Day #11 - The Pet(s) You Wish You Had



The Aristocats

Again there are several fantastic choices, but I went with these feline wonders. Who would not love to have the elegant, but loving Duchess; the tough, but friendly Thomas; the active and fun Toulouse; the cute if bossy, accident-prone Maria; and the shy, but sweet Berlioz? Then you add in all of their friends and things begin to get even better. With cats like these, I would be perfectly happy growing into one of the stereotypical 'crazy' cat ladies. At least I could be assured of having a fun and lively house filled with jazz and lacking in rodents (except for Roquefort...who seems a friendly enough mouse).

Day #10 - Your Favorite Animal Couple



Lady and the Tramp

I love this animal couple. They press every button I've got on the 'opposites attract' front as well as having the couple in my favorite role setup (Lady as a...well, lady and Tramp as the rogue/bad boy). *shrugs* I've got a thing for alpha males and bad boys. Anyway, who can forget the spaghetti scene? It's such a sweet, and yes, even sappy, moment, but it's just got that Disney romance written all over it. The way Lady gets so huffy about Tramp's reputation, but how Tramp comes back to save the baby? Fabulous and fantastic.

Day #9 - Your favorite couple



Ummm...*shrugs*...I don't know

Okay, I thoroughly admit that in this case? I have no idea how to even begin to rank the couples. If you get more specific, sure, I can do that, but a general, overall couple? Nope. Disney (when done right) excels at romance. They do it so well that they give us a possibly unrealistic expectation when it comes to romance. (Personally I think the guys should watch Disney and take notes, but that's just me.) Even by limiting my choices to animated, I have trouble deciding. There are just too many, and each have their own charm, fascination, and just plain *sigh*. So, for today, I'm going to just toss my hands up and go with the old saying...I'm in love with love.

Day #8 - Your Favorite Sidekick



Mushu

Oh, yes, one of my definite favorites has to be Mushu, the sarcastic, wise-cracking sidekick of Mulan. While its true he gets Mulan (and himself) into trouble, no one can doubt his dedication to his heroine when it comes to the sticking point. He takes risks and pulls stunts in order to give her the best chance she's got at surviving and fulfilling her heroic quest. In a story filled with drama and action, Mushu provides the majority of the comic relief along the way. Mushu has a great heart - he's just the sort who wants to enjoy life, but he'll do what has to be done...and then go back to his enjoyment.

Day #7 - Your Favorite Friendship



Tod & Copper

There are so many Disney friendships I love - I could not possibly list them all. So why this one? The movie "The Fox and the Hound" isn't usually one of the first to spring to mind when people say "Disney" - so why this one? Simple - I haven't seen this movie in years, let alone thought about these characters, but when I read the topic of the day, they were the first to spring to mind. I figured that had to mean something. It is rare in this day and age to find the deep friendships of yesteryear. I don't mean that they are not there - I just mean that they are not celebrated. Nowadays, for whatever reason, if you're that good of friends, sex must enter the question somewhere. (*sighs*) Anyway, I love the fact that these two became friends despite it breaking pretty much every rule. Meant to be bitter enemies, they overcome the difficulties and end up proving that it is not only 'true (romantic) love' that conquers all.

Truly loving friendships do it just as well.

Day #6 - Your Favorite Cast of Characters



The Cast of Winnie the Pooh

I have to admit, there are plenty of 'casts' that I like - Alice in Wonderland, the Aristocats, Beauty and the Beast, etc. - but there are none that I enjoy so much as the wonderful bunch from the Hundred Acre Woods. Christopher Robin with his imagination that all children should possess. Rabbit with all of his worries about this and that. Owl with his silly stories. Kanga with all her sweetness and motherhood. Roo and his full on kidness. Piglet and his adorable anxiety. Tigger and his bouncing craziness. Pooh, of course, and his wise foolishness. My favorite of all Eeyore and the sheer humor of his gloomy acceptance of life. (I even like the cameo of the stereotypical 'hick' Gopher.) A childhood (or adulthood for that matter) without the original "Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (not the new stuff) is a life deprived.

When you need a quick pick-me-up, skip the pills and the drinks and the chocolate - got get a hit of the 'bear with very little brain'. If you can watch that whole movie without smiling? Seek professional help immediately.

Day #5 - Your Favorite Hero



Grumpy

I have always loved Grumpy. He seemed to me to be the only one of the Dwarfs who could actually help Snow White in any real meaningful way. As I grew older, I realized they all gave her something of themselves, but he's the one who still impresses me most. His gruff exterior hides a heart of gold - with all of its depth of feeling and all of its courage. Despite his suspicions and worries, he comes to care for the girl thrust suddenly into their midst. He leads the charge against the witch...something that should have been Prince Charming's job, in my personal opinion. Given the natures of the other dwarfs, you can see his loyalty and acceptance. If he were really the one who has to overcome an 'attitude', he would never have lasted with the others. Either they would have driven him away or he would have left in a huff. Grumpy is the animated stand-in for the old phrase - "You can't judge a book by its cover."

Day #4 - Your Favorite Heroine



Megara

How can you not like Megara? Granted, she's probably not the first one that comes to mind when you think of a 'heroine' - especially considering she was working for Hades - but she's sarcastic, stubborn, and sassy all rolled into one. One of the big things with me - Megara is not perfect. She makes bad decisions, bad choices, but in the end decides to live with the consequences of her decisions. She doesn't run from them or try to get out of them. When it comes to the sticking point, she ultimately chooses to sacrifice her own freedom, face her own fears, and give her own life to help and protect someone else. She's one of the heroines who grows into her place...she isn't born there...she doesn't live some charmed life...she doesn't have a fairy godmother. No, Megara has to struggle and cope with life just like we do.

Besides - how can you not like a woman with lines like these:

-Pinhead with hooves? Well, you know how men are. They think "No" means "Yes" and "Get lost" means "Take me, I'm yours."
-He comes on with his big, innocent farm boy routine, but I could see through that in a Peloponnesian minute.
-I'm a damsel, I'm in distress, I can handle this. Have a nice day.

Day 3: Your Favorite Official Prince



Phillip

Phillip is why Sleeping Beauty is my favorite 'classic' Disney film. Don't get me wrong - the guys in Snow White and Cinderella are pretty enough, but lets be real. All they do is show up and sing, dance, or kiss. All the real work is done by other guys! In Snow White, it's the Seven Dwarfs who do the dirty work and in Cinderella, the prince can't even be bothered to go searching for his own girl! Phillip shows up and does the sing/dance/kiss routine, sure, but even better? He's the one who actually fights the dragon! He goes to a dungeon for the girl he loves! He fights through terrible thorns and faces one of the all time best (worst) villains of Disney. Sure, he gets help from the three fairies, but what idiot wouldn't take help when offered? Phillip faces trials and tribulations to win the hand of the fair maiden.

Given a choice between the three main 'classics'? This is the prince I want on my side.

Day 2: Your Favorite Official Princess



Belle

I'm pretty sure Mulan is listed as an official princess, but I didn't want to duplicate quite this early. Belle is one of my favorite overall characters as well. I love the fact that she is a reader, seeking to expand beyond her physical boundaries by exercising her imagination and constantly pushing the limitations of knowledge to explore beyond. Belle is a princess who makes it cool to be smart...she doesn't just have to be pretty or charming or...or...or. She has firm opinions, but she's willing to learn. I like how she manages to balance the two sides of femininity - the intellect and the heart. In addition - while she has no intention of becoming the 'little wife,' it is obvious she doesn't have anything against the institution itself. She actually is willing to have a significant other, but she wants one who will admire her for herself, not her face. The problem with being the beauty? Like a 'stacked' girl, the prettier she is, the more intellect points are subtracted. What an insult to a beautiful, intelligent woman! Belle is the animated stand in for the women who have had their talents and brains overlooked just because they had a pretty face.

Day #1 - Your Favorite Character



Mulan

There are the obvious reasons, of course. She's a kick-ass heroine who almost single-handed saves the Empire of China after overcoming the male-dominated culture. Nice, no two ways about it.

However I find the story goes a bit deeper than that. She does all of it...without disparaging or seeking to radically change the world around her. Mulan does all of this while remaining respectful of her people's history, culture, and traditions...she simply wishes to be allowed to express her own sense of being within its framework. She isn't the radical marching in the streets with banners or signs demanding this or that. She simply steps up and does what has to be done regardless of the stigma she will gain from it. The world changes its views...not because she forced the change down their throats by wild frenzied threats, but because she did everything from her own personal sense of honor - a child's love and duty to care for her father...even to the point of his disapproval. Like the slow drip of water that erodes a great canyon, she creates change simply by being herself within the tradition...see how ready she is to accept punishment at the hands of the emperor...see how much she desires her family's approval...and also, at the end, she remains loyal to her vision of herself. While Grandma is ready to invite Shang to stay forever, Mulan sensibly sticks with dinner.

Mulan - if explained properly - is the type of feminist heroine I can easily endorse. Strong and gentle...respectful and firm...none of the firebrand rhetoric with empty promises...just a girl who becomes a woman by doing what is right.