Stuff that bothers me when I think about it...

[amanuensis1]

Comments

[iambickilometer]

Perhaps she's his grandmother.

[amanuensis1]

But doesn't he call her mama?

[gaaak]

My 7-yr-old cousin's biological mother left, so she calls her grandmother "Mummy", because (in her words), that's who is being her Mummy. And my nieces and nephews call MY mother "Mum" because of an old kiddie confusion thing (If we call her mum, why can't they?)

And to echo gmth...of all the weird ass shit that goes down in this movie....THIS is what bugs you?!?

[amanuensis1]

I'm all for non-traditional parenting; I just don't think Disney was thinking that far ahead. Darnit!

[florahart]

It's the only positive representation of nontraditional family (fostering, stepparenting, whatever) in all of Disneydom?

[pauraque]

You stole what I was going to say.

[amanuensis1]

I like that; I'd like to think it was that complex and not just, "Hmm, we made Mrs. Potts too grandmotherly to have a five-year-old son. Ah, fuggit, no one will notice."

[_hannelore]

reason #545734867363635657645 why you are so awesome.

[son_of_darkness]

Maybe she's actually his grandmother, but his real mother died in childbirth, so she took him on as her own and just never told him? He's still young enough not to have questioned it yet.

My second theory: It's a Disney movie. Menopause doesn't exist. I mean... this is a world in which people spend a good portion of their lives existing as anthropomorphic household objects... ;P

[amanuensis1]

I remember when The Emperor's New Groove came out and it was discussed that this was the first time a pregnant (at least visibly pregnant) woman had been shown in a Disney flick. So your "there is no menopause" explanation could hold true since this is pre-TENG, and not necessarily as progressive. :D

[amanuensis1]

Ah, but she's got that key one under her eye! I'm thinking if Fifi the maid (whatever her name is) is in her late twenties/pushing thirty--because she looks too wordly to be much younger-- Mrs. Potts has got to be doing the fifty-plus thing.

[lotrwariorgodss]

My mom had me when she was 45, and her hair was greying a few years later! Also the stress of being turned into a teapot might have had an effect on her hair color. =)
(I have always wondered about this though...)

[amanuensis1]

Change-of-life babies! Yup, they happen. :D But it's not just the grey hair, it's the subtle "this is how Disney shows age without making people look decrepit and scary" lines she has. Such as by her eyes.

[lotrwariorgodss]

Lol, true! I think I had always assumed when I was little that she was his aunt or grandma or something. Or maybe Chip is one of the servants' illegitimate children and she's raising him 'cause she's the most badass.

[amanuensis1]

(Ooh, lovely icon!) Yeah, she certainly kicks all kinds of butt, she does. In a motherly way!