Da Vinci Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 "In Andersen's original fairy tale, the mermaid still falls in love with a human prince and barters her voice for legs, but it comes with a much more painful price. If she doesn't get the prince to return her feelings and fall in love with her, she must die a mermaid's death and turn into sea foam. She accepts this trade even though she ultimately receives an unhappy ending, with the prince marrying a princess from a neighboring kingdom. There's been much speculation about the meaning behind the story, but one particular take on it seems to have been widely accepted as truth. This interpretation claims that "The Little Mermaid" is actually a queer allegory and was a love letter written by Andersen to his close friend, Edvard Collin, whom he was in love with. Andersen had written several letters and poems to Collin throughout their friendship, and much of his writing declared deep romantic feelings for the other man, expressing that his emotions were like those of a woman's. Andersen was rejected, however, and "The Little Mermaid" was written the same year that Collin announced his engagement to a woman." https://www.cbr.com/hans-christian-andersen-gay-allegory-little-mermaid-disney/ Just a random article I found today and since it's Pride Month I thought I'd share it. TLM has always been one of THE fairy tales the gays could relate to and all the pining and unrequited love that the mermaid felt and wanting to be a human could be a metaphor for wanting to be seen as "normal" by a heteronormative society or their unrequited love. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAddams Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 (edited) I heard about it long time ago. Maybe we have to wait to The Little Mermaid for gays on Netflix in 10 (?) years Spoiler https://d.furaffinity.net/art/aronthemerboy/1632142228/1632142228.aronthemerboy_470e.jpg Edited June 8, 2023 by JoAddams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeferino Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Still is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixen Eyes Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 I believe Howard Benson composed (some of) the soundtrack, who was gay. He also did Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast before his death in iirc 1991 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rep2000 Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Wbk TLM is as gay as it comes https://www.buzzfeed.com/devinherenda/how-howard-ashman-gave-ariel-her-voice-in-the-little-mermaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicfever Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 25 minutes ago, Vixen Eyes said: I believe Howard Benson composed (some of) the soundtrack, who was gay. He also did Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast before his death in iirc 1991 I think his name was Howard Ashman but yes, he worked a lot on The Little Mermaid. He was also influential in the design of Ursula. There‘s a great documentary about his life on Disney+! So yeah, even without knowing the backstory of Hans Christian Andersen, the movie adaptation is heavily influenced by LGBTQ-culture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizon Flame Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Would it kill them to write gay allegory instead of queer allegory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Jacobs Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Watch Harry styles get the titular role of this adaption Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gossip_Boy Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 1 hour ago, Horizon Flame said: Would it kill them to write gay allegory instead of queer allegory? Well he wasn’t gay but bisexual (allegedly) so queer is more fitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vixen Eyes Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 1 hour ago, magicfever said: I think his name was Howard Ashman but yes, he worked a lot on The Little Mermaid. He was also influential in the design of Ursula. There‘s a great documentary about his life on Disney+! So yeah, even without knowing the backstory of Hans Christian Andersen, the movie adaptation is heavily influenced by LGBTQ-culture. yes - Howard Ashman ;fs;larg egffvlsgae I was also thinking of Alan Menken and i think thats how i came up with Benson AL dulk gkzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrokenMachine Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Stream Mermaids while you're at it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctlp27 Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 19 minutes ago, Vixen Eyes said: yes - Howard Ashman ;fs;larg egffvlsgae I was also thinking of Alan Menken and i think thats how i came up with Benson AL dulk gkzy Yeah he def took from his own experience to write the songs, Part of your world should def be considered a classic coming-out song. The documentary (as well as the excellent non-Disney produced Waking Sleeping Beauty) touches on that a lot. It's very moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbiegrande Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 (edited) It always felt trans coded to me. The idea of being trapped in a physical form you didn’t ask for and wanting to live your authentic self, which might not be what you were born as. Makes sense if it was a gay allegory Edited June 8, 2023 by barbiegrande 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bacardo Royale Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 3 hours ago, barbiegrande said: It always felt trans coded to me. The idea of being trapped in a physical form you didn’t ask for and wanting to live your authentic self, which might not be what you were born as. Wow that's a pretty cool take Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnfairTop Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 So now we can blame homophobia for it's underperformance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chosensparkles Posted June 9, 2023 Share Posted June 9, 2023 are you discovering that just now? Also Ursula being inspired by drag qqueens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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