Unhappily Ever After Podcast
Have you ever seen a child dressed up as their favorite Disney princess? Or have you yourself ever been to Disney World where you see tons of different characters? These characters who little girls and boys obsess over are depicted by Disney but originally from the Grimm Brothers stories. The Grimm Brothers wrote their women characters as helpless souls who are in need of a prince and that is just the start. Listen to my podcast if you want the real story of our favorite characters from Disney.
I absolutely loved listening to this podcast, Shannon! I found it really interesting how you told us the real stories of the fairytales we have grown up knowing and loving. I wonder how many stories we know through Disney that aren’t the way they seem? Specifically, I like how you spoke about Cinderella which is arguably the most well known Disney story of all. The emphasis you placed on the violence that was taken out of the story by the Grimm Brothers and Disney was something I never knew about. I also love how you compared other stories from the Victorian Era like Charles Perrault! I would love to hear another podcast where you examine other fairytales that were changed by the Grimm brothers!
ReplyDeleteI loved listening to your podcast! These fairytales are so widely known and adored that it is very interesting to go back and learn the truth about these tales. I especially loved how you mention how most stories involve a man saving a helpless girl. This part of the podcast made me think of a question: did the idea of a man rescuing a helpless girl influence other types of movies as well? (not just fairytale movies) Also I couldn't help but question if Disney has made a lot of progress with these tales or if there is still a lot of change that needs to be made with the female characters? I really enjoyed listening to this episode and I learned so much!
ReplyDeleteReally great podcast, this really made me notice so many patterns that had always been staring me right in the face and yet went under the radar. The comparison between not only the Disney and originals, but different versions of the original Grimm fairy tales really sheds light on the societal standards of the day. I always expect Disney to sanitize things to their standards, but the fact that the Grimm Brothers themselves were doing it is really eye opening. I also really loved the inclusion of the Perrault fairy tale, as it complicates the narrative that these messages were simply a sign of the times. I would love to see what was going on in other French fairy tales at the time. Really great job on this.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed listening to your podcast! I thought the beginning of your podcasts was great; you really captured the audience and brought forth questions about the Grimm fairy tales that made me want to learn more about the topic. I also thought how you applied it to how we see young girls dress up as these characters that originate from the Grimm fairy tales was very powerful and made the audience concerned with why it is important. The points you made about how the Grimm brothers purposely weakened the fairy tales for children as a “tool for socialization” was also very interesting. You brought up something that I had questioned before and that was the speech patterns that are seen constantly in Disney movies. The example of Ariel’s inability to speak is an interesting point because it really does show how the misogyny in these fairy tales can really affect how young girls think about their role in society. Your podcast made me think about the Disney movies that are made now and how different they are from the fairy tales based on the Grimm brothers. Characters like Elsa in Frozen and Moana are powerful female characters and your podcast made me realize how important it is that these movies are made for young girls so they can see that women are powerful. All in all, I think you did a fantastic job on this podcast and it made me have a greater appreciation for how Disney has tried to create narratives that go against the misogyny that derives from the Grimm brothers.
ReplyDeleteI love the introduction of your podcast and how you ask questions in the beginning as a way to outline what you are going to discuss. It also functions as a way to engage the audience, and I found myself immediately focused on your discussion. Your question about how many children we see dressed up as fairytale characters made me think about commodifying fairytales, thus normalizing and watering down their violent and oppressive themes. This thought sparked by your podcast reminded me of an image we saw at the beginning of our fairytale discussion in class. To open up the unit, we looked at an advertisement from the New York Public Library featuring a woman dressed up as Cinderella in a hospital on an IV, demonstrating that the failure to read results in the death of imagination, creativity, and magic. Cinderella is such an important and well-known figure in mainstream culture; using her essence for advertisements is a successful marketing strategy because of her popularity. The commodification of characters from these stories waters down the violent themes allowing fairytales to claim the hearts of young children everywhere, ensuring a never-ending profit. It is only when we take a step back and observe the origins that it becomes clear that society financially benefits off of misogyny, making it even harder to dismantle the patriarchy.
ReplyDeleteI thought this podcast was really well done. I have been fascinated by the Grimm Brothers Fairytales all semester, especially the gender roles in them, so hearing so many different, well articulated ideas about the gender roles at play was honestly a treat. I thought the hook at the beginning was very captivating and set a strong tone that immediately let the reader understand that this was going to be a criticism of the Fairytales. I enjoyed the idea about changing aspects of the stories to appeal to parents, which allowed the stories to have the cultural longevity that lasts to today. This is an idea that had never crossed my mind before, and it’s an idea that creates more depth and gives more insight into why the stories were altered the way they were. Another idea I really appreciated was about how common women being shushed or having extended periods of silence are in the stories. The podcast had a very nice flow to it that made it easy to listen to, but also never felt that it was dragging on or completely off topic.
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