From: Brooke Shirts <chaitivole>
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:40:40 -0400

Yes, I agree that the real problem with Disney isn't necessarily the scholck-iness of its adaptations of children's stories, but its tendency to overshadow any other version of said stories. Film, with its moving images and sounds, can easily trump print or oral versions of folktales. I can't tell you how many times I've had a child come into the library (I work for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh) asking for Cinderella, and immediately reject all versions of the story besides Disney's. Other versions, they say, aren't the "real" story.

(arrrgh!)

The Horn Book has an article by Frances Clarke Sayers from 1965 on this topic in its Virtual History Exhibit. It's worth taking a look at. Here's Sayers' take on Tinkerbell:

"Look at that wretched sprite with the wand and the over-sized buttocks which announces every Disney program on TV. She is a vulgar little thing, who has been too long at the sugar bowls."

Check it out with this link:

http://www.hbook.com/exhibit/article_disney.html

Brooke
Received on Thu 20 Jul 2006 03:40:40 PM CDT