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Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
The Princess Diaries: Can Little Girls Handle Disney?

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Her Grace
10/31/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
Robin McKinley's reimaginings ftw. Everything else pales for me. She also writes original fairy tales, usually as novella-length pieces; they can be found in "A Knot in the Grain and other stories" and "The Door in the Hedge" books. #fairytales
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hydrogen_jukebox
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
I have a paperback collection of short stories that are all classic fairy tales told with a strange twist or from an alternate point of view. I forget the name of it, but I love every single story.

Little Red Riding Hood lives in a futuristic wasteland ruled by man-eating clams, Snow White's witch works at an abattoir until she becomes obsessed with beauty pageants...you get the idea.

My favorite though? Cinderella, told from the point of view of Prince Charming, who has a foot fetish and a crush on his (male) tutor. #fairytales
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alula
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
I'd put a word in for Marina Warner's From the Beast to the Blonde, too. Also, Maria Tatar has a book just focused on Bluebeard that I love. Oh, and the Terri Windling fairy tale series--I don't know if there are any still in development, but those are some AMAZING books. There are some great stories and essays in the collection The Armless Maiden, too. #fairytales
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bowleserised
10/31/09

@alula: Marina Warner is brilliant on fairy tales. #fairytales
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happysquid
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
Hey Anna, I used to LOVE Andrew Lang's fairy books (i had the Red One). The story that most jumps out at me (the title of which escapes me) is the one about the princess who is kept in a tower and not allowed to see any men, until she catches sight of an envoy/diplomat guy through a hole in the tower and becomes infatuated with him. She runs away with him to an island with no food or water, and when she finds food/water she gives it to him, and he eats it all without offering any to her, and basically is a total jerk. So she realizes he is a jerk, and ends up marrying the prince instead.

I wish I could remember the title. Darn! #fairytales
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TransFat
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales

I have always been an enormous fanatic of fairy tales and mythology and most of what I write in my career use these stories for a base.

Do yourself a favor and check out Monty Python's Terry Jones and his fairy tale books. I was given this book on my 8th birthday and have loved its wit and wisdom ever since. And ATTENTION TEAM CAKE! There is a story about a cake horse that comes alive! Mmmm Mr. Edible.

[www.amazon.com] #fairytales
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SisterSasquatch
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
My sister and I loved the Faerie Tale Theatre stories growing up. Except, the witch in "Hansel and Gretel" scared me like nothing else ever has. My sister used to have to physically restrain me in order to get me through the whole story. She found it on VHS a few years ago and gave it to me, and I still have a hard time getting through it. She is the scariest witch ever. #fairytales
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NellMood
10/30/09

@SisterSasquatch: Waitasecond- did your mean big sister comment below?? #fairytales
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SisterSasquatch
10/30/09

@NellMood: That's the one! Now our secret is out... #fairytales
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NellMood
10/30/09

@SisterSasquatch: Ha, as another older sister I must side with your big sis on the forced viewing issue. I don't recall ever tying my brother to a chair so we could watch the end of something, but I wish I had. I've never seen ET fly away on his bicycle because of my brother. #fairytales
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wrapped in plastic
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
I'd just like to say, it's very nice to read an article about fairy tales that doesn't sensationalise the issue. So much discussion of this topic is unnecessarily hysterical -- rather like the people who want to ban kids from wearing scary Halloween costumes.

As a kid I was allowed/encouraged to read the darker versions of fairy tales for myself, and even though I was and am pretty squeamish when it comes to realistic horror, I was never traumatised by a fairy tale. #fairytales
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NellMood
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
I loved Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre as a kid- I remember seeing the Rumpelstiltskin one many, many times. I watched a couple episodes recently on Netflix. I've never realized how weird they were, and how many incredibly famous people guest starred to play even the smallest part. #fairytales
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LoSpaz
10/30/09

@NellMood: These were awesome. My favorite was Hansel and Gretel, starring Ricky Schroeder as Hansel and Joan Collins as the evil stepmother. My younger sister was so terrified of this one that I once tied her to a chair with a jump rope to keep her in the room.

I was a fan of Rapunzel in this series too. #fairytales
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NellMood
10/30/09

@LoSpaz: I missed many a movie ending due to my little brother's fears, so I admire your technique. #fairytales
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mikaelamac
10/30/09

@NellMood: I have been trying to find these on DVD for ages! As kids, we had the vhs of all of them, I have no idea what happened... they were so freaking fantastic! #fairytales
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alula
10/30/09

@NellMood: I loved the series--it was my absolutely favorite thing to get when I was sick. I've watched a few as an adult, and it's amazing to see the cameos and the inside jokes! (One of my best friends from college and I took a class about fairy tales and watched the Faerie Tale Theater Beauty and the Beast (with Susan Sarandon and Klaus Kinski!) right after seeing the Jean Cocteau film, and there are some straight up references there. #fairytales
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NellMood
10/30/09

@alula: Oh, interesting! I don't remember Beauty and the Beast at all- I'll have to watch that one again! I watched the Nightingale episode this summer and the cameos were incredible- Mick Jagger, Anjelica Huston, Barbara Hershey- every other person was someone amazing. #fairytales
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librariesare4lovers
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
Anna, are you sure about the demon radish? Cuz I remember the FTT Rapunzel (Jeff Bridges was the Prince and I remember blood coming out of his eyes after he fell from the tower into the brier bush) and I don't remember any screaming radishes... #fairytales
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NellMood
10/30/09

@librariesare4lovers: Watch the clip posted just above your comment! That radish was traumatizing! #fairytales
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librariesare4lovers
10/30/09

@NellMood: HAHA- I seriously did not remember that at all so I don't know if it scared me when I was little but it just made me bust out laughing now! #fairytales
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NellMood
10/30/09

@librariesare4lovers: Maybe you repressed the terrible, terrible memory. I just watched the clip where the Jeff Bridges falls and I have to say, I forgot how creepy that was. What a bizarre/fabulous show.

@TiniDarling: That sounds like a pretty bad combination! #fairytales
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CurtCole
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
The Princess Who Stood On Her Own Two Feet is still one of my favorites. People don't pay nearly enough attention to modern fairy tales. #fairytales
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Uncommon Whore
10/30/09

@CurtCole: Is this real or are you just being awesome? #fairytales
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CurtCole
10/30/09

@Uncommon Whore: Nope, it's real, but I still consider myself awesome. You can find it in the Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales. It is by Jeanne Carter. #fairytales
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Diziet_Sma
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
I'm partial to Vladimir Propp's analysis of Russian Folk Tales: [en.wikipedia.org]

It's interesting how all the best stories - films, books, TV series - pretty much conform to the same narrative elements and structure as folk tales, and that this is universal. It's been hard-wired into us since humans first started communicating.

My favorite modern take on them is Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber - feminist, erotic and dark.

NB. The Folio Society is currently publishing beautiful new editions of Andrew Lang's famous Victorian rainbow fairy books: [www.foliosociety.com]
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Edited by Diziet_Sma at 10/30/09 5:17 PM Diziet_Sma was starred Diziet_Sma was unstarred

J.D.Regent
10/30/09

@Diziet_Sma: Angela Carter does it better than all of them, and much more enjoyable to read. I'm stuck in structuralism too. Anything but Bettleheim!
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Edited by J.D.Regent at 10/30/09 5:18 PM J.D.Regent was starred J.D.Regent was unstarred

jabcrosshook
10/30/09

@Diziet_Sma: I want these SO bad, but they're expensive! :( #fairytales
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Confabulatia
10/30/09

@Diziet_Sma: While I dig Propp, I haven't tested ye olde structuralismo against Oscar Wilde's fairy tales. Have you ever encountered them? While I think they conform somewhat, there's no discernible moral. At all. #fairytales
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Diziet_Sma
10/30/09

@jabcrosshook: I know. Me too :( #fairytales
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Diziet_Sma
10/30/09

@Confabulatia: Well, Propp was a formalist, rather than a structuralist. I'm not familiar enough with Wilde's stories to answer your question, although the two I remember - The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant - are extremely moral, aren't they? About giving up wealth (precious jewels) to help others, caring and sharing etc? #fairytales
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yvanehtnioj
10/30/09

@Diziet_Sma: I have Burning Your Boats, which is all of her short stories (inlcuding The Bloody Chamber), and I basically recommend it to everyone I know every time I see them. God, Angela Carter is awesome. #fairytales
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Diziet_Sma
10/30/09

@yvanehtnioj: Oh wow, I have to get that. I LOVE her. #fairytales
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Ms.Moneypenny
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
Browsing books online today I came across an old favorite fairy tale that I haven't read in ages: East of the Sun and West of the Moon. I wish I could remember the whole story better, but it seemed pretty kickass to me as a little girl that the heroine was the one going off to rescue the prince.

Also, the illustrations were beautiful.

Of course now I find out that some of the interpretations include this: "The transformation of the man into a beast has often been interpreted to signify a young woman's revulsion from sexual activity." So um, yeah.
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Uncommon Whore
10/30/09

@Ms.Moneypenny: Oh, I loved that one! I remember that my dad bought that one for me. I don't really remember how it went either, but the name is so magical. #fairytales
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sallysparrow
10/30/09

@Ms.Moneypenny: This is the version I had which is, I guess, a variation on the Norwegian(?) fairy tale. #fairytales
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Uncommon Whore
10/30/09

@sallysparrow: I think I had this version too! I learned the word zephyr from that book. #fairytales
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Ms.Moneypenny
10/30/09

@sallysparrow: I've been looking at used copies online all day. I can't believe how much they're going for. I loved Mercer Mayer's illustrations. #fairytales
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sallysparrow
10/30/09

@Ms.Moneypenny: so pricey! I'll have to see if I can dig up my old copy from my parents. The dust jacket is long gone though. I especially remember the illustration of the salamander in the fire pit, he had such a sweet face. #fairytales
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madeofawesome
10/30/09

In reply to Radishes, Mermaids, And Shot-Putters: The Lessons Of Fairy Tales
So, this Freud guy...he liked to read into things, didn't he?

Perv. #fairytales
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