Musings from a tired girl.
I should probably be in bed. I have a million and one things to do tomorrow - not least putting on a performance, and setting the hall up for said performance!
However, I had to make the shopping list (ooh, look we need cheese this week. How surprising! And Thrilling. I think NOT.) and so I searched for something to watch while I make the list. I happened to have had a recent conversation with a boy (*gasp*) extolling the virtues of Disney films. It just so happens that I have about 20 Disney classics and I haven't seen Peter Pan in forever. So I decided to watch it. And I can't help but think that while I sit here being all grown up, and watching my Disney film, that it's interesting how perceptions change.
When I was small it was simple. The Indians and Peter Pan are the good guys. Tinkerbell is slightly suspect, but she's a fairy and magical, and saves the day, so she's a good guy too. But the pirates are the bad guys. Terribly awful bad guys. Now though, I have to wonder why I ever liked the selfish arrogant boy that is Peter Pan and why I didn't see that Captain Hook is not evil, but a seriously 2D character with no development apart from the urge to extract vengeance for his lost hand. OK, there's some dubious stuff when he captures the lost boys to force them to become pirates - but that again is pretty much pirate behaviour. It's called Shanghaiing (a stupid word I must say!) and even people who were considered upright sailors would take part in the process. Of course, Pan redeems himself somewhat when he risks his life in order to save Tink before he goes to save Wendy and the Lost Boys, and he's pretty forgiving to Hook despite Hook trying to kill him so many times. So basically, there aren't any bad guys. Just those who do things for misguided reasons like jealousy and anger.
I do remember actually never disliking Tinkerbell. Despite her betrayal of Peter and the Lost Boys I always remember being her when we played Peter Pan as a child. Inevitably the story would end up with Tinkerbell being captured. Wendy would never be captured. In fact, I don't ever remember there often being a Wendy. If there was, she'd end up acting as a director in our games, rather than a damsel in distress. Tink'd be the distressed girl. I'd inevitably end up fighting the pirates with my Peter Pan, since the pirates generally out numbered us (His little brother and his friends). These days... Well, these days I think I find myself wanting to be Mary Darling. Which unfortunately probably tells me that I'm growing up, not necessarily that I'm ready to be a mother, but that I'm happy to take responsibility for things. *sad face* But she gets to wear a pretty dress...
Thus ends my pathetic musings on the Disney version Peter Pan. (Incidentally I wish my library had a copy of the real Peter Pan, I've never been able to get my hands on a copy, and I'd love to see a non-Disney version. I mean, Disney does have a habit of making everything it makes a film of rather... different.)
Um. Anyway. I must go to bed.
However, I had to make the shopping list (ooh, look we need cheese this week. How surprising! And Thrilling. I think NOT.) and so I searched for something to watch while I make the list. I happened to have had a recent conversation with a boy (*gasp*) extolling the virtues of Disney films. It just so happens that I have about 20 Disney classics and I haven't seen Peter Pan in forever. So I decided to watch it. And I can't help but think that while I sit here being all grown up, and watching my Disney film, that it's interesting how perceptions change.
When I was small it was simple. The Indians and Peter Pan are the good guys. Tinkerbell is slightly suspect, but she's a fairy and magical, and saves the day, so she's a good guy too. But the pirates are the bad guys. Terribly awful bad guys. Now though, I have to wonder why I ever liked the selfish arrogant boy that is Peter Pan and why I didn't see that Captain Hook is not evil, but a seriously 2D character with no development apart from the urge to extract vengeance for his lost hand. OK, there's some dubious stuff when he captures the lost boys to force them to become pirates - but that again is pretty much pirate behaviour. It's called Shanghaiing (a stupid word I must say!) and even people who were considered upright sailors would take part in the process. Of course, Pan redeems himself somewhat when he risks his life in order to save Tink before he goes to save Wendy and the Lost Boys, and he's pretty forgiving to Hook despite Hook trying to kill him so many times. So basically, there aren't any bad guys. Just those who do things for misguided reasons like jealousy and anger.
I do remember actually never disliking Tinkerbell. Despite her betrayal of Peter and the Lost Boys I always remember being her when we played Peter Pan as a child. Inevitably the story would end up with Tinkerbell being captured. Wendy would never be captured. In fact, I don't ever remember there often being a Wendy. If there was, she'd end up acting as a director in our games, rather than a damsel in distress. Tink'd be the distressed girl. I'd inevitably end up fighting the pirates with my Peter Pan, since the pirates generally out numbered us (His little brother and his friends). These days... Well, these days I think I find myself wanting to be Mary Darling. Which unfortunately probably tells me that I'm growing up, not necessarily that I'm ready to be a mother, but that I'm happy to take responsibility for things. *sad face* But she gets to wear a pretty dress...
Thus ends my pathetic musings on the Disney version Peter Pan. (Incidentally I wish my library had a copy of the real Peter Pan, I've never been able to get my hands on a copy, and I'd love to see a non-Disney version. I mean, Disney does have a habit of making everything it makes a film of rather... different.)
Um. Anyway. I must go to bed.