From time to time TheoFantastique looks at the significance of fairy tale in contemporary culture, and with the continued box office success of Disney’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast, another opportunity presents itself. Readers may enjoy an essay in Jezebel.com titled “‘Beauty and the Beast’ Comes From a Long Line of Stories About Women Hooking Up With Animals” that looks not only at the various versions of that particular story, but also other fairy tales, and how such stories are significant beyond the dominant Disney approach. Jezebel.com writes:
The internet as a giant nostalgia machine has made fairy tales somehow even more of a Disney-dominated monoculture. This is a disaster in the making. If we wholly lock ourselves into the Disney versions of these stories and talk only to the collected works of this enormous corporation rather than the broader history of fairy tales, we impoverish ourselves and foreclose all sorts of weird, interesting, and potentially even radical creative possibilities.
Sad, but true. Big media has tremendous influence on our culture. Fairy tales are just the beginning. Several of my friends have lamented that most college students have no knowledge of classic characters or story concepts such as Robinson Crusoe or Beowulf. Our children’s cultural landmarks have been replaced by simplistic, two dimensional characters in many cases. Fortunately, the internet has indie sites like this to preserve and promote arts that still have depth and fearless character portrayals, iconic works that will stand the test of time. These treasures will always be there for those who seek.
Uh, I just meant to say this is a great site. The keyboard got away from me.
Thanks for your kind words about my site. I like yours as well.