Sleeping Beauty: Giving Kids Weird Ideas about Death Since 1959

The recently released "Sleeping Beauty" DVD has been in heavy rotation at our house since Christmas. The movie was made in 1959, and Disney recently released it from "The Vault." Santa brought the animated flick to our home last month. I, I mean Santa, didn't want to lose his chance to purchase this movie like he did with "Beauty and the Beast." Stupid Santa.

My daughter tells the story like this: "The witch died Sleeping Beauty. Don't touch the spindle! The fairies helped Sleeping Beauty and changed her dress. After she got dead, the prince killed the dragon and kissed Sleeping Beauty and then she wasn't dead anymore."

Now, I have always pretty open with the kid when it comes to death. Two of our dogs have died in the past two years. I explained to her that Lucy and Karl were old and that their bodies didn't work right anymore. "They died," I've told her in the most straightforward way I know how. I am careful not to say things like, "We put them to sleep."

"Sleeping Beauty" seems to have knocked us into a whole other ballpark, however. The other day at dinner, my sweet little girl looked at me and said, "Mama, you didn't got dead?"

Me: "No, I didn't . . . get dead."

Her: "You're going to live forever?"

Me: "Eat your beans."

Seeing as how the movie is now 50 years old, I figure there must be at least two generations of people wandering around out there who grew up thinking that a kiss could wake someone from the eternal slumber of death. It wouldn't be the first time a Disney movie freaked someone out. To this day I cannot watch "Dumbo." It seems all at once to tap into my deep hatred for the circus, my love for my mama, and my fierce drive to protect animals. I cannot handle the scene where Dumbo is separated from his mommy and she is shackled. Shit, I'm tearing up just thinking about it! I was also a bit traumatized by the stampede scene where Mufasa is killed in "The Lion King" - and I was well into my 20's when that flick came out.

With a little luck, "Snow White" will be re-released soon, and then I get to explain why you can also die from eating fruit.

Comments

Sam said…
I hear ya.

Don't even get me started on Bambi!
January 22, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Samantha said…
I totally hear you on Dumbo. I hear "Baby Mine" and I start bawling!
January 22, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Jen said…
Also there's that whole "you have to change yourself to be with the one you love" issue. Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast...because we aren't good enough as we are, right? ha ha ha
January 24, 2009 at 7:32 AM
Poosha Kasha said…
What about my Frankadoo? Meemaw misses him, too.
January 27, 2009 at 2:10 AM
KarenE said…
Disney really freaks me out ... though I'm glad for Pocahontas and the environmental theme, Belle and her love of reading (says the librarian), and even Giselle (Enchanted) and her ability to be ANGRY. :)
January 28, 2009 at 4:29 PM
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