Toon Talk: “I Wish I Were a Princess”

What little girl hasn’t said just that at some point in her young life? While it is not surprising that Disney has found a way to capitalize on these nascent feminine inspirations, what is surprising is that it took them as long as it did to recognize the moneymaking capabilities of a “Disney Princess”.

After all, Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora were around for decades without much out-of-the-ordinary going on. It took the one-two-three punch of Ariel, Belle and Jasmine to wake up the suits to the idea of a merchandise line based solely on these fairy tale divas. As more movies came out, some leading ladies made the grade (Pocahontas, Mulan), while others did not (Esmeralda, Megara), and it didn’t seem to matter much whether they were actual princesses or not. And forgive me if I sound jaded, but surely the in-the-works The Princess and the Frog was green lit at least in part to add a long overdue African American princess to the lineup. (“To bad Rapunzel isn’t a Latina,” I could here the marketers say, "we could really give Dora the Explorer a run for her money!")

Once the “Disney Princess” ball got rolling, nothing could slow it down. From dress-up dolls to easy-bake ovens to Halloween costumes to jewelry (real and fake) to band-aids to breakfast cereals … the list goes on and on. And that’s not even touching on the dozens of CDs, video games and DVDs produced, which brings us to the matter at hand: the latest DVD release, Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams.

This Toon Talk review continues at LaughingPlace.com.

Click here to purchase Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreamson DVD from Amazon.com.

Mmmm ... Box Office Smash

Despite some mediocre reviews (including mine), The Simpsons Movie raked in the (wait for it) d'oh this weekend, making it the highest-grossing debut for a traditionally animated feature. Obviously, there are a lot more Simpsons fans out there then anybody realized.

In a nutshell (mmmm ... nutshells), I felt that the movie, while funny at times, lacked anything unique to say as a feature film. The show has been on the air for going on 19 seasons, and it's clear its glory days are behind them. Perhaps if the movie had been made earlier in the series' run, or was handed over to a fresh writer (instead of nine-plus people who have been churning out the "d'ohs!" for years now), it may have turned out a better movie experience, not merely a good extended TV episode.

Meanwhile, for a look back at the best Simpsons movie parodies, visit the Film Babble Blog. And for the gay view on the franchise, the San Francisco Bay Guardian lists the 10 reasons why they love Springfield, and PlanetOut.com offers their own "Ultimate Gay Simpsons Quiz".

UPDATE: The Simpsons Movie is now available on DVDfrom Amazon.com.

Hairy Potter

As promised, my full review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is now available on LaughingPlace.com.

For another opinion, including how Harry is accused of having a boyfriend, visit QueerBeacon. It should be noted that our hero's reaction to the taunt is a simple "no", as opposed to how Hollywood usually handles such things.

Speaking of hairy ... I mean Harry, Details interviewed Daniel Radcliffe about his recent, non-Potter roles, such as his now infamous nude scenes in the London revival of Equus and his first major film that doesn't have him sporting a scar and spectacles, December Boys.

But the most startling thing about the piece is not what is discussed, but the picture that accompanies it; Radcliffe, sporting stubble and a leather vest, stands in front of backdrop that looks like some seedy waterfront dive. Seriously, he looks like he's waiting for his cue on the set of the latest Falcon video pack.

And if that strikes you as too much of a mental image for you, then maybe you should take Entertainment Weekly's "Inappropriate Crush Quiz" on the subject.

UPDATE: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is now available on DVDfrom Amazon.com.