A Few Thoughts Occurring: After Seeing Disney's Animated "Beauty and the Beast"
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| Title: | A Few Thoughts Occurring: After Seeing Disney's Animated "Beauty and the Beast" |
| Creator: | Lyn Roewade |
| Date(s): | spring 1992 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | Beauty and the Beast (Disney) and Beauty and the Beast (TV) |
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A Few Thoughts Occurring: After Seeing Disney's Animated "Beauty and the Beast" is an essay by Lyn Roewade.
It was published in The Spiral Staircase #5 in spring 1992.
Some Topics Discussed
- double-standards
- the male gaze
From the Essay
I hope by now that most of you have had the opportunity to see the animated movie from the Disney studio, "Beauty and the Beast". Unlike so many fairy-tale stories which have been filmed, this had interesting elements of non-sexism. (Now for those who get all their exercise from jumping to wrong conclusions!! - I'm definitely not a man-hater. How could any Vincent-watcher be so?!)
At the very beginning, I was impressed to see that "the handsome young Prince" was, in fact, changed into the Beast because of his own shortcomings. Like many (not all) men, he judged women by his eyes and sexual feelings only. What he thought he saw was an old, humble, and seemingly unattractive woman - accordingly to his conditioning and beliefs - and he sneered at her and wouldn't let her shelter from the storm. He was, however, mistaken. In fact, it was beautiful Sorceress in disguise. She was in no way an evil female making a noble male's life unhappy; actually, she was an outraged and rightfully indignant, powerful female, punishing a male who had been unnecessarily cruel due to his own deficient judgement, lack of kindness and insensitivity. This clarity of visual (and verbal) explanation is, to date and to my knowledge, virtually unique.
But more and more, part of the basic premise of story troubles me. We do know that "different isn't wrong", also that "beauty is skin-deep", etc., etc. However: has anyone else noted that, in any version whatsoever of this story, or even stories using the title as a point of reference (like our beloved more-than-a-TV-show) - it is always the man who is ugly, frightening, or at least unusually different physically? It's always the woman who is expected to see the beauty within him. She, on the other hand, had better be visibly, physically beautiful, according to local and current standards. Is this a continuous put-down of women? "Never mind what he looks like, she has got to be pleasing to the male eye."
Or, have a majority of men unwittingly revealed their own weakness? That is, a tacit admission that they are quite incapable of seeing past any given female's appearance to her soul. Not to mention that she is the one who has to love him, for his salvation; all the onus is on her, in all treatments of the story so far.
Yes, of course, Vincent is different, and probably can and would be one of the outstanding exceptions to the rule. But you notice that the actress first chosen to play opposite him, was a source of "sensual attraction" to most of the writers and producers, by their own public acknowledgement. One day, in a spirit of staggering honesty, I dream of seeing the situation reversed. I'd welcome readers' input on these points, which have been made with deep respect for the artists involved. I'm not "bashing" anyone, simply examining a premise.