ARTS-_
'The Michigan Daily Tuesday, November 27, 1990
'Mire flickering for our bickering
The Prince and the
Pauper;
dir. George Scribner
The Rescuers
Down Under .Q
ir. Hendel Butoy and Mike
Gabrield
Page 5
hv Mike Kuniavsky
I'm divided on this one:
The kind, nice, "I think
George Michael is quite good"
me thinks:
In keeping with past traditions,
isney has put together two great-
looking, beautifully-made, entertain-
ing pieces of animation. The first,
The Prince and the Pauper, a 23-
minute short, brings back good ol'
Mickey in a revival of the Twain
classic about how a street beggar
(Mickey) and a prince (Mickey)
switch roles and so save The King-
dom (indirectly by being able to see
*"how the other half lives"). The
second, The Rescuers Down Under,
revives the characters of the 1977
Disney film (including the voices of
Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart) in
what Disney calls its "first animated
action-adventure."
Both films are beautifully made
and the combination of the two
shows off how there can be two dif-
fering animation styles within the
same studio: Prince is made in such
a way that it looks like traditional
Disney animation, with bright char-
acters against a darker, richly painted
background; Rescuers is done with a
modern touch, natural colors domi-
nate and there are more inventive
"camera" angles (much of the back-
ground stuff was computer animated
to give it a harder, more realist
look).
In general the stories are pretty
typical Disney fare: cute animals and
incidental helpful humans fighting
against evil humans and incidental
animal lackeys. The characters are
inoffensive, and the stories are gen-
erally pleasant. Though basically de-
signed for kids, there's still enough
Hey look! It's identical twins Mickey Mouse and Mickey Kuniavsky. Together again. How can anyone tell the
difference between them?
adult humor and pure slapstick to
make the films enjoyable, if not
very intellectually satisfying.
The evil, nasty, "I shove
Slayer albums up my nose" me
says:
Okay, fine, so Disney is trying
to be inoffensive, they pick animals
as main characters to keep the "race"
issue out of it, they pick nice tradi-
tional stories that have been proven
to be mostly criticism-free and they
try to instill good, universally-ac-
cepted values while still being enter-
taining. But there's still a problem.
That problem is that by being so
conservative, they're reaffirming the
white male-dominated societal values
that are the traditional, universally-
accepted values which seem so un-
controversial to them.
Just look at The Prince and the
Pauper: all of the main characters
(the Prince, his entourage, the Pau-
per, his friends, the dying king, the
villain, his henchmen) are men.
They are the ones who make all of
the decisions, whether good or bad,
who are in control and who are
"important" to the story. Where are
the women? They scream and cry
that the king is taking away all of
their food and are basically helpless
until the Prince stops a food truck
and throws some ham hocks (it's
Disney, after all) down to them, after
which they all bow and thank him
for his kindness.
In The Rescuers Down Under a
similar thing happens: even though
Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor's voice and
mannerisms) is theoretically the
more "in control" of the two chief
Rescuers, she really doesn't do a
whole lot. Most of the time she's
following this macho Australian
mouse (Tristan Rogers) around
(who's constantly trying to hit on
her) and when they get captured they
must be rescued by Bernard (Bob
Newhart), Miss Bianca's hen-pecked
partner. Ultimately, it is even the
passive, ineffectual male who's more
effective than the relatively liberated
female.
It's obvious that Disney is trying
to influence its juvenile audience
toward harmonious values, but
shouldn't they think about what the
underlying assumptions that these
"good, wholesome" values take with
them? Children pick up the totality
of the message, and when you slip a
set of destructive values in along
with potentially good ones (both
films do have good, positive things
to say), then the two will be bound
in the child's mind from then on.
And in a world that must change
very soon, instilling conservativism
and sexism in the next generation is
not such a great idea. As a matter of
fact, it really sucks.
Michigan Quarterly Review, Fall 1990
The Female Body
University of Michigan
In the introduction to this tenth issue of MQR, editor and University
professor Laurence Goldstein writes, "the purpose of this issue is... to move
beyond the defensive anxiety engendered by the older, more abrasive politics
of gender -- move beyond with maturity and wisdom, and good humor." We
get this and more: this edition of MQR is a sometimes scholarly,
sometimes silly, often funny and entirely astute group of writings dedicated
to the female psyche and body.
The subject is timely and touchy: these days, feminism is a loaded word
with sundry definitions. MQR is feminist and fair: feminist by virtue of
being about females, and fair because every point is balanced with
counterpoint. This issue has big names and no names: not only did
Goldstein include Margaret Atwood and John Updike, but he also included a
poem by a University MFA student whose poetry has never been published
before. No argument goes without contention: a conservative argument for
(and against) abortion follows the liberal one, and Judith Stacey writes a
response to Carol Gilligan's essay (based on her February visit) on
resistance, ambivalence and feminist theory. Each possible point of view is
given equal time.
In an essay on the effacements of postmodern culture, Susan Bordo
presents arguments on popular culture, class and plastic bodies; the tyranny
of fashion; and Madonna as a postmodern heroine. The essay is erudite and
funny, complete with analysis on advertising and commercials - even a
listing on Phyllis Diller's extensive body "resume" (which begins with hard
contact lenses in 1960 and ends with stomach liposuction in 1987). Bordo
writes, "The general tyranny of fashion - perpetual, elusive, and
instructing the female body in a pedagogy of personal inadequacy and lack-
is a powerful discipline for the normalization for all the women in this
culture."
Darcy Grimaldo Grigsby's article on contemporary women artists'
representations of female bodies includes photos of the art. The first picture
shows 15 stages of a woman undressing her blouse, and underneath the shirt
are fifteen different paintings or scenes "drawn" on the skin. By this,
Grigsby offers "the woman's torso can be interpreted as the permanent
vessel upon which man's passing culture is recorded." Grigsby writes on the
ways women can be shown in art - aesthetically, cinematically,
burlesquely and forensically - in an attempt to redefine the terms of
representing women. The question, she states, "is as much how to represent
female bodies as it is why to represent them."
This issue of MQR cannot be classified by opinion or theme of content
(aside from the obvious one) as the arguments and sentiments toward
women's bodies are as wide as bodies are different. The poetry - eleven
poems in all - range from obscure to hilarious, and the fiction is just as
diverse. Fabulous one-liners abound: Atwood writes of the female body, "It
sells cars, beer, shaving lotion, cigarettes, hard liquor... is this the face that
launched a thousand products?" John Updike writes, "A naked woman is, for
most men, the most beautiful thing they will ever see...." However
impossible to classify, MQR is immensely absorbing and well worth
reading, an issue devoted to one gender but written for both to read.
-Carolyn Pajor
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PRINCE AND THE PAUPER and
THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER
are being shown at Briarwood and
Showcase.
The Charlatans (UK)
Some Friendly
Beggars Banquet
Manchester has spawned yet an-
other monster, leading me to believe
that Morrissey has gone and put an
interesting drug in this northern En-
glish city's water. This time the
harlatans (UK) are the result. Fol-
lowing the mold of other northern
English bands on their debut album,
Some Friendly, the Charlatans have
produced a sound that emphasizes
guitar and rhythm. But to differenti-
ate themselves and promote their
"flowered-up" image, they have in-
cluded a very '60s-ish sounding or-
gan which is used more in a
*"backbone" capacity. This line-up
amounts to a refreshing mixture of
old and new.
The album showcases and seems
to build on the outstanding single,
"The Only One I Know." Almost all
of the other songs seem to have el-
ements of this single in them.
"Then", the follow-up single is not
as good, but has its moments. Per-
haps the best moments of the album
come with the song "Polar Bear"
when it sounds like someone is
blowing in a conch shell. It creates a
different sound that makes this track
the best cut. Other songs, such as
"You're Not Very Well" and
"Sproston Green", are also excep-
tional, even though "Sproston
Green" sounds a bit too much like
the Stone Roses' smash "She Bangs
The Drums."
After recently seeing an interview
with this group on MTV, I con-
cluded that the Charlatans are also
distinguished from their competitors
in another manner: they aren't arro-
gant (yet). They didn't move to cut
down other groups and actually
seemed to be embarrassed talking
about themselves. But even though I
have respect for them for this reason,
that doesn't mean that they aren't
another flash-in-the-pan group. If
they play well live and if they can
successfully follow-up Some
Friendly remains to be seen.
- John Sellers
The Flaming Lips
In A Priest-Driven Ambu-
lance
Restless Records
A man walked up to me just the
other day. He asked me if I'd been
born again. I told him I didn't think I
had, that I had been rejected. But I
think Hell's got all the good bands
anyway.
The rain falls so random what
does free will have to do with it at
all?
I've never really understood re-
ligion, except it seems a good reason
to kill.
All of my smiles gettin' in the
hate generation's way.
I want my own planet. The hu-
man race I can't stand it. If you
can't understand all these things we
have to say, you're probly gonna
blow up this whole planet anyway.
I think I'm gonna go out and
shoot somebody in the mouth first
thing tomorrow.
And if you take away my pain
please don' t leave my brain cause
when I think it hurts just the same.
We're not like we used to be,
we're not really bored.
What I can't see, I surely can't
believe. What I can't see, you know
I can't believe. It's only natural that
I can't believe ... what I can't see.
Things used to be alright, but
things got strange.
People don't know what the
songs are about, they just sing them
out like they mean something we
never thought about.
Boy you play so loud you could
wake the dead some of the living
they're wakin'too. When I look out-
side and these words collide an
sends shit flyin' everywhere and ev-
erythings explodin', everything, and
these cars are crashing and every-
body's happy, everything's ex-
plodin'.
Fryin' up on Easter Sunday,
blowin' off everything on Monday.
It seems that when people can't
get love they substitute it with a
bunch of drugs. If love was a drug
and it was real cheap, everybody
could get some sleep. So let's give
love the marketing scam, make it
something they can understand.
To truly understand the existen-
tial appeal of the Flaming Lips, you
need a good dose - of their lyrics,
that is. All of the words above were
written by them. (The new ones are
in slightly smaller type).
The Flaming Lips are a trio from
Oklahoma City. Their band consists
of a guitar, a bass and a drum kit.
This, their fifth release, continues in
the same vein as their earlier work.
Their music is, as I've described it
before, a soothing combination of
See RECORDS, Page 7
Staff,"
or bring
a letter
in to
420
Maynard. Don't let us run amok.
m
If you (1) have anxiety attacks and (2) are currently not on anti-
anxiety medication (or are willing to get off such medicine), the
University of Michigan Anxiety Disorders Clinic may be able to
provide a FREE diagnostic assessment. Cash payments are
available if you qualify for and participate in research.
Specialized treatments are also available.
Please call 764-5349.
I
........ ispresents a live,
TELECONFERENCE
via satellite
Black Fraternities
.AI. & Sororities
A Glorious Past, The Road Ahead
This unique and revealing forum will examine the past, present and future of the major Black
Greek letter organizations. Compelling dialogue with the organization's national leadership,
college and university officials, undergraduate Greeks, advocates and opponents of Greek
organizations will give insight into these revered yet often misunderstood organizations.
Wednesday Also...Greek Issue Forum
November 28th 1990 The Forum.will explore various issues including:
1.II -Historical Background
77
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