Number two is not featuring a picture of Hercules and Meg. It's got a picture of two kids and the words "Triplets and Us." (I assume that LJ is fucking up again. Or still.)
It's not too surprising that the book series featured a near-omnipotent Mary Poppins, because Travers saw her as the modern embodiment of Athena...and/or an aspect of a mother goddess. Among other things, she goes Christmas shopping with a star (yes, a star from the sky) and dances with constellations and gods one Midsummer's Eve. And yes, she was MUCH primmer and sterner in the books.
I've always wondered - if they wanted a family-friendly Greek myth, why didn't Disney do the story of Perseus, the only real non-jackass in all of Grecian heroism? Sure, Clash of the Titans covered most of that material, but it's not like Disney hasn't trod on well-trodden ground before.
If given some slight tweaking then the story of Psyche and Eros could work as a family friendly story. It's got romance, evil sisters, a wicked queen and a happy ending, which is fairly unsual for Greek mythology.
You're right. You'd think that would have been used more. The only adaptation I can recall seeing of it is "Juliet Dove, Queen of Love", where their quest to reunite was a part of the conflict in present times. (Very good book, btw. ^^)
Oh, yes, the scene where Lampwick is turned into a donkey was the scariest scene from “Pinocchio” for me. Forget Monstro, that scene was what terrified me.
As for the version where the prince rapes Sleeping Beauty while she’s asleep...seriously, people who made this version up, what the heck is wrong with you? Do you really think that it’s romantic for a guy to put the moves on a woman *who doesn’t even know that he’s there?* Who’s not able to see, hear, or even feel him? The same goes for Snow White’s prince too. Sheesh, why not have the princes make out with statues then? Pygmalion tried it and he actually got a real woman for his trouble. I mean, it’s one thing to expect a wife to be obedient and submissive, it’s another to wish that she was comatose.
At least Disney had Snow White and Sleeping Beauty actually meet their princes - albeit briefly - before they were rendered unconscious.
Do you really think that it’s romantic for a guy to put the moves on a woman *who doesn’t even know that he’s there?* Who’s not able to see, hear, or even feel him? The same goes for Snow White’s prince too. Sheesh, why not have the princes make out with statues then? Not to be too cynical, but I suspect those particular fairy tales weren't made up by women. And not by very nice men, either.
Values dissonance accounts for a lot of it, but most fairy tales are also meant to be read for symbolic value and the like. In the case of Sleeping Beauty, a lot of people speculate that her sleeping is meant to represent an extended period of sexual latency. According to Freud's five stages of sexual development, everyone goes through that period. Sleeping Beauty just sticks there for too long, so presumably the encounter with the prince represents her being brought into the world of sexual maturity (children, marriage, etc) through her first sexual encounter.
Which leads to a rather nasty moral of "If you don't get comfortable with sex quickly enough, some guy will rape you into being ready".
All-in-all, I'd rather go with the Disney version. Kissing is much less squicky, the two actually fell in love with each other (five minutes, yes, but there's *something* at least), and the prince actually wanted to rescue Aurora, instead of having a quick screw and leaving her there and forgetting about her.
For some bizarre reason I'm not seeing any Herc and Meg picture. Did you mean the Youtube videos linked?
I've never heard of the version where Sleeping beauty was knocked up in sleep and Rapunzel being all confuzzled by pregnancy :O Where are those scary versions?
(There is also, apparently, a version where Sleeping Beauty wakes up and is so angry about what happened that she *eats* her babies. I have no idea what it's called exactly though, nor where to find it)
(It's set side-by-side with the second edition, which is probably the one you've heard)
Those versions get dragged up a good bit in arguments about darker versions of fairy tales. It's not very surprising that they don't make it into the anthologies and adaptations aimed for children.
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It's not too surprising that the book series featured a near-omnipotent Mary Poppins, because Travers saw her as the modern embodiment of Athena...and/or an aspect of a mother goddess. Among other things, she goes Christmas shopping with a star (yes, a star from the sky) and dances with constellations and gods one Midsummer's Eve. And yes, she was MUCH primmer and sterner in the books.
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And I did not know that about Mary Poppins! I really need to read all of that series. I have the first book, but I know a lot more were written.
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LJ screwing up again?
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Give me a minute. I'll try to find one that actually works.
Edit: I think I've got it now! :D
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As for the version where the prince rapes Sleeping Beauty while she’s asleep...seriously, people who made this version up, what the heck is wrong with you? Do you really think that it’s romantic for a guy to put the moves on a woman *who doesn’t even know that he’s there?* Who’s not able to see, hear, or even feel him? The same goes for Snow White’s prince too. Sheesh, why not have the princes make out with statues then? Pygmalion tried it and he actually got a real woman for his trouble. I mean, it’s one thing to expect a wife to be obedient and submissive, it’s another to wish that she was comatose.
At least Disney had Snow White and Sleeping Beauty actually meet their princes - albeit briefly - before they were rendered unconscious.
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Not to be too cynical, but I suspect those particular fairy tales weren't made up by women. And not by very nice men, either.
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And also made up several hundred years ago, possibly more. And most of them were symbolic or warnings.
Is that... Alexia and Alfred in your icon?
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Which leads to a rather nasty moral of "If you don't get comfortable with sex quickly enough, some guy will rape you into being ready".
All-in-all, I'd rather go with the Disney version. Kissing is much less squicky, the two actually fell in love with each other (five minutes, yes, but there's *something* at least), and the prince actually wanted to rescue Aurora, instead of having a quick screw and leaving her there and forgetting about her.
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I've never heard of the version where Sleeping beauty was knocked up in sleep and Rapunzel being all confuzzled by pregnancy :O Where are those scary versions?
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The version with Sleepy Beauty is called "Sun, Moon, and Talia", and you can read it here: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0410.html#basile
(There is also, apparently, a version where Sleeping Beauty wakes up and is so angry about what happened that she *eats* her babies. I have no idea what it's called exactly though, nor where to find it)
The version with Rapunzel: http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm012a.html
(It's set side-by-side with the second edition, which is probably the one you've heard)
Those versions get dragged up a good bit in arguments about darker versions of fairy tales. It's not very surprising that they don't make it into the anthologies and adaptations aimed for children.
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