Unless you reside under a rock, or a developing nation, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. With Johnny Depp (his muse), Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway in tow, the movie is guaranteed a number one spot in the box office for at least one weekend, ok fine, two. So it makes perfect sense that brands are trying to cash in. My favorite product lines for Alice related anything so far, OPI and Urban Decay. Excited for the next manicure trip, stay tuned for the twitpic. And yes, I will be in line to see the flick.
I saw Disney’s highly anticipated Princess and the Frog last night. It suffices to saw I was blown away, from the plot, to the music, to the setting.
First, to all the critics…shut up. All the talk of Princess Tiana not being black long enough, is just useless chatter, clouding the bigger picture. Disney managed to put together a forward thinking, neo-feminist tale, honoring its heroine in all her blackness, while serving as an ode to the city of New Orleans.
For the first time in a Disney animated feature, this Princess didn’t need saving, what she did need was to realize her dream, and found her prince on her grueling road to making it come true. With this story line, Disney is giving little girls a new dream, no longer one of being a passive trophy wife (did the prince even know Snow White’s name, or know what Cinderella’s favorite book was?), but of being a power team with ambitions and the will power to become whatever they want to become.
The film, set in New Orleans, brings new light to the rich, and colorful culture of the city. Incorporating jazz, first line, along with several other musical styles with roots New Orleans in the score, highlighting its rich gastronomic heritage, along with the unexplored voodoo culture, both good and frighteningly evil (I will be having nightmares about Dr. Facilier…no joke.)
So yes it did take over 50 years for Disney to bring on a black princess, but I’m glad she came, creating a new dream for generations of young girls to come, gills and all.
