Dissecting Disney

I may be a 23 year old mature, young woman but I am unashamed to say that Disney still makes me happier than a toddler on Christmas day having just been given a hover bike and a horse. I’m not saying all Disney is good, I’ve not seen John Carter but I have it on pretty good authority that it is awful and Camp Rock was so bad that I couldn’t sleep the night after I watched it. Generally however give me a love story, singing and dancing and I will be a happy bunny.

There has always been something that has not sat right with me though, and it involves The Little Mermaid.
Ariel is 16 years old the youngest and prettiest of her family and is living with the constant mental torment of knowing that she is living her life as a mermaid when she longs to be a human. I do not believe that she is in the right frame of mind to be entering into a relationship with a man which involves changing her ACTUAL PHYSICAL BODY! What would you call her a Transpecies?

There is a pretty pivotal scene where Ariel gets into an argument with her father over Eric. Let’s take a minute to really think about what is going on here, Ariel has spied Eric on a boat for roughly five minutes. She hasn't said a word to him and up until that day did not know of his existence. Ariel’s father walks in to her talking to a life size statue of Eric, gets all angry and trashes her stuff. I remember being young and thinking this was awful, Ariel was so sad and alone. Looking back now as an adult I completely understand where Ariel’s dad was coming from! If my Dad walked in on me talking to a statue of a fit man that I had seen at work I’m pretty sure he would have something to say about it. The worst thing was that her defense was hat she loved him! She loves him!?? She has never even spoken to him, I have more right to say I love Calvin Harris than she does Eric. ( That's right, I once spoke to Calvin Harris after a dj set in Reading for 2 seconds and he shook my hand.)

When she does eventually meet Eric she is unable to talk, they spend three days together but he knows absolutely nothing about her. He then meets another beautiful woman and agrees to marry her! I appreciate that he was under a spell but if it were me it would put serious doubts in my head, but no she still loves him stops the wedding and marries him herself, cutting herself off from all her friends and family.

Is this love?? Is this the right thing?? I do not think so!