Hating on the Little Mermaid. Not hating, really, but the whole idea of a young beautiful spoil princess wanting adventure and falling in love (like the Disney version of the little mermaid, and almost all the other princesses) is a bit ridiculous, and also very very improbable.
To start with, the little mermaid, Ariel, is a mermaid princess and is the youngest of 7, with a loving father and an obsession with land and human objects. In the movie, as the youngest princess she does not have much to do but perhaps rehearse her songs for performances. She has plenty of freedom and her hobby is to go to dangerous places to scavenge wrecked sunken ships for human items to add to her collection, which is already big enough to fit a whole cave.
Ok, so she is young and has time and is attracted by the unknown land world objects.
Then when the father, King Triton, finds out, he is furious. Now, as an adult I do understand his fury, first, anything land related was forbidden, out of fear and anger for the danger it possesses for merfolk. Second, he is also afraid for the safety of his daughter, who, in search for this items, constantly puts herself, and her friend in danger. Third, she is just constantly and deliberately disobeying straight orders. Fourth, as a princess she is given herself and her father a bad image, how can he rule if his own daughter disobeys the rules set to protect her.
Insert break here- a while ago a saw an article that described the life of princesses if there was a mother figure, or a more dominant mother figure in their lives and it nailed the little mermaid.
You see, if Ariel’s mother was alive, Ariel would probably be more interested in singing and in other merpeople and mother would be able to calmly persuade Ariel into just believing it was a crush and not the love of her life.
Well, Ariel as usual disobeys Triton and goes to the surface as a ship and fireworks appear. She falls in love with cute, prince (of course it had to be a prince) Eric. Storm comes, he is almost drowning and she saves him (a mix of Xenophilia and Nightingale Syndrome). Triton finds out about her obsession and love for human things and Eric and loses it. BOMB there goes the cave and all its items. A bit drastic, but hey is Disney and is a male figure dealing with his baby daughter having a crush with being who fall in the category of enemies.
Now, Ariel’s reaction, tears, of course tears and drama. Perfect setting to introduce bad choices in the form of the Villain’s (Ursula) henchmen, or hench-eels more like.
In an act of stupidity, courage, revenge and rebellion, she bets her voice and modifies her body for a chance to hopefully make the prince, whom she doesn't know at all, fall in love with her and live happily ever after, in a strange land.
Now some of the reasons why this is stupid:
Be what it may, she changed her tail and voice for legs. Luckily for her, and because it is a Disney princess movie for kids, she is found by none other than her handsome, well manner, single (and willing) prince Eric, who takes her to his castle and treats her like the princess she is. She loved it of course, but what if, what if he left her with the servants? What if instead of being served by others she had to served the others? Don’t think she would’ve liked land life. Truthfully if she would’ve been found by any other person, she would’ve been made fun of because she would’ve been considered deficient in many ways, she didn’t have a voice and didn’t know the culture, how to act, what were the essential things needed for day to day life, and what were they for. Basically she was a useless, mute, probably considered dumb, young woman. In the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, she suffers greatly and she wanted to be a human to have a soul, the deal was to have a man fall in love with her but not because she fell madly in love with him for saving him. Also, every time she was standing she suffer terrible pain, and in the end the guy married someone else. That is a real story on what it is like to change your whole life with a witch's deal for something that is most likely not going to happen.
Now the Disney version of course cannot show, at least not completely, and not at that time, the cruel realities of life.
By the way, did you notice how Prince Eric was obsessed with the person who saved him? He wanted the hero, had a hero’s obsession and was going to ask Ariel to be together only because he could not find the woman who saved him. Thought everyone basically told him she was better than nothing. Yes, they did like each other and had a great time but his face and the way he saw her when he decided he was going to stop looking (more like waiting) was more a face of someone settling. Also, by the end when she gets her voice back and reveals herself to be the mysterious hero woman, he is totally in love with her because of that.
In conclusion, Disneyfication makes everything be hopeful and wow what do you know it does happen. I mean is not bad to have hopes and dreams but truly, every decision she made could’ve gone horribly, horribly wrong.
To start with, the little mermaid, Ariel, is a mermaid princess and is the youngest of 7, with a loving father and an obsession with land and human objects. In the movie, as the youngest princess she does not have much to do but perhaps rehearse her songs for performances. She has plenty of freedom and her hobby is to go to dangerous places to scavenge wrecked sunken ships for human items to add to her collection, which is already big enough to fit a whole cave.
Ok, so she is young and has time and is attracted by the unknown land world objects.
Then when the father, King Triton, finds out, he is furious. Now, as an adult I do understand his fury, first, anything land related was forbidden, out of fear and anger for the danger it possesses for merfolk. Second, he is also afraid for the safety of his daughter, who, in search for this items, constantly puts herself, and her friend in danger. Third, she is just constantly and deliberately disobeying straight orders. Fourth, as a princess she is given herself and her father a bad image, how can he rule if his own daughter disobeys the rules set to protect her.
Insert break here- a while ago a saw an article that described the life of princesses if there was a mother figure, or a more dominant mother figure in their lives and it nailed the little mermaid.
You see, if Ariel’s mother was alive, Ariel would probably be more interested in singing and in other merpeople and mother would be able to calmly persuade Ariel into just believing it was a crush and not the love of her life.
Well, Ariel as usual disobeys Triton and goes to the surface as a ship and fireworks appear. She falls in love with cute, prince (of course it had to be a prince) Eric. Storm comes, he is almost drowning and she saves him (a mix of Xenophilia and Nightingale Syndrome). Triton finds out about her obsession and love for human things and Eric and loses it. BOMB there goes the cave and all its items. A bit drastic, but hey is Disney and is a male figure dealing with his baby daughter having a crush with being who fall in the category of enemies.
Now, Ariel’s reaction, tears, of course tears and drama. Perfect setting to introduce bad choices in the form of the Villain’s (Ursula) henchmen, or hench-eels more like.
In an act of stupidity, courage, revenge and rebellion, she bets her voice and modifies her body for a chance to hopefully make the prince, whom she doesn't know at all, fall in love with her and live happily ever after, in a strange land.
Now some of the reasons why this is stupid:
- She doesn’t know Ursula
- Her friends tried to persuade her from doing something stupid, she ignored them
- It is a bet or gamble
- There is a time limit
- She is losing her voice
- The contract is only for legs, not to be turn back if wanted.
- She is going because she believes herself in love with a guy she doesn’t even know. She only saw him, and saved him. Doesn’t know who he is, or his family, doesn't know how he is, his behavior, character. What if he was already married or in love with someone else? What if he was a drunk with bad manners and bad character?
- She doesn't know how life is on the land, she thinks, based on her song, that is easier because you can stay in the sun all day, but she is not considering the daily reality of actual people who need to wake up early and sleep late because they need to work to sustain themselves, also, not thinking of the list of chores that need to be done in that age, specially by women not in nobility.
- Also, I don’t think she read the contract, remember the small letters? No one reads the small letter for terms and conditions.
Be what it may, she changed her tail and voice for legs. Luckily for her, and because it is a Disney princess movie for kids, she is found by none other than her handsome, well manner, single (and willing) prince Eric, who takes her to his castle and treats her like the princess she is. She loved it of course, but what if, what if he left her with the servants? What if instead of being served by others she had to served the others? Don’t think she would’ve liked land life. Truthfully if she would’ve been found by any other person, she would’ve been made fun of because she would’ve been considered deficient in many ways, she didn’t have a voice and didn’t know the culture, how to act, what were the essential things needed for day to day life, and what were they for. Basically she was a useless, mute, probably considered dumb, young woman. In the original story by Hans Christian Andersen, she suffers greatly and she wanted to be a human to have a soul, the deal was to have a man fall in love with her but not because she fell madly in love with him for saving him. Also, every time she was standing she suffer terrible pain, and in the end the guy married someone else. That is a real story on what it is like to change your whole life with a witch's deal for something that is most likely not going to happen.
Now the Disney version of course cannot show, at least not completely, and not at that time, the cruel realities of life.
By the way, did you notice how Prince Eric was obsessed with the person who saved him? He wanted the hero, had a hero’s obsession and was going to ask Ariel to be together only because he could not find the woman who saved him. Thought everyone basically told him she was better than nothing. Yes, they did like each other and had a great time but his face and the way he saw her when he decided he was going to stop looking (more like waiting) was more a face of someone settling. Also, by the end when she gets her voice back and reveals herself to be the mysterious hero woman, he is totally in love with her because of that.
In conclusion, Disneyfication makes everything be hopeful and wow what do you know it does happen. I mean is not bad to have hopes and dreams but truly, every decision she made could’ve gone horribly, horribly wrong.
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