Pieces of Me: Through Disneyfied Glasses

[ellyssian]

Heffalumps and woozles
are very confuzeled
because they come in every shape and size

from Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh: A Very Blustery Day

Now I know there's some folks who take their animation very seriously, and there's some folks who disdain Disney as cute, cuddly, evil fluff.

Personally, I think their stuff is excellent. Quite subversive, if it can so greatly offend even as it appears squeaky clean, really.

Let me let you in on a secret passed down to me by a Disney-trained animator, who had it directly from one of the elder statesmen - a living legend back when he still was - who animated parts of Fantasia and other such pieces...

You see, this guy could. Despite approaching a triple digit age, and without the help of glasses, and after many years of strenuous eyework, this guy could see perfectly.

His secret, and I quote: "Close your eyes, picture a naked broad on a swing going back... and forth... back... and forth. Follow her with your eyes."

So I have it on reasonable authority that, in addition to picturing naked women on swings, there's some pretty dubious materials lying around on the pre-cutting-room floor. Pencil tests of various classic characters engaged in less-than-Disneyesque activities.

All that comes out in the wash though, doesn't make it through the rinse cycle for the most part. They're doing a job, and it's not - despite quick flicks, character tests, and sketches to the contrary - to fill XXX theaters with their trademark animation.

They entertain kids, mostly, and families, when they can. They may get someone interested in a classic story, and some may hunt it down and find out how much better it is than the movie, but others won't go that far. They may have some squeaky clean vision for that classic story that is out of line with reality, and while some will decry this as a great evil, at least they have some notion of that story. And if they don't hunt down the truth, maybe their kids or grandkids will.

I dislike the term 'optimist', but I do - as certain religions have railed against - tend to see the good in things.

Except for most of Disney's direct-to-video flicks. Those, my friends, are pure evil, and you won't find me defending them.

Comments

[deathsex9.livejournal.com]

I *LOVE* that song!!!

Pooh rocks!!!
*contorts to show u her POOH tattoo*

:-)

[opakele.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can just imagine...but, I like Disney animation too.