Fairy Tale Origins
The stories behind the fairy tales, myths and legends we live by.
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I was a bit shocked to see this image this morning on Sociological Images. The first African American Disney princess likes watermelon? Really, Disney? This is really in very poor taste and I’m shocked Disney would let this one slip past them. The origins of the stereotype that African American love watermelon dates back to pre-civil war days when it was used in propaganda posters to show that slaves were simple minded people that were happy with a watermelon and a bit of shade and would be too overwhelmed with the concept of freedom so they were best left slaves. In that light this was really tasteless and thoughtless to include on packaging for kids, especially for a character as empowering as Tiana has been for many children who now have a Disney princess that looked like them. Way to drop the ball on this one, Disney.
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An ad spot for The Guardian takes the fairy tale The Three Little Pigs and shows how it would play out in the 21st century with the main stream media descending, news pundits putting in their two cents, digital recreations of the crime scene being created alongside conspiracy theories, and of course people from all over the world tweeting and voting and commenting on it via social media. The result is a fascinating view into how our culture devours news stories (in a wolf like manner) and uses those same stories to mirror ourselves (like a vain evil queen) as we personalize and internalize these issues. The climax is viewing this news coverage as a call to arms to protect out own (like valiant princes everywhere) and by extension ourselves. How the happily ever after eventually comes about has yet to be seen.
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Cinderella (ghd Advert)
Cinderella’s a beauty, her hair all a-curl No need of a prince for this stunning young girl She’s saying goodbye to glass slippers forever And running away with a bloke dressed in leather.
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Little Red Riding Hood (ghd Advert)
Little Red Riding Hood, neither timid nor shy Whilst straightening her locks, a wolf she did spy But far from fainting or running a fever She started to laugh and pulled out a cleaver.
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Rapunzel (ghd Advert)
The first of a series of witty and subversive ads by RKCR/Y&R for ghd. They first appeared in November 2009. (You can see the full page ads from magazines above and in my files) The tag-line was You can do anything with your hair… and the concept was the modern, independent and confident woman no longer in need of a prince to rescue her, (our modern princes ride motorbikes rather than horses…) yet how close they now are to those pre-literary tales; princesses wielding axes and forging their own destiny… Great imagery too, grown-up and suitably dark.
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Green Energy Fables: Fairy Tales About Renewable Energy
Chris Buzelli painted several fairy tale images with renewable energy themes for a calendar for Entega.
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Visine commercial that takes its inspiration from the fairy tale The Elves and The Shoemaker. The company creates its own myth about how all of the tears get inside a bottle of Visine.
