A blind or deaf animated character?! O_o

[Nilla Joy]

I found this topic at the Princess and the Frog section (which will soon be coming out this holiday season before 2009 is over) at IMDB and....this is kinda freaky to me a little, but someone thinks that we should have a disable princess in a disney movie...like blind or deaf. I dunno if that's a good idea.

Excuse my words, but...a retarded animated character for a Disney film just wouldn't work out to me. I could try to list out my pointers, but I don't wanna spam the whole topic by myself lol. Now the others have brought out some good pointers of their own. For example, if any of you guys remember The Little Mermaid TV series, there was a character on that show named Gabriella. She was a friend of Ariel's at the time and she was deaf so she had a friendly octpus to speak her words out for her while she's doing sign language. I think she was based off some real life girl with the same disablity before she died when the show was still in the middle of production last time I read that trivia somewhere on IMDB or Wikipedia.

Anyway, another good old example is Garrett. Anyone remember him from The Quest for Camelot? He was Kayley's love interest at the end but he was blind as well. If you guys wanna read more. The topic is right here and you can see my opinion too at the end (I go by Open_Season_Fangirl5000 at the place)

www.imdb.com/title/tt0780521/board/thread/132779609

Would anyone like to bring out their thoughts about this topic?

[FaPingMulan]

My thoughts? I don't like the idea too much, maybe I am being too harsh or critical about the whole thing but I don't think the movie would be very popular or do well should Disney ever decide to make a princess like that. Not too mention I think it's been do too much lately not that I have a problem with people with disabilities because I don't I just don't wanna see it in a Disney film leaving Garrett a more original classical type of character you know? Well I guess to sum it up better my opinion is don't do it

[HeXXus]

I guess I'm the odd one out here ,because I honestly think it's a good idea.

My reasoning is something like this- we have tons of other princess movies, you know Disney is going to make more, and the characters have always been able in one way or another. You have the damsels in the distress, the tough chick heroines, and then the damsels in distress who BECOME tough chick heroines. It's nice, but it's redundant...and change is good.

I mean, you pointed some interesting characters with disabilities. In the case of Garret, he was still a pretty dang good character, I'd say. And despite his disability, he got by.

I think about these things a little differently I guess, living with a sister who does have mental issues. Compared to it, blindness and deafness really don't seem well..that outrageous to put on a character, truth be told.

I think it would be interesting to have a princess with some kind of disability. I mean, look at Finding Nemo. Nemo was one of the main characters, and he had a disabled fin. Compare it to a human, where they would have one normal arm, and one small, not fully-grown arm. There are people like that, and I thought it was a nice change of pace.

To have a disabled heroine, I think, would be uplifting to people who really do have disabilities. Instead of 'normal' people always being the heroes and heroines and saving the days, people with disabilities, those who are seen as lesser in society and such, would rise up to the challenge and prove to everybody they really do have the power to save the day and follow their own dreams. And that message, to disabled people like my sister, would help them out. Maybe it would help them feel like that, despite their issues, they really could do what they wanted in the world, teasing doesn't matter, and though people don't really understand them that well, they can be just as able as the normal person.

I know I rambled there, but I had to get my thoughts in. That's why I think it would be a good idea for a disabled princess of some sort. I know you girls have your own personal reasons for why you don't think it's a good idea, and this is my personal reasoning for why I -do- think it's a good suggestion.

[FaPingMulan]

I understand your reasoning HeXXus and I don't blame you as you do throw out some pretty good points and I guess now that I think about maybe it would be a good maybe a bad thing who knows I'm kinda indifferent about it as in a way I still want the actual rare few characters that have disabilities to stand out and not be just another one of the crowd (not saying that in a bad way of course) I mean I want to them to be how would you say "a cut above the rest". Uggh now I am sounding like a horrible person I'd better stop before I make it worse Lol.

[Arrevanthas]

I think I agree with Hexxus...I think it is a good idea. It is time we start teaching our younger children to accept others for who they are and not what they look like...that even disabled people are just that...people. I think it is a good step. Of course, it will all depend on how Disney does it...are they going to portray them as able to be independent or able to so as much as they are able and push through boundaries...or are they going to have them relying on someone? I think it would be interesting and I would go see it.

Besides...there can be some interesting things with the character. I had a druid D&D character who was blind...and I will tell you...it was so fun especially when trying to come up with a creative solution to being imprisoned and get to her boyfriend.

[nightworm]

I remember Garret! Having a slight disability myself, I wouldn't mind if there was a Disney heroine who had a problem, but I think little kids would have a hard time understanding the heroine's plight, because when I was little a lot of people didn't get me either!

For me there's also the concern of Disney making the retarded character stereotypical. I have nothing against Disney, of course, but Disney has done this before. Remember the Indians in Peter Pan? Or the crows in Dumbo? Disney didn't mean to, I'm sure, but their portrayal of these characters offended several people.

I think this is a interesting debate!

[HeXXus]

That's true, it could go over kids heads. I'm sure Nemo's disability went over their heads as well. xD

I guess it's more for the older audience, that it would seem better for. I know my parents would appreciate it, since my little sister has down syndrome and absolutely loves disney princesses.

Yeah, and that's another fair point you pull up. Disney has made some very stereotypical characters before and, as you said, portrayed them in a manner that was offensive- regardless of the fact that probably wasn't their intention.

If they did do it, they'd have to approach it very carefully. Maybe go and see people with the disabilities in actions and what they could do, what were myths, what was offensive, so they knew what to do and what not to do.

But with all those issues, and the possibility of being offensive, most animation companies probably wouldn't invest in those kind of characters...beyond Nemo or Garret, that is.


It is! I'm really glad that we can share our different opinions here without anybody taking things too personally or turning them into a fight.

[Nilla Joy]

I don't see how the indians in Peter Pan were offended to people, but now that you mention the crows in Dumbo, they did acted a little racist. Plus, if you look at Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and The Hunchback of Norte Dame, there were some parts that had a little bit of swearing in them, but if anyone really did wanted to make an animated movie with a character that has a disablity, I don't think Disney would do that. They want to keep their audience at the reach of the level where they're between little kids and young teens.