Day 633: The Great Pocahontas Debate

My roommates and I have really strange discussions.

Not that a debate about Kocoum and John Smith is really that strange because for real this is probably a conversation a lot of people have. I doubt it got to the level we did though, because what started as a simple debate turned into an entire dinner conversation with more than just my roommates.

Two of my roommates like Kocoum, although one of them commented that it's possible it's just because he never wears a shirt. Meanwhile, my other roommate and I are on team John Smith, and to be honest I don't really even know why. I guess I just always liked him better.

From there our conversation about Disney headed into sequel territory, specifically about Pocahontas 2 and the new debate: which John. Because you know, once upon a time we had a discussion about Love Triangles and how that all worked out. Again we were split on the decision. And then we discussed Hunchback 2 and Little Mermaid 2 and Lion King 2 and basically all the other sequels. In the end we basically decided that shorts are ok. So things like "Tangled Ever After" or the new Frozen short are ok, but entire movies just sort of ruin things.

And I agree, as much as I LOVE Tangled, I wouldn't want to see an entire Tangled 2. Just little bits of Flynn Rider every so often are great. This isn't Star Wars, after all. Sequels with completely new storylines are great, like when they made Planes or even Cars 2. And of course there's always Toy Story and the sequels, where each film has it's very own obvious storyline that has little to do with the first one. THAT'S what makes a sequel great, not just "continuing the story." You need something new and different, a factor most sequels forget about.

So here's the question: are you team Kocoum or John Smith, because my roommates and I really want to know?

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 27).

Day 98: Love Triangles

I'm not exactly how this really relates to Disney yet, but it does to a point...and it's something I've been thinking about over the past few days.

I recently reread the book Delirium by Lauren Oliver, and read for the first time the sequel, Pandemonium, in preparation for reading the third book, Requiem. I refuse to say anything about the book, as my best friend did such a great job keeping the ending a secret for me (although personally I feel it wasn't hard to guess), but I will say I haven't read the third one yet, so I have no clue what happens.

But the series did bring up a thought...love triangles. It seems to me that in writing, and especially some of the best stories, you can't live with triangles, but you can't live without them either...putting everything in an interesting position. And so I started thinking about love triangles...and I realized that in pretty much every love triangle of all time...it's the second two that fall in love. It's hard to explain this way, so here's a few examples:

Leia, Luke & Han: 

 

Probably my favorite love triangle of all time, and quite related to Disney now that they own Lucasfilm and everything Star Wars...this one is a little messed up, but it still has the point in it. Luke and Leia meet first, and spend a good amount of time on the Death Star together. At the end of the first film it isn't really obvious who she's going to end up with...but Luke seems like a definite possibility. But then Han comes in...the second one, and he's the one that ends up falling in Love with Leia.

Granted...Luke and Leia would have never worked out. As this flow-chart accurately mentions...the only romance between those two was some inappropriate kissing. Either way, still don't get it? Here's another example...

Katniss, Gale & Peeta: 

In another brilliant case of the "love triangle" we have these three, the stars of the Hunger Games trilogy. While I am, in every way, a fan of Peeta, I have many friends who are team Gale, which is quite interesting around here when most of us list this as one of our favorite series. But it's another example of how this love triangle always works out the same way...

Katniss and Gale are friends for a long time, and then Peeta shows up and she falls in love with him. The end. Sounds a bit like Han and Leia, huh? How the second one is the one to end up with the girl (or guy in some cases).

Pocahontas, John Smith & John Rolfe:

Yes, here's a Disney example...and I know that in the true story she ends up with John Rolfe...but it's still worth mentioning. He's the second guy, and he ends up with the girl...get it now?

Admit it, you wanted her to end up with John Smith.

I could probably come up with multiple other examples of how this works...but I figure three gets the point across. Every single time there's a love triangle, the last two to meet end up together. It's just how these things work. Whether Delirium will change that I have no idea...but I'll soon find out. Granted, I can't tell you if it breaks the habit, but I know I'll be pretty happy if it does. 

Here's today's Disney History: 1974: Walt Disney World's Treasure Island (later to be called Discovery Island) opens to the public. Located on Bay Lake behind the Contemporary Hotel, the 11.5-acre island features wildlife (such as birds, reptiles, and mammals). A beached hull of a sailing ship on the island's southwest shot and a light pirate theme (complete with Cast Members in costume) set the stage for this "tropical island paradise." 

Have a magical day!