/cp_FWB_Mulan_20120926.jpg

Scar in Hercules?

After what Scar did, this makes me happy.


https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8f/93/7c/8f937c69d3b7ba890bcfb6e3bbf538db.jpg

The Lion King

This is the first time I've watched The Lion King in roughly 10 years, and it was a joy to revisit. Here are some observations I had while watching the movie.

Aimed at all audiences

• Of all the core films we have analyzed thus far in class, this one was the most entertaining for adults and more mature viewers
• Many jokes could only be appreciated by adults
• Sarabi tells Mufasa, "Before sunrise, he's your son"
• Pumbaa being mocked when he describes stars as gas balls billions of miles away
• When Zazu begins singing "It's a small world" Scar begs him to stop
• Timon and Pumbaa speak in double entendres and are loved by an older audience 
• Timon says, "not in front of the kids"
• When chased by Nala, Timon tell Pumbaa, "Why do I always have to save your AHHH!"
• The film contains many layers and themes which go overlooked by younger viewers
• Perhaps the most prevalent theme being the circle of life 

Music

• It will be difficult to get some of these songs out of my head. Also I am definitely getting the full soundtrack on iTunes

Dark

• I was surprised by how dark the film was
• Disney addresses death very directly, and I would imagine this would be hard for many kids to understand
• Scar constantly sings about how he will kill Mufasa, and later about how he will kill Simba even when he is just a boy
• Mufasa's death is very traumatic and was even difficult for me to watch - I would imagine this could be very scarring to some kids

Amanda Putnam "Transgendered Villains in Disney Film"

• While watching the film I paid close attention to the depiction of Scar and whether or not he was portrayed as feminine
• I can see how Putnam could make the argument, but I don't believe Scar was intended to be transgendered or even feminine
• I believe Scar's style is that of someone who is manipulative and a schemer, and his sharp features are probably due to designers wanting to make him seem more evil (following the same logic that Mickey Mouse is round because people love round shapes)

"Dopey's Legacy"

• In our class discussion of intellectual disability it was mentioned that Ed the hyena would have been a good character to look at
• Ed the hyena would have provided a much stronger case for a negative depiction of intellectual disability than any of the characters discussed in the article
• Ed is constantly slobbering with his tongue out of his mouth, he never speaks, and is constantly out of place and confused
• Scar describes Ed in a song, "The lights are not all on upstair"
• There would have been a very strong case for Ed

http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/insidedores/manage/wp-content/uploads/lion-king.jpg
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/lionking/images/8/87/Edleg.png/revision/latest?cb=20111205011504
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20141022201300/parody/images/8/82/Scar-the-lion-king-30869919-834-1026.jpg

Death in the Parks

The Disney theme parks have been responsible for many accidents and even some deaths over their history. Given the size of the theme parks, it should come as no surprise that such tragedies are bound to occur. That being said, accidents at Disney feel particularly sinister, perhaps due to the irony of a disaster happening at such a "safe" and magical place. 

Disney has created an image of perfection, and it prioritizes maintaining this image. Disney does a remarkable job of brushing its accidents under the rug. I was surprised to learn today that a man died (and many more were injured) when Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed in 2003. It amazes me the way Disney is able to distract the public from these tragedies. As the Los Angeles Times described the incident, "Frontierland was quickly sealed off and park employees in coonskin caps politely kept guests from entering the area." This image was unsettling to me, and it seemed to represent how Disney uses its magical charm to create and protect an unrealistic image for itself.

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/sep/06/local/me-disney6

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Big_Thunder_Mountain_Railroad_2.jpg

I just rewatched Pixar's The Incredibles, and I have decided that it my all time favorite Disney film. I am aware that most people are Disney fans, but it still surprises me how easy it is to get people to watch a Disney movie with you. Soon after mentioning that I was going to watch The Incredible, I found myself in the common room watching the movie with many of my friends. Most people were in disbelief that watching The Incredibles would give me extra credit in my writing class.


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