1. Congratulations on winning Fan of the Month! How do you feel?
Surprised, in a good way! I mean, I wasn’t expecting to be voted for this category. I’ve written fewer and fewer articles, lately. I rarely post polls and pictures anymore. And it’s not because I don’t love Disney and Disney Princess (my apartment is full of Disney movies, and I always have it in my system to an extent), but I live a busy, chaotic life outside of this club family. And that life absorbs a lot of my waking hours, time and energy. So, being nominated--- let alone being told I as FOTM—was an surprise to me! I THANK YOU ALL, VERY MUCH<3
2. We all know Ariel is your favorite Disney Princess, is there another DP or Heroine you love (almost) as much?
Mulan. Back in 1998, I have a bad-ish, er, story. I made my whole family eat McDonalds Happy Meals (which fell during the time Mulan was showing in theaters) during the entire road trip to see our relatives. I was doing this because I badly wanted the flexible Mulan action figure that came with the entrée. But it was like the blind bag keychains you can get now at Hot Topic. You never knew which one you were going to get with the meal. So we got everybody --- Yao, Ling, Chien Po, two of Shang, one of Cri-kee ( which I still have and he still chirps, amazingly), one of Khan – but NO Mulan! By then, I was soooo unhappy. My mother told me not to worry, that the action figure would show up at the thrift store. AND SHE DID. (This also feeds into my love of thrift stores in general, and vintage and recycling old-into-new). But this is the sorta embarrassing story behind my Mulan love. My mother got me a Mulan balloon, also. Now, seeing the balloon decoration, it’s so strange…it’s rare. I kept it. Even though it's deflated it looks so damn good on a wall.
I also am a BIG Esmeralda stan. I have a shelf devoted to her and Quasi. I have a large doll of her and Djali, and small dolls of her and Quasi. There’s a bunch of ceramic figurines from the movie with major characters including Clopin. I have some snowglobes, watches, and stamps/plastic figurines from that movie. I admire Esme a lot, because she loved justice, and thought justice was absolutely worth dying for.
3. If you could live in any Disney movie, what movie would it be?
Ooooooh. Hmm. I have always wanted to wander around inside Prince Eric’s castle, because I found none of the other castles in Disney movies as cheerful or as appealing as his is. Eric’s castle has big bay windows, which lets in a lot of sunlight. I love the smell of the ocean. I like the beach and the water. I guess, TLM. Does that count? I’d probably end up as an Ariel sidekick or something, to be honest.
4. What was your favorite Disney Channel show/original movie when you were a kid?
Er. I didn’t watch Disney Channel at all. My parents never had cable. As a kid, I watched TV very sporadically. It was all educational, parent-approved shows. And crazy as this sounds, I only saw the 1991-1992 Little Mermaid TV series as an adult, at 33. But I like it, the most. The Little Mermaid TV series was well developed, and well executed. TLM Ariel’s Beginning was average. Return to the Sea was especially poor in terms of being consistent and adhering to Ariel’s overall characterization arc. If Return to the Sea had been written by me, Ariel would have flatly told Melody who Ursula was, and how she had died. Ariel would have taught Melody that she needed to employ her own self-defense lessons against Morgana. Something similar to how Ariel used to use her own self-defense lessons when she sneaked off to the surface in the old days, and when she faced Ursula and the shark people in the TV program. In my version, Melody would not have been so timid, and she would have turned out something like Merida, who is brash, reckless, but self-assured. There's something to like in Merida. She knows her own forte.
5. How did you find fanpop? And what made you want to join?
I joined… to defend Ariel. I joined primarily to be eligible to vote in the polls in the DP club. I saw that Ariel was losing in EVERY POLL that was posted to EVERY OTHER Disney Princess. It was a very bad time. It was sooo bad, that I hold my breath just thinking about it. Maybe, I can level with you all. Um, in the old days, you couldn’t share an opinion that differed from anyone else’s in this club. And you especially could not—I repeat—COULD NOT LOVE Ariel--- without being cyber-bullied to the point of tears, and having your posts taken down by the mods.
Maybe, I should have left. I don’t exactly have all pleasant memories. But I am stubborn, like Ariel is. And I took the risk, and I stayed.
6. What is your favorite scene in a Disney movie? (live action or animated)
Ok. I’ll take a stab at both. Favorite scene in the original TLM is when Ariel drives the carriage over the precipice, and actually vaults over the ravine safely. And then Eric crawls out from under the seat area, and puts both arms behind his head. I mean, it literally shows that Eric thinks she’s cool, and trusts her, and even admires Ariel for her daring. Eric is wearing a goofy, whoop grin on his face. And he doesn’t even know it yet, that this is the same daring princess who saved him from drowning. This scene shows the audience that Eric already was falling for Ariel before the kiss the girl scene. Eric could relax and be his authentic self around Ariel completely. Priceless.
Favorite live action scene is out of the live action Cinderella, the only one of the live action Disney movies I can stand to watch/ sit through. Oh, boy are they BAAAAAADDD. But Cinderella is the only decent one. So my favorite part is when Prince Charming’s friend, the African American counsellor, asks Cate Blanchett’s Evil Stepmother if there are no other women in the house, and she says no, even though loud singing can be heard. And she’s about to shoo them all away. Then, the Prince pulls off his hat while mounted and dressed like the rest of the look-alike soldiers. “You don’t mind me taking the chance to check it out, myself, do you?” I whooped.
7. Is there an animated heroine (Disney, Dreamworks, Don Bluth, etc) you wish was in the lineup?
Hmm. Several? Put Esmeralda back where she belongs. Originally, she was a DP. She deserves it. THE MOST, out of everybody.
And then, Kidagakash. Totally her.
The other one I favor is Quest For Camelot. Kayley is more physically beautiful and more talented than Belle is, and she is totally worth a shot as a DP. It would also be nice to have a blind prince in the lineup, who misses zero when it comes to landing a solid shot at an antagonist. Garrett may be blind, but he is an absolute hunk--- and he is so much hotter-looking than Adam is in human form.
And, I guess, Anastasia. I have snowglobes, dolls, a music box, a keychain, and a stuffed Pooka from her movie. Dimitri is hands down a better looking guy than Eugene/Flynn is, in my opinion. This has always been the case for me.
8. What is your favorite Disney movie from the....
a. The Golden Age
A tie probably between Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the original Fantasia (not Fantasia 2000). I can’t find a copy of the original Fantasia, and I have been LOOKING.
b. The Silver Age
Cinderella. But I think The Sword in the Stone, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians are close three-way seconds.
c. The Bronze Age
Hmm. The Aristocats and The Black Cauldron are tied. But I do like Robin Hood and The Fox and the Hound (which is a sad one, but is much better watching than Bambi, imo).
d. Renaissance
Obviously The Little Mermaid and Mulan lead the pack for Disney Princess movies for me. But also my loves include Aladdin RIP Robin Williams, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Tarzan, all of whom shaped my young adulthood.
e. Post-Renaissance
Eghads… Atlantis the Lost Empire, Lilo and Stitch, and Treasure Planet are a three way tie. And while we’re on the subject, because someone is painfully probably gonna ask me. For the Revival there’s just not even a princess movie that I actually love. I don’t love Tangled, Frozen, Brave, or Moana. My strongest feelings are for Zootopia.
9. What's your favorite thing about this spot?
The sense of camaraderie that gradually has come back to this club. I appreciate that it came back. For a while there, it was so dismal and depressing. And I felt so isolated and sad, because I kept wondering if I would continually “be doomed” to stay an outlier of the Disney fandom. But I will never ever join mainstream Disney fandom. Ooh, god. That stuff is toxic.
10. Is there anything a princess has you wish you had?
Not really. The most I could wish for is my own happily ever after. And that’s not something that a movie script can provide. I can tolerate the curly hair attached to my scalp that I don’t like, my not-quite-athletic bony body, and the okay singing voice. I have the willpower and the get-up-and-go zest that all of the DPs share. So, just my own happily ever after is what I would want, whatever that turns out to be. And I don’t know what it is yet. But I like mysteries, and I love to explore… like Ariel… so I will just keep on it, until I discover it. ;)
Surprised, in a good way! I mean, I wasn’t expecting to be voted for this category. I’ve written fewer and fewer articles, lately. I rarely post polls and pictures anymore. And it’s not because I don’t love Disney and Disney Princess (my apartment is full of Disney movies, and I always have it in my system to an extent), but I live a busy, chaotic life outside of this club family. And that life absorbs a lot of my waking hours, time and energy. So, being nominated--- let alone being told I as FOTM—was an surprise to me! I THANK YOU ALL, VERY MUCH<3
2. We all know Ariel is your favorite Disney Princess, is there another DP or Heroine you love (almost) as much?
Mulan. Back in 1998, I have a bad-ish, er, story. I made my whole family eat McDonalds Happy Meals (which fell during the time Mulan was showing in theaters) during the entire road trip to see our relatives. I was doing this because I badly wanted the flexible Mulan action figure that came with the entrée. But it was like the blind bag keychains you can get now at Hot Topic. You never knew which one you were going to get with the meal. So we got everybody --- Yao, Ling, Chien Po, two of Shang, one of Cri-kee ( which I still have and he still chirps, amazingly), one of Khan – but NO Mulan! By then, I was soooo unhappy. My mother told me not to worry, that the action figure would show up at the thrift store. AND SHE DID. (This also feeds into my love of thrift stores in general, and vintage and recycling old-into-new). But this is the sorta embarrassing story behind my Mulan love. My mother got me a Mulan balloon, also. Now, seeing the balloon decoration, it’s so strange…it’s rare. I kept it. Even though it's deflated it looks so damn good on a wall.
I also am a BIG Esmeralda stan. I have a shelf devoted to her and Quasi. I have a large doll of her and Djali, and small dolls of her and Quasi. There’s a bunch of ceramic figurines from the movie with major characters including Clopin. I have some snowglobes, watches, and stamps/plastic figurines from that movie. I admire Esme a lot, because she loved justice, and thought justice was absolutely worth dying for.
3. If you could live in any Disney movie, what movie would it be?
Ooooooh. Hmm. I have always wanted to wander around inside Prince Eric’s castle, because I found none of the other castles in Disney movies as cheerful or as appealing as his is. Eric’s castle has big bay windows, which lets in a lot of sunlight. I love the smell of the ocean. I like the beach and the water. I guess, TLM. Does that count? I’d probably end up as an Ariel sidekick or something, to be honest.
4. What was your favorite Disney Channel show/original movie when you were a kid?
Er. I didn’t watch Disney Channel at all. My parents never had cable. As a kid, I watched TV very sporadically. It was all educational, parent-approved shows. And crazy as this sounds, I only saw the 1991-1992 Little Mermaid TV series as an adult, at 33. But I like it, the most. The Little Mermaid TV series was well developed, and well executed. TLM Ariel’s Beginning was average. Return to the Sea was especially poor in terms of being consistent and adhering to Ariel’s overall characterization arc. If Return to the Sea had been written by me, Ariel would have flatly told Melody who Ursula was, and how she had died. Ariel would have taught Melody that she needed to employ her own self-defense lessons against Morgana. Something similar to how Ariel used to use her own self-defense lessons when she sneaked off to the surface in the old days, and when she faced Ursula and the shark people in the TV program. In my version, Melody would not have been so timid, and she would have turned out something like Merida, who is brash, reckless, but self-assured. There's something to like in Merida. She knows her own forte.
5. How did you find fanpop? And what made you want to join?
I joined… to defend Ariel. I joined primarily to be eligible to vote in the polls in the DP club. I saw that Ariel was losing in EVERY POLL that was posted to EVERY OTHER Disney Princess. It was a very bad time. It was sooo bad, that I hold my breath just thinking about it. Maybe, I can level with you all. Um, in the old days, you couldn’t share an opinion that differed from anyone else’s in this club. And you especially could not—I repeat—COULD NOT LOVE Ariel--- without being cyber-bullied to the point of tears, and having your posts taken down by the mods.
Maybe, I should have left. I don’t exactly have all pleasant memories. But I am stubborn, like Ariel is. And I took the risk, and I stayed.
6. What is your favorite scene in a Disney movie? (live action or animated)
Ok. I’ll take a stab at both. Favorite scene in the original TLM is when Ariel drives the carriage over the precipice, and actually vaults over the ravine safely. And then Eric crawls out from under the seat area, and puts both arms behind his head. I mean, it literally shows that Eric thinks she’s cool, and trusts her, and even admires Ariel for her daring. Eric is wearing a goofy, whoop grin on his face. And he doesn’t even know it yet, that this is the same daring princess who saved him from drowning. This scene shows the audience that Eric already was falling for Ariel before the kiss the girl scene. Eric could relax and be his authentic self around Ariel completely. Priceless.
Favorite live action scene is out of the live action Cinderella, the only one of the live action Disney movies I can stand to watch/ sit through. Oh, boy are they BAAAAAADDD. But Cinderella is the only decent one. So my favorite part is when Prince Charming’s friend, the African American counsellor, asks Cate Blanchett’s Evil Stepmother if there are no other women in the house, and she says no, even though loud singing can be heard. And she’s about to shoo them all away. Then, the Prince pulls off his hat while mounted and dressed like the rest of the look-alike soldiers. “You don’t mind me taking the chance to check it out, myself, do you?” I whooped.
7. Is there an animated heroine (Disney, Dreamworks, Don Bluth, etc) you wish was in the lineup?
Hmm. Several? Put Esmeralda back where she belongs. Originally, she was a DP. She deserves it. THE MOST, out of everybody.
And then, Kidagakash. Totally her.
The other one I favor is Quest For Camelot. Kayley is more physically beautiful and more talented than Belle is, and she is totally worth a shot as a DP. It would also be nice to have a blind prince in the lineup, who misses zero when it comes to landing a solid shot at an antagonist. Garrett may be blind, but he is an absolute hunk--- and he is so much hotter-looking than Adam is in human form.
And, I guess, Anastasia. I have snowglobes, dolls, a music box, a keychain, and a stuffed Pooka from her movie. Dimitri is hands down a better looking guy than Eugene/Flynn is, in my opinion. This has always been the case for me.
8. What is your favorite Disney movie from the....
a. The Golden Age
A tie probably between Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the original Fantasia (not Fantasia 2000). I can’t find a copy of the original Fantasia, and I have been LOOKING.
b. The Silver Age
Cinderella. But I think The Sword in the Stone, Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians are close three-way seconds.
c. The Bronze Age
Hmm. The Aristocats and The Black Cauldron are tied. But I do like Robin Hood and The Fox and the Hound (which is a sad one, but is much better watching than Bambi, imo).
d. Renaissance
Obviously The Little Mermaid and Mulan lead the pack for Disney Princess movies for me. But also my loves include Aladdin RIP Robin Williams, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and Tarzan, all of whom shaped my young adulthood.
e. Post-Renaissance
Eghads… Atlantis the Lost Empire, Lilo and Stitch, and Treasure Planet are a three way tie. And while we’re on the subject, because someone is painfully probably gonna ask me. For the Revival there’s just not even a princess movie that I actually love. I don’t love Tangled, Frozen, Brave, or Moana. My strongest feelings are for Zootopia.
9. What's your favorite thing about this spot?
The sense of camaraderie that gradually has come back to this club. I appreciate that it came back. For a while there, it was so dismal and depressing. And I felt so isolated and sad, because I kept wondering if I would continually “be doomed” to stay an outlier of the Disney fandom. But I will never ever join mainstream Disney fandom. Ooh, god. That stuff is toxic.
10. Is there anything a princess has you wish you had?
Not really. The most I could wish for is my own happily ever after. And that’s not something that a movie script can provide. I can tolerate the curly hair attached to my scalp that I don’t like, my not-quite-athletic bony body, and the okay singing voice. I have the willpower and the get-up-and-go zest that all of the DPs share. So, just my own happily ever after is what I would want, whatever that turns out to be. And I don’t know what it is yet. But I like mysteries, and I love to explore… like Ariel… so I will just keep on it, until I discover it. ;)