Is the concept of "Love" changing?
This was an interesting read.
I do feel it misses the point. My opinion is that it makes one correct point, one inaccurate point and one flawed assumption.
The correct point I picked up on is the underlying point of the article; the way is presented in media is changing. The inaccurate point being that the concept of love has in any way changed. And the flawed assumption being that every movie (Disney or otherwise) needs to have love as a central theme.
I can't deny it. Movies, including Disney ones, are putting love in a different perspective. Frankly, another point of contention for me would also be pinning this shift on Finding Nemo or Tangled. Toy Story is MUCH older and FAR less focused on romantic love than Tangled and far more "obscure" love than Nemo.
But, that only really shows the way the audiences are changing. Love isn't just romantic love. And it never has been. Ask your grand parents. The concept of familial love predates ALL of these movies. As does love between siblings, and friendship and camaraderie and even the love a child feels for their toys and things that bring them joy.
I think the progression is natural though. The romantic love story themes have gotten tired. It is hard to produce a movie which focuses on that theme and doesn't feel derivative and isn't eclipsed by some great classic. Even the modern movies with a romantic love at the center are generally less emphatic about it.
Furthermore familial love and romantic love, aren't truly all that different. We give them the same name for a reason. They can be equally strong feelings and equally strong motivators. The article almost paints the drift away from romance as something lost. But, love is still at the core. And important lessons about romantic love are actually made in many of these movies.
Brave for instance. While the core of the movie may revolve around a mother and daughter understanding both how to show their love for the other and to understand how the other loves them, there actually is a side story about romantic love. Or rather, how it isn't something you can fabricate. Merida doesn't necessarily state that she doesn't want to marry, nor even that she won't ever marry any of her suitors.
The final stance on the marriage in the movie is that she should be free to find someone she truly wants to be with, and the suitors should be free to do so as well. Some even hinting that they might work to prove themselves to her. That is an incredibly strong story about romantic love in my opinion. It paints Merida as a person who maybe knows more about romantic love than her mother, or prior fairy tail princesses.
In fact, arguably, many classic Disney movies fail to portray anything akin to love. Most hinge on the notion of "love at first site". Which is a notion any school age girl will tell you they've experienced with a boy they will subsequently be happy they hadn't married 20 years later. Not to jump all over the "magic" of "love at first site". And, in many cases, like the Little Mermaid it is never even presented as anything more than infatuation which simply happens to work out in the end.
But, I think the biggest fault for me was even bothering to point out Moana and how it eschews romantic love entirely. It is one movie, and it kind of stands alone in that respect. Not that it would matter much anyway. In my opinion, I rather enjoyed the unique perspective. Especially for the sake of my daughter. For whom I'm equally glad there are movies like Cinderella, as I am for movies like Tangled.
All of that being said though, the article makes a point. Love, from a pop-culture perspective is certainly evolving and changing. I don't think the article really renders a verdict on whether that is good or bad either. So, I don't want my comments to be taken as "defending against" their stance. The author's point seems largely commentary and informative. And mine is meant as such as well.
I don't think love itself has changed. I agree that the representation of it has in society. I can think of potential contributors to that switch such as a change in trends and a need to refresh the stories being told. But wouldn't claim to know the all the factors or how they play in.
What I can rule on is personal preference. And to that end, I enjoy the more varied takes on it.
I do feel it misses the point. My opinion is that it makes one correct point, one inaccurate point and one flawed assumption.
The correct point I picked up on is the underlying point of the article; the way is presented in media is changing. The inaccurate point being that the concept of love has in any way changed. And the flawed assumption being that every movie (Disney or otherwise) needs to have love as a central theme.
I can't deny it. Movies, including Disney ones, are putting love in a different perspective. Frankly, another point of contention for me would also be pinning this shift on Finding Nemo or Tangled. Toy Story is MUCH older and FAR less focused on romantic love than Tangled and far more "obscure" love than Nemo.
But, that only really shows the way the audiences are changing. Love isn't just romantic love. And it never has been. Ask your grand parents. The concept of familial love predates ALL of these movies. As does love between siblings, and friendship and camaraderie and even the love a child feels for their toys and things that bring them joy.
I think the progression is natural though. The romantic love story themes have gotten tired. It is hard to produce a movie which focuses on that theme and doesn't feel derivative and isn't eclipsed by some great classic. Even the modern movies with a romantic love at the center are generally less emphatic about it.
Furthermore familial love and romantic love, aren't truly all that different. We give them the same name for a reason. They can be equally strong feelings and equally strong motivators. The article almost paints the drift away from romance as something lost. But, love is still at the core. And important lessons about romantic love are actually made in many of these movies.
Brave for instance. While the core of the movie may revolve around a mother and daughter understanding both how to show their love for the other and to understand how the other loves them, there actually is a side story about romantic love. Or rather, how it isn't something you can fabricate. Merida doesn't necessarily state that she doesn't want to marry, nor even that she won't ever marry any of her suitors.
The final stance on the marriage in the movie is that she should be free to find someone she truly wants to be with, and the suitors should be free to do so as well. Some even hinting that they might work to prove themselves to her. That is an incredibly strong story about romantic love in my opinion. It paints Merida as a person who maybe knows more about romantic love than her mother, or prior fairy tail princesses.
In fact, arguably, many classic Disney movies fail to portray anything akin to love. Most hinge on the notion of "love at first site". Which is a notion any school age girl will tell you they've experienced with a boy they will subsequently be happy they hadn't married 20 years later. Not to jump all over the "magic" of "love at first site". And, in many cases, like the Little Mermaid it is never even presented as anything more than infatuation which simply happens to work out in the end.
But, I think the biggest fault for me was even bothering to point out Moana and how it eschews romantic love entirely. It is one movie, and it kind of stands alone in that respect. Not that it would matter much anyway. In my opinion, I rather enjoyed the unique perspective. Especially for the sake of my daughter. For whom I'm equally glad there are movies like Cinderella, as I am for movies like Tangled.
All of that being said though, the article makes a point. Love, from a pop-culture perspective is certainly evolving and changing. I don't think the article really renders a verdict on whether that is good or bad either. So, I don't want my comments to be taken as "defending against" their stance. The author's point seems largely commentary and informative. And mine is meant as such as well.
I don't think love itself has changed. I agree that the representation of it has in society. I can think of potential contributors to that switch such as a change in trends and a need to refresh the stories being told. But wouldn't claim to know the all the factors or how they play in.
What I can rule on is personal preference. And to that end, I enjoy the more varied takes on it.
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