I've decided that every week I'm going to share a Disney quote that I find fun, interesting, etc., so I'll start with this one, from The Aristocats:

So, this song isn't Disney per se, but I thought it was interesting in the context of our discussion of villainy and the nature of evil on Monday (If you haven't seen Wicked, I hope this won't spoil anything for you).  The part most pertinent to our good vs. evil discussion starts around 2:36.  I think the most relevant quote is when the Wizard says,

There are precious few at ease

With moral ambiguities, 

So we act as though they don't exist.

For some context, in this song Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) is confronting the Wizard about some questionable things he has been doing as ruler of Oz, and he is essentially trying to argue his way out of being viewed by her as a villain.  I think it relates back to a lot of our discussion of what actually constitutes evil or villainy and how it can be difficult to define.  The song also brings up how perspective can drastically change how a figure (or his or her actions) is viewed.

Last night was Disney Dinner at Marketplace!

The Progression of Disney Villains

One thing I’ve noticed about recent Disney movies is that the way villains are portrayed has changed in recent years.  Both older Disney movies, like Sleeping Beauty, and movies from the 1990’s, like The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, had very clear villains from the start of the movie.  I mean, Maleficent literally declares herself “Mistress of All Evil”.  

On the other hand, recent Disney are not immediately obvious until their big reveal part way through the movie (Spoilers ahead).  The example that first comes to mind is Prince Hans in Frozen, who seems helpful, caring, and even loving to Anna until he reveals that he only wanted her throne.  This type of villain contributes to the plot in a very different way than those mentioned above.  Whereas characters like Scar and Maleficent act as the primary drivers of their respective films’ plotlines, the central conflict in Frozen centers on the relationship between Anna and Elsa, and their struggle to keep their kingdom safe (from a major ice storm, among other things).  Hans serves as an additional obstacle in that journey.  

A similar example is Zootopia.  The storyline centers around Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde trying to solve the mystery of several predators “going savage” and attacking other animals.  Judy lets slip that she thinks the predators’ biology may be responsible for the attacks, and soon predators across the city are being profiled and looked down on by prey animals.  The movie has no clear villainous character until near the end, when Assistant-Mayor Bellwether reveals that she is the one causing the predators to “go savage”.  Before this, one could argue that Judy was a villain for causing people to think predators are inherently violent, even though she spends most of the movie trying to undo the damage she accidentally caused.  Even the city of Zootopia could be seen as a villain, since so many citizens readily believed and acted upon the anti-predator statements.  While Bellwether’s actions do provide a catalyst for the story’s conflict, the central storyline really does not revolve around a hero-villain conflict in the way that many older Disney movies do.

I also want to mention Moana for a couple reasons (again, if you haven’t seen it, I will spoil the ending).  First of all, Moana and Maui actually face multiple villains throughout their quest.  These villains progressively become bigger and more dangerous, culminating with a face-off against Te Kā, a huge lava monster.  Moana must get past her in order to restore Te Fiti’s heart.  However, after initially defeating Te Kā, Moana realizes that she is actually Te Fiti, the goddess whose heart Maui stole. In this case, the villain is actually a “good guy”, but neither the hero nor the villain realize it.  Te Kā further illustrates the movie’s central theme of listening to one’s inner voice.  After losing her heart, Te Fiti loses the ability to be or even know who she truly is.

The Entrance to Disneyland

I think these are really cool.  :)

Let It Go in 25 Languages:

How Far I'll Go in 24 Languages:

Introduction

Disney has always been a fun part of my life.  Whether it was watching classic movies like The Aristocats or 101 Dalmations when I was younger or getting excited to go see more recent movies like Tangled, Frozen, or Moana when they came out, I’ve always enjoyed watching or singing along to Disney.  As I got older, I also started to like analyzing the movies for some of the deeper symbols or themes they present (like the way Elsa’s ice in changes shape and color with her emotions or use of the manta rays as a representation of Grandma Tala’s spirit in Moana). When the time came to pick a Writing 101 course, Decoding Disney seemed like an ideal choice.  It would appeal to my childhood love of all things Disney, as well as allowing me to explore these movies from a more mature and analytical perspective.

Disney has played a role in a lot of my favorite memories over the years, from my early memories of visiting Disneyland with my parents and sister (I still enjoy meeting characters and getting their autographs), to my final high school musical being a production of Tarzan (I was a gorilla), so it holds a special place in my heart.  I grew up watching Disney Channel shows like Kim Possible, Lilo and Stitch, and Phineas and Ferb.   I feel that a lot of who I am today has been shaped by my experiences with the world of Disney.  

This semester, I’m excited about the idea of exploring villainy in Disney, especially since there is such a variety in how villains are portrayed in Disney movies.  They range from over-the-top, theatrical characters, like Ursula in The Little Mermaid or Scar in The Lion King, to villains like Frozen’s Hans and Big Hero 6’s Professor Callahan, whom you don’t suspect to be villainous until the “big reveal” later in the movie.