Disney Will Stop Making Princess Movies Because Boys Think They're Icky

[The Mike]

On Wednesday, Disney will be releasing "Tangled," the studio's 50th animated film. You might think that this would be cause for celebration, but from recent stories in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times, it appears that Disney Animation is in the midst of a major freak-out/reinvention. The main takeaway from these articles was that Pixar guru (and Disney Animation bigwig) John Lasseter is in the midst of reviving Disney's slumping non-Pixar animation projects. Oh, and he's done making movies about fairy tales and princesses.
"They may come back later because someone has a fresh take on it," Lasseter's Disney Animation co-chief Ed Catmull told the L.A. Times, "but we don't have any other musicals or fairy tales lined up." One reason is because the studio is fearful of alienating young boys, who supposedly won't see something like last year's "The Princess and the Frog." The other reason, frighteningly, is that young girls consider themselves too cool to want to be princesses.

Rest of the Article here:
https://blog.movies.yahoo.com/blog/...rincess-movies-because-boys-think-theyre-icky

 

[JosephCPR]

Lot of crap in that article. Especially the "critic" Lafna Lemish's words:

"By the time they're 5 or 6, [girls are] not interested in being princesses. They're interested in being hot, in being cool. Clearly, they see this is what society values."

On the other hand, if they are really in the midst of a major freak-out/reinvention, maybe it is the time to avoid gender stereotypes/discrimination (boys fims vs. girls films) and continue with the trend begun by Pixar.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

On the other hand, if they are really in the midst of a major freak-out/reinvention, maybe it is the time to avoid gender stereotypes/discrimination (boys fims vs. girls films) and continue with the trend begun by Pixar.

Gender stereotypes typically exist for a reason. They aren't always true, but they're true often enough that people have noticed.

SnakeDoc

 

[ProgMatinee]

I think its sad that making something for a smaller group of people is "bad" but making something that appeals to everyone is "good".

Whats wrong with making a niche film (not that appealling to roughly 50% of humans is "niche")?

 

[hoodonit00]

That sucks and is stupid. Some of my fondest memories are of watching The Little Mermaid, Alladin, Beauty And The Beast and others like that with my girls while they were growing up. I would still to this day watch any one of those movies by myself.

 

[The Craw]

I think its sad that making something for a smaller group of people is "bad" but making something that appeals to everyone is "good".

Whats wrong with making a niche film (not that appealling to roughly 50% of humans is "niche")?

because then disney can't do this:

 

[tomandshell]

My whole family loved Princess and the Frog, and my daughter loves all the Disney Princesses. If Disney wants to make a Bratz movie because that's hip and trendy, then I'll take my money elsewhere.

 

[Deckard]

How about a modern day Cinderella for the kids? Disney should make a movie about a Hooter's waitress who isn't pretty enough to strip like her sisters so she sets out to the big city to get a boob job.

There she meets a heroine addict who she falls in love with and they spend all the surgery money on drugs and then O.D. in an alley togeather at midnight.

 

[YoNoSe]

This isn't as a big a deal as the article is making it, and Lasseter's idea is right - until someone figures out a way to make outstanding musicals / fairy tales, it's better to focus on other things than beat a dead horse.
Howard Ashman refreshed the genre when it was falling apart last time. Eventually someone else will do it again.

 

[fronkenstein]

Make quality movies with great stories and great characters and I'll watch whatever you put out.

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

Make quality movies with great stories and great characters and I'll watch whatever you put out.

 

[usswanker]

So in other words "We are making more movies that make us ____ tons of money"

 

[The Ween]

Lot of crap in that article. Especially the "critic" Lafna Lemish's words:

"By the time they're 5 or 6, [girls are] not interested in being princesses. They're interested in being hot, in being cool. Clearly, they see this is what society values."

On the other hand, if they are really in the midst of a major freak-out/reinvention, maybe it is the time to avoid gender stereotypes/discrimination (boys fims vs. girls films) and continue with the trend begun by Pixar.

I work with 5 year old girls, and this person, to put it bluntly, is full of ____.

 

[viezure]

How about a modern day Cinderella for the kids? Disney should make a movie about a Hooter's waitress who isn't pretty enough to strip like her sisters so she sets out to the big city to get a boob job.

There she meets a heroine addict who she falls in love with and they spend all the surgery money on drugs and then O.D. in an alley togeather at midnight.

Sounds like a good musical, sir. We have a deal.

 

[cokebabies]

Make quality movies with great stories and great characters and I'll watch whatever you put out.

Agreed. Most of Pixar's movie ideas sound okay at best on paper. Yet they translate into amazing films.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

This isn't as a big a deal as the article is making it, and Lasseter's idea is right - until someone figures out a way to make outstanding musicals / fairy tales, it's better to focus on other things than beat a dead horse.
Howard Ashman refreshed the genre when it was falling apart last time. Eventually someone else will do it again.

Well put, YoNoSe. And really, it has gotten a little repetitive with all the princess/musicals. I like when Disney has tried something different like Lilo and Stitch, which still had a strong female lead but wasn't fairy-tale based or a musical.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

I work with 5 year old girls, and this person, to put it bluntly, is full of ____.

I have a five-year-old daughter. I agree. We have quite the collection of princess junk all over my house.

SnakeDoc

 

[cokebabies]

Also:

A statement from Dr. Catmull (via Walt Disney Animation Studios Facebook page)

A headline in today’s LA Times erroneously reported that the Disney fairy tale is a thing of the past, but I feel it is important to set the record straight that they are alive and well at Disney and continue this week with Tangled, a contemporary retelling of a much loved story. We have a number of projects in development with new twists that audiences will be able to enjoy for many years to come. - Ed Catmull

 

[Agent0028]

It definitely sounds taken out of context to me. Disney will always be about fairy tales and musicals, but there can be exceptions. Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules weren't based on fairy tales, and many classic Disney movies are hardly musicals. Robin Hood, 101 Dalmatians, and Winnie the Pooh had a few songs, but I wouldn't classify them as musicals.

 

[cokebabies]

Any boy who dislikes The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, or Aladdin can go straight to hell.