Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Beast of Beauty

While I was in Seattle, Duz and I had a conversation about the image of women in the media.  More specifically the objectification of them.  I always like to get a man's perspective on these things, especially when I know that whatever I say won't piss them off forever.  That is the genius of family.  From there the conversation turned to gender enculturation and how difficult it is to overcome that.

I brought up the fairy tale as an example of how young girls are indoctrinated to believe that being beautiful is more important than smart or talented.  And that they can also be used to show them that it isn't important for a man to be so for a woman to love him.  That's when Beauty and the Beast came up.  I explained that this dynamic is predominant in our society - the beautiful woman who falls in love with the plain or not-so-handsome man.  I cite as examples Paulina Porizkova and Ric Ocasek, Shannon Tweed and Gene Simmons, Donald Trump and....well.....anyone, ditto Larry King.  Not just entertainers, but also politicians, and athletes.  I then challenged him to name me one couple where the woman was plain or fat or just not pretty and the man was hotness in a skin.  He couldn't do it.  Of all the people that we both knew from the media or even in our personal lives, neither of us could think of one.

I must have said something to the effect of turning the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale on its head and writing it the other way around.  Or maybe Duz suggested it.  Come to think of it, I am pretty sure that he told me if I didn't like it that I should re-write it.  Don't get me wrong.  Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite tales.  I love the story line.  It speaks about the heart of women that look for content over surface.  Pretty sure I have seen or read most tellings of variations on the original including the Cocteau film.  Yes - even the Disney version with its inimitable earworm music that I hum for days after every viewing.  That got me mulling about it.  I have been mulling a couple weeks now.  The trouble is, that I can't do it.  I can't write a fairy tale where the woman is ugly or disfigured, the man is handsome and loves her anyway.  Because I can't imagine it.  I don't believe it can happen.  I don't think it would be believable to anyone else either, even as a fairy tale.

That makes me sad and kinda embarrassed to admit.  I will continue to ponder it and maybe it will come to me how to wrap the tale along the bias.  Until then it just sits taking up brain space.  If you do think of an example where I could not, where Duz could not, then feel free to post it.

3 comments:

  1. I went to a preview of the opera season and Cincinnati Opera will be presenting "The Flowering Tree". I don't know if this applies to what your'e talking about, but the female lead becomes trapped in a tree (long story) and is disfigured. Her husband still loves her. It sounds like a lovely opera, but I don't know if
    it really fits your question quite right.

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  2. It'll make a great paradigm shift story - and it'll write itself when it's ready. So let it take up brain space - that's what I suggest. And then again - a bunch of short stories could be made meanwhile from your various mullings...

    Maybe you could start with the younger man / older woman paradigm and work from there. No reason why the woman has to be ugly or disfigured - doesn't have to go to the limit. I'm going to enjoy thinking about this, too. Thanks!

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  3. I agree with Patricia's comment and think your story will be great as it continues to develop. What a refreshing change of perspective! And I understand how you feel about the lack of such scenarios portrayed in literature and pop culture...although I can think of a few. Have you read the Arthurian legend "Sir Gwain & the Loathely Lady"? In real life, I would look at examples like Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith or Hugh Jackman and Debra Ann Furness.

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