The Modern Venus Blog

The new Disney Princess

Here is a still from the new Disney film, "The Princess and the Frog."     The New York Times published an article today about whether this new heroine, the first African-American princess in Disney history, is really a good role model.

It reads: 

Princess Tiana, a hand-drawn throwback to classic Disney characters like Cinderella and Snow White, has a dazzling green gown, a classy upsweep hairdo and a diamond tiara. Like her predecessors, she is a strong-willed songbird (courtesy of the Tony-winning actress Anika Noni Rose) who finds her muscle-bound boyfriend against all odds.

“Finally, here is something that all little girls, especially young black girls, can embrace,” Cori Murray, an entertainment director at Essence magazine, recently told CNN.

To the dismay of Disney executives — along with the African-American bloggers and others who side with the company — the film is also attracting chatter of an uglier nature. Is “The Princess and the Frog,” set in New Orleans in the 1920s, about to vaporize stereotypes or promote them?

The film, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, two of the men behind “The Little Mermaid,” unfolds against a raucous backdrop of voodoo and jazz. Tiana, a waitress and budding chef who dreams of owning a restaurant, is persuaded to kiss a frog who is really a prince.

The spell backfires and — poof! — she is also an amphibian. Accompanied by a Cajun firefly and a folksy alligator, the couple search for a cure.

After viewing some photographs of merchandise tied to the movie, which is still unfinished, Black Voices, a Web site on AOL dedicated to African-American culture, faulted the prince’s relatively light skin color. Prince Naveen hails from the fictional land of Maldonia and is voiced by a Brazilian actor; Disney says that he is not white.

“Disney obviously doesn’t think a black man is worthy of the title of prince,” Angela Bronner Helm wrote March 19 on the site. “His hair and features are decidedly non-black. This has left many in the community shaking their head in befuddlement and even rage.”    Read on . . .

Film Recommendation: Glory

One of the top 5 films I love best is "Glory," an Oscar-Award-winning film tells the important story of troops serving in the first all-Black volunteer regiment during the Civil War.  The troops overcome countless difficulties and end up covering themselves and the Union Army with glory.  It was just shown on Black Entertainment Television to commemorate Black History Month so I got to enjoy it yet again! 

In “Glory,” Black troops are finally given a chance to fight when the Union Army’s resources are drained, and it needs all available men for combat.  This special regiment of Colored soldiers was considered a bad joke by most, but Col. Robert G. Shaw, an idealist abolitionist, thought otherwise and trained the regiment for battle against the Confederates.  In doing so, Shaw was confronted by prejudice from his own Union Army as well as from the Confederate Army.

The film has an all-star cast (though not everyone was a star back then!) including Matthew Broderick as Col. Robert Shaw, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman as the first African-American non-commissioned officer, and an incredible turn as a runaway slave-turned-warrior by Denzel Washington.  The soundtrack is also stunning . . . I can't believe this film is almost 20 years old!   

The Best Movie Ever!

I was just channel surfing . . . and one of my favorite movies ever is on!  It's "Babe," a little movie about an adorable little pig!!    It's such an addictive film and everything about it is so adorable . . . and with good civic and animal protection principles about it, too .  . . La La La, La La La, La LA La La La .  . . .

Hitchcock Marathon

This Thanksgiving weekend -- inspired by a Hitchcock marathon on the AMC channel -- I have been renting every Alfred Hitchcock movie I could get my hands on.  I've been watching "Psycho," "The Birds," "Rear Window," "Dial M for Murder," "Notorious," etc . . .  and I could not help but get inspired and re-inspired about the masterful work of Mr. Hitchcock.   His work is such an amazing blend of artistry -- from his sets and camera angles, to his actors (James Stewart, Cary Grant, etc.), to how he also blends high style (costumes by Edith Head as they adorn what were called the "Hitchcock Blondes," including Grace Kelly, Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren) with psychological tension and even humor.  I cannot imagine why more filmmakers in the present day don't try to emulate Mr. Hitchcock more, as he manages to create film classics without visible gore, massive car chases and explosions (okay, one good on in "The Birds" notwithstanding) in sight!