Anghus Houvouras on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast…
Walt Disney was a visionary who created the most powerful entertainment industry the world has ever known. Since its modest, hand-drawn origins, the company has worked its way into merchandise, theme parks, television, video games, and has spent untold billions for every major pop culture franchise they didn’t already own.
It’s hard to not praise the intelligence and foresight of Disney. They have an understanding of what people want and have weaponized it into addictive, easy to swallow, mass market entertainment. Their latest gold mine has been taking their classic animated films and turning them into live action gold mines. Movies like Maleficent, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book have been critical and financial hits for the studio. This weekend that trend continues with the mega-hit live action Beauty and the Beast which could top $175 million at the domestic box office.
Unfortunately, Beauty and the Beast is one of those old-school type Disney fairy tales which hasn’t aged particularly well. At least if you’re a woman. Pardon me while I put on my social justice warrior hat. Ooh, that’s comfy.
Beauty and the Beast is a misogynist mess of a movie. A film that teaches young girls that angry, violent men must not only be tolerated, but loved even more to ‘break the spell’. The entire narrative might as well have been written by an abusive spouse trying to justify his rage issues to a frightened child.
“I know that Daddy was angry, but it’s only because Mommy didn’t love me enough.”
I’m guessing most of your are familiar with the story: A young prince, imprisoned in the form of a beast, can be freed only by true love. What may be his only opportunity arrives when he meets Belle, the only human girl to ever visit the castle since it was enchanted. You could make the argument that Belle doesn’t so much fall in love with the Beast as she does suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.
Disney’s fairy tales have never been that empowering to the ladies. You have stories like The Little Mermaid that teach young girls that in order to find love you just have to be willing to give up your voice. Or Cinderella who suffers years of abuse, only to be freed when a powerful man shows up and takes her away from it all. For the most part Disney fairy tales present women as constantly being in need of saving and unable to right the wrongs in their live. There’s also the wonderful shit sandwich constantly served up about true love solving every problem. I’m guessing there’s a whole lot of couples counselors who might debate Disney on that one.
Disney may be spinning gold from hay with these fairy tales, but the inherent messages are as antiquated as the books these public domain stories were borrowed from.
Even the brand label ‘The Disney Princess’ feels old. Does anyone really like being called a princess? Let’s test that theory. Wherever you are right now, find a woman you don’t know and call her ‘princess’. Work it into everyday conversation like ‘Hey princess, can I have a grande latte?’ or just walk down the street and say ‘Hi princess’ to every woman you pass. Let me know how that works out for you.
Beauty and the Beast might be the most salient example of this misogynist brainwashing for little girls. The idea that true love can be found by forcing a woman into captivity ranges from being darkly funny to completely insane. There’s also that added layer of the fact that everyone in the house is relying on the two of them to fall in love or else they’ll become furniture for the rest of eternity. If I was a few weeks away from permanently being a candelabra, i might be inclined to lie a little about the loud, obnoxious, threatening beast.
“The Beast, oh he’s a great guy. Sure, he gets angry a lot and could tear your face off if he’s in a bad mood, but he just needs the love of a good woman to fix him. And could you hurry it up? At midnight I become a end table until the end of time.”
That’s the real underlying theme of Beauty and the Beast: That an asshole can be ‘fixed’ by a good woman. If you stripped away the singing housewares department and the magical elements of Beauty and the Beast, you have a story that feels more ‘Silence of the Lambs’ than ‘Family Fun Time’.
Can’t you picture the beast saying “She falls in love with him or else she gets the hose again”?
There’s not much that separates Belle from the victims of Buffalo Bill, other than the fact that Bill’s captives understand the imminent threat.
Beauty and the Beast is a ghastly tale of an abusive relationship. Another misognisitic misbegotten Disney fairy tale that could desperately use modernization.
Anghus Houvouras
