A Disnerd Birthday Adventure, part 3: Fashion & Fun

Fashion
I was absolutely GIDDY that the vast majority of my party guests showed up in Disney-inspired outfits as requested. Yes, I indicated that it was not optional, but I kind of expected that some people wouldn't take me seriously. But to my delight, most of my friends participated... or maybe I should say...humored me.

First, my fabulous outfit. :) As you might have guessed, I was Flynn Rider! It's not so much Flynn as it is the actor Zachary Levi that I love. But it seemed appropriate to wear this for my birthday! The teal blouse (Old Navy) and skinny jeans (ModCloth) are both new. So, not quite an outfit on a budget, but I decided they were my birthday gift to myself. Everyone's allowed an exception when they're having an epic birthday.

And here are some of the other fabulous outfits! Click on the pictures to view bigger and read captions.

Thanks to Abi for these photos!

Thanks to Allison for these photos!

Not pictured: Carolyn as Cruella deVil & Amy as Goofy.

After the votes came in, Tiana (Rapunzel), Stephanie (Snow White), Elizabeth (Eeyore) and Kylene (Maleficent) went home as reigning Disnerd Fashionistas! Seriously though, I was super impressed by everyone's outfits. From Cassie's snake skin shoes (Jafar) to Laura's fishscale nails (Ariel), everyone did a great job! I hope you had fun because I sure did!

We also had other fun Disney-themed activities to complete the epic awesomeness. A huge shout-out to Kylene and Mimi for organizing!

Matching Game
Mimi led an icebreaker type game where each of us had a sticker on our back, with either a Disney hero/heroine, villain or a sidekick on it. We had to figure out who we were and then find our partner by asking each other yes or no questions. This was a great way for all my guests to meet each other, since I had friends from different areas of my life. Let it be noted that I was the first person to figure out my sticker (Pinocchio) and my partner (Abi - Jiminy Cricket)! I knew exactly who I was when I asked, "Am I human?" and someone answered, "Um...well it depends." :)

I have no idea what face I am making in the picture on the right.

Karaoke!
Later on in the evening I broke out the Disney karaoke. This may have been my favorite part of the night. I found a whole bunch of karaoke videos on YouTube that I compiled into a playlist. I hooked up my laptop to my TV and we had a whole hour of Disney karaoke songs! It was both heartwarming and slightly disturbing that everyone knew all the words to every song. (I knew I wasn't the only one!) Disney songs work well for karaoke because you are allowed to be both dramatic and silly. Plus, most of the songs are within my vocal range.

why do i look so earnest? and yes, that is a Disney Princess microphone (that someone gave me a while back)

I took a couple videos but this is by far my favorite. Drew totally embraced his Gaston-ness in this clip:

Who What Where
Kylene organized our last game, and by then we were down to about a dozen people. This is when things really got crazy (aren't you all wishing you had stayed longer? haha). We played a Disney version of "Who What Where". It's sort of like Pictionary but a little more involved. In each round we had to pick out pieces of paper with a "Who" - all Disney characters, a "What" and a "Where." Then we had to draw that scene. As you might imagine, hilarity ensued. See if you can guess some of these masterpieces (answers at the end of this post):

my drawing

Laura S's drawing

Amy's drawing

Christopher's drawing

All in all, this was probably the best birthday party I have ever had. I throw a good party, if I say so myself. ;) But it wouldn't have been possible without the help of so many friends, and for everyone who came to celebrate with me. I felt incredibly blessed and cared for that night. It was the perfect way to ring in my 30th year and cap off this crazy Disnerd Adventure! Thanks for being a party of my epic day!

I've got at least 2 more posts coming before I say goodbye, so stay tuned!


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Who What Where answers: (1) Aladdin break dancing in a tent (2) Cheshire Cat bowling in Madison (3) Ursula segue-ing on a mountain (4) Cogsworth pole vaulting in a cave

#34: Sanctuary

(c) Disney

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996
watched May 13, 2012

The Hunchback of Notre Dame addresses a theme we haven't seen in a Disney film since Robin Hood. And this time, it is treated with a much more serious tone. Let's face it: human characters bring the subject of injustice much closer to home than a couple of anthropomorphic foxes and bears ever could. Additionally, a religious figure portraying the villain adds a weighty, complex layer of tension in the story. With the grand, yet intimidating Notre Dame in the backdrop, the film narrows in on deep, personal crises experienced by our main characters.

One of the only females in the story, Esmeralda is the least conflicted, acting boldly against Frollo and his corrupt justice system. She is unafraid of consequences because she has nothing to lose. This determined constancy is perhaps the reason why Disney chose her to sing the deeply meaningful theme song, "God Help the Outcasts." Whereas other characters experience more doubt, she clearly feels the chasm between the message of hope the Church supposedly proclaims and the oppression that is actually demonstrated towards her people.

Phoebus' ability to follow orders earns him respect and influence in the community. But when he is asked to do something he knows to be wrong, he must decide if he will take the easy route, or bear the disgrace of rebelling against a corrupt power.

Conversely, despite his good heart, Quasimodo, our main character, has never experienced acceptance. Fear and naiveté are what drive him to remain within Frollo's control. As the wall of lies he has been told crumbles along with Notre Dame herself, Quasimodo struggles to defy the one he called Master, even when others' lives are threatened. 

Finally, Frollo's crisis is a very different kind. The thick mask of righteousness and piety he wears prevents him from admitting to the darkness of lust and pride that dwell in him. In effort to keep his secrets hidden, he uses fake religious fervor as a means of getting what he wants. The result is not only the destruction of the entire city, but also the destruction of his own tormented soul.

Justice is not just a theoretical, ambiguous idea. It pierces the hearts of individual lives. In a world where life is plagued by things that shouldn't be, we encounter these same crises of conscience. We can choose to cling to a false reality, or to believe that something beyond ourselves is worth the risk of taking a stand. While Frollo is incapable of  moving past his own selfish pride, Esmeralda, Phoebus, and Quasimodo count it worthy to give themselves up for something much greater.

In the final scene, Quasimodo cries "Sanctuary!" -- claiming Notre Dame's promise of safety and solace. Our sanctuary, true justice, lies not in an ancient cathedral, or in a pious appearance. It lies in a Person, who was once an outcast, too, and who indeed gave up everything to become our Sanctuary.

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.

#21: Legend has it...

(c) Disney

Robin Hood, 1973
watched January 22, 2012

It's hard to deny: Robin Hood is pretty awesome. He made thievery cool way before Aladdin and Flynn Rider came along (not that thievery is necessarily supposed to be cool. That's another issue entirely). So what is it about this (in)famous outlaw that has motivated the perpetuation of his folklore for hundreds of years?

It should be noted that Disney's version of the legend portrays certain important characters as comedic relief, giving the movie a more lighthearted tone compared to other adaptations. Prince John, a whiny, childish and greedy brat, has something of an inferiority complex, as most second-in-line-to-the-throne types do. The Sheriff of Nottingham, an overweight wolf (at least I think that's what he is--it was hard to tell), speaks with a  drawl reminiscent of those slow-on-the-uptake sheriffs in Westerns (I can't get American Tale: Fievel Goes West out of my head). Did Disney actually dumb these villains down to offset the seriousness of their crimes?

I'm not fooled.

Maybe it's because Robin Hood is such a familiar story, or maybe it's because I'm bent to think this way after some twenty weeks of blogging. But what I see is much bigger than a bratty prince or a silly sheriff bullying cute little forest animals. It's justice that's at stake here. And if there's anything that is a truly ubiquitous ideal, it's that.

Deep down in all of us, there's an innate sense of right and wrong. When the powerful take advantage of the powerless to satisfy their own desires, we're undeniably incensed. And we should be. We've all come into contact with injustice's grip, and we know that this is not the way it was meant to be.

And that is why Robin Hood is so appealing: he's a symbol of justice, fighting for the poor and oppressed. He won't stand idly by while corruption and greed take over his community; he's courageous and action-oriented. It probably doesn't hurt either that he's clever and quick, and an expert marksman. In most adaptations I've seen, he also happens to be a bit of a flirt. He's the guy that all the guys want to be like, and the guy that all the girls have a secret crush on. No wonder Disney decided to portray him as a fox.

While Robin Hood was known as an outlaw, there's another, more significant symbol of justice who fulfilled the law. We're drawn to Robin Hood because in him we see the ultimate Hero of the True Story, the one who stood up to evil and vanquished it forever. And even a watered-down Disney version of Robin Hood can remind us of the hope we have in Him, the one who fully satisfies the whole world's need for justice.

12 Days of Disnerd Christmas - 4th Day

Jungle Book is next on my watch list! The vultures are one of my favorite parts of the movie. Did you know they originally planned to have the vultures voiced by the Beatles? 

12 Days of Disnerd Christmas - 3rd Day

Yup, that's right. I just called Robin Hood handsome. He is a fox, after all. Aladdin and Flynn Rider, well they speak for themselves.