What Would Walt Do?

We are always worried about the next generation. We want them to have everything we had, and more. But things inevitably change, and we need to make way for the new. If my dad can learn to use a cell phone, anything can happen.

My latest trip to San Francisco, only recently made me realize how much I miss the old. Nestled in the presidio is a small pocket of history that resonates a little differently than any other museum ever has in my experience.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is like no Disney attraction ever seen before, particularly for its convenient Nor-cal location. The ten galleries of the museum take only a few hours to walk through, making it the perfect afternoon excursion for a trip to the city. Moderately priced at 20 dollars per ticket (15 for students), it is affordable even on a state budget.

But what is really unique about the museum, is the target audience. This is not a museum designed for toddlers hoping to push talking buttons or play with touch-screen games. It is geared toward a more mature crowd, looking to learn about the man behind the mouse.

The first gallery begins with Walt’s family history, and the means by which he grew up and spent his childhood. Even at an early age, Walt’s love for cartooning is a common theme in his family’s early travels across the Midwest in the early 1900s. It was in Kansas City where he discovered the world of motion pictures, vaudeville and amusement parks. His love for drawing and storytelling eventually leads him to Hollywood, and the birth of Mickey Mouse.

The following nine galleries led us through the other stages in Walt’s life and career including his early Hollywood days, beginning of the feature films, the artists strike, Disneyland and his last years. It is in many ways the story of a small company that made it big. But at heart, it is the story of a small man who followed his dream. He set standards for child and family entertainment that may never be met. And not only that, Walt was surrounded by a loving family of his own and was loved by dozens of friends and fellow artists. He must have been the happiest man on earth.

Being in the museum transported us to a time when Disney was a family name. To the small studio of close friends, who picked stories that meant something to them. In his lifetime, Walt Disney worked on just over 20 full length feature films, dozens of other projects for television, short films and of course, Disneyland.

The life of Walt Disney really puts his work into perspective. But what is really illuminating is how small a fraction of the Disney productions were actually overseen by Walt himself. “Mary Poppins” is the last film Walt was fully involved in before his death in 1966. That was over 50 years ago.

Since then, hundreds of movies, television shows and other projects have been released. The Disney Company itself has grown to epic proportions, owning dozens of cable channels, publishing companies, record labels and film studios.

Giant media ownership would not be so saddening if it were not for some of the things being made with the name Disney attached to it. Take the ABC network for example, which Disney owns. What would Walt have to say about “Desperate Housewives” or “The Bachelor?” Or even its self-titled Disney Channel?

The mom and pop days are certainly over. The little company that could has become so big and so successful; it may have spread itself to thin. It has even been accused of blatantly marketing sex to its young audience.

Ever since returning from the museum I have been worried about this. Worried that my children would not experience any of the Disney magic that came before them, that the age of storybook cartoons was over and the age of 3D technology was taking over.

Films like “Alice in Wonderland” frighten me because they stand as proof that this new company is willing to stray from why we came to love the name Disney, in the interest of profit (reaching an audience who will pay an extra five dollars to see a movie).

But there are reasons to be hopeful. Like Disney’s recent release “The Princess and the Frog.” This film pretends to be nothing but a charming story about a prince and a princess. The music is catchy and the moral of the story is something we can all get behind. It reminds me of something straight off of Walt’s drawing table.


















My doubts are at bay. For now.

But taking a glance at some of the upcoming releases in the Disney studio is not very promising. A computer-animated version of Rapunzal is set for release at the end of the year, but does not seem to have any of the storybook charm of “The Princess and the Frog”, and does not appear to be the start of a new pattern.

And then there is “The Sorcerer's Apprentice”, set for release this July.

Do not be fooled by the title. Trailers are already in theaters, and from the looks of it, Jerry Bruckheimer is set to butcher the classic Mickey Mouse “Fantasia” segment with the help of Nicholas Cage and Jay Baruchel.

It is an obvious, borderline pathetic, attempt at recreating the lucrative “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “National Treasure” franchises.

After all, it is much easier to cash out on old ideas than take a risk and be creative.

Right Walt?

The High Score

I would consider myself a fairly well versed movie buff. Granted I have a life outside of the theater and my DVD player, but as activities go, I tend to rank watching movies pretty high.

There are not many films I discriminate against. I am an enthusiastic “Saw” and “Harry Potter” fan, I worship Alfred Hitchcock and the classics, I enjoy both low brow comedy and intellectual commentaries, and I will admit to having seen “Love Actually” a few to many times. Every genre has something new to offer. Every style keeps things exciting. Ask a film buff what their favorite movie is, and they will probably say something like, “Off of which top ten list?”

Some buffs fixate on directors or actors. They may own the complete works of Tarantino or Kubrick. Hard-core Johnny Depp fans will have seen all five seasons of “21 Jumpstreet” and know all the words to “King Crybaby.” Others are obsessed with special effects, others with the writing.

And my poison? The composers. It may or may not be something that stands out to other people, but for me, the music is everything. Music has always been a big influence in my life, and when it comes to my favorite movies, the score is a deal maker.

Imagine the famous “Psycho” shower scene without Bernard Herrmann’s haunting string theme, “Chariots of Fire” without the stirring piano fanfare of Vangelis, or the opening of “Star Wars” without the strong chords of John Williams. It is probably the most exciting classical music you will ever hear.

James Horner, Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Danny Elfman are household names, and I follow them like a groupie. My iTunes genius has now created a play list for classical music alone. Not many college students have that in common.

These songs are great for just about anything – driving, meditation, exercise, or background music for homework or chores. These are a few of my favorites that circulate in and out of my play lists.

Titanic
“Hymn to the Sea”- James Horner
It is a well known classic, a staple for your classical film soundtrack play list. James Horner is a personal favorite of mine for his ability to capture raw emotion. The melancholy bagpipes are perfect for some deep introspection, or a big cry.

Napoleon Dynamite
“Music for a found Harmonium” - Simon Jeffes

To break up the classical vibe, the main theme from Napoleon Dynamite is more fusion between folk rock and pop music. It is a surprise coming from a film as forgettable as this one. But “Muisc for a Found Harmonium” is a great track for a walk or jog on a sunny day.

Little Miss Sunshine
“The Winner Is” - Mychael Danna

It almost seems out of place when you watch “Little Miss Sunshine”, but having this song on your Mp3 player is a must. Like Horner, Danna’s music is great for meditation or reflection, and even a long drive.

The Lion King
“This Land”, “...To Die For” - Hans Zimmer
In this case, I cannot pick just one. The entire “Lion King” soundtrack is worth owning. Elton John singing “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” is a personal favorite. While “This land is a beautiful slow classical piece, “…To Die For” is much more intense.
Recognizable from the stampede scene, this song is one for driving. Picture the stampede behind you on East Cotati Ave. Priceless.

American Beauty
“Dead Already” - Thomas Newman
A unique score for a unique film. Aside from perfectly capturing the essence of “American Beauty”, the strange synth is oddly fun to run to. Since running becomes such a quest for Lester in the film, it inspires listeners to “look good naked” as well.

There is a song for everything you do, and what better music to have in the background than the songs that were designed for it.

The Moral of the Story

It snuck up on us before we new what was happening. It has swept girls and women of all ages across the world, and it is even worse than Hannah Montana.

The vampire fad has reached dangerous levels. Toxic even.

Of course, many people will call this a gross over-exaggeration, many of them being fad-followers themselves. But it is natural to defend something that has brought you enjoyment. That’s easy to understand. It’s a personal thing.

But this vampire trend is one of the only things I cannot seem to wrap my head around. I genuinely can’t understand the appeal. From what I understand, vampires are undead immortal daemons that feed of the blood of living beings. What could possible be attractive about that is beyond me, but I guess its normal for people to have fetishes. And I can accept that.

After all, vampires have been in literature, film and television for many years. It is not necessarily a “new” idea. There is the classic “Dracula” and popular TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as well as movies like “Van Helsing” are just a few.
My real beef however, is with something a bit more recent.

The “Twilight” series, written by Stephanie Meyer, takes the fascination with vampires and targets it primarily at young women, girls to be more accurate.

The whole premise of “Twilight” is this: girl meets boy, boy is dangerous blood thirsty vampire who wants to kill her, boy and girl fall in love anyway.

How… Romantic?

Girls and guys, if you were in main character Bella’s situation, would you really stick around because the two of you have “chemistry?” I tend to put my survival above hot boys. Like I said, personal preference.

But “Twilight” is full of much more than harmless teenage angst. The characters and story are teaching some scary lessons to readers, again, mostly young girls. John Scott Lewinski at bspcn.com believes there are twenty such unfortunate lessons.

“When a boy leaves you, going into shock, losing all your friends and enduring night terrors are completely acceptable occurrences,” or “Young women should make no effort to improve their social skills or emotional state. Instead, they should seek out potential mates that share their morose deficiencies and emotional illnesses,” or even “When making or watching a major feature film, you should gleefully embrace the 20 minutes of plot it provides in between extended segments of vacant-eyed silence and self-indulgent, moaning banter,” are just a few he brings up.

Other life lessons found on the list include lying to your parents, keeping life-threatening secrets, using men to fix things, using men in general, and car theft.

Not exactly your wholesome fairytale.

In fact, the relationship between the two main characters, Edward and Bella, is far from wholesome. Despite their abstinence, much to Bella’s displeasure, the two cannot seem to keep the steam at bay. Even though he won’t sleep with her, again – very unhappy Bella, he has no problem with sneaking into her room in the middle of the night to watch her sleep, a habit he picks up before even introducing himself.

Ok, maybe steamy is the wrong word.

But it is easy to see there is something wrong with the way Edward treats Bella. There are many signs therapists use to diagnose abusive relationships, and they say that if your partner is showing even one of the signs a red flag should be going up.

According to the National Domestic Violence hotline, some signs to look for include, but are certainly not limited to: “looks or acts in ways that scare you, threatens to commit suicide, isolates you from friends or family, friends or family warn you stay away but you have trouble leaving, and reckless driving.”

It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to be with someone like that. When listed so plainly, it is also hard to imagine how it is not more obvious.

This is what a reviewer said on Meyer’s website about the first book.

“Imagine seeing a guy, more handsome than any you’ve ever seen, and not being able to tear you eyes away from him. Imagine that the force of your mutual chemistry feels like electricity. I promise you that every girl will want to be Isabella Swan.”

Because who wouldn’t want to be Bella? She is celebrated as a great female heroine in literature. And why not? She’s obedient, she’s quiet, she cooks, she shops, she cleans and she stays out of her father’s way, who prefers sitting on the couch, drinking a beer and cleaning his gun.

And the one earth shattering thing she does is fall in love with a dangerous vampire? Some heroine.

So aside from perpetuating exaggerated ideas of gender roles (did I mention Meyer was Mormon?) “Twilight” is not only teaching its readers to accept, and even celebrate these kinds of relationships, but they are also getting skewed ideas of what a good relationship is. It simultaneously conditions them to live with abuse while making them believe they are in a fairytale.

Also that it is cool and romantic to sacrifice everything, including your own life, to be with someone who may end up killing you anyway. Who need friends or a healthy social life when you can have eternal, undead love?

Here’s a clue that most well adjusted young adults are aware of, including myself: no person, human or not, will ever measure up to the characters we read about in fairytales. There are plenty of hot and spicy relationships out there that do not involve major blood loss.

There is no doubt “Twilight” has served it’s purpose as a Young Adult novel. But perhaps we should be taking a closer look at some of the trends young people are following.

Sex is natural, but abuse, lies and murder are not. We deserve better.