My prince has come - and gone
June 14, 2009 4:18 AM Subscribe
Fallen Princesses : Dina Goldstein explores what life might have been like for Rapunzel, Snow White, and others after happily-ever-after. (via)
As a plus, the sites navigation isn't totally wank. A Mefi first!
posted by ZaneJ. at 5:11 AM on June 14, 2009
posted by ZaneJ. at 5:11 AM on June 14, 2009
There are a couple more Fallen Princesses pictures on her site, though it is in Flash (sorry ZaneJ).
posted by divabat at 5:19 AM on June 14, 2009
posted by divabat at 5:19 AM on June 14, 2009
Jasmine's military camoflague dress looks friggin awesome.
posted by amuseDetachment at 6:10 AM on June 14, 2009
posted by amuseDetachment at 6:10 AM on June 14, 2009
That Sleeping Beauty one has some oomph behind it.
When I had just seen the Cinderella and Snow White ones, I wasn't impressed by the ideas (though the execution was impressive). I've seen this general concept before, and it always seems to be a reflection the modern woman's disillusion with the fairy-tale romance, featuring princes who turn out to be dead-beat dads, adulterers, or worse. Some of the others here are amusing or interesting, but that Sleeping Beauty one really got to me.
posted by ErWenn at 7:10 AM on June 14, 2009
When I had just seen the Cinderella and Snow White ones, I wasn't impressed by the ideas (though the execution was impressive). I've seen this general concept before, and it always seems to be a reflection the modern woman's disillusion with the fairy-tale romance, featuring princes who turn out to be dead-beat dads, adulterers, or worse. Some of the others here are amusing or interesting, but that Sleeping Beauty one really got to me.
posted by ErWenn at 7:10 AM on June 14, 2009
I like her body of work - some great photos in her portfolio. Thanks, divabat.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:47 AM on June 14, 2009
posted by madamjujujive at 7:47 AM on June 14, 2009
Prince Philip's comfort sandals in the Sleeping Beauty shot just kill me. What a great detail.
posted by padraigin at 8:31 AM on June 14, 2009
posted by padraigin at 8:31 AM on June 14, 2009
I, too, felt that some were a little too obvious (as ErWenn says, it's a feminist critique that has been done over and over). But they also don't make story sense. After all, Snow White married an actual prince (as in son of a king or ruler of a small princedom) - they would have servants who would keep their children hidden in the nursery. And no matter how bored Cinderella would get, she wouldn't be in a modern bar; she would be pining away in a solar or salon like a good medieval/early modern noble lady. The Jasmine one was the only pointed one for me, reminding us about what war has done to the setting of the story in the last several hundred years. This is, of course, a reaction not against the actual fairy tale (since Jasmine is not a fairy tale character) but about the romanticisation of the middle east in a Disney film versus the actual situation.
For actually taking the logic of the fairy tales, and their original characters and setting, to the "what happens after happily ever after," I prefer the second half of Into the Woods.
But maybe this is because I am a fan of fairy tales, and don't automatically associate them with the Disney Princess line. And when I have children, they will be hearing the Grimm (or other original) versions of the stories as soon as they are old enough to understand words like "poison" and "cut off her toes." Having read those, I never had any desire to be the Little Mermaid (and dissolve into sea foam), or the goose girl (and have my beloved horse murdered), or even Cinderella (with her neglectful father and abusive stepmother and foot-mutilating sisters). It made me love my own loving family, and think about how lucky I was - and how if you have to cut off part of your foot, he's not the right guy for you, and the birds will tell everyone.
posted by jb at 8:42 AM on June 14, 2009 [12 favorites]
For actually taking the logic of the fairy tales, and their original characters and setting, to the "what happens after happily ever after," I prefer the second half of Into the Woods.
But maybe this is because I am a fan of fairy tales, and don't automatically associate them with the Disney Princess line. And when I have children, they will be hearing the Grimm (or other original) versions of the stories as soon as they are old enough to understand words like "poison" and "cut off her toes." Having read those, I never had any desire to be the Little Mermaid (and dissolve into sea foam), or the goose girl (and have my beloved horse murdered), or even Cinderella (with her neglectful father and abusive stepmother and foot-mutilating sisters). It made me love my own loving family, and think about how lucky I was - and how if you have to cut off part of your foot, he's not the right guy for you, and the birds will tell everyone.
posted by jb at 8:42 AM on June 14, 2009 [12 favorites]
Yeah, I imagine all these women turning into the wicked stepmother they hated.
posted by dhartung at 10:18 AM on June 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by dhartung at 10:18 AM on June 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
The Cinderella photograph reminded me of the Degas painting Absinthe Drinker.
posted by jedicus at 10:24 AM on June 14, 2009
posted by jedicus at 10:24 AM on June 14, 2009
I'm agreeing with jb, these are pretty weakcause "critiques." Hell, Disney itself kinda half-way sorta addressed it in "Enchanted"*. For real kick-ass reinterpretations of fairy tales, you can't beat The Book Of Enchantments (suitable for children) Red As Blood (Suitable for, uh, more mature children) and Don't Bet On The Prince (suitable for everyone). The Little Mermaid retelling in particular struck me. You feel complete pity for her, but mostly cause it's her own damn fault.
Regarding the Jasmine thing, there is an excellent stand-alone Sandman story "Ramadan" that was written during the first Gulf War where the mythical city of Baghdad and the real, being bombed city interact. And If we're talking Gaiman and Fairy tales, you have to mention Bebe Neuworth as the Queen in "Snow Glass Apples". It used to be available for free on Seeing Ear Theatre but then Sci-Fi.com removed it. You have to buy it now but trust me, totally worth it if you have not heard it before.
However, if you want the classic source material, Penguin put out a beautiful (and beautifully translated) edition of Hans Christian Anderson, complete with his little shadow dolls.
* While I was impressed that the movie resisted the urge to have a Fabulous Fairy Godfather, watching "Enchanted" was like watching Disney perform auto fellatio for 80 minutes. Also, reminding me how pretty and fluid the old hand-done animation was and then ripping it away? Not cool.
posted by The Whelk at 10:56 AM on June 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
Regarding the Jasmine thing, there is an excellent stand-alone Sandman story "Ramadan" that was written during the first Gulf War where the mythical city of Baghdad and the real, being bombed city interact. And If we're talking Gaiman and Fairy tales, you have to mention Bebe Neuworth as the Queen in "Snow Glass Apples". It used to be available for free on Seeing Ear Theatre but then Sci-Fi.com removed it. You have to buy it now but trust me, totally worth it if you have not heard it before.
However, if you want the classic source material, Penguin put out a beautiful (and beautifully translated) edition of Hans Christian Anderson, complete with his little shadow dolls.
* While I was impressed that the movie resisted the urge to have a Fabulous Fairy Godfather, watching "Enchanted" was like watching Disney perform auto fellatio for 80 minutes. Also, reminding me how pretty and fluid the old hand-done animation was and then ripping it away? Not cool.
posted by The Whelk at 10:56 AM on June 14, 2009 [5 favorites]
Little Red Riding Hood is fat, because she eats fast food? Huh?
posted by box at 11:08 AM on June 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by box at 11:08 AM on June 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
No mention of Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber? Much better and..bloodier...digressions on these themes. There is also a (I think) Jane Yolen (or Patricia McKillip?) version of Snow White where *she* is the true evil in the land and the stepmother has to fight her...creepy and awesome.
These, eh. Not so much.
posted by emjaybee at 11:13 AM on June 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
These, eh. Not so much.
posted by emjaybee at 11:13 AM on June 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Yeah.... I would have preferred scenarios where the princess reclaims a piece of her own identity or something. The first one I clicked to was Rapunzel in chemo, but it only made me think of the graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge, where Rapunzel uses her hair as a lariat and escapes from the tower by herself.
The Sleeping Beauty one was a poignant one, though, even if I didn't understand it completely. She just fell asleep again at some point? I appreciated the prince sticking by, confused, aging, as she became just as unattainable as she used to be, waiting for a different, younger prince.
posted by redsparkler at 11:37 AM on June 14, 2009
The Sleeping Beauty one was a poignant one, though, even if I didn't understand it completely. She just fell asleep again at some point? I appreciated the prince sticking by, confused, aging, as she became just as unattainable as she used to be, waiting for a different, younger prince.
posted by redsparkler at 11:37 AM on June 14, 2009
Is the model in the Jasmine shot Jaslene from America's Next Top Model?
Is it sad that I watch America's Next Top Model enough to wonder?
posted by xingcat at 12:30 PM on June 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
Is it sad that I watch America's Next Top Model enough to wonder?
posted by xingcat at 12:30 PM on June 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
It is the props that make the difference: Sleeping Beauty's aged prince wears socks with his sandals, Rapunzel's hair is beside her chemo drip...
posted by Cranberry at 12:57 PM on June 14, 2009
posted by Cranberry at 12:57 PM on June 14, 2009
The photographer is very good, and these are very well executed, but the concepts are pretty trite.
posted by Halloween Jack at 3:17 PM on June 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 3:17 PM on June 14, 2009 [2 favorites]
Fables, anyone? By sheer coincidence, I'm in the middle of rereading the series to date right now.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:01 PM on June 14, 2009
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:01 PM on June 14, 2009
These photos are amazing and way better than Cinderella II, which examines life in the palace for everybody's favorite chambermaid.
You didn't know they made a second one? Well, there's even a mind-blowingly awful Cinderella III, whose plot is much like that of Lost in that it involves time-travel, is impossible to explain, and makes absolutely no sense.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 2:24 PM on June 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
You didn't know they made a second one? Well, there's even a mind-blowingly awful Cinderella III, whose plot is much like that of Lost in that it involves time-travel, is impossible to explain, and makes absolutely no sense.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 2:24 PM on June 15, 2009 [1 favorite]
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posted by LittleMissItneg at 4:36 AM on June 14, 2009