Happy Birthday Flynn Rider!

Get ready. Here comes the smolder.

I just realized that today is Zachary Levi's birthday. No, I don't have it written in my calendar or anything creepy like that! But, it is kind of awesome that his birthday is exactly a week after mine. Just sayin.

I thought I'd celebrate since he is kind of the reason why my blog is called Disnerd Adventures. So, here is a collage of some of my favorite screen caps of Flynn Rider. I'm kind of loving the one where Maximus is chomping down on his thigh. Hilarious. 

Happy Birthday Zachary Levi/Flynn Rider! Yes, I know one of you is an actor I will never meet and the other is a fictional character with unusually large forearms and shoulders. But that doesn't stop me from addressing you directly as one person!

Disnographic of the Month - Princesses

As a Disnerd who also happens to be female, I think most people assume that what I love about Disney is the whole princess thing. Doesn't every girl want to be a princess so they can live happily ever after with Prince Charming? Well, as much as I love happy endings, I never grew up wishing I was Snow White, Cinderella or Ariel. Pink has never been my favorite color (it's blue, if you couldn't tell), and I'm not really into huge poofy dresses or tiaras. Don't get me wrong, I'm fairly girly in a lot of ways, but this isn't one of them. I am in no way saying that the princess thing is good or bad; it's just not me.

So, I just thought I would clear that up while also introducing to you the first Disnographic of the Month! (Clever, huh?)

In actuality, only 9 of the 51 films feature a princess character.

I would like to do more Disnographics on this blog but as the writing already takes up quite a bit of time, I think I can only commit to once a month for now. We'll see how it goes. :) Leave a comment if you've got ideas or suggestions for future Disnographics!

#5: Man... was in the forest.

Bambi, 1942
watched September 25, 2011

(c) Disney

Bambi is a quintessential 'coming of age' story--full of life's little adventures. Learning how to walk, making new friends, experiencing the first snowfall, and finding love make for charming vignettes on screen. And, let's face it--you can't really go wrong with adorable baby animals, and lots of them. (I am the biggest sucker for cute baby animals. Really. It's embarrassing.)

While the film floats along in an almost uneventful manner, the most dramatic moments are caused by the one thing that all the forest animals fear most: Man.

The characters in Bambi are animals with very human characteristics: they talk, laugh, and cry, they are curious, shy or proud,and they have deep bonds with one another. In contrast, Man seems to be void of humanness, even appearing monstrous - accentuated by his very absence from any frame of the movie. He is more of an idea than a character. To me this role reversal is the most intriguing aspect of the film.

Through my Gospel lens, it's impossible not to recall the words from Genesis 1 while watching Bambi. When God tells Man to subdue the earth and to rule over all the animals, I am pretty sure he did not mean for us to become the threat that all of creation fears. And so perhaps without meaning to, Bambi becomes a critique on Man's role in the natural world. I feel called to account as I see the animals running for their lives from burning trees. And when Bambi calls out to his mother who has been shot dead by hunters, I am not only sad but also indignant.

What is depicted in Bambi is really the problem of sin. Selfishness, carelessness, pride and ambition lead us to make certain choices, and those choices have consequences not only on ourselves but on creation as well. While we may not necessarily light the flame that starts a forest fire, or pull the trigger that kills an animal, our impact on the earth is still felt by other creatures, just as Man's presence was felt so strongly in Bambi.

I'm not going to jump into a "let's save the earth!" campaign or anything here, but Bambi reminds me that caring for the earth is a very godly, spiritual act. It is part of who we are as humans made in God's image, one of God's very first commands to us. When we take seriously his mandate to steward creation, we worship the name of God, and that is when we are most human.

Disclaimer: this post is not meant to have any anti-hunting agenda. 

Seeing pink (elephants)

I feel compelled to make mention of one particularly strange scene in Dumbo. In efforts to console Dumbo, Timothy suggests he take a drink, not knowing that the pail has been spiked with champagne. What results is one of the strangest pieces of animation I've ever seen.




The DVD featurette explains that this sequence was the studio's effort to try new things in animation. From that perspective, I suppose one could appreciate the animators' ingenuity in imagining things that had never been shown on film before. One of my favorite parts is when the elephant-camel (sounds weird but that's totally what it is!) morphs into a snake and then a belly dancer. Um, what?!

One wonders if this was pure creativity or if the animators were drawing from any certain... ahem... personal experience. Needless to say, this is one of the strangest, and creepiest, scenes in a Disney animated movie. One website ranked it among the top 100 scariest movie scenes of all time!

In my research for this post, I came across a whole bunch of different Pink Elephant-related paraphernalia. One wonders if Dumbo was perhaps the catalyst for making this such a popular theme across a wide variety of products.

Clearly, some people do not realize the origin of this phrase, otherwise they might reconsider using it as a baby shower theme or hair clips for girls.

click for website

Click for website

For some reason though, I think this tshirt and car wash seem to understand the irony a little better.

buy on zazzle (look i'm advertising for free!)

I guess the car wash sign in Seattle is something of a landmark! huh... the things you learn!

Photo by MV Jantzen

Apparently there's also a brand of Pink Elephant cigarettes in France that are vanilla flavored. If I were to ever pick up smoking, which I never intend to, these would be the ones I would try. I mean, vanilla flavored! Doesn't that sound delicious?

 
But perhaps the best reemergence of these Pink Elephants on Parade in popular culture are the techno remixes that have popped up in the past few years. Apparently those people in the 1940s were ahead of their time. While techno is not my favorite genre of music, it's quite amazing how well the animation and the music seem to suit each other. Here are just a couple of dozens I found:

The Elephant in the Room

Well, here we are. Four movies in, and it's now time to talk about the elephant in the room. No, not that one. Well, yes that one, but the other one too.

Many people remember the black crows in Dumbo, distinctly depicted by many Black stereotypes: jive talk, incessant smoking, their clothing style. While the first black voice actors used in a Disney animated film provide voices for most of the crows, the leader of the flock, nicknamed "Jim Crow" during production, was voiced by a white actor. Talk about a double slap in the face.



Controversial as they may be, the crows also happen to have the best musical number in the film ("When I Seen an Elephant Fly" -- see clip). And while at first they are quite skeptical, after some convincing from Timothy, they rally around Dumbo and encourage him to fly. Generally their characters are seen positively in this film. But does that really make up for the obvious stereotypes used here?

Personally, I think the crows bother me less because of another example of racial stereotyping in Dumbo that happens earlier in the film. In "The Song of the Roustabouts," faceless black men are seen setting up the circus tent alongside Dumbo and the other elephants. The lyrics include:

We work all day, we work all night
We never learned to read or write
We’re happy-hearted roustabouts

We don’t know when we get our pay
And when we do, we throw our pay away

We get our pay when children say
With happy hearts, "It’s circus day today"

I wonder if this would have even caught my attention if I hadn't had the subtitles on while watching the movie. (In the featurette on the DVD, there was not one mention of this scene!)

What irks me the most is that the men's faces are not even drawn. They have large, smooth shadowy bodies - making them appear much more similar to the animals they work alongside. Their harsh working conditions and lack of dependable wages have a all-too- familiar echo, and yet they sing about how happy and content they are. What could Disney have been trying to communicate by including this scene in the film? Was it an embarrassing attempt of pretending that it really was okay to treat blacks just like animals? That they in fact enjoyed it? Perhaps they figured that we wouldn't notice or care so much, since the focus of the scene still remains on Dumbo with his mother. With other controversies in Disney films relating to racism resulting in edits, cutting scenes, or flat-out censorship (Song of the South ring a bell?), I wonder why this scene was kept in.

It's likely that we call more attention and critique to racism present in Disney films because of their timelessness. No doubt other films produced in the 1940s portrayed similar stereotypes, but what other movies from that era are still watched as widely as Dumbo today? In this film is preserved some of what we would perhaps like to forget in regard to history's attitude towards race. Still, throughout Disney films, even more current classics, racial stereotyping continues to exist. Could this be related to the types of people who continue to dominate in the animation industry? (We have yet to see a Disney or Pixar movie not directed by a white man. Note: I haven't actually verified that, but I'm pretty sure it's true. Someone feel free to correct me.)

People may proclaim that "Disney is racist" and because of that one should never watch any Disney movies, especially not ones including such overt examples like Dumbo. I disagree. These movies may include controversial and offensive content, but they are not wholly evil. Just looking at the first few movies I've written about, there are still redemptive messages being told. Also, too often we Christians are quick to condemn culture, not taking the time to use it as a teaching moment or an opportunity for dialogue, or to appreciate what value they do possess.

The discussion about racism in Disney films has only begun. Let's be civil, but let's be honest. What are your thoughts about these scenes and characters in Dumbo? Do you think the presence of racial stereotypes should result in choosing not to watch these movies at all? How have you handled this situation with your kids?

#4: The Underdog's Advocate

Dumbo, 1941
watched September 11, 2011

(c) Disney - Dumbo may be hands down the cutest main character of any Disney film. But it's early yet.

So many Disney films, and pretty much every other classic hero's tale, center on a character who starts off with a disadvantage. And there is perhaps no better example than that of Dumbo, whose enormous ears make him the laughingstock of the circus. To make things worse, his mother is locked up for sticking up for her beloved baby, separating Dumbo from the one who loved him most. He is lonely and lost. The "Baby Mine" scene is so heart-wrenching and moving, we forget we are watching silent, animated elephants.

And so it is easy to feel for Dumbo, the ultimate loner, outcast, underdog (underelephant?). Certainly everyone has encountered unwarranted ridicule and rejection at some point in their life. It's a lonely place when it seems like the world is against you.

I wonder though, how many of us relate to Timothy Mouse, who, delightfully, is the sidekick that Jiminy Cricket was not in Pinocchio. While others reject Dumbo, Timothy goes out of his way to befriend him, and then makes it his mission to help Dumbo succeed. Even while Dumbo's attitude is rather defeatist, Timothy is unwaveringly optimistic and persistent. (He's my current favorite Disney mouse - if you're paying any attention to my polls of the week. hehe...)

I love to focus on Dumbo and point out all the things I have in common with him, but how often do I put myself in Timothy's shoes and ask, who are the Dumbos in my life? Who can I embrace and love that the world has rejected? (It's interesting to me that these loyal sidekicks never seem to be at the center of these films. No, they are too humble and too devoted to their best friend/main character to call any attention to themselves. Think Samwise Gamgee.)

While most underdog stories communicate, "Believe in yourself and you can achieve your dreams," I find that the real message of Dumbo relies much more on the actions of his loyal friend Timothy. Without Timothy, Dumbo certainly would have never had the initiative or courage to fly. He achieves success in his circus career and a happy reunion with his mother because someone had the courage to first love and accept him as he was. The ultimate underdog had the ultimate advocate.

We too have the ultimate Advocate, and we also can be that advocate for others.


(More to come. Dumbo has a plethora of interesting scenes and characters, even though at 64 minutes, it is the shortest  of all 51 feature animated films!)

#3: Wordless Stories - Fantasia review, part 3

Night on Bald Mountain, Mussorgsky & Ave Maria, Schubert - a mashup

The last scene I'm choosing to comment on is also the last piece of the film. How interesting that Fantasia should end with two pieces that have religious undertones, in such contrast with one another.

In Night on Bald Mountain, Chernabog (aka Satan) - depicted as a huge batlike demon coming out of the face of a mountain, gathers his demonic followers to worship him. The ordeal unfolds into destruction and darkness, until, seamlessly, the music transitions to Ave Maria by the sound of clear, loud church bells. These bells seem to force the dispersion of  all of the demons, while also leaving Chernabog weakened and unable to continue his 'worship service'.

The following Ave Maria sequence seems a little boring, in fact, compared to the fury of activity on Bald Mountain. But I found this contrast to be quite intriguing. Once again, we see that evil does not have the last say! While the quiet worshippers make their procession to the cathedral, it is clear that the power of good, while subtle, is far greater than that of Satan and his followers. I found myself feeling encouraged (and, okay, slightly sleepy) at this reminder of God's faithfulness in a world where the presence of evil is so real. 

Concluding thoughts about Fantasia

Fantasia was clearly not made for children or even the average moviegoer, necessarily. It makes sense, then, that it did not end up doing well financially when it was released. However, I think there is something very beautiful about the art that was created here. It is such a unique piece of film that highlights the best of animation and the best of classical music. It's rare to have a piece of art say so much and tell such interesting stories without a single word.