Pet Portraits

The latest of my little "side business."  Sophie the Bernese, and Misty and Rainy the Cockapoo and Shih Tzu, respectively.

The Art of Bioshock

Whilst waiting for the Bioshock Infinite art book to be delivered to my doorstep, I thought I'd make some of my own.   

Elizabeth is creating a tear! Get it!?  Eh.......

Self Portrait

Saw all of the cool kids painting self portraits using nothing but a mirror as reference....thought I'd give it a shot.   Completed in about 2 hours.

Green Beans

A  preview for a series of illustrations I'm working on for a commission!  More to come.

Cat Portraiture

So I got my first commission that involved drawing/painting a portrait of cats.  I drew this photorealistic sketch as per usual (BELOW) and then I decided that it was the most boring image I have ever looked at in my entire life.  

 So, I redid the picture from scratch (HA!) and out popped out something with a little more PURRRsonality.  Ugh, sorry.  

Awkward is the new Black: The changing role of "True Love" in Disney movies

          First off, I'd like to congratulate Disney's Frozen on its Oscar last night. As a film that was crafted merely as an egg whose shell will burst open only once it hits the broadway stage, I've no doubt that this Oscar will soon be scooching over on the shelf to make room for a Tony.

          On a cold December's night, I went out and saw Disney's latest animated feature, Frozen. And from the moment I texted my movie plans until the moment the end credits began to roll, I had to spend every single second screaming at myself, something along the lines of "just go watch the damn movie AND STOP JUDGING EVERYTHING, YOU PRETENTIOUS DISNEY DOUCHE."

          So, I tried to look at it all from a logical perspective.  I watched Frozen, and compared it to older Disney movies.  I noticed something about the characters, both in Frozen and in other recent Disney movies, that seems to be based on the company's push towards making audience-relatable characters rather than fantastical ones.

          The biggest thing I noticed is something I call "the AWKWARD phenomenon."

A major shift that occurred from the Snow White Era to today is, that the characters - namely the princesses - appear to be much more human, as opposed to this idealized image of the pure, flawless damsel. The element that brought the Little Mermaid in as the opener to Disney's Golden Renaissance of the 90s was this intangible spark of life that seemed to have been breathed into the characters. The dreamy, otherworldliness of older Disney stories was sacrificed to make way for an instantly more believable expressiveness within the characters' facial and body language,  and dialogue. It was an incredible step forward that allowed such a flourishing era. This newfound human element was responsible for the success of movies such as The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, Mulan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Emperor's New Groove, and Lilo and Stitch.

          But like everything, moderation is key. It seems that in attempt to make characters less stonefaced and more believable, there was this increasingly-occurring unfortunate side effect of creating a lack of overt confidence in the characters' demeanor. When watching Frozen, it is easy to notice that this shift towards "believable personalities” has protruded so far into the Disney universe, that the studio's former fantastical allure is coming too far down to earth for its own good.

          It's something that presented itself in Tangled throughout Rapunzel's behavior, in the situations surrounding her exit from her tower. And it's something that presented itself in nearly every central romance situation in Frozen. When I watched romances developing in Frozen, Something struck me as "off," but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then, it struck me like a speeding Pizza Planet Truck: I wasn't watching a Disney courtship; I was watching a goddamn computer animated RomCom. Let's start with the first of Anna's two romances in the film: Hans. Hans enters the scene in the final shot of a musical number that establishes Anna as a boycrazy teenager. She meets this man, acts ditzy because he is hot, and then - OH GOD she is flirting and joking with him at a party all night about COMMON INTERESTS. “Like, totally bizarre!!”

Compare this castle kingdom scene In Frozen to the Kingdom Dance in Tangled, a film whose European Medieval period setting was at more or less the same caliber as Frozen's setting. In the Tangled scene, Flynn and Rapunzel bond throughout a mute montage of traditional step dancing and revelry in the street, adorned by clips of the the two blossoming lovers sneaking around the town and exploring books and treasures.

Just like the famous “Married Life” montage in Disney/Pixar's film Up, a wordless and carefully-orchestrated scene used music and visuals to convince an audience within minutes that two people are undoubtedly meant to be together.

          Albeit, the relationship between Anna and Hans was not meant to be genuine in the long run, however it still fell perfectly in line with the movie’s message of “get to know your man before you commit to him.” That’s right kids, love at first sight isn’t hip anymore, even in a period piece. No matter what era your courtship takes place in, the only proper way to meet your man is at social gathering over a drink and a shmooz.   

          Fast forward a wee bit, and we are introduced to Kristoff, the “real” love interest. Anna needs a guide who has supplies, capabilities, and knowledge of the local land’s layout - but by the time they reach their destination, they have formed a personal bond they they wish to continue by choice. This courtship formula is nearly identical to the one used in Tangled, which leads me to believe  that Disney has chosen the romantic comedy formula as it’s “safety romance.” And what is the heart of the cookie-cutter romcom formula? In a nutshell: The love interests have to be uncomfortably at odds with one another before they can fall in love, which doesn't happen until the very end of the film. 
          When I watch Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds smack into each other naked in The Proposal, you fucking bet I want to watch them quibble and quarrel and spat and argue up until, and even AFTER the very moment they finally realize they have feelings for each other. But that's just it...romcoms are for adults; people who have already experienced some form of love or affection, and find a great amount of appeal in seeing their adult romantic lives parodied in such a way. When push comes to shove though, Disney animated pictures are for children - tiny people who have not yet experienced the clusterfuck known as present-day American courtship. Yes, obviously, dating is more than often an awkward, terrifying, and uncomfortable experience. But if little girls knew this from the start, then why on earth would they want to bother taking the risk in the first place? At least at the end of Tangled, the bond formed by the two lovers’ close-quarters adventuring had completely eliminated the tension and discomfort in their relationship by the time they came to terms with their feelings at about half-way through the movie. In Frozen, Anna and Kristoff remained uncomfortable with their feelings up until the final shot of the movie. Even their kiss, was not a confident kiss of true love, but a kiss of two eleven year olds who are still worried that their breath smells too much like lunchables and Bubble Tape.

          An old English professor of mine consistently stressed the importance of “show, don’t tell.” As many times as Frozen’s script nagged us over and over that Anna and Kristoff were meant to be in love, I really never would have believed it on my own. An awkwardly composed courtship, in combination with the film’s unsuccessful juggling of overabundant subplots, caused the film’s central romance to come off as heavily understated and confusing to characters and audience alike.

          “Love Is An Open Door” displayed a courtship that was a direct parody of the “royal love at first sight” tradition of early Disney days. This musical number was written with the conscious intent of expressing how utterly ridiculous it is to rush into such a commitment. Incidentally, the film made such an overblown spectacle of “rushed love's” silliness, that this song about a farce of a relationship wound up being a much stronger scene than many of the following numbers which were much more pertinent to the story's important relationships. As for Kristoff, he further stressed the fallacy of love at first sight, actually telling Anna straight up how blasphemous it sounded that she was engaged to a guy she met that night. And so, the movie progressed to tell us the “right” way to fall in love, which is to spend a lot of time with the guy, analyze one another, awkwardly dance around your feelings and interactions, meet his troll family who continues to sing to you about how he REALLY is a great guy even though he's antisocial and pisses outdoors, and when you STILL have doubts that he's the guy for you, wait until everybody and their mother is telling you that you should be with him because he really does like you. There is this naive lack of confidence in play, this time on both ends of the romance.

    

          This is "Fixer Upper," the only song in the movie that portrays the film's central romance.  Listen to the lyrics carefully.  It all just seems so backwards to me - the "fake" romance is scorned for its confidence and feeling, and the "real" romance is praised on how uncomfortable the characters are around one another.  
          We need childhood idealisms, like beautiful damsels falling in love at first sight. I believe that a healthy moderated dose of idealism is a crucial element to the development of a child’s outlook on the world.   And it breaks my heart to see today’s children be deprived of the Disney magic which had sparked hope and imagination into the lucky group of people who had the privilege of growing up with unrealistic Disney classics.  

          "Falling in Love" is the most timeless thing there ever was.  More timeless than Frank Sinatra Standards, more timeless than Santa Claus, more timeless than The Wizard of Oz. Something that is "timeless" is an entity which becomes a tightly-tacked staple in American culture as soon as it is conceived.   A timeless entity is not simply something that is popular, it is something that sets a standard. It is something that everyone will know about always, and whose name will only continue to grow and refine with age. It is something that weaves itself into our heartstrings and our shelves, and we can't really figure out why. It is something whose merchandise will never fall out of production.

          Falling in love...Such a nuisance. But so wonderful! And from the 30s to the 90s, Disney Animated movies have always been there to assure little girls that even when things get crazy, love will prevail, and will drive you through your hardships. Love is something you can trust. Once you know you're in love, it's really all cake from there.  While you're scrambling through your closet finding the perfect blouse that will emphasize your features in a way that finds the appropriate balance between classy and slutty in order to look perfect for the blind date your mom's friend's coworker set you up on, your 7 year old sister is staring into her tv, sighing as she watches Jasmine and Aladdin fight all odds just to share a life together that they both knew they wanted since the first moment they met.

          This is the essence of classic Disney romance. To strip away the period-relevant elements and reveal the purest sense of two humans wanting to be together without a single doubt. This is where my qualm lies with Frozen.

          As mentioned in the last point, both of Frozen's romances were not only underplayed due to a battle for plot dominance, but they were both built under the idea of “don't just go running into commitment without knowing this guy is what you REALLY want.”

          I was talking to my grandmother the other day in the waiting room of a clinic. Now, my grandparents have been happily married 60 years since they were 19 years old, and are the most adorable little couple I have ever seen. Anyway, she was going on a shpeil to me about how “You need to really make sure you find the right man, make sure you love him, and he can provide for you, and he loves you, and you both want the same things, and really think it over and make sure he's the one you should be with!” When she had concluded, I turned to her and asked, “So, what was it about Poppy that made you know he was right?” She paused, and then with a big smile spreading on her face she looked me in the eye, and chuckled out, “He was really, really...cute!”

          And so as someone who spends way too much time in my own head, I wondered, “so why does Disney feel that it's so necessary to escape from a simplified romance, rather than embrace it?”

          Obviously, changing gender roles and feminism played a huge part in the transition. Many audiences chose to see confident romances as portraying weak, gullible woman who would sacrifice their individuality for a man. I personally, am not part of that vast group who chooses to view idealized romances in such a negative light. And I also know that there's much more to this equation than changing gender roles.

          Let’s take a step back for a moment, to those pre-Renaissance ladies. The role of the classical era Disney Princess (Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White) was to inspire young female audiences using a vague yet optimistic idea of an idealized happiness and romance. It was the romance that existed in most fiction during that era; a love at first sight. The “true love” was the driving force of the story, not the final outcome of the story. When 1989 hit with the release of the Little Mermaid, the Golden Age/Renaissance Disney princess was formed. Her role focused female idealization in a more practical way, as she demonstrated a responsible grown woman who must make important decisions that will test her maturity and her self-respect. Pocahontas protected her tribe, Esmeralda protected the outcasts, and Mulan protected her honor.

          Then when Tangled was released in 2010, a 3^rd era of Disney princesses began. This princess' role focuses audience identifiability even FURTHER. Rather than appealing to young female audiences by showing them what they should aspire to be like once they have already grown up, Rapunzel's role was designed to identify directly with the growing up process itself.

        
  "I wonder, when will my life begin?" Rapunzel is presented in a situation in which she is isolated in a tower, never having been out in the real world, never even having been exposed to another human being save for her mother. Following the prologue, the film kicks off in a spot that presents Rapunzel, after having been cooped up in her sheltered tower of lies for somewhere between 15-18 years, is now old enough that she is starting to be overwhelmed by her curiosity of what lies outside her walls. She is finally about to come into herself, but is hesitant, as she has thus far only survived under the care and guidance of a parent.    Sound familiar, little girls?

          Rapunzel knows she has many skills, hobbies and capabilities - but just as a child in grade school, Rapunzel knows that all of her studies and accomplishments have been tested in a consequence-free setting, and that responsibility out in the real world will be a much more daunting task. From meeting Flynn, to staring out her tower window, to feeling the grass between her toes for the first time, to watching Flynn walk off into the night and seemingly betray her, Rapunzel is faced with a never ending whirlwind of self-doubt and uncertainty. Am I really ready to grow up? Am I not ready to leave home and be responsible for myself? She has defied her mother's wishes, and knows that it is now crucial to show her “mother” (AND herself) that she is ready to leave the tower and make it on her own. She begins the movie as a guarded child, and ends the movie having successfully transitioned into a confident, functional adult. Although the film possessed a  romance-oriented plot, it did not stray away from the the core message of the film, which was about a girl building the self assurance to become a woman.

           Anna in Frozen continued this pattern -   Cooped up all her life in a castle which was safe, yet extremely sheltered.  Anna was presented as even more aloof and naive than Rapunzel was, and was even marketed as "the awkward girl."  Again, her journey begins when she loses her parental figures, leaves her safe haven, and goes out into the world for the first time in her life.   This modern-era Disney princess IS the little girl who is watching the movie. She is a child. She begins the film as guarded, safe, and without legitimate responsibility in her community. The point of her journey is not to protect others, but to break out of her shell and find herself.

            And to further bring young audiences into the film, Anna and the other characters in Frozen speak using slang, dialogue, and mannerisms that 2013 girls/adolescents would use themselves.  

          If the main character is the parallel of an inexperienced child, than the resulting romance must be built to match.  Her courtship will not be one that a mature woman would experience - but one that an adolescent would experience:  Awkward, uncomfortable, and unsure.  The same romance that the girls in the audience are no doubt going through themselves.    And with that, a marketing strategy is born: don't give the girls a role model, just show them that what they are going through is normal.  Awkward is okay, and so are you.

           If the pre-1989 princesses were put in theaters today, people would treat them with scorn.  People would say they are cheesy and unrealistic. People would call them "weak" women, or "gullible" women.   I call them confident women.  I say we look up to a princess that can love and not feel ashamed or embarrassed about it.  I say we let our children look up to women who don't question their feelings, rather than take comfort in knowing that it's okay to stay unsure until every person around you tells you that what you're doing is okay. The Era of the Broken Fourth wall encourages us to embrace ourselves when we feel like fools, and to feel foolish whenever we try taking ourselves seriously.  This path we are going on is slowly stripping the next generation of confidence and self-assurance.

          Frozen was a beautiful movie - aesthetically, and nothing more.  It deserved its Oscar for making a spectacle of itself, for mastering a marketing formula, and for making a princess who was no more mature than the little girls who are watching the film.  Financially, the movie is genius.  And the songs are catchy.  And the view is damn pleasant to look at.  But despite it all, what's its one downfall according to all of the critics?

Poor character development.

That's right, Frozen was a movie that was perfect in every way, except in the way that a movie needs to be. Disney is going to be Disney, and there's nothing we can do about it.  While studios like Pixar and Ghibli bring us that raw emotion that we truly crave as human beings (and I pray they will continue to do so), Disney will continue to focus on the market, the merchandise, and the business opportunities.  It will do what a business does best - plunge into the minds of their target audience, and give them something they can relate to, because something they relate to is something they will buy.    Disney may just be the world's most respected sellout.  

Disney, I love you with all of my heart, so please take some of the dollar bills out of your ears just long enough to listen to me say this:

Please, stop thinking it is suddenly your job to tell fresh young minds how they are supposed to love, or why they are supposed to love, or who they are supposed to love, or when they are supposed to love.

Just tell them TO love. 

 Simply show them that love is something worth seeking out – and let them figure out the rest on their own.

Thanks, Netflix.

for the grade A show you got here.  House of Cards is great.  Go watch it!  Here's a Frank Underwood for all y'all, in all of his bloody, Spacey glory.    Acrylic on cardboard.