Eps 2: Top 10 Dark versions of Disney princesses stories
The podcast delves into darker reinterpretations of classic Disney princess stories, turning beloved fairy tales into more sinister narratives. For example, Snow White's story includes elements of horror with the Evil Queen delving into black magic and necromancy. Cinderella's tale becomes one of revenge, with her using dark forces to enact vengeance on her abusive family. In the retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Belle becomes entangled in a twisted, cursed relationship that is more about possession than love. Ariel's journey in The Little Mermaid involves a tragic transformation where she loses more than just her voice, suffering a grim fate. Rapunzel's story involves captivity and psychological torment, rather than a simple tale of rescue and love. Sleeping Beauty's tale is reimagined with creepy, enchanted landscapes and an insidious curse that threatens more than just slumber. Mulan's story shifts to a darker battlefield with supernatural elements haunting her every step. Pocahontas faces grim themes of betrayal and loss that corrupt her initially hopeful outlook. Jasmine's encounter with Jafar in Aladdin involves deeper, darker magic and a more malevolent struggle for power. Lastly, Tiana's story in The Princess and the Frog takes a sinister turn, involving voodoo and dark forces within the bayou, adding a layer of dread to her quest. Each princess's story is reimagined to explore themes of darkness, vengeance, and supernatural elements.
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Host
Gail Sullivan
Podcast Content
Fourth, Sleeping Beauty’s origins lie in Giambattista Basile’s “Sun, Moon, and Talia,” where the princess is not awakened by a kiss, but after giving birth to twins. Fifth, we discover a much darker Rapunzel, also from the Brothers Grimm, where her prince is blinded by thorns. The sixth tale brings us to Beauty and the Beast, originally called "La Belle et la Bête," where Beauty is often depicted wrestling with her darker fears and primal desires.
Our seventh story veers into Pocahontas’s historical hardships, far removed from Disney's romanticized version, showing the grim reality of displacement and colonization. Moving on to the eighth, Aladdin's Princess Jasmine in the original “Arabian Nights” series is faced with far more perilous trials. Ninth, Mulan’s ancient ballad tells of her return to a kingdom that does not honor her bravery but instead expects her to resume her life as if nothing happened. Finally, the tenth story takes us to Elsa from Frozen, inspired by Andersen's "The Snow Queen," where the icy queen kidnaps children and is a much more ominous character. These darker adaptations offer a haunting glimpse into the original lore behind the timeless Disney tales we know today.