A Disnerd Birthday Adventure, part 2: Food

The Asian in me loves parties that have exorbitant amounts of food. Like so much that you know you'll never finish it and have to force people to take doggie bags home. To me that's the only kind of party worth having. The problem is that whenever I host a party, I get really stressed out that there won't be enough food and then it's not very fun for me.

I didn't want my epic birthday party to be stressful, so I decided to delegate half of the food to friends and assign myself a lot of the easy prep stuff. This worked out really well! I should do this more often.

I realized that when you have every single Disney animated movie to draw from, you can pretty much make whatever you want and somehow give it a Disney spin. I did spend a lot of time brainstorming food ideas though. I even designed food labels for each item. Blame it on the day job.

Here's what we had (warning: you may want to grab a napkin to wipe the drool off your mouth as you read this!):

Savory Foods:

Pumbaa's in a blanket, made by Kylene & Vicki
haha. I used the "SHE'S GONNA EAT ME!" scene for the label. So ironic.

Koda's smoked salmon on crackers (Brother Bear)
This is seriously the easiest finger food to make. All you need is smoked salmon, cream cheese, crackers and fresh dill! No cooking required. :)

Mushu's fire-roasted dumplings
Also very easy, when you buy them frozen. The handmade dumpling days are gone. haha.

Genie, wake up and smell the hummus!
Here's a little random fact: I always thought he said, "Genie, wake up and smell the homeless!" hahaha. I mean, has anyone ever thought about how Aladdin probably smelled really bad?





Chicken Little Waffles not pictured (somehow I forgot to get a shot of these!):
This was fried chicken on homemade waffles drizzled with maple syrup, made by my roommate Amy, who on the day of my party had only been back from a 10 day trip to Africa for less than 24 hours. Seriously, my roommate rocks. We'll leave out the fact that her first batch of waffle batter used powdered sugar instead of flour. To be fair, the container was unlabeled. :D

Corn dip & blue corn chips (also not pictured...oops!), made by Kylene & Vicki ("blue corn [moon]" is a reference to a lyric in "Colors of the Wind")
I only ate a couple bites of this, but it was SO yummy. I'm still thinking about it a week later. Note to self: get recipe!

Non-Disney:

Steak strips on baguette with caramelized onion and blue cheese
Who cares if this isn't Disney. They were amazing. Once again my roommate is awesome! (I suppose we could have called them Home on the Range steak? But seeing as that my life goal is to forget I ever watched that movie, I didn't think it appropriate to make it part of my birthday celebration.)

 
Sweet Foods:

Cinderella's magic pumpkin cookies, made by Courtney
I actually didn't get to eat any at the party but I had one of the leftovers later. They were goood! I think I'm going to have to ask Courtney to make these again. :)

Snow White mini apple pies, made by Tiana
Um, I'm pretty sure there was poison in these because they were to DIE for. And they were apple-shaped! How cute is that? 

Dalmatian puppy chow
There wasn't really anything dalmatian-y about this chow. But it was easy to make, and a great party food.

Tarzan's tropical fruit
Another easy one! I think all parties need to have fruit. Yep, pulling the Asian card again on this one.

Mickey oreo cupcakes, blonde and chocolate, made by Tiana (sorry the picture is blurry!)
You have to have something Mickey-shaped at a Disney party!

Rapunzel's tower, made out of cupcakes, ice cream cones, and a lot of icing, by Tiana
Um, this was ridiculously awesome! I was in awe of how accurately detailed this was, and even more in awe that Tiana managed to get it to my party in one piece. No one wanted to eat it because it was so pretty!








The finale - cake & punch

 
A Disnerd cake
What's a birthday party without a cake? My friend Stephanie likes to decorate cakes, so we worked together on the design, featuring my special 30th Mickey logo, and symbols from the 4 main eras of Disney animation: the sorcerer's hat from Fantasia, Cinderella's slipper, Aladdin's magic lamp, and the sun from Tangled. It was both gorgeous and very Disnerdy. So basically it was perfect. Thank you Stephanie for the most memorable cake I have ever had!

Pink Elephant punch
A Disney-themed birthday party for a 30-year-old needs a little alcohol. I mean really. So I Googled "pink elephant punch" and found this recipe! I'm guessing people liked it because there was hardly any left at the end of the night, even after making a second batch. Dumbo & Timothy would have certainly enjoyed it.



Amy and I were eating leftovers all week. Actually I still have smoked salmon and dumplings I am avoiding eating. Imagine if I had prepared all the food myself! A HUGE thank you to each and every friend who helped with the food. I really could not have had such a great spread without you! 

Next and last Birthday post: fashion & games!

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 5: Love

It's the last of my Renaissance Venn diagrams! I promise. :)

In this final set I focused on love, unquestionably the central theme to almost all Disney movies. But love doesn't necessarily mean romantic love (though 9 out of 10 times it does). I would like to point out the two fathers featured here: Mufasa and King Triton, both of whom give their lives for their child. Mufasa's death is one of the most emotional moments in the entire Renaissance.

It's also notable that Pocahontas shows up the most often, whereas it had very few appearances in the previous sets. This is probably because the love story in Pocahontas is the most overwhelming and dominating (ie: that movie doesn't have much else going on). It's probably not a coincidence that it's my least favorite Renaissance film. I love a good love story, but not when it becomes the whole story, which is kind of Pocahontas' downfall, in my opinion.

So, what did you think? Did I miss any major similarities? What was most surprising/interesting? Leave your comments!

And check out the other sets here:  main characters  |  songs |  villains  |  sidekicks

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 4: Sidekicks

So you wanna be a sidekick.

Sidekickery is a vital job in the Renaissance. Your first order of business is to tell your hero why you're so awesome. You should do this with great panache - song and dance is a must. After you've gotten the gig, your next task is to tell your hero why he's so awesome. (Heroes tend to have identity crises. They're high maintenance like that.) After that, finding some other talent or way to help out is a good idea. If you can fly, you're pretty much set. Otherwise, you should try to work on bossing other sidekicks around. That way you establish some authority. It also helps if you have a great sense of humor, know how to train your hero for battle, or hold a position as the king's right hand man.

If all else fails, being chubby and cute works just fine.

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 3: Villains

It's time to talk about villains! There are actually a lot of similarities between them.

A good (and by good I mean bad) villain is a key component to a quality Disney movie. The Renaissance has some great ones, but also some ehhh ones (namely Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas. Man, does he annoy me).

Observations:

• No Shan-Yu (Mulan)! I suppose he could be considered a 'jealous of the king' villain, sort of. Not quite. He's definitely pretty different from all the others. One of the scariest, that's for sure.
• There's only one appearance by the first Renaissance villain, Ursula, who, not insignificantly, is the only female villain of the series.
• Most frequent appearance: Judge Frollo from Hunchback.  
• I'm not actually sure if Hades is the brother of Zeus. I'm forgetting my Greek mythology at the moment. Anyone want to correct/confirm? 
• My favorite parallel is the hilariously similar way that Frollo and Scar confront the main character (Quasimodo, Simba), atop a high place that's on fire (Notre Dame, Pride Rock) and confess the truth that they killed his parent. Villains always seem to want to confess the truth at the climax of the film as they think they are about to triumph. But it never turns out well because shortly after the confession, the hero has a resurgence of energy and defeats them, and they fall to their demise. 
• I also love how villains can never seem to do anything by themselves. They always have their henchmen do the work, only to get frustrated when they inevitably screw it up. If you were a villain, why would you entrust the most important task (killing your arch nemesis) to your stupid sidekicks? This is highlighted in the satirical Emperor's New Groove, but it actually happens in both The Lion King and Hercules. Seriously. Scar and Hades were smart villains. That was their biggest mistake.

Did I miss any parallels between villains?

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 2: Songs

It's another edition of RenVenns! Music is arguably the Renaissance's greatest achievement. I know I've spent a lot more time playing this music on long car rides (when I can sing along, it helps me stay awake) than I have actually watching the movies.

I already wrote about the types of songs featured in these movies, as exemplified by the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack. So here, I present some of the lyric and content similarities.

There aren't too many patterns here, at least none that are surprising. The most common theme in songs are the main character's search and longing for meaning, fulfillment, love, etc. (every movie except Tarzan has a song about this). Makes sense--these are clearly emotions and thoughts that can only be expressed in song. Wouldn't it be awesome if life were a Disney musical? Whenever I was feeling sad, happy, excited, confused, I could just burst out into a musical number and it'd be exactly what I need.

The design is a bit messy because I added in samples of some of the song lyrics. I know that not everyone knows these songs by heart, as I do. 

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 1: Main Characters

I'd like to say that I noticed similarities between all the Renaissance films after watching them consecutively for these past 3 months. But in reality, I created a highly extensive spreadsheet several years ago. Yes, I just admitted that here in the public blogosphere. I figure after 9 months of Disnerdy antics, I don't have much face left to save.

SO, I thought it was about time to turn that spreadsheet into some fun Disnographics! Here's my first edition of "Renaissance Parallels." This first set of Venn diagrams (should I call them RenVenns? Haha. Wow.) focuses on main characters.

I find it interesting that 5 of these 8 parallels are family-related, two of which have to do with father-child relationships. Also, Tarzan, the latest of the 9* movies I'm comparing, shows up 5 times as well. I suppose by the time they got to Tarzan, they just grabbed stuff from all the previous stories? In any event, you start to see how similar these movies are to each other when you look at them like this.

Coming up: sidekicks, songs, villains and a couple others if I can muster up the time. There are a LOT of parallels!

*Rescuers Down Under will not appear in this Disnographic series. It has so little of the same structure, which is why I've always said it doesn't count as Renaissance.

Renaissance Ranked

Well, folks, it's the end of an era. The Renaissance movies will forever remain the best of the best, in my Disnerd opinion. I'm sad that we're moving on, but I've really enjoyed the past 10 weeks! Hope you have to.

You can expect the blog to calm down a bit, but I hope you will still tune in. I've got some Renaissance Disnographics in the works, and believe it or not, there are still about 15 more movies to review! (Yup. That's about four more months, people.)

In case you are curious, here's how I personally rank the Renaissance films. Do you agree or disagree?

1. tie: Aladdin (review) & The Lion King (review)
Top question I've been asked in the past 9 months of Disnerding? "What's your all-time favorite Disney movie?" These two tie for first. They both seem to have that perfect blend of compelling characters, an engaging story, beautiful animation, and awesome music. Funnily enough they also typically get labeled as "boy" Disney movies. Like I've said before, I've never really been into the whole princess thing.  

3. Beauty & the Beast (review)
Just trailing those 2 is Beauty & the Beast, which also has the same quality elements I listed above. I also love the development of not one but two central characters. Their transformations are interesting and compelling.

4. Mulan (review)
The main reason this isn't higher on the list is because of the music. I do love the songs that are on the soundtrack, but somehow they leave me wanting. They're not as classic or memorable as some of the Menken/Ashman stuff. Otherwise though, it's a pretty awesome Disney movie. And Mulan is a pretty awesome heroine.

5. The Little Mermaid (review)
Despite my critique of the film's story, it's hard to deny that The Little Mermaid was instrumental in kicking off a magical era of animation. The movie's demonstration of creativity and fun outweighs its more annoying aspects. I dare you to watch "Under the Sea" and NOT sing and dance along!

6. Tarzan (review)
The relationships between the characters are what make me love this film. It's also beautifully animated and the sequences when Tarzan is flying/surfing through the jungle are impressive. Also, it's hard not to love a movie starring a muscular man in a loincloth.

7. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (review)
It's probably the darkest of the Renaissance films, but so interesting and unique for that reason. The Latin choral music-inspired score is pretty epic, and Quasimodo is one of the purest heroes ever.

8. Hercules (review)
As has been said, this film doesn't shine quite as brightly as the others, but it's definitely entertaining, heartwarming and fun. And I will always love Hercules' cinnamon bun ears.
 

9. Pocahontas (review)
Ehh. I think I've already said enough about this one.

10. Rescuers Down Under (review)
The only reason this falls after Pocahontas is because I've never counted it as an actual Renaissance film.

Stay tuned for more Renaissance wrap-up stuff: Disnographics, a summary of my fashion updates, and maybe some other stuff if I have time. :)

Disney Fathers - Two Types

Have you ever noticed there are really only two types of Disney fathers?

1) Strong, powerful, serious. Not particularly verbose, often has anger issues. Angular face, broad-shouldered. Almost always a king or leader. Undeniably good, but priorities to stay in control or to protect their family/kingdom can be their downfall.

Examples:
King Triton, Mufasa, Chief Powhatan, Zeus, Fa Zhou, Kerchak

2)  Short, fat, round, bumbling. Overly talkative and often mumbly. Comes off as silly and harmless, yet lovable. Hard to take seriously.

Examples:
Maurice, Sultan, Archimedes Porter (Jane's dad)

I've always been fascinated by this. Why are there only two kinds of fathers depicted in Disney movies? What does this communicate about the image of a father or a man?

Do these father images resonate with your experience, either as a father yourself or the fathers in your life?


Happy Father's Day! 

To my dad, who took me to my first Disney movie experience when I was 10. I have a vivid memory of him not falling asleep, as he was prone to do during most movies, but laughing and smiling along with my siblings and me. I guess you could say he's a Disnerd too (although recently I had to explain this term to him. That was a hilarious conversation.)

Disney Mothers

Disney animated films have a lot of missing mothers (Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, for example), and also many evil stepmothers (Tangled, Cinderella, Snow White). Why? I do not know.  I'm sure someone more intelligent and thoughtful than me has a theory. If you've got one please feel free to leave it in the comments! (I've already said some stuff about orphans, a related subject.)

But, since it is Mother's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to supply you with a list of Disney mothers that are present (for at least part of the story) and who demonstrate an immeasurable kind of love, a mother's love.

Mrs. Jumbo: She gets locked up in the "crazy" cage simply for trying to protect her son Dumbo. "Baby Mine" is by far the most memorable mother/child moment in any Disney movie.

Bambi's mother: Here's another example of a mother who gives her life to protect her child. We never see it on screen, but her death has a remarkable impact on viewers of the film.

Fairy Godmother: She's not an actual mother, but she is kind, warm and caring in all the ways Cinderella's stepmother is not. While her bibbidee bobbidee magic is helpful, it's her gentle, loving nature that makes us love her.

Perdita: Anyone who gives birth to fifteen puppies at once deserves to be on a list like this! Not to mention the lengths she goes to in order to rescue her lost puppies. I'm assuming she also adopts the others that come to live with them in the end, totaling 101 children in all. Wow.

Sarabi: Showing great strength after losing both her husband and son on the same day, she does her best to lead the lionesses under Scar's evil regime, and stands beside Simba when he returns to challenge his uncle.

Quasimodo's mother: She's only on screen for the opening song, but her sacrificial love for her deformed child leaves a lasting impression.

Fa Li & Grandma Fa: The only example of multiple generations of mothers, these women deeply care about Mulan, even if they're unsure about how to handle her. Grandma Fa steals the show, proving that old traditional Chinese mothers can be quite funny.

Kala: Perhaps Disney's most well-developed mother character, we see in her a courageous resolve as she adopts Tarzan after losing her own child. She helps him to understand that he belongs, no matter what anyone else says or where life takes him.


Who would you want for your mother? Vote in the poll.

Have a Disnerd Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Leading Lions, and Octopus

Leadership is on my mind these days because I recently attended the Asian Pacific Islander Women's Leadership Conference (aka Conference with the World's Longest Title EVER) in California. I began a post but it turned out to be kind of serious and personal. And we can't have any of that here! So I moved it over to my other blog. I'll finish that one later.

So I'm going to write about Disney villains instead. Cuz, you know, that's the next place my mind goes when I think about leadership. Naturally.

The majority of Disney villains are motivated by power. They long to call the shots, to rule over other people and things. They want their preferences to take priority over everyone else's.

In other words, they want to lead.

I have a feeling Ursula, Jafar or Scar would never say it that way.

I just noticed that they're all smiling. haha.

These villains are not unlike us. The motivation to lead is rooted in how people were made. We were created to rule over every living creature and to have dominion over the seas, skies and land. Inherent in who we are is the desire as well as ability to influence the world we live in. Our propensity for leadership is good.

But it's also our greatest downfall. The fall of humankind came as a result of desiring to "be like God"--to have a  knowledge and power that only God can or should possess. Throughout history, the worst kind of evil happens when leaders abuse their power.

And so, Disney villains are really just human. (Even the ones that are lion and octopus.) They embody the extreme of what exists in all of us: the ambition to gain power, and the sinful tendency to abuse it.

While Ursula and Jafar both cause much destruction in their brief rise to power, perhaps the most evident example of corrupt leadership is Scar's reign as king of Pride Rock. His partnership with the hyenas leads to starving animals and a ravaged land. Even when all the herds move on, he refuses to admit there's nothing left. His pride and stubbornness leave him sitting in a cave, hungry and miserable. I highly doubt that's what he had in mind when he killed his brother and sent his nephew away.

Most of us will never go to such extremes to attain a position of influence. But we're not exempt from the damage that can occur when we think only of ourselves or what we can get out of being a leader. Maybe we long to prove our worth, either to ourselves or to parents, friends, or colleagues. Perhaps we like receiving the attention or praise that comes with our role. In some situations our ambition is motivated by financial reward.

I take these Disney villains as a warning to check my motivation for leadership. As I've had time and space to explore my desire to lead, I find that the longing for glory can easily outweigh my desire to do good and help others. It's in these moments when I'm thankful that God, in his grace, can still use me. Otherwise, I wouldn't be too far off from having a starved Pride Rock on my hands.

Fashion Update #5: The Lion King

"Is that a challenge?!" Yes! I knew The Lion King would be difficult. Actually I had a couple of other outfits planned but due to the personal issues I had to attend to, I couldn't make them happen. So, here are the four that I did wear that week!

Simba: The only thing I had in the right color for Simba's orange-yellow fur was this old tshirt/hoodie. It's not my favorite thing to wear, but I had to do an outfit for the main character!

Nala: I don't have anything that's the exact color of Nala's fur, so my khaki blazer and tan shoes were as close as I could get. The green earrings help since one of Nala's distinguishing features is her green eyes.

Rafiki: No, I did not have anything blue on my butt.

Zazu: Do the earrings look familiar? :) Apparently this interpretation was a little too far-fetched for my fashionista friend Grete, whose complaints I've mentioned before. But, oh well. I tried.

#32: Look Harder

The Lion King, 1994
watched April 15, 2012

If Aladdin was the film that began my love for Disney, then The Lion King cemented it. This movie is everything I love best about Disney: artistic, funny, scary, sad, and memorable. And to top it off there are adorable baby animals. (If you didn't "awww" at the first glimpse of baby Simba, I'm not sure we can be friends.)

Rather than fully adapting a single story, The Lion King combines various narratives found in literature and history. It is a form of storytelling unique to Disney that succeeded, as The Lion King remains the highest grossing Disney animated feature both in the box office and home video/DVD sales.

First, LK bears a strong resemblance to another Disney classic: a coming of age tale featuring a young prince, whose birth to the monarch of the forest (pride land) is witnessed by the entire animal kingdom. After losing a parent at a young age, he grows up and learns the ways of the world, joined by his two buddies and childhood sweetheart.

In addition, the film borrows from Shakespeare's Hamlet (an acknowledged source): A jealous brother kills the king and drives away the heir to assume power. The king's ghost later visits his heir.

Simba also reminds me of one of my favorite Bible characters, Joseph. As a naive child, he can't wait to possess the power that he knows will be his some day. But a jealous relative sends him to a place where he is "good as dead," and he spends years wondering if he will ever become who he was meant to be.

There's one more parallel. We don't fully recognize it until we hear the voice of Mufasa coming from the sky: "You are my son, and the one true king." Sound familiar?

The Lion King stands as Disney's most successful animated movie partially due to its loud echo of the Ultimate Story, the story that is the very heartbeat of humanity. Simba symbolizes the "chosen one," destined to be king and to carry on the "circle of life" that his father set in place. He's the one on whom all hope rests.

While Simba is a shadow of the One who restored our world, he also holds a mirror to those of us who believe in Him. Because unlike the Son of God, the son of Mufasa is reluctant and afraid. For years, Simba hides, reinventing himself as a carefree, bug-eating friend of warthogs and meerkats. But he never completely evades his true purpose.

And doesn't this sound familiar too? Our calling to live for Him seems a daunting task. We face doubt, fear and remorse over past mistakes. We try to escape or go the easy route.

During Simba's identity crisis, a wise baboon helps him look harder. And what he sees is power and courage, coming from the one who lives in him. As he embraces this indwelt life source, triumph is achieved. The enemy is defeated. A desecrated kingdom is restored.

Likewise, in us lives the one whose power makes our weakness strong, and whose sovereignty makes our failures succeed. When we look harder, we see him, and we triumph.

Disnographic of the Month - Cats

Although Disney started with a mouse, believe it or not there are quite a lot of cats throughout the films. Here are some thoughts about my findings:

• I counted Si & Am as one cat, since they are, after all, Siamese twins. Also I didn't want to skew the data.
• Surprisingly, the number of good cats far outweighs the number of bad ones. I suppose cats typically get a bad reputation, which is why the bad ones may be more memorable. Make sure to vote for your 'favorite' bad cat in the poll!
• When categorizing these cats into wild and domestic, I just couldn't figure out the Cheshire Cat. Any opinions?
• I'm pretty stoked about the way I presented this info. In case you needed more proof that I truly am a Disnerd.

Top 10 obscure Disney baby names (GIRLS)

This list comes from one of those ridiculous, yet genius, lunch conversations at work. Two of my coworkers, Matt and Sarah, are having a baby girl later this year. We've all been making guesses and suggestions as to what name this baby should have. I'd like to give my input on some lesser known Disney characters who would make great namesakes for the baby.

1. Cleo, goldfish in Pinocchio
Why it works: It's actually a cute name. Plus with the last name Kirk, it'll be alliterative. 
Suggested nicknames - Clee, O, fishy

2. Katrina von Tassel, love interest in the Ichabod Crane story
Why it works: Well, if you really want her to sound Dutch, this is the name for you. It must have the "von Tassel" in there though... perhaps as a middle name?
Suggested nicknames: Kat, Trina, Tassel, Tassy

3. Adelaide, owner of Duchess & kittens in The Aristocats
Why it works: These southern-sounding old lady names are quite trendy these days.
Suggested nicknames: Addy, Ad, Adsy, Lady

4. Eilonwy, princess in The Black Cauldron
Why it works: Forget Ariel, Tiana or Jasmine. This princess packs a punch. No one will ever be able to pronounce her name. But once they figure it out, they won't forget it!
Suggested nicknames: Ei (pronounced eye), Lon, Lonny, "A Long Way"

5. Hen Wen, magical pig in The Black Cauldron
Why it works: Why wouldn't you want to name your kid after a magical pig? 
Suggested nicknames: Hen, Henny, pig

6. Marahute, giant golden eagle in The Rescuers Down Under
Why it works: It's definitely unique, and quite fun to say aloud. Try it. (pronounced Mara-HOO-tay)
Suggested nicknames: Mara, Mar, Mary, Marie, Hute, Hutie

7. Sarabi, Simba's mother in The Lion King
Why it works: when you're cross with her, you can yell, "SaRAA-BEEEE!" like Scar does in one of the last scenes. Also, it'd be like Sarah the 2nd, Sarah B. Get it?
Suggested nicknames: Sara (pronounced Suh-RAH), Robbie, Bee, Bee-Bee

8. Nakoma, Pocahontas' best (human) friend
Why it works: Hello, multiethnicity!
Suggested nicknames: Kom, Koms, Komie, Koma?

9. Laverne, one of Quasimodo's gargoyle friends, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Why it works: SURELY, this is a classic name.
Suggested nicknames: Lav, Lav-Lav, Verne, Vernie.

10. Arista, Attina, Adella, Aquata, Andrina, OR Alana, Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid
Why it works: "A" names are on their way back in, I'm sure of it.
Suggested nicknames: you could call any of these A, or, maybe "that other sister." Perhaps this would work better for a 2nd child. Clearly Aquata is the most timeless of these choices. Quats, Quattie?

Any requests for a boy edition? Anyone you know expecting a boy?

Mu-Lin

How do we know Linsanity has truly arrived? The fact that even Disnerds are getting in on it! I saw the two examples below, Lin-derella and the Lin King, and was shocked that no one had done Mu-Lin yet! So at the risk of getting some flack for whatever race or gender implications this may have, here you go.

This week, I am a self-professing DisLINerd! Maybe I'll do Ala-Lin and Hercu-Lin next? Tarz-Lin, anyone?

thanks to Glenn for the screencap. you know i'm not quite sure why it's a fan's face here. i suppose because she's asian it's supposed to represent Jeremy Lin? hm.

i don't even recognize the faces on Rafiki, Mufasa, Sarabi and Scar. but it's awesome nonetheless.

Happy Year of the Mushu!

Chinese (Lunar) New Year was never a big celebration in my family, probably because of our Filipino cultural heritage (where January 1st is a much bigger deal). But I thought it was fitting to at least celebrate the Year of the Dragon in Disnerd style, because Mushu the dragon comes from the only Disney film that takes place in China! How fortuitous!

In case you can't see the characters in the zodiac I created very well, here's the list:

• Dragon: Mushu, Mulan
• Snake: Kaa, The Jungle Book
• Horse: Maximus, Tangled
• Sheep/Goat: Djali, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (there aren't any sheep in the Disney films, unless you count the time that Genie transforms into a sheep and tells Aladdin, "Alright you baaaaad boy, but no more freebies!"
• Monkey: Abu, Aladdin
• Rooster: Panchos Pistoles, The Three Caballeros
• Dog: Bolt, Bolt
• Pig: Pumbaa, The Lion King
• Rat: Mickey Mouse! (Mickey's not a rat but he's way cuter.)
• Ox: Maggie, Home on the Range (technically a cow, there are no male ox in any of the Disney movies)
• Tiger: Rajah, Aladdin
• Rabbit: Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh

If you're unfamiliar with Chinese zodiac, check here to find out what year you are. I'm year of the dog.

Happy New Year! Xin ni kuai lok! (This is how you would say it in my dialect, Fukien.)

#19: Living in the tension

(c) Disney

The Jungle Book, 1967
watched January 8, 2012

There have been pitiful, passive and uninteresting main characters in the Disney films thus far, but this was the first time I actually felt kind of annoyed with one. To be fair, Mowgli is a lonely orphan, literally raised by wolves, and then told he has to leave. So I suppose he has some reason to sulk. But I found his whining and moping quite tiresome. Perhaps I was just in an unsympathetic mood. (Note that he is also not wearing pants, just a red diaper thing. I see a theme emerging here.)

The real star of The Jungle Book, in my opinion, is actually Mowgli's big bear friend, Baloo. His larger-than-life personality seems to outweigh even his hefty physical presence. He reminds us of those people we know who live life to the fullest. We are all drawn to people like Baloo; we can't help but be charmed by their easy-going and warm nature. (If I had to guess, Baloo's Myers-Briggs personality type would probably be ENFP, the exact opposite of mine, hah.) For Mowgli, Baloo's friendship is the only thing that seems to bring cheer to his otherwise self-pitying state of mind.

Furthermore, Baloo's "Bare Necessities" mantra is irresistible. The film's most famous song preaches that one must "forget about your worries and your strife" and enjoy life as it is. (It's the pre-Lion King "Hakuna Matata," basically, complete with a sampling of the insects under the rocks.) As I find myself humming the catchy tune, I can't help but start to think, yeah, life should be simple. Why shouldn't I just forget about my worries and live life at ease? Wouldn't that solve all my problems?


But the façade shatters abruptly when Bagheera, the wise panther, informs Baloo that Mowgli needs to go to the 'man village.' If he stayed in the jungle, he would be much more vulnerable to the man-hating tiger, Shere Khan. Baloo realizes that he can no longer let Mowgli live with him as a bear, and he must tell him the hard truth. Suddenly, life is not so simple; there is pain and sadness. The desire to just be happy and content conflicts with the reality that danger and hatred lurk in the jungle's shadows.

While Mowgli reacts to this truth by running, moping and whining, Baloo is surprisingly brave and honest. He pursues Mowgli and protects him from harm, even coming close to death. Baloo's relationship with the 'man-cub' Mowgli provides the audience a glimpse into the tension in which we all live. There is value in approaching life like Baloo -- not becoming overburdened by things over which we have no control. However, it's naïve to think that no bad thing can touch us, that we are immune to the reality of evil and pain.

Baloo may not have been completely transformed by the time we see him dance off into the sunset at the close of the film, but he has experienced a significant moment of growth. He hasn't lost his joie de vivre, but he now knows what it is like to live in the tension.