"The last mellon..."

(That is a quote from Ice Age that my sisters and I think is really funny.... it's ok you don't have to laugh at it.)

So blogging has been a great experience for me, I've never done it before because I've always thought, 'Who wants to read that?' As I read our class posts, I think that many people would be interested in reading our musings because fairy tales are extremely prevalent in American pop-culture. Our Alice in Wonderland debate is particularly relevant - albeit one sided - as this blockbuster makes clear references to classic fairy tales in content and themes. I also enjoyed the various blog posts that compared authors' lives to fairy tales, because in a slightly poetic way, we are all counting our little victories among Sleeping Beauty and Snow White's resurrections from death (or death-like states, details, details) and Cinderella's rise to royalty. While none of us are going to marry a prince (or princess), we can still feel good about our daily lessons learned and personal victories.

Although I have noticed before how common fairy tale references are - especially ones referring to Cinderella - I started to notice various subtle references because of this class. For instance, a lot of people reference fairy tales partially, or without intending to. Sometimes grouchy people say, "I have to go to bed before I turn into a pumpkin." Think if you'd never heard Cinderella before... that phrase would illicit a "WTF?" Many people, particularly American women, say things like, "he treats me (I wish he would treat me) like a princess!" This analogy makes little sense in the context of American culture - because our country was built on trying to avoid monarchy - unless you consider the prevalence of fairy tales. In the context of fairy tales, likening yourself to a princess makes total sense because you'd be blonde, beautiful, and married for happily ever after.

Overall I learned that I really love Disney movies, although I prefer Bambi and Fantasia to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, but they are culturally-impacted tales that tell a story about the society for which they were written. Built up from the classic versions we've read, these tales use stock characters, catchy tunes, and bright colors to all tell the same story. Yes, there are elements of sexism and racism, as well as brainwashing idealism of feminine perfection, but there is the stronger underlying message to follow your heart and your dreams to find happiness in everyday life.