Day 4 - 43 -- Revisiting Childhood Movies

The sun was delightful today and the sky was so blue it almost made me gasp. It is hard to believe this is the calm before some gigantic storm. Thanks to a Colorado low merging with an Alberta clipper, there should be tons of snow and major winds for 36+ hours. Then a day respite before the next nor'easter forming along the Atlantic seaboard. Is it time to say 'uncle'?

I watched an older movie today -- Snow White from Disney circa 1937. It did bring some memories from childhood. However, it is one of the scary Disney fairy tales that likely gives kids some nightmares. The story is from the Grimm brothers, but has been cleaned up a bit. I did find some of the themes to be problematic. Yes, it was made in the pre-WWII era during a depression, but the source of many unrealistic expectations of girls are contained in this version. It left me with questions about women's roles in the world. How does the love at first sight between Snow and a prince whose name she doesn't know fit with life as we know it now or 80 years ago? The scene when the woodsman sends her running for her life into the woods shows there is something to fear -- darkness, woods and being alone. The character does note when she meets the woodland creatures, that she was embarrassed to have been so afraid -- perhaps showing a sliver of empowerment. When she arrives at the cottage of the seven men, she sets to cleaning the place. The men are shown working in the mines and she becomes the housekeeper -- two clear archetypes, provider and servant or nurturer. The story made me wonder why the princess always dies (or appears to die) before living in gratitude with the man who 'saves' her. Is this a metaphor for a social expectation of women needing to give up their own lives and dreams? It made me think Stepford Wives <smile>. I also wondered if the old crone might plant a seed that older single women are to be feared. I will say that thankfully, the more recent Disney and other princess movies have begun to show women working together to problem solve and survive rather than relying on some nameless prince <smile>.

Picking a song for this one was not easy. There are a few fairy tale songs that came to mind. The one shared here takes the female fairy tale character to a darker place -- one of being out of control for that is what this comes down to in my head today. Enjoy!

White Rabbit -- Jefferson Airplane