DIRECTOR'S CUT: Therapist Reacts to THE LITTLE MERMAID
Added 2022-09-21 14:09:28 +0000 UTCLicensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright take a look at Ariel's relationship with her dad King Triton, her developing romance with Eric, and her concerning amount of hoarding.
Comments
Kind with pets is an understatement. He chooses in a blink of an eye to return alone to a burning ship full of expIosives to save his dog. He could have ordered his servants to go save the animal. Also, "superficial"...? He meets a mute woman who is dressed terribly, like a commoner, he is disappointed that she's not the one with the beautiful voice, who he's looking for. Still, he offered her new clothes, an empty room and food. He keeps thinking about the beautiful voice and wants to find the woman with that voice, but at the same time he's willing to help a girl who seems to be poor. He grows attracted to her personality during the day when they go out, because they communicate without words on that date. And yeah, even though he finds out she's not even human, he responds the way the woman in "Boys don't cry" responds when learning that her boyfriend is transgender, born biologically female... I don't care, I still love you and I will help you.
Viera Galikova
2025-03-10 19:46:58 +0000 UTCPrince Eric decided in a blink of an eye to return alone to a burning ship full of expIosives to save his dog. Prince Eric meets Ariel when she is mute and dressed terribly, like a commoner, he gets disappointed that she's not the one with the beautiful voice, and still offered her new clothes, an empty room and food. He still thinks about the beautiful voice and wants to find the woman with that voice, but at the same time he's willing to help a girl who seems to be poor. He grows attracted to Ariel's personality during the day when they go out. Prince Eric has left the wedding ship full of humans who sailed to safety,and risked his life to go save Ariel. He could have just stay safe and forget about some beef between a seawitch and a mermaid. He just discovered Ariel's not even human, so who cares? Instead, he grabs a harpoon and a boat because he sees she needs help. Even though he finds out she's not even human, he responds the way the woman in "Boys don't cry" responds when learning that her boyfriend is transgender, born biologically female... I don't care, I still love you and I will help you. What more do you guys want from him?
Viera Galikova
2025-03-10 19:43:28 +0000 UTCHi, so late to this party. I think I wrote this on YT, but here it goes. I watched this as a little girl 376 million times and my take away was that the prince was actually in love with girl with voice. The one mute was cute, but he wasn't really into her. And it's only when she recovers her voice that he's truly engaged with her. And the witch ensnares him with Ariel's voice, wich is sginificant to me. So I always looked at it like "you have to have a voice to get a partner and it has to be your voice". On this being the best preince, I'm on board. The atraction is superficial, for sure, but there's a lot of great green flags: kind with pets, mingles with the crew, plays an instrument, has some skills around the ship. So, yes, superficial yet, but plenty to fall for in there that's good. And I just love that he dives in the sea to rescue her. And some poeple like best that Ariel kills the witch on the live action, but on the animated versions, that gives points to the prince, because he's using his sailor skills to defeat the witch. I could change the end to not marriage cause it doesn't seem time has passed, or mayb a 2 years later and then we go into marriage after they manage to get a nice relationship. And now, I have a 6yo and I tell him stories at night, as my father used to do to me and this was the first story I could narrate from scratch, cause I knew all the scenes. So when I narrate the little mermaid I add my perceptions and say thingss like "and they were boyfriend and girlfriend for few year and then the married, had children and were quite happy ever after" or "and his father, that loved her very much and didn't know what to do, destroyed all her things" or "and when Ariel got her voice, the spell broke and Eric ran to her, because she had her voice now and was truly Ariel" I do recommend to watch this with the kids and ask them what they liked, didn't like and so on.
Almendra Báez Riquelme
2024-12-05 12:58:28 +0000 UTCIt's always interesting to rewatch something that you enjoyed as a child again as an adult. As a child, I never picked up on the subtext. As an adult, I cannot unsee it all now. The music is still great, but this is not my favorite Disney movie of all the options to watch. Thanks for covering this!
SaucyJTD
2024-05-14 15:43:22 +0000 UTCLOL ... loved the end :) Yes, 47 year old here, so have seen The Little Mermaid MANY times. The music WAS the movie. I could belt out any song (and did) many times over. When our daughters watched this we said to them, "BAD decision, Ariel" while simultaneously singing "He-he-he, Hou-hou-hou" for all it's worth! Here's a fun Scuttle tribute (Kiss the Girl) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RZE0hCcNFiA
Melissa
2024-03-07 22:30:23 +0000 UTCUpdate: your point is also valid. - Jono
Cinema Therapy
2022-11-14 11:30:52 +0000 UTCHey disagree VEHMETLY with you Johnno. I still don't see it that way and I find that reaching. It was always a grass always greener interpretation based off separate people. She wanted a life she...I am gonna say Adored and Idolized. Which should be a harmful message. Despite her being the bridge not a great message. Can we get in update?
BEAST
2022-11-11 06:56:28 +0000 UTC
