About FPS

[taotrooper]

I've been talking with this with yaired, gingetsu and hamsterfactor, and more recently with river_nile about this subject. I saw something on fandomsecrets about it as well. So I might as well make a post about it.

Most girls and young women who are either Disney freaks or lived their childhood during the early 90s, including me, suffer from what I like to call FPS.

Stands for Fugly Prince Syndrome.

If you've watched Beauty and the Beast (Disney version), you might remember how the Beast was like. Mmmm Beast. He starts very rude and wild, but as the movie continues he turns into a gentleman and overall a nicer guy. I mean, Disney has the quality to push some buttons and awake the little furry in all of us (two words: Robin Hood), but you couldn't feel guilty for liking the Beast -either as just a character, or finding him actually attractive. Because even if he was scary and excessively hairy, he wasn't really ugly (at least from the fairytale point of view), and in objective comparison you'd rather marry him than Gaston. So lots of girls crushed on the Beast, and that's cool. He's manly yet cuddly. And ironically cute.

The thing was the ending. I mean, the obvious conclusion was him turning back, not only because of the original fairytale, but because at that time for a Disney film there had to be a happy ending. Probably lots of viewers wouldn't find a problem with a different outcome, supposing Beast could survive Gaston's stab, and Belle saying the magic words AFTER the rose withered completely. She wouldn't mind living with Beast all furry (the servants would mind, but duh) forever. And that's fucking romantic of her.

But the real issue wasn't the Beast to turn human again, no. The issue was that the prince form was, to put it in a polite way, not attractive. He looks like a boyband member on steroids, and doesn't even feel like the Beast when wearing the ball blue outfit. If I were Belle, I'd have a harder time to believe he's my beastie boy; a single glance on the eyes -cue West Wing portrait flashback- isn't really enough. C'mon, tell me something about me only Beast knows! Growl at me! Eat porridge with your bare hands! DO SOMETHING MORE! WTF did you turn into, Jesus?!

Thus, we'd much rather this lame guy to turn back into the beast, even if the movie's supposed message was not being this shallow about appearances. So, that's the irony of FPS: we'd do the Beast, as long as he doesn't turn into that.

(Funny enough, when my mom saw me covering my eyes during the transformation sequence, every freaking time I watched the movie, she was convinced I was strange. B-b-but it was painful to seeeeee! For some reason the worse part for me was the feet. I never quite explained it to her so she assumed I had a crush on the prince. THE OTHER WAY AROUND, MA. I never corrected her because I thought I was being unreasonable until I saw I wasn't alone on this.)

And another thing. This bloke's canon name was Adam. WTF. Shouldn't he have a more French-sounding name? It's not even original! "Prince Adam" makes me think of He-man, and my brain breaks and wonders if there are crossovers. Moral of the story: all princes called Adam are just unsexy.

Comments

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

*dies laughing*

You and everyone else, indeed.

(the time I'm worrying is when watching LotR awakes the little furry inside - let's not even mention some Ghibli movies).

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I really thought I was alone for years. It was shocking yet soothing that it happened to be a collective thing.

You just reminded me I still haven't watched Porco Rosso. And what on LotR is furry-awakening? The orcs? The hobbits' hairy soles?

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

the Balrog!

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Porco Rosso rocks the cabash, you must watch it soon.

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

let's not even mention some Ghibli movies
I'll allow myself to meddle here because I was going to comment about Ghibli. So, IAWTC.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

IAWTC = I agree with that comment?

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

Yup. ^^U

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Learn something new every day!

Those wolves were way too sexy ^^ Not to mention Haku in dragon form. Not to mention Sherlock Holmes!!

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. XD And the Baron in Neko no Ongaeshi <3

I remember that one vividly and v. fondly because we watched the movie right after Grave of the Fireflies to shake out the depression. o.oU

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

yes, he was pretty and shiny, remembered me of Phineas from the animal version of round the world in 80 days

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Oh God, the Baron~

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Haku is amazing because he's just wrong in two different ways. He pushes the pedo AND the furry buttons at the same time. Kudos for that one, GHIBLI.

[laurus-nobilis.livejournal.com]

Shouldn't he have a more French-sounding name?
I knooow. And anyway, is his name ever mentioned in the actual movie? Or is it a sequels/merchandising thing?

Anyway, yes, Beast > Prince. The other Disney princes look generic. This guy looked like an orange-haired Ricky Martin.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I was just told it's mentioned on the DVD. It was annoying enough to make me post this rant formally. All this time I was hoping it to be fanon, alas.

orange-haired Ricky Martin
XDDDD Particularly 80's!Martin with his long hair, I can see the resemblance.

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

OMG! So true! Me and my sister were complaining about this for years! I must remind her about it, although it is painful to remember what Beast becomes.

Robin Hood is also a bit of alright! ^___~

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Heh, I never had a sister or watched the movie with anyone my age. It would've been so great to have someone to fangirl Disney movies with although in my case, I'd annoy them further by showing off because I knew the original song lyrics in English and they didn't *was a prissy purist from childhood*

[vehemence.livejournal.com]

I... never had a crush on the Beast XD For me I only ever crushed on Aladdin and John Smith and YES ROBIN HOOD >> Thank god I'm not a furry. But that movie is really awesome xD

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't think crushing on the beast qualifies anyone as furry per se. I didn't crush on Aladdin but I'm not surprised so many people did because he was great and good-looking.

I love this post.

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

Because, really. Through the movie we learned to love Beast as the sweet, clumsy, insecure bundle of love with anger management issues he truly was beneath the furry exterior. So, yeah, the transformation was sort of anti-climatic in a way. XD

By the way, about the name, I remember from the DVD commentary that by the time they recorded the part where Gaston is hunting Beast through the castle roof and Belle was supposed to scream Beast's name, they realized they didn't have an actual name for him. I don't remember why they still kept him nameless until the Encyclopedia came out (it's been a while since I watched it), but I think it was the time.
As for why Adam my guess is that they were aiming at symbolic, since Adam was the first man and Beast what actually a man and stuff. :P They'd be my poster child for 'Why You Shouldn't Aim At Symbolic Unless You Really, Really Know What You're Doing' if Dan Brow wasn't around. :P

Re: I love this post.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

But the thing is, at that time almost all Disney movies had the happy ending, and the Beast staying as such wasn't a happy ending for everyone (Lumiére was just desperate to have his penis back and get laid again, y/y?). So a transformation was expected, preferably after getting rid of Gaston drastically. Thus, final battle and saving-you-from-death-with-love with inverse roles (because normally it's the prince saving the girl, not the other way around).

That's an interesting theory, but I reckon Disney lacks the pseudo-intellectualism for symbolic meta. Probably someone from the staff was called Adam, or the director's son was an Adam, or some shit like that. Or they were He-man fanboys and were watching re-runs at the time.

Re: I love this post.

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

Lumiére was just desperate to have his penis back and get laid again, y/y?
YYYYY XD TTLY.

But still, you spend all the time understanding the beauty inside and then, boom, it turns out he's also pretty outside. =D At least here, unlike in certain soap operas with a protagonist named Betty, there was no other way to break the curse. (I'm thinking in terms of the broken Aesop, btw.)

I reckon Disney lacks the pseudo-intellectualism for symbolic meta.
I wouldn't be so sure. After all, they take the true symbolism out of the fairy tales in a way it no longer can be a coincidence. >.>;;

[ex-air414.livejournal.com]

*shiver* I never had a crush on the beast. I was terrified of him... Most Disney movies terrified me when I was younger. XD

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I was 10 and I'm not easily scared by movies, so I never had the problem. (Except for the devil in Fantasia. He was big and dark and totally creepy.)

[csakuras.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHA I totally agree. D:

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

D: indeed

[allegory]

I completely agree. XD I never really thought the beast was ugly, he was just him. 8D; But his human form was just terrible. I think I cried when I watched that scene as a child. xD;;

But lol that DA drawing is HILARIOUS.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

XD I never cried at movies when I was little, so instead I just had the eyes semi-closed during the last 5 minutes or something >_

[hamsterfactor.livejournal.com]

This post speaks the truth, yo. I'm still so traumatized about the whole thing.

Also, ROBIN HOOD OMG ♥ (and damnit, Ghibli's Sherlock Holmes! *shakes fist*)

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Dude, I have the movie downloaded in AVI since forever, and I still haven't watched it because of the trauma. A part of me tells me I might be overreacting and his face while not attractive wasn't THAT fugly. But I want to keep pretending it is, goddammit!

I don't get why the foxy one is one of the sexiest Robin Hoods ever for me, right with the Men in Tights one. LOL Cary Elwes.

[solesakuma]

First, I was thinking about the same thing (because I've been listening to the OST you so kindly let me steal).
Everyone knows Disney created furries. (Because Robin Hood? Hot, even if it pains me to say too).
Yeeeees, the Prince is ugly. What bothers me the most is that they are able to create good looking men (my first fictional crush was Prince Phillip, SHUT UP! I still go all starry eyed when I watch Sleeping Beauty). And I definitely had a crush on both Aladdin and Eric. XP
But it was really nice to discover we're not alone. XDDDDD

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

It is really nice. Phillip and Eric were too passive for me to like, but they were handsome.

While not every girl who liked Disney Robin became a furry, I have the suspicion most girls who became furries MUST have the hots for Robin even in some degree.

[solesakuma]

Well, foxes are really popular with furries, aren't they?

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I've never poked them, but my gut feeling tells me they are.

[telrunya.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with the whole post, I loved Robin Hood and I crushed on the Beast when I was younger yes. xD;

By the way, I started watching Odin Sphere. I just finished the video of Gwendolyn~.

[telrunya.livejournal.com]

And finished Oswald and Velvet. Velvet rocks the universe so much even if I didn't understood much of the plot. ♥

(And I liked Oswald a lot, b-but Cornelius is cute even if he doesn't appear much. XD;)

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Damn, you're going fast. I had completely forgotten. I'll try to finish uploading Cornelius' vids.

And then you'll check the Okami ones? *puppy eyes*

[piratelicker.livejournal.com]

SO TREW *thumbsup*

Have you wondered why every single BaTB merchandise has the Beast as the Beast rather than the human form? SAME REASON.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I had a Barbie-like set of the main couple, and the "Beast" was a blond Ken doll with long hair that came with a plastic mask and a hump-some jacket.

Interestingly enough, the Ken doll was still less uglier than the actual character in-movie.

[river-nile.livejournal.com]

OMG YES XD

To me Beast looks a lot like... Michael Bolton or something... ._. Or, if I remembered correctly, Envy's real face which also reminded me of Michael Bolton... therefore Beast is actually a distant relative to Ed and Al....... *is shot*

Well, that makes little sense *goes back to pretending Beast's name is not Adam, and he didn't change back into a human*

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

ROFL Michael Bolton XDDDD

I boggled for some seconds with the Envy thing because my brain blocked I had forgotten most of the anime-only plots of FMA. Too many months of manga and all.

Denial is a wonderful thing.

[paper-seagulls.livejournal.com]

WTF did you turn into, Jesus?!
AHAAHAHAHAHAA! Ah, that's awesome.

Disney has never had attractive animated men for some reason. The only American (sorta) company that got it right was Fox/Don Bluth when they made Dimitre in Anastasia. (John Cusack for the win!)

And yeah, the Beast in human form might as well be a completely different person. Disney really did nothing in that movie to show that yes, this was the same guy. Any older properties Disney never made any kind of effort to show why the girls might have even given two shits about half of these princes.

And..... I have the entire movie of Robin Hood memorized from my VHS tape of it off the Disney Sunday Movie in 1984. "Ah! But remember, 'faint hearts never won fair lady...' Fear not my friends! This shall be my greatest performance!"

Disney's only convincing romances happened to furries.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Looking back, I think Aladdin was not bad although he's not my type. The guy from Mulan might work for people with a kink for muscle. But yeah, Dimitri looked very nice.

Disney really did nothing in that movie to show that yes, this was the same guy.
Yeah, it was confusing for me as a kid. What, she recognized his eyes or his glance? That's it? I mean, it's fucking magic! It's a castle with dancing and singing cutlery! Why is she so sure it's not a spell over some other guy confusing her senses, and the real beast isn't dead on the floor? Fuck, Belle, you're the smart Disney princess, the one with the overgrown imagination who reads fiction!

[solesakuma]

Ooooooh, I had forgotten about Shang. I hate the fact tha Cristián fucking Castro did his singing voice in Spanish. It's never been the same since I realized that.