The Little Mermaid and the quest for WHAT????
So I had this major test today (which actually seems like it went well, at least better than the first test, but that's not the main point) and I had been studying alll evening yesterday for it with a classmate and my brain was fried. I still needed to run back to the microbiology building because some of my notes were in the lab and I needed them to finish reviewing. Eric and I got into the car and "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid was queued on the CD in my car. So I'm driving, and my insane mind makes this random connection. Disney movies always have this random allegorical message and hidden stuff for the older viewer and I realized what the Little Mermaid really wanted. She claims she wants to be part of the "human world" and have "legs". So she embarks on a quest where she gives up her voice, becomes part of what's socially acceptable, just to experience the love of a man. You may be following me....Really, the Little Mermaid is a story of the teenage girl's quest to experience sexual pleasure. I mean think about it. Ariel has no legs, she's a fish for crying out loud, they lay eggs. From a biological point of view, this means external fertilization, no sexual act involved. By wanting legs, that a human has, she, theoretically, would then also have the sexual organs to accompany the change in physiology (she already has breasts, so this isn't much of a stretch). A human is a sexual creature, it's fairly hard to deny that truth and if Ariel wants to be a human, she probably wants to have a sexual experience. Eric argued that the story is more of a young girl who is conforming to society's perfect image in order to be accepted herself, but by limiting herself to land (the earth is 70% water) she is giving up her freedom to just be accepted and I say that this arguement lends support to mine. In this day and age, nearly all teenage girls are exposed to this sexual image that they feel they need to live up to. So Ariel really just wants to be perceived as perfect, and that perfection comes with a sexual experience, or "legs" in her eyes.
As a random aside, the first movie posters did have a very phallic appearing tower of the Mer people Castle, and the priest does appear to have an erection during the marriage ceremony of Prince Eric and Ursula. Watch it if you don't believe me.
So we have to ask ourselves..... Is Disney promoting sex at a young age? Is the rerelease of the movie really such a good thing or should it be locked away in the Disney vaults? My High School Sophomore English teacher would have been proud (ahem.... Dr. Rascher) it's too bad I didn't make this connection earlier and actually used it for an essay topic. *grumbles* Stupid Rocking Horse Winner being an expression of masturbation A paper
Later, I'm off to buy my copy of Little Mermaid and maybe fulfill my quest to have a sexual experience. Who knows.
posted by Amy M @ 12:18 PM
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