“She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.”
– Narrator
I promise this is not a Disney Blog. I repeat… This is not a Disney Blog. I just happen to be looking into a lot of Disney stuff lately, so a majority of the upcoming content will involve Disney.
I watched Beauty and the Beast today and cried my eyes out. I vaguely remember any movie I see, but I especially have no recollection of most of the movies I saw as a child. I recommend rewatching movies you watched as a child. The perspective is so much different whenever you watch a movie. You notice different things. You appreciate different aspects of a movie and you’re a different person. In 2014 I went to Disney and saw all the abridged versions of the princess movies. At the time, I was single, in school, and trying to find love. I left the shows exclaiming, ” I can’t believe our parents had us watch these movies” ” What type of example is this for young girls”. I don’t feel the same way watching the movie about 6 years later. My life is a lot different now. I have aged, and I like to think I have matured. I agree that the movie did not align with today’s vision for women and did not reflect the perception of culture today. Nevertheless, that movie was “real talk” and people can’t handle it. The movie depicts a reality for many women. Regardless of what people believe should happen, many women are confronted with “The Beast”. They are forced to be in toxic relationships that the masses indirectly support. However nice those appliances may have been, they’re main concern was that Belle fell in love to set them free. It is the reality of many women that they are stuck with a monster for emotional, physical, spiritual, or financial reasons. Even when Belle left, it seemed like the universe was pulling her back to the monster. FYI… the prince was a monster before he physically transformed into the Beast. Fortunately for Belle, there was a bonding event that brought her closer to the Beast to soften his heart. That doesn’t happen in everyone else’s fairy tale and shouldn’t be the expectation. There’s usually smoke and mirrors, make ups and break ups, but the Beast remains the same. I really liked the movie because Belle stood her ground and didn’t accept maltreatment. I wish more people saw that in the movie. When people acted up, she left and kicked them out. It wasn’t until she got some respect that she allowed herself to open up to the Beast. I am fortunate to have watched the movie again. I think that when I dismissed the movie as outdated, I missed the beauty and humanity in the movie. I look forward to watching the other Disney movies under this new lens.
Yes, watching animated Disney movies are therapeutic and fun. My all time favorite animated Disney movie is “The Lion King”. I recall watching this movie w/ my favorite baby cousin (Year 1995) I was a sophomore in college and was multitasking as she was glued to the 📺😂 On that day, I found it amusing how my little cousin was in aww as she watched the animated animals and she listened attentively ( she still loves animals). At 2 years old, she would call some of my relatives and I “Simba” whenever she felt we made her angry. The 1st time my cousin called me “simba” I was shocked 😂! I said to myself. Wow- she really can decipher the difference between a nice person vs. a mean person as a toddler 🤯 Instantly, I was convinced kids- are indeed spounges. They emulate and absorb everything they see🤩. Over the years, I took another cousin to see “The Lion King” Broadway Play- phenomenal🤩. I also took a male cousin to watch the motion picture of “The Lion King.” Every time, I watched this movie, I realized that my life story can relate to the storyline in so many ways. It’s a great teaching tool like so many other animal movies as well👏🏾. Dr. Jones- Bourne, I clearly comprehend why you love watching animated movies. These movies are written by real people who discovered a creative way to teach/share their life lessons regardless of ones social class, ethnicity or cultural beliefs- this is a powerful analogy of your awareness of your love for Disney…👸🏽😀🏆
Thank you,
U. Watson 😇🙏🏾🙌🏽