The Princess and the Frog Art & Designs

Disney's Hollywood Studios is currently featuring art from The Princess and the Frog. Some lovely pics below (lovely because the art is lovely, not because I took them):

"Disney's Newest Princess." Ick.

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Related Links:

* The Problem with Disney Princesses
* The Princess and the Frog Trailer

Wordless Wednesday: FastPass Fail

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Related Links:

* Splash Mountain is Not Worth Loss of Life

The Problem with Disney Princesses

I've been wanting to write this post every since I started this blog, but have always held off for fear of hate mail or being called anti-Disney. I hope by now you've read enough of this site to realize that I'm not anti-Disney at all (the opposite, in fact) but that from time to time I think it's important to openly discuss things that are troubling in the Disney realm. And I have a serious moral dilemma when it comes to the Disney Princess brand.

Let me say upfront that I was raised on Disney Princesses, although they weren't marketed as such back then. The Princesses were to my elementary school years what WB prime-time programming would become to my teen years (Pacey Witter for LIFE). And back then, I enjoyed the Princesses because I loved their respective films, not because I hoped and dreamed that Prince Charming would show up and sweep me away to live happily ever after. And herein lies my problem with the Disney Princess brand - it's not selling the movies, it's selling a state of mind.

I think part of the problem is that the Princesses themselves are no longer characters in their respective stories, but a group of what Disney is telling little girls is the feminine ideal. Look at the pretty ladies! They get everything they want! Life magically works out okay for them! And now they are rich and adored by all! The Disney Princess website opens with: "where happily ever after happens every day." Maybe for a select few, but for the average Jane, happily ever after doesn't happen every day, and most of the time you have to work - hard - to acheive your happily ever after.

If we break down various Princess tales, some disturbing messages emerge:

Snow White:

The Problem: Is too pretty for her own good, must live in the woods with 7 strange coal miners.

The Solution: Cook, clean, and do everything for the coal miners, sing songs.

Gets Her Man By: Lying there.

Creepy Factor: Snow White is 14.

Role Model Status: Nonexistent.

Cinderella:

The Problem: Dad died, is so pretty that she makes everyone jealous, forced to do manual labor.
The Solution: Befriend animals, wait for Fairy Godmother to appear.

Gets Her Man By: Being pretty, playing hard to get.
Creepy Factor: In the Brothers Grimm version of the story, the stepsisters cut off parts of their feet to make the slipper fit, then get their eyes pecked out by pigeons. This has nothing to do with the Disney version, but I felt the need to share. Fun fact!
Role Model Status: Good. Cinderella is nothing if not a hard worker, and she's punctual.

Sleeping Beauty:

The Problem: Dad forgot to invite sketchy fairy to the christening, daughter is cursed to touch sharp objects and sleep forever.

The Solution: Prince Phillip must, sigh, take care of everything.

Gets Her Man By: Lying there.
Creepy Factor: Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip had an arranged marraige.

Role Model Status: Difficult to say. Princess Aurora is only onscreen for 18 minutes.

Ariel:

The Problem: On land, they understand and they don't reprimand their daughters.
The Solution: Teenage angst-induced rebellion leads to mandatory kissing.

Gets Her Man By: Giving up her body, her voice, her family, then her body again.

Creepy Factor: Ariel is 16. Prince Eric is supposedly 18 (according to the film's novelization), but those pecs say otherwise.
Role Model Status: Not on land, under the sea, or anywhere else. Poor unfortunate souls, indeed.

Belle:

The Problem: "Weird" girl (because, omg, she reads) sacrifices herself for her trespassing father and gets captured by hideous monster. Meanwhile, the village a-hole decides to ruin everyone's lives.

The Solution: Finding - and falling in love with - the nice guy on the inside.
Gets Her Man By: Having Stockholm Syndrome

Creepy Factor: Belle is objectified for most of the film - Gaston and the Beast are both obsessed with owning her in one form or another.

Role Model Status: Excellent. A brainy, strong-willed, kind-hearted leading lady.

Jasmine:The Problem: Rich girl rebels, hates men, ends up locked in an hourglass in a bikini top doomed to be a personal slave.

The Solution: Let the poor people handle this one.

Gets Her Man By: Stealing an apple. And that outfit doesn't hurt either.

Creepy Factor: Jasmine is 15. Aladdin is 18. Also, um, her figure. Her 15 year-old figure.

Role Model Status: Questionable. Truth be told, she's kind of a brat.

So there you have it - your Disney Princesses. I didn't include Pocahontas or Mulan, even though they are included in the Princess brand because they 1. are not actually princesses, and 2. belong in a seperate category - Disney Women Who Rock. But more on them later.
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Related Links:

* The Princess and the Frog Trailer
* How Green is My Disney?

Recipe: Strawberry Banana Bread from Whispering Canyon Cafe

My latest recipe comes from the Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge. Their delicious strawberry banana bread is incredibly easy to make, and works as a breakfast food, snack, or dessert. This recipe makes 2 loaves, so if you're feeling generous, you could take a loaf into the office and make your coworkers happy. Or you could eat it all yourself. Personally, I'm torn.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups ripe bananas (about 6 medium size), mashed

4 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups flour

1 1/2 pounds frozen sliced strawberries, thawed

Let's Get Cookin'

1. Grease two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans and preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar.

3. Incorporate the bananas and scrape the sides of the bowl with the spatula.

If there was ever a time to lick the bowl, it's now. Yum.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Set aside.

5. In another bowl, mix together the salt, baking soda, and flour.

6. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until fully incorporated.

7. Add the strawberries.

8. Pour into prepared pans.

Ideally, you would own two loaf pans. I don't, so I used

a loaf pan and a cake pan. The result is the same.

9. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before inverting onto a plate.

Ta-da.

(thanks to AllEars.net for the recipe)

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Related Links:

* Melktert from Boma at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
* Honey Coriander Chicken Wings - O'hana, Polynesian Resort
* Cheddar Cheese Soup from Le Cellier

New Dancing with the Stars Cast Announced

Dear Lord, is it really that time of year again? That scary time when every Monday and Tuesday our TV sets are invaded by sparkles, salsas, and (shudder) Samantha Harris? Sadly, dear friends, Dancing with the Stars is coming back this fall with SIXTEEN new celebrities to prolong my torture and question our definition of the word "celebrity."

Since we don't know which professional has been assigned to which "star", it's impossible to handicap this season just yet. I mention "handicap" because if this season is anything like last spring, by the time everyone finishes hurting themselves in rehearsal there will only be 6 couples left anyway.

Here we go again:

Michael Irvin - Three-time SuperBowl champion, former Dallas Cowboy, blah blah. Football players traditionally do well on this show. Well, except for that one guy.

Melissa Joan Hart - Sigh. I've always wanted an excuse to dust off my Clarissa Explains it All references. I might as well get this out of the way now:

That's better.

Mark Dascascos - I'm told he is on Iron Chef. And is a martial arts artist? Like Gilles Marini of last year, he is not famous. Unlike Gilles, he does not possess the All-Important Sexy.

Macy Gray - Macy is 6 feet tall. This will not end well. "I try to say goodbye and I choke; tray walk away and I stumblllle...."

Louis Vito - Louis is a professional snowboarder on his way to the 2010 Olympics. He is also 21, so my hope is that he will be partnered with Chelsie or Julianne and then all his snowboarder friends will be like "gnarly babe you got there, dude" or whatever it is snowboarders say in these types of situations. And by "these types of situations" I mean "one of your Olympic teammates goes on a nationally televised dance show with a strong history of leaving injured people in its wake months before it's time to compete." We're talking the OLYMPICS, young man. This shiz only comes around every 4 years. You couldn't have waited a season? You need to samba that badly?

Chuck Liddell - Oh goody, let's all collectively prepare ourselves for lame jokes about Chuck going after the judges for giving him bad scores. Or becoming the Ultimate Dancing Champion. Ugh.

Kelly Osbourne - Really, Kelly? Really? This is what you choose to do with your time? On the bright side, we should definitely be in for some f-bomb-on-live-tv awkwardness.

Tom DeLay - SCCCCCHLLLLOOOOOOOMMMMMPPPP. That was the sound of a DWTS-created black hole sucking out all that made sense in the universe. Ladies and gentleman, may I present Tom DeLay, Latin lover and salsa king. And so it begins.

Natalie Coughlin - Gold medalists have a great track record on the dance floor, and Natalie is pretty. Win-win. (Although, plz to get male swimmers on the show? Kthxbai)

Mya - Mya danced in the movie version of Chicago, remember? If not, no worries - I'm sure they'll mention it at least 435637 times.

Drew Lachey - Just kidding. But you wouldn't be surprised, would you?

Joanna Krupa - Joanna is a model, which means she will go home in the first two weeks. Presumably after Macy Gray.

Kathy Ireland - My sister: "as in, the person who makes my luggage?" Yes, yes it is.

Ashley Hamilton - No lie, I totally thought Ashley was a woman until I saw his photo. I bet that happens a lot. He's also billed as "son of George Hamilton." This guy's got enough problems already - get out while you still can, sir.

Debi Mazar - Debi dear, you are way too fabulously edgy for this show. But at least you'll look great in the costumes.

Donny Osmond - We all knew this day would come. But that doesn't make me any more prepared for it.

Aaron Carter - Dear Aaron, you are no Cody Linley, so get your perfectly coiffed blonde hair and boy band grin away from me. That is all.

WDW Transportation: The Good, The Bad, The Buses

There are lots of ways to get around Walt Disney World: monorail, car, train, or running like a herd of wildebeests. But the easiest and most reliable way to navigate the resorts and parks is the WDW bus system.

The WDW buses provide transportation to/from all WDW resorts, and from park-to-park. The great thing about it is you don't have to worry about taking your car everywhere and parking it way out in no man's land.

There are, however, 3 major issues I have with the WDW bus system:

1. Getting to/from Downtown Disney Takes Forever. Because the buses stop at each segment of Downtown Disney before moving on (West Side, Pleasure Island, and Marketplace), the bus ride is never-ending. And this is on top of the fact that Downtown Disney is further away from most resorts than the theme parks are. Trust me: if you're going to Downtown Disney, you're better off taking your car.

2. The Buses are FREEZING. I don't mean cold, I don't mean "uses AC," I mean the buses are so cold you might as well ride home in an icebox. Our family actually takes sweatshirts with us to the parks, even though it's 90+ degrees outside, just so we can wear them on the bus ride home. The drastic change in temp between the outside air and the bus actually gave me a monster headache every night. So if there are any bus drivers reading this, please - do us all a favor, and turn the AC down.

3. Strollers Should Not Be Allowed on Buses. Yup, I said it. And while I'm sympathetic to those with small children, strollers (especially the multi-child ones) take up a huge amount of room. On one crowded bus ride home, a dad's stroller took up THREE seats, even though there was a full bus of people stuck standing. Even the little strollers cause problems - they roll around, hitting other passengers, rolling over toes, and smearing dirt from the wheels all over people's legs, all because their owners don't control them. It's not fair to everyone else on the bus - so if you're bringing a stroller, you need to drive yourself. Or rent a stroller when you get in the park.

The Sob Heard Round the World

So after a far-too-long hiatus from this blog, we're back! We had a great trip to WDW, with lots of posts, photos, and general silliness to come over the next few weeks, but let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. There was one little black rain cloud hovering over our honey tree:

NOOOOO TAKE IT DOWN! TAKE IT DOWN! COULD THERE POSSIBLY BE ANYTHING WORSE?

I had to ask.