Saturday, June 20, 2009

What I Didn't Notice the First Time

So, upon viewing Beauty and the Beast for the thousandth time this past Friday I noticed a few things I hadn't before. Maybe cuz the first 999 times I watched it I was no older than 13....who knows? Anyway, here's what was new this time around:
-When the Beast (seriously, how come he never got a name?) is trying to figure out something nice to do for Belle, Cogsworth lists off a few thing; "chocolates, flowers, promises you don't intend to keep..." Nice example for the young boys that will be trying to do something nice for their girlfriends one day.
-During the song "Gaston Reprise" when extolling the wonderful virtues of the burly man (who, despite his rotten character has kind of an awesome voice) LeFue sings, "No one plots like Gaston, takes cheap shots like Gaston, no one persecutes harmless crack-pots like Gaston..." Really, Disney? Crack-pots? Nice work.
-"Be Our Guest:" What is beef ragu? It sounds unpleasant.
-Remember how Belle runs away when the no-named Beast gets mad at her? Well, let's be fair: he did tell her not to go to the West Wing. Right? And she didn't even listen to him. And then he's the one who ends up apologizing! I hate when movies do that. The girl does something wrong, and the guy apologizes. Not cool. (That's the main reason why I REALLY do not like Hitch. Seriously, don't even get me started on that movie.)
-And finally, how come Belle agrees to stay with the Captain No-Name FOREVER for her dad, but she won't marry Gaston to keep him from going to the insane asylum? Where's the consistency?

Anyway, it's still a good movie. Great songs---and if you watch it on youtube they've added an extra scene where the servants sing "To Be Human Again." Good times. Anything else about that movie or other "children movies I may have missed that you guys caught?

32 comments:

Kristina P. said...

That's it! I'm off to boycott that subversive Disney!

I have to watch a few Lifetime Movies first, though.

janica said...

haha. Ya those Disney movies.. you never know about them.

Camille said...

Do you have an old copy of "beauty and the beast"? because "to be human again" is on my copy. And if you go here http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/beef-ragu-with-pasta
you'll find a nice recipe of beef ragu with a side of pasta. Bon appetit!

rychelle said...

b&tb has always been one of my favorite movies. i like the part when gaston falls into the mud, and comes up with the pigs on his head. that part reflects reality. ;)

rychelle said...

oh, and what about the "grey stuff"? it doens't sound delicious....

J. Baxter said...

I love watching movies I haven't seen since I was a kid. It never fails to be enlightening - and occasionally horrifying.

Although coming back to blogland after an extended vacation is actually quite refreshing.

Just so you know.

Hoggards said...

Like the post! I haven't seen Beauty and the Beast in forever. Missy is still learning who Belle is though since she's on some of her pull-ups! :) I've caught a few things here and there on movies cause my little bro Bryce loves Disney movie trivia - and I love stumping him!

Adam and Lisa said...

Haha, I never noticed the "Crack-pots" line! Nice! Mary Poppins is a good one to revisit at our age. Will pointed out that the admiral is always talking about fighting the "Hot'n'Tots"--those are black people. How's that for un-political-correctness? Not very protocoligorically correct, wouldn't you say? ;)

Anonymous said...

Beef Ragout: "This is a wonderful recipe that takes full advantage of slow cooking. It is a Flemish adaptation of a French stew using beer as one of the ingredients. The Flemings traditionally use a dark beer." So says Google.

Uh---- huh. Okay. Is that Flemish, or Phlegmish?

I love watching all the new and improved Pixar movies, just so I can keep an eye out (or ear) for all the hidden meanings and "adult" humor. Not naughty stuff, but the stuff that goes right over my kids' heads. Brilliant, if you ask me. Something to appeal to every age!

Shelley said...

I must confess, I avoid the TV at all costs when I hear anything cartoon. That's what four kids do to you. Although I'm fairly certain I purchased Beauty and the Beast prior to having children, so I must have really enjoyed it back in the day. But now that you've spotted some inconsistencies, I just may have to bring out that video tape - you know that device to watch a flick that was invented before DVD's and blueray!

Femin Susan said...

Thanks for sharing.... Keep up the great posts….. Good job!

TisforTonya said...

shoot - I wanted to be the knowledgeable one with the proper Beef Ragout spelling... (hmmm, still doesn't SOUND appetizing, but cooks.com has a lot of yummy recipes with this title!

(haha though "promises you don't intend to keep" is SO my favorite part!)

Becca said...

We have a DVD player in the car so I frequently only listen to movies. It's crazy what you pick up when you hear it that way instead of just watching it. Sometimes I feel guilty for what I let my kids watch!

Kazzy said...

The movie would have been soooo much better and soooo much more meaningful if he had stayed a beast instead of changing into a girly-man.

sara said...

I totally never noticed those before. Now I know I should ban Disney from my house. Such a bad influence.

April said...

You can spell ragu either way. Ragout (with an accent circumflex over the "u" is the french spelling). The other way has an accent grave over the "u". (Thank you 10 years of french class and growing up in Canada.) You can buy ragu sauce in the jar in Canada. It is common. Like a glorified spaghetti sauce with meat and veggies added.

ANYWAYS, I think a lot of the times Disney adds the snide remarks for the adults as comic relief to keep us entertained along with the kids! Just sayin!

Smart Helm said...

B&tB was my favoite disney movie EVER until Monsters Inc came out. The reasoning behind that only has to make sense to me.

We sang along with all the songs so I knew those words and had never really thought about it before... I should watch some of those oldies but goodies again. Thanks for the reminder!

Anonymous said...

How 'bout Ariel? Never does what her father asks and, in the end, gets just what she wanted?

3 Bay B Chicks said...

What are you doing watching these Disney movies, Barbaloot, when there is commentary on much more gripping films to be done?

For example, where are you on the new Miley Cyrus flick?

I'll be waiting.

-Francesca

Sara @ Domestically Challenged said...

I could sing along to B & the beast all day. I pretty much rock at those songs.
Crack pots? Hmm, that might not be so hot though. He is one though.

The Condies said...

K Barb...can I just say I LOVE YOU!!! You are SO right about Disney Movies...they are always pulling those kinds of stunts!

Heidi said...

I'm not commenting right now (even tho I am) b/c I'm not blogging right now (even tho I am) but I couldn't resist throwing my two cents into this. Maybe somebody already said this but there's the scene near the beginning where the lady with the six kids is bemoaning her fate as the mother of so many kids b/c it is so expensive--my sister was really upset when her little girl saw that (she's almost your age now) and made the comment that she wasn't going to have any kids when she grew up b/c it costs too much money. One thing I dislike about cartoons in general is that it is always the "kid" who rescues the parent. Right.

Sara Waldron said...

Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favorites! We went through a spurt where we watched it every weekend, remember? Thinking about it now, I picture Marie (then Becky, then Jessie) in the Belle dress Mutti made. So cute! By the way, 2 weeks ago I watched Little Mermaid. By myself. For fun. It was great! I kept laughing at things I'd never caught before.

Beeswax said...

Be honest. Were you taking notes while watching the movie? Is super nerdy to take notes on cartoons. I like that.

JD said...

It's like when I went back and watched Thundercats when I was 18. All the stuff I didn't notice when I was little (ie That it SUCKED) was quite apparent. Sad.

In fact, I think I'm going to have to blog about this.

Oh yeah, was getting some hits from an unknown blog. Turns out you gave me a nice plug. Thanks, Barb! Not quite sure how this "blog networking" works, but I've now linked to yours. My readers need to know what is going on with things like Beauty and the Beast and such. Peace.

Debbie said...

The problem is that you have violated Disney rule #1 - Never think about it.

Shelley said...

I just asked Deven yesterday if I could join the Disney Movie Club....he smiled, laughed....then said, "wait, seriously?" Yeah, I watch a disney movie once a week! You don't have to grow up, because if you do, then i do!!

Nicoletta said...

The last time I watched Beauty and The Beast I had just had Jane. Apparently childbirth and new babies make me emotional cuz I got teary-eyed while watching. Tristan was also gone on a 4 day backpacking trip so I was lonely and even more sensitive, but I love that movie.

Now the Disney movie that has changed the most for me watching it as an adult vs. watching as a child is The Little Mermaid. Jane loves this movie so I have had opportunity to watch it several hundred times in the last year. LOVED it as a kid and will always love it because of that, but as an adult I really have to wonder what children are learning from this show. 16 year old girl thinks she's old enough to fall in love and marry a prince after never having talked to him. She has only observed him from afar for a few minutes and rescued him from drowning. In order to marry him she disobeys her father and sells her soul (aka voice) to the devil (aka the Sea Witch). Then it's her father who ends up feeling guilty for chasing her away when all he was doing was being a loving and protective father. Then he has to take the fall and gets turned into the ugly worm thingy.And in the end even after all she has put him and everybody else through Triton still gives Ariel what she wants. Ugh.

charrette said...

Interesting details everybody passes off as wholesome family entertainment, huh? I have a friend who thinks beauty and the Beast actually promotes the idea of women staying in abusive situations...If I just stay here and am extra nice, eventually this horrible beast will love me. *wince*

Turns out the Disney scripts aren't actually scripture, they're just made up by guys in Hollywood trying to get rich off families! :)

charrette said...

Oh, and Beef ragu (ragout in French) is a stew.

Boy Mom said...

One liners in Disney movies are pretty funny. Those Madagascar animals are hilarious!

Kimberly said...

Sorry I'm commenting on this a million years after you actually posted it...but I was laughing pretty hard. Especially cause I was thinking about Alice in Wonderland and how the caterpillar is smoking a bong. A BONG? Really?! Honestly folks! We all thought Disney was for kids. Not so...
Aladdin tells Jasmine to take off her clothes in the balcony scene, and in the Cave of Wonders Abu swears as he's standing on the rocks. However, with all of that said, I will admit that I still absolutely LOVE Disney movies!