Bah!
Forgot to post yesterday so I have to hurry and do it right now. RIGHT NOW!I think people have a fascination for writing and rewriting fairy tales. I'm not quite sure why...but I don't think it has anything to do with laziness. There was the Stinky Cheese Man and other Tales (or some title close to that) because of its spin on old fairy tales everyone knew and loved. I'm not sure if that book included the version of the Three Little Pigs from the Wolf's perspective, but it was a great retelling. Wicked tells the story of the Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch's side. Disney adapts Hans Christian Anderson tales and other random stories. Into the Woods combined about 6 different classic fairytales. And the list goes on.
So why? Are we all just complete suckers for a happy ending? Sure, the world likes talking about how jaded they are and how everything is shot to shit, and that there's no more faith or hope for humanity, but honestly, 99% of people I know would probably prefer a happy ending to a depressing one (in regards to how they feel when it's over). Stories like Requiem for a Dream see only the dark side of humans (in this case, their relentless addictions) and it's all very contemplative and deep, but it doesn't give us warm fuzzies, it doesn't make us love anything and it definitely is not appropriate for children. Sure, fairy tales that their sexual and violent elements, but the fact is, it's nothing but flowers and rainbows by the time the heroes bid farewell to the readers. Optimism is contagious at least for a short period of time. I've been told that I'm a pessimist by nature, but I know that I feel damn good after a Disney movie or triumphant fairy tale-ish novel. Sometimes, I wish there were more critically acclaimed movies with feel-good endings, but I guess that's not what the population wants right now. They want disaster and drama because it's "reality." In a way, they're only reaffirming what they want to believe, even if it's nowhere near the truth. What can you do.
posted by Debbie @ 2:58 PM
1 Comments:
When you're watching a Disney movie, for example, do you ever wonder about what gets to count as a happy ending in them? For example, in Beauty and the Best, Belle starts off wanting "more than this provincial life," but by the end, she's very happy to settle down with the prince in his nearby castle. Does that strike you strange?
Also: have you read many Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales? Like the source tales for many familiar fairy tales, Anderson's rarely have endings that are "happy" in any uncomplicated sense.
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