David Ogden Stiers was also Wiggins *and* General Ratcliffe in _Pocahontas_. He has kept up that role of Cogsworth in a bunch of other things for Disney (games, specials, etc.), and he has also narrated a number of Pooh-related things for them.

(Hahaha, read that last clause aloud… I need to grow up.)

Also, in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Cogsworth was voiced by David Odgen Stiers who played Major Charles Winchester on MASH (and according to his IMDB profile he was also the narrator)

But now this makes me question how awesome she is, since it’s easily argued she, in fact, GIVES UP her dream when she marries the Beast(sansfur). Unless the whole ordeal IS the “adventure,” but a castle is HARDLY a “great, wide somewhere.” And there is nothing to demonstrate he does understand she wants so much more than they’ve got planned, since we have no indication she ever leaves the castle once they’re hitched. That makes me sad.

Saeg: No, she’s very much alive. She sings and gets Mulan “ready,” even:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe3Y-nXHsFI

I’d argue Mulan has MORE family than the typical Disney character (excluding the dalmatians and the Darlings)- living, at least, she has two generations above hers in her household; and if you want to get REALLY crazy with it, she’s got a whole shrine-full of dead ancestors. (That’s off the top of my hypedoncoffee brain, though- there is probably somebody else with more family than that somewhere- I just can’t think of any at the moment.)

@Katie – I think the OLD Disney stuff used to be a little more upfront with death and sadness. Bambi’s the prime example. But for purposes of this article, I was really just looking at the PRINCESS movies, which tend to kill off only the villains.

Hmm. Interesting that Bambi and Dumbo are about little BOYS, and they’re more traumatic. The GIRL movies are kinder and gentler.

@Ken – That’s an interesting observation about Belle. At first, her fairy tale seems like a nightmare version of those books she’s obsessed with. The point seems to be, be careful what you wish for, and marry Gaston when you have the chance.

Hmm. Okay, you might have a point about the gap between Ariel getting permanent legs and the wedding scene. MONTHS could have gone by. Personally, I think it’s more like days, but you never know.

And yeah, Ariel does save Eric, and he repays the favor. So it’s not quite as sexist as I made it seem. I’m still not a fan of the “get him to fall in love with you without actually speaking to him part.” I know that’s the fairy tale, but it’s kind of the worst possible message to send to young girls. Still, let me make something clear: I love the movie, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

I think Princess and the Frog made it pretty clear their story ends in New Orleans… for now. I would not be at all surprised if they are currently working on a direct-to-DVD movie about what happens when they go visit Maledonia. Wait, did I just describe the plot of Shrek 2? Anyway Ken, keep in mind that Naveen may have a bunch of siblings – just because he’s a prince doesn’t mean he’s in line for the throne.

And my point was that Coming To America is the exact opposite of Princess and the Frog. In CTA, they go to his country and live in a palace. In PATF, they stay in America and build a life together through elbow grease.

Finally…
@Akilah – Yeah, I’m totally with you. Mulan is not a princess, no way, no how. That’s just a fact. Except that she’s part of this Disney Princess brand, so I included her on the chart. Mulan is a great example of how difficult it is to make movies for little girls. They told a great story about a strong female who saves her entire country. But to make money off of it, they have to force her to wear pretty dresses and call her a princess for no reason. If no one’s written a book about the conception of princesses in America, someone should get on that.

@Gab – First of all, a big hell yeah re: Keith David. The man took part in what is probably the greatest fistfight of all time in They Live. He also played a pivotal role in one of my all-time guilty pleasures, The Chronicles of Riddick. And as Pete is fond of saying, we at OverthinkingIt love actors who get steady work. Keith David is right up there with J.K. Simmons as a guy that shows up in a lot of things you already like and makes them better.

I’m totally with you about the funeral scene too: it’s a beautiful thing that sticks with me weeks later. And the appearing star was really well done – I admire that way that if you WANT, you can view it religiously (“Ray’s in heaven now”). But only if you WANT – it’s a spiritual moment that works almost regardless of your personal views on death (unless you are a cold, cynical humbug).

Little aside: my four-year-old didn’t cry during that scene, or react in any big way. But a few days later, after I put him to bed, he called me back to his room. “Daddy,” he said after a moment, “no one will die, right?” Which is a tricky question to answer of course, but it was a conversation I was happy to have. I think kids stories, when they’re well-done, should teach something about the way the world works. They can take very abstract concepts, like death, and give the kid a sense of what that means.

Anyway, your point about this being a very American story is dead on. Really it’s a complete REJECTION of princessness… which is why it’s so interesting that it’s being sold as a princess movie.

The frog hunters were pretty broad stereotypes, but I’m fine with stereotyping rednecks. I was strongly reminded of another Disney movie, Pete’s Dragon, which also features a bunch of dumb country hicks. And wow, do I vaguely recall that they made a Country Bears movie? Who the hell greenlit that one?

It is interesting how the movie sort of pussyfoots around the issue of racism. The closest they come is when the white real estate brokers don’t want to give Tiana the property, but you can see that as SEXISM, or maybe just reluctance to deal with someone who makes their down payment in coffee tins of nickels. I’m not really criticizing the Disney people for not showing how racist America used to be, but one might accuse them of whitewashing the past. In my book, they took on a tricky assignment and did it better than anyone expected – you can quibble about the details, but this is definitely a Win.

Except Mulan shouldn’t even be on the chart as she is NOT a princess. Hers is not even a princess story. I think they just brand her as a princess because she’s a girl, and girl = princess, and they have no other conception of how to market her. Badass warrior doesn’t have the same ring to it, I guess.

There are just some comments I wanted to make about the article:

1. The lack of moms in Disney movies really has nothing to do with Walt Disney. In the fairy tales these films are based on, the protagonist didn’t have a mother to begin with.

2. You are right about the Disney princess and doing something to make their dreams a reality. I do think Ariel actually tried to make her dream come true by going to Ursula, but that really wasn’t a positive thing to do. I’ve always hated how Belle wanted to have adventure in the great-wide somewhere, but ended up crying when she got her wish. True, she was held against her will, but she was in an Enchanted Castle for heaven’s sake! Haha

3. Ariel is 16, and like you stated, 16 was an appropriate age for girls to marry centuries ago. In the original fairy tale, the mermaid was 15. Aurora was also 16 and Snow White is rumored to be around 14. Yikes! I’m not sure if Tiana is the eldest Princess at 19 though. Anyway, we really don’t know how much time passes between Triton turning Ariel into a human and Ariel marrying Erin. In that time, I’m sure they got to know each other and truly fell in love. People also mention the fact that Ariel gives up everything — voice, family, friends — to be with a man she didn’t know and that he saved her at the end. What people fail to remember is Ariel actually did save Eric in the beginning of the film. I see the climax as Eric sort of saying “Thank You for saving my own life earlier”. I do love how Tiana defeated Dr. Facilier on her own!!!

4. I was very confused about the endind of the movie. Do you really think they stayed in new Orleans forever? I mean, when Naveen’s father dies, who will rule Maledonia? That’s the question I left the movie wondering. Oh, and Coming To America ended with Akeem and Lisa staying in Zamunda.

5. I’m glad I couldn’t recognize the voices of Eudora, Tiana’s Dad, and Big Daddy. If I didn’t know going in, I wouldn’t have know those roles were voiced by Oprah, Terrance Howard, and John Goodman.

All in all, i loved your article and the analysis. I look forward to reading an analysis of Rapunzel next year if you do one. I’ll surely be getting Princess and the Frog when it comes out on DVD.