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GS1101(formerly CAL101) was the first oral, exciting small molecule to show outstanding results in CLL after the failure of many other small pathway blockers.
It had about an 18 month head start on ibrutinib (formerly PCI-32765), but its lead has shrunk considerably in the race to FDA approval.
It too blocks the pathway downstream from the BCR (B cell receptor) that tells the clone to survive and proliferate. Bench research presented at ASH seems to suggest that in some clones of aggressive CLL with a higher tendency to Richter's Transformation, BCR is promiscuous (couples and responses with any old stimulating antigen) or in another poster presentation, may be self stimulating, perpetually turned on and driving the disease with no outside help. Quoting from the conclusions in that paper " These findings suggest the possibility of self-recognition of BCRs within the CLL cell membrane or BCR interactions between neighboring CLL cells. This may potentially result in autostimulation of the leukemic cell independent of “exogenous” antigens and may account for self-sufficient signaling of some CLL-BCRs in driving disease progression. "
Either way, turned on BCR is not our friend.
This basic science work applies to any and all drugs that effect the BCR pathway, and it was work such as this that lead to the idea that compounds such as GS1101 and ibrutinib might someday have a major role to play in controlling CLL. We now know that PI3K∂ drives survival and proliferation of the cancers cells, so blocking it with GS1101 makes good sense.
That kind of hard work leads to an understanding of the basic cell biology that leads to a treatment hypothesis that leads to animal studies that leads to human trials that leads to a usable drug. I am way oversimplifying the story and this ideal path is aborted 99% of the time long before it gives birth to a helpful medical compound, but I wanted to share some of the mostly unseen effort that makes these breakthroughs possible. The medicine bottle at the pharmacy is just the tip of the iceberg. We owed so much to the medical chemists.
So what were the clinical results with GS1101 that were presented at ASH?
The important abstract 191:Combinations of the Selective Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-Delta (PI3Kdelta) Inhibitor GS–1101 (CAL-101) with Rituximab and/or Bendamustine Are Tolerable and Highly Active in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Results From a Phase I Study reported more good news: high response rates.
Here I am sharing an executive summary of the findings but you have a link to all the details included in the abstract. We must wait for the peer reviewed published paper as that is the true test of the validity of the research.
51 patients were studied in three different arms. These were not the easiest of us to treat. All had relapsed after up to 10 prior therapies, 27 had refractory disease, more that half had bulky nodes, and nearly all had had prior B/R (bendamustine/rituximab).
In the group that was randomized to get B (bendamustine) with the GS1101, the intent to treat overall response rate (ORR) was 82%. Adding rituximab (the BR group) raised that to 87%.
But here is the number that excites me. Leave out the chemo (bendamustine) completely, and use only biological therapies with the combination of CD20 antibody, rituximab, and the new PI3K∂ inhibitor, the response rate was a very respectable 78% in these tough patients.
Minimum follow-up was 40 weeks for each arm with the one year progression free survival numbers being very similar to the ORR.
Nodes shrunk rapidly in almost everyone. Disease related cytokines, elevated at the start of therapy fell, and that may explain why we feel so much better with these treatments. Elevated cytokines make us feel sick.
In the GS1101 + R (rituximab) group (only 19 patients), 21% (6 patients) got pneumonia, 32% had low neutrophils ( and 11% or two patients had febrile neutropenia) and 21% had low platelets. Only one patient had elevation of the liver enzymes. As expected, the blood work was considerably worse in the two groups that received bendamustine. Surprising infections were lower in the BR group, but the sample was small with only 15 patients being followed.
The data are very encouraging, but we need much bigger numbers and longer time frames. That is the why we have the phase 3 trials, accruing right now. Check out clinicaltrials.gov for the details. My favorite would be the trial that offers either ofatumumab with or without GS1101 as a way to avoid a chemo arm.
But wait and discuss with your doctors the ibrutinib and ABT-199 trials too if you need to consider therapy soon. I will be reviewing those and some of the related important ASH abstracts here soon. Videos of my interviews with the experts at ASH are being rendered and prepared.
It is good to have choices. Not so long ago, we had almost none.
Many reasons to be thankful and hopeful.
31 Aralık 2012 Pazartesi
ASH 2012: Interview with Web Savvy Patient, Andrew Schorr
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Andrew Schorr is a journalist, an advocate, and a very web savvy patient who has stared down CLL for about 16 years and it now winning his fight with myelofibrosis.
Through his helpful website, patientpower.info, he has provided a treasure trove of information for patients looking for answers.
Now he gets to be on the other side of the microphone in the hall outside the press rooms at ASH 2012. We learn from the interviewer turned interviewee about his strategies to navigate his disease. He outlines through his personal story and his decision process, the critical need for getting support from others with the disease, the primacy of expert advice, and the important role of clinical trials in saving his life.
In future posts, we will both share the interview he did of me about my ibrutinib trial.
Andrew and I have moved in the same CLL circles for several years now and I hope we keep doing it for many more to come.
Here is the interview:
Below is a photo of some of my local support group and our significant others at our holiday get-together. We don't look too bad for a bunch of patients with an incurable cancer, do we?
I would be lost without them. If you have CLL, and don't have support group, get one or join ours if you are local.
Through his helpful website, patientpower.info, he has provided a treasure trove of information for patients looking for answers.
Now he gets to be on the other side of the microphone in the hall outside the press rooms at ASH 2012. We learn from the interviewer turned interviewee about his strategies to navigate his disease. He outlines through his personal story and his decision process, the critical need for getting support from others with the disease, the primacy of expert advice, and the important role of clinical trials in saving his life.
In future posts, we will both share the interview he did of me about my ibrutinib trial.
Andrew and I have moved in the same CLL circles for several years now and I hope we keep doing it for many more to come.
Here is the interview:
Below is a photo of some of my local support group and our significant others at our holiday get-together. We don't look too bad for a bunch of patients with an incurable cancer, do we?
I would be lost without them. If you have CLL, and don't have support group, get one or join ours if you are local.
Sunset at Crystal Cove
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This is the view of last night's sunset from our tiny but cozy cottage studio right on the sand at Crystal Cove. It is only 15 minutes from our home, but it is a world apart.
No internet (without tethering), no chores, no room to do much other than read and walk and look and listen to the sea.
There is so much more to life than CLL. It is moments such as these that paradoxically make me forget all my struggles and also remind me of why I went through them.
More from ASH coming, but right now, I am loving hearing the waves.
This is the view of last night's sunset from our tiny but cozy cottage studio right on the sand at Crystal Cove. It is only 15 minutes from our home, but it is a world apart.
No internet (without tethering), no chores, no room to do much other than read and walk and look and listen to the sea.
There is so much more to life than CLL. It is moments such as these that paradoxically make me forget all my struggles and also remind me of why I went through them.
More from ASH coming, but right now, I am loving hearing the waves.
ASH 2012: 189 The Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) Inhibitor Ibrutinib (PCI-32765) Promotes High Response Rate, Durable Remissions, and Is Tolerable in Treatment Naïve (TN) and Relapsed or Refractory (RR) Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Including Patients with High-Risk (HR) Disease
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Let's look in more detail at some of data on ibrutinib (PCI-32765) presented at ASH 2012.
There were many papers on ibrutinib, but I am going to start with #189 that looks at data in CLL/SLL that now goes out almost two years ("beyond 22 months") using the drug as single agent therapy.
Five cohorts were studied. Remember only patients needing treatment could enrolled in the trial.
For those for whom ibrutinib would be their first therapy ever for CLL, 26 got 420 mg and 5 got 820 mg. These were the treatment naive (TN) cohorts and all were older than 65.
The 820 cohort was closed before full accrual when it became apparent the lower dose had comparable activity and safety in the relapsed and refractory patients. What I believe this is saying is that once the target (the BTK pathway) is saturated with drug and fully blocked, there is no advantage to adding more drug.
In the relapsed and refractory (RR) groups, there were two cohorts. 27 and 34 patients respectively got 420 or 820 of ibutinib daily. All these patients had had to have failed at least two prior therapies including a purine analog, usually fludarabine. As I said, before the different dosages made no difference in the outcomes.
The fifth cohort consisted of 24 addition high risk (HR) patients who had either 17p del or had relapsed in less than two years after FCR or an equivalent chemo-immunotherapy.They all received 420 mg daily.
In the combined two TN group, three patients had complete remissions (CR), nineteen had partial remissions (CR), three had PR with the now expected lymphocytosis, four patients had stable disease, and two patients could not be evaluated. In all, 29 of 31 patients and 100% of all evaluated patients were still on the trial drugs because it was helping them after almost two years.
That's a strong result, but let's look at the hard to treat patients, the RR and HR cohorts. This is the real test and where there is the greatest need for improved outcomes.
In the RR groups one patient out of 61 progressed. In the HR group, where seven were 17p del and eight were 11q del, one of 24 progressed. A detailed breakdown of the responses and all the data is available online here.
True in these two groups, there were only two CRs, but the results are better than the last interim report with more remissions. I bet there will be more CRs reported at ASH 2013 (in New Orleans) when we have yet another year of follow-up for this study. The data may be getting better the longer patients are on therapy.
Adverse events were usually not serious with diarrhea in 54% across cohorts being far and away the most common. That percent falls to about 3% after 6 months. Serious blood and infection issues can occur, but are very rare. Remarkably, IGA (an immunoglobulin used to fight infections especially in the mucus membranes) levels actually increased and IGM and IGG stayed stable. 7 of 116 patients quit the study due to side effects of the drug. All the problems seem to get less frequent after the first six months of treatment.
Drilling down into the data, the authors (my doctor, John Byrd was lead author) report that response rates were the similar for those with bad prognostics including 17p, high b2M, multiple prior therapies, and advanced disease stage.
This is a revolutionary change. Is it saying that the dreaded 17p del or having failed multiple therapies or being RAI stage IV makes no difference in our response rate? Seems so.
Old treatments in these tough to treat groups would be lauded if half the patients were doing OK after two years, but with ibrutinib, only two of 85 patients are reported as having progressed. And there are no significant side effects.
The Kaplan Meier curve tells it all. On the Y or vertical axis is the number of us still alive. On the X or horizontal axis is time. A flat line near the top is ideal. These results are nothing short of stunning.
Those old charts that showed a 45 degree or greater rush to mortality will soon be banished to the dustbin of medical history along with bloodletting for a sore throat or skull trephining for headaches.
We are living longer. And feeling better. Say goodbye soon to chemo for most of us. That's not just this wild-eyed patient talking. That is the emerging consensus from the CLL gurus.
Studies on ibrutinib were reported at last year's ASH, but the buzz has grown exponentially, not because the data is so much better which it is, but because it is looking as if this could be a durable treatment with no unexpected side effects and no growing issues of resistance so far.
I have been going to ASH meetings long enough to have seen more than one promising drug turn out to be a one hit wonder that makes big news one year and disappears the next, but ibrutinib is beginning to emerge as a solid therapy.
Hence the phase 3 trials. That's the acid test, the real proof.
Two years is too soon to close the book on CLL, but the data is way better than what we had last year, but we need bigger numbers and longer follow-up.
The phase 3 trials that are up and running already will tell us so much more. The sooner those are fully enrolled, the sooner I believe this game changing drug will be available to all of us who might need it.
If you are needing to consider therapy soon, I encourage you to check out clinical trials.gov to see if something there makes sense for you.
The life you save might be your own.
There were many papers on ibrutinib, but I am going to start with #189 that looks at data in CLL/SLL that now goes out almost two years ("beyond 22 months") using the drug as single agent therapy.
Five cohorts were studied. Remember only patients needing treatment could enrolled in the trial.
For those for whom ibrutinib would be their first therapy ever for CLL, 26 got 420 mg and 5 got 820 mg. These were the treatment naive (TN) cohorts and all were older than 65.
The 820 cohort was closed before full accrual when it became apparent the lower dose had comparable activity and safety in the relapsed and refractory patients. What I believe this is saying is that once the target (the BTK pathway) is saturated with drug and fully blocked, there is no advantage to adding more drug.
In the relapsed and refractory (RR) groups, there were two cohorts. 27 and 34 patients respectively got 420 or 820 of ibutinib daily. All these patients had had to have failed at least two prior therapies including a purine analog, usually fludarabine. As I said, before the different dosages made no difference in the outcomes.
The fifth cohort consisted of 24 addition high risk (HR) patients who had either 17p del or had relapsed in less than two years after FCR or an equivalent chemo-immunotherapy.They all received 420 mg daily.
In the combined two TN group, three patients had complete remissions (CR), nineteen had partial remissions (CR), three had PR with the now expected lymphocytosis, four patients had stable disease, and two patients could not be evaluated. In all, 29 of 31 patients and 100% of all evaluated patients were still on the trial drugs because it was helping them after almost two years.
That's a strong result, but let's look at the hard to treat patients, the RR and HR cohorts. This is the real test and where there is the greatest need for improved outcomes.
In the RR groups one patient out of 61 progressed. In the HR group, where seven were 17p del and eight were 11q del, one of 24 progressed. A detailed breakdown of the responses and all the data is available online here.
True in these two groups, there were only two CRs, but the results are better than the last interim report with more remissions. I bet there will be more CRs reported at ASH 2013 (in New Orleans) when we have yet another year of follow-up for this study. The data may be getting better the longer patients are on therapy.
Adverse events were usually not serious with diarrhea in 54% across cohorts being far and away the most common. That percent falls to about 3% after 6 months. Serious blood and infection issues can occur, but are very rare. Remarkably, IGA (an immunoglobulin used to fight infections especially in the mucus membranes) levels actually increased and IGM and IGG stayed stable. 7 of 116 patients quit the study due to side effects of the drug. All the problems seem to get less frequent after the first six months of treatment.
Drilling down into the data, the authors (my doctor, John Byrd was lead author) report that response rates were the similar for those with bad prognostics including 17p, high b2M, multiple prior therapies, and advanced disease stage.
This is a revolutionary change. Is it saying that the dreaded 17p del or having failed multiple therapies or being RAI stage IV makes no difference in our response rate? Seems so.
Old treatments in these tough to treat groups would be lauded if half the patients were doing OK after two years, but with ibrutinib, only two of 85 patients are reported as having progressed. And there are no significant side effects.
The Kaplan Meier curve tells it all. On the Y or vertical axis is the number of us still alive. On the X or horizontal axis is time. A flat line near the top is ideal. These results are nothing short of stunning.
Those old charts that showed a 45 degree or greater rush to mortality will soon be banished to the dustbin of medical history along with bloodletting for a sore throat or skull trephining for headaches.
We are living longer. And feeling better. Say goodbye soon to chemo for most of us. That's not just this wild-eyed patient talking. That is the emerging consensus from the CLL gurus.
Studies on ibrutinib were reported at last year's ASH, but the buzz has grown exponentially, not because the data is so much better which it is, but because it is looking as if this could be a durable treatment with no unexpected side effects and no growing issues of resistance so far.
I have been going to ASH meetings long enough to have seen more than one promising drug turn out to be a one hit wonder that makes big news one year and disappears the next, but ibrutinib is beginning to emerge as a solid therapy.
Hence the phase 3 trials. That's the acid test, the real proof.
Two years is too soon to close the book on CLL, but the data is way better than what we had last year, but we need bigger numbers and longer follow-up.
The phase 3 trials that are up and running already will tell us so much more. The sooner those are fully enrolled, the sooner I believe this game changing drug will be available to all of us who might need it.
If you are needing to consider therapy soon, I encourage you to check out clinical trials.gov to see if something there makes sense for you.
The life you save might be your own.
One More Sunset
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We walked up the beach at Crystal Cove and snapped this photo.
We are back home briefly, where we are getting ready for the family visiting tomorrow for the traditional Christmas meal of latkes (potato pancakes).
One small CLL Christmas present. Something special got a new official moniker. Her new name is Idelalisib but she called herself GS-1101 but everyone knew her as CAL-101. Reminds me of the Beatles' song Rocky Raccoon.
You heard it here first, though I am loathe to try to actually pronounce it or sing it.
I will have some interviews up my the end of the week and plan to review the good news from ASH on ABT-199 next.
We walked up the beach at Crystal Cove and snapped this photo.
We are back home briefly, where we are getting ready for the family visiting tomorrow for the traditional Christmas meal of latkes (potato pancakes).
One small CLL Christmas present. Something special got a new official moniker. Her new name is Idelalisib but she called herself GS-1101 but everyone knew her as CAL-101. Reminds me of the Beatles' song Rocky Raccoon.
You heard it here first, though I am loathe to try to actually pronounce it or sing it.
I will have some interviews up my the end of the week and plan to review the good news from ASH on ABT-199 next.
To all those celebrating,
Merry Christmas
27 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
From Wicked Witch to Snow Queen + Disney's First Official "Frozen" Blurb
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Disney have just (re)announced that their doing their take (the quote is "loosely based") on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, to be titled Frozen.
We already knew Kristen Bell was to be the Gerda equivalent (now revealed as "Anna") and now it's just been announced that the Tony Award Winning Actress Idina Menzel, who first played Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked, will step into the shoes of the Snow Queen herself.
How will it play out? Disney have also just released their first official blurb for the film to give us some insight:
I don't know about you, but to me it seems that this premise is so "loose" in comparison to the classic (and dearly loved across the globe) fairy tale that it's just about lost. I have no problem with Disney making an fantasy animated feature film with lots of snow and an icy queen - they should. It'd be beautiful and they certainly have both the artistry and the tech to support a big vision BUT to say it's based on a fairy tale and essentially claim this is the new Snow Queen when it has almost nothing in common with the original (based on the official tidbits released this year)? That seems wrong. It's one of those few times I wish there were some form of copyright on the literary tales that say "you cannot liken your work to the original without using x% of the plot, characters and acknowledging the source material in the opening credits..." But then, that's part of why Disney use fairy tales in the first place, isn't it? They can do whatever they like.
From Entertainment Weekly:
So there you have it. A CG musical using the very marketable phrase (as far as Disney goes)"fairy tale". We know Disney's been having a huge internal reshuffle with one of their most loved and recognizable (read "bankable") veteran animators, Glen Keane, departing in March this year but it seems as if they've been hard at work in an effort to show they remain undaunted and are barreling along into production on (another) new version of this old project. Considering they still attract much of the world's best in all the various talents I have no doubt it will be a beautiful, magical and wonderful film. But will it feel like The Snow Queen we know and love?
Although fairy tales can have their elements and plot points changed more than you'd think and still remain "recognizable" it requires more than just having a character with one key characteristic for that recognition to happen. (Eg. just because a girl in a film puts on a red hat, or even a red cape and hood, does not automatically make it a Little Red Cap tale.)
I will be watching to see what, if any, fairy tale elements are in the film at all, as well as what it will do to the public perception of HCA's Snow Queen.*
I couldn't help but stifle a snigger, though, when I read the summary of the announcement by Bleeding Cool, since it's what everyone's been thinking but I hadn't seen put so boldly in print until now:
Frozen is currently set for a Winter holiday release in the US during November 2013.
Note: All images shown are concept art by Paul Felix for an earlier version of Frozen (still then called The Snow Queen). One of these are from current development art.
*Interestingly, I've noticed the fairy tale of Rapunzel, as published by the Grimm's in Household Tales 200 years ago this year, is remaining largely intact in the public minds. Tangled, and all it's various marketing, didn't have the usual effect of very near eclipsing the classic tale in the public mind at all. It would seem that Disney's title change, in addition to other things, did indeed distance it more than intended from the classics tie-in they were hoping for.
Disney have just (re)announced that their doing their take (the quote is "loosely based") on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, to be titled Frozen.We already knew Kristen Bell was to be the Gerda equivalent (now revealed as "Anna") and now it's just been announced that the Tony Award Winning Actress Idina Menzel, who first played Elphaba in the Broadway musical Wicked, will step into the shoes of the Snow Queen herself.
How will it play out? Disney have also just released their first official blurb for the film to give us some insight:
In Frozen, a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, so Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) must team up with Kristoff, a daring mountain man, on the grandest of journeys to find the Snow Queen (voice of Idina Menzel) and put an end to the icy spell. Encountering Everest-like extremes, mystical creatures and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.
I don't know about you, but to me it seems that this premise is so "loose" in comparison to the classic (and dearly loved across the globe) fairy tale that it's just about lost. I have no problem with Disney making an fantasy animated feature film with lots of snow and an icy queen - they should. It'd be beautiful and they certainly have both the artistry and the tech to support a big vision BUT to say it's based on a fairy tale and essentially claim this is the new Snow Queen when it has almost nothing in common with the original (based on the official tidbits released this year)? That seems wrong. It's one of those few times I wish there were some form of copyright on the literary tales that say "you cannot liken your work to the original without using x% of the plot, characters and acknowledging the source material in the opening credits..." But then, that's part of why Disney use fairy tales in the first place, isn't it? They can do whatever they like.
From Entertainment Weekly:
The movie, of course, will have a musical element, with original songs by Broadway’s Robert Lopez (a two-time Tony winner for Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon) and wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez (who worked with him on Disney’s 2011 Winnie the Pooh.)
The digitally animated feature will open in November 2013 and is being directed by Chris Buck (Tarzan, Surf’s Up) and produced by Peter Del Vecho (Winnie the Pooh, The Princess and the Frog).
So there you have it. A CG musical using the very marketable phrase (as far as Disney goes)"fairy tale". We know Disney's been having a huge internal reshuffle with one of their most loved and recognizable (read "bankable") veteran animators, Glen Keane, departing in March this year but it seems as if they've been hard at work in an effort to show they remain undaunted and are barreling along into production on (another) new version of this old project. Considering they still attract much of the world's best in all the various talents I have no doubt it will be a beautiful, magical and wonderful film. But will it feel like The Snow Queen we know and love?
Although fairy tales can have their elements and plot points changed more than you'd think and still remain "recognizable" it requires more than just having a character with one key characteristic for that recognition to happen. (Eg. just because a girl in a film puts on a red hat, or even a red cape and hood, does not automatically make it a Little Red Cap tale.)
I will be watching to see what, if any, fairy tale elements are in the film at all, as well as what it will do to the public perception of HCA's Snow Queen.*
I couldn't help but stifle a snigger, though, when I read the summary of the announcement by Bleeding Cool, since it's what everyone's been thinking but I hadn't seen put so boldly in print until now:
So, Disney are going from Tangled to Frozen. Surely there needs to be a third in this series. I suggest Bloated, maybe. Or how about Punctured? Muted? Sodden? Burnt?Heh.
Frozen is currently set for a Winter holiday release in the US during November 2013.
Note: All images shown are concept art by Paul Felix for an earlier version of Frozen (still then called The Snow Queen). One of these are from current development art.
*Interestingly, I've noticed the fairy tale of Rapunzel, as published by the Grimm's in Household Tales 200 years ago this year, is remaining largely intact in the public minds. Tangled, and all it's various marketing, didn't have the usual effect of very near eclipsing the classic tale in the public mind at all. It would seem that Disney's title change, in addition to other things, did indeed distance it more than intended from the classics tie-in they were hoping for.
Brave Father's Day Tribute/Promo
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I couldn't resist posting this, even though it wasn't officially in my way-too-long "must post" list until a minute ago...
One of the things I'm loving about this new fairy tale is the portrayal of the family: it's intact! Although it's about a mother and daughter and their push-pull relationship, here there's a father too and neither parent appears to be distant/absent. In fact the family dynamic and their individual relationships with Princess Merida are central to what the story is all about. I'm really liking this aspect.
Is it weird to remark, though, that this portrayal of Merida's dad is exactly the kind of mother I would like to be to my son? (Except maybe a couple of hundred sizes smaller?) ;)
Enjoy!
I couldn't resist posting this, even though it wasn't officially in my way-too-long "must post" list until a minute ago...One of the things I'm loving about this new fairy tale is the portrayal of the family: it's intact! Although it's about a mother and daughter and their push-pull relationship, here there's a father too and neither parent appears to be distant/absent. In fact the family dynamic and their individual relationships with Princess Merida are central to what the story is all about. I'm really liking this aspect.
Is it weird to remark, though, that this portrayal of Merida's dad is exactly the kind of mother I would like to be to my son? (Except maybe a couple of hundred sizes smaller?) ;)
Enjoy!
CW's Beauty & the Beast Extended Preview
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Playing catch-up...
In case you missed it, here's the 5 minute extended preview of CW's Beauty and the Beast scheduled to premiere in the US in the Fall:
The 5 minutes looks very much like an entire episode edited down to its main scenes, which is disappointing. What's left to tune in for if you've seen it all? Let's hope there's more to it other than "Why was my mother murdered?".
In the premise details, the post-9/11 Iraq War reference (military experiments make a beast out of a man) isn't as completely hokey as expected but I still have major reservations - especially since we end up with a very clean-faced broody guy with a not-at-all-authentic-looking scar placed just "so". Perhaps it's just that the writing is too obvious for me. ("You're like a superhero!") I'm hoping they're not going to state the obvious for the audience every time. Scratch that. I hope they don't do it again. If they want any of the cop procedural demographic they're going to have to write smarter, harder and use far more subtlety. Hopefully the actors are good enough they will get the message across without needing to utter the subtext but it's an important risk to take if you want to be a memorable series.
On the flip side, one of the promos says "All men have a dark side... but not like this" and in this case I truly hope they mean what they're saying. In order to make this show interesting we're going to really need to see the monster inside the man*- and hopefully the monster isn't typical either. The Beast we're seeing just looks conflicted about his transformations, ashamed of his appearance and rather hormonal - ie broody. Not exactly an attractive quality in a leading man (or woman).**
Regarding the actors, it's nice to see a more mature Kristen Kreuk. Except for the flashback, she works better than I thought she would with that little edge to her. I think I even caught glimpses of some character layering in there (fingers crossed). The Beast, on the other hand, is unfortunately rather forgettable. I don't even have the sense that he's had first hand experience of a real war, let alone anything else he's working through. Let's hope that was just due to editing for this clip.
The thing I'm really missing in this preview from the original series? All the underground stuff and that vague sense of fantasy just out of reach. That was what captured my imagination then and makes me remember it now - a whole other world right under our feet. I must admit I had little patience with the series in the 80's - it was too slow and angsty for me - but I kept trying to tune in from time to time to get another glimpse of the hidden world.
One more peeve - the promo image/poster. Ugh. The actors look like they were shot separately and 'shopped together - no chemistry at all. I know they were directed like that but the result is you can almost overlook the fact that there's a guy standing next to "Detective Catherine Chandler". He looks completely replaceable. And it doesn't say Beauty and the Beast to me at all.
Maybe I'm being harsh but I expect more from people using fairy tales (I wonder if the writers and creators actually went back to the tale or completely took their cues from the original series?) and also from any type of police procedural or reference to any war we've had friends and family fight in. These are the days post-CSI and 24, which raised the standard for details and suspense. Since almost everyone reading this blog will remember the Twin Towers falling on 9/11, no matter what country you were in, any reference to that has to have substance. It's not a vague historical point in time to hang a plot point on but a very real wound for too many people today. Ironically, this is what fairy tales are very good at helping with but you have to be very smart about it as well as honest while still being respectful. That's not an easy job. While I would sincerely love for that rabbit to be pulled out of CWs hat my expectations will likely remain low on that point.
Right now the only reason I'd be tuning in is because of the fairy tale connection but it's early days yet. There's much more promo-ing to come so hopefully we'll get a real carrot sometime before the Fall season starts. You never know: a rabbit might just appear.
* Eg In Buffy, we saw all this angst and unrequited love happening but it was really when Angel and Buffy finally got together and Angel turned Bad with a capital "B" that things got very interesting - and mythic. For the first time we saw this "person" be truly evil. Although he had the reputation of being the baddest of the bad, we didn't really believe it till he turned into an actual killing machine and became a very real threat to his one true love. Because bad should be BAD and not be sitting on the fence. There's no point to a story if there's no real threat, no conflict. Fairy tales are very clear about that!**Even the Angel paradox got tiring after a while, despite seeing him get his evil on, first hand.
Playing catch-up...In case you missed it, here's the 5 minute extended preview of CW's Beauty and the Beast scheduled to premiere in the US in the Fall:
The 5 minutes looks very much like an entire episode edited down to its main scenes, which is disappointing. What's left to tune in for if you've seen it all? Let's hope there's more to it other than "Why was my mother murdered?".
In the premise details, the post-9/11 Iraq War reference (military experiments make a beast out of a man) isn't as completely hokey as expected but I still have major reservations - especially since we end up with a very clean-faced broody guy with a not-at-all-authentic-looking scar placed just "so". Perhaps it's just that the writing is too obvious for me. ("You're like a superhero!") I'm hoping they're not going to state the obvious for the audience every time. Scratch that. I hope they don't do it again. If they want any of the cop procedural demographic they're going to have to write smarter, harder and use far more subtlety. Hopefully the actors are good enough they will get the message across without needing to utter the subtext but it's an important risk to take if you want to be a memorable series.
On the flip side, one of the promos says "All men have a dark side... but not like this" and in this case I truly hope they mean what they're saying. In order to make this show interesting we're going to really need to see the monster inside the man*- and hopefully the monster isn't typical either. The Beast we're seeing just looks conflicted about his transformations, ashamed of his appearance and rather hormonal - ie broody. Not exactly an attractive quality in a leading man (or woman).**
Regarding the actors, it's nice to see a more mature Kristen Kreuk. Except for the flashback, she works better than I thought she would with that little edge to her. I think I even caught glimpses of some character layering in there (fingers crossed). The Beast, on the other hand, is unfortunately rather forgettable. I don't even have the sense that he's had first hand experience of a real war, let alone anything else he's working through. Let's hope that was just due to editing for this clip.
The thing I'm really missing in this preview from the original series? All the underground stuff and that vague sense of fantasy just out of reach. That was what captured my imagination then and makes me remember it now - a whole other world right under our feet. I must admit I had little patience with the series in the 80's - it was too slow and angsty for me - but I kept trying to tune in from time to time to get another glimpse of the hidden world.
One more peeve - the promo image/poster. Ugh. The actors look like they were shot separately and 'shopped together - no chemistry at all. I know they were directed like that but the result is you can almost overlook the fact that there's a guy standing next to "Detective Catherine Chandler". He looks completely replaceable. And it doesn't say Beauty and the Beast to me at all.
Maybe I'm being harsh but I expect more from people using fairy tales (I wonder if the writers and creators actually went back to the tale or completely took their cues from the original series?) and also from any type of police procedural or reference to any war we've had friends and family fight in. These are the days post-CSI and 24, which raised the standard for details and suspense. Since almost everyone reading this blog will remember the Twin Towers falling on 9/11, no matter what country you were in, any reference to that has to have substance. It's not a vague historical point in time to hang a plot point on but a very real wound for too many people today. Ironically, this is what fairy tales are very good at helping with but you have to be very smart about it as well as honest while still being respectful. That's not an easy job. While I would sincerely love for that rabbit to be pulled out of CWs hat my expectations will likely remain low on that point.
Right now the only reason I'd be tuning in is because of the fairy tale connection but it's early days yet. There's much more promo-ing to come so hopefully we'll get a real carrot sometime before the Fall season starts. You never know: a rabbit might just appear.* Eg In Buffy, we saw all this angst and unrequited love happening but it was really when Angel and Buffy finally got together and Angel turned Bad with a capital "B" that things got very interesting - and mythic. For the first time we saw this "person" be truly evil. Although he had the reputation of being the baddest of the bad, we didn't really believe it till he turned into an actual killing machine and became a very real threat to his one true love. Because bad should be BAD and not be sitting on the fence. There's no point to a story if there's no real threat, no conflict. Fairy tales are very clear about that!**Even the Angel paradox got tiring after a while, despite seeing him get his evil on, first hand.
Pixar's "Brave": Release Day
To contact us Click HERE
Today's the day. It's the "other" big fairy tale movie of the year, by which I mean the other movie which will have an effect on how people view fairy tales this year and how movie studio and TV series executives will consider spending their money with regard to other fairy tale fare. Personally (and despite all you will read in the next post) I'm very much looking forward to seeing it.
Here's a clip to whet your appetite:
Pretty, yes? And moody in the best way. It's going to look amazing on the big screen.
The clip reminds me of Secret of Kells but then it probably should - and the association is a good one. Brave will be very different in many ways, of course, but there's no doubt it will be beautiful too.
Today's the day. It's the "other" big fairy tale movie of the year, by which I mean the other movie which will have an effect on how people view fairy tales this year and how movie studio and TV series executives will consider spending their money with regard to other fairy tale fare. Personally (and despite all you will read in the next post) I'm very much looking forward to seeing it.Here's a clip to whet your appetite:
Pretty, yes? And moody in the best way. It's going to look amazing on the big screen.
The clip reminds me of Secret of Kells but then it probably should - and the association is a good one. Brave will be very different in many ways, of course, but there's no doubt it will be beautiful too.
Pixar's Brave to Change the Fate of Princess Culture?
To contact us Click HERE
While it's a given that Brave will be a beautiful film it is interesting to see the smattering of mixed reviews surfacing in its debut week. There are the expected rave reviews and gushing over the lush animation and the feisty red-headed princess but there's been more than a little criticism too.
Why? Three theories:
1) Merida got upstaged
Pixar was a little late to the theater with their feisty heroine this year. Since we've had Hunger Games and Snow White and the Huntsman provide audiences with larger-than-life kick ass girl-women, seeing Merida do much of the same is, sadly, a little like deja vu, despite that this is the first family film in that vein where the others were mainstream (or perhaps teen-stream).
2) Too much hair
There's waaaay too much emphasis on all this hair! Maria Tatar recently linked to an article and it seems Ms. Tatar has the right of it when she noticed the topic continually returning to Merida's hair. It's what everybody - creators and marketers - seem focused on. Hair! A quick story to illustrate: my husband is currently working in downtown Hollywood and, in his words, this is what he saw:
3) Change your fate. Or not.
Even more importantly, it would appear the entire story has already been told in the promotional fare and there's really nothing more to Princess Merida than we've seen. Although she's feisty and defies convention she doesn't really have a direction or drive once she's able to do all the things she wants. In other words, we have a princess who is behaving like, well, a princess. There's no saving her people, the world or anything else going on. She makes a mistake and has to repair the damage she's done but, in reality, though she grows closer to her mother, nothing much else appears to change.
There's an interesting article in Time published today, titled: Why Pixar's Brave is a Failure of Female Empowerment. Unlike the writer, I don't have a problem with Merida being a princess. Nor do I have a problem that she has to deal with the marriage issue. For the era, that was primarily what princesses were useful for: forming alliances by joining in marriage and producing heirs. How she deals with that is where she has to show her individuality. What is a problem, though, is the lack of both growth and of personal purpose by Merida, beyond the crisis (of her own making).
From the article:
There's one other issue that appeared in the comments regarding the grilling Brave gets in the article. I feel for the parents who are tired of every movie needing to "be a good example" for their children when all they want is good, clean entertainment. I would wholeheartedly agree except for one major thing: the marketing push and resulting peer pressure from the toy angle (even four year olds will influence their peers with regard to what is "cool"!) really does speak as loudly, often louder, than the most conscientious parents. and that's when a kid hasn't even seen the movie! When the best way for a child to recapture their personal movie experience is through a toy or book with the same images, that's the "message" that will sink in and stay.
What if the marketing for Brave was more gender-neutral, or perhaps aimed more toward tomboy-girls and boys at most, rather than at the princess culture girls? Instead of exiting El Capitan with giant red-orange wigs what if each kid got a sword or bow and arrow? (No floaty blue dresses in sight either, thank you.) Do you think the boy my husband saw would have been keeping himself so carefully separate from his "wimminfolk" then? I don't think so. I think he'd be (happily) trading blows and bruises with his sister, complete with sound effects of turning into a bear of which his sister would no doubt (happily) match him roar for roar.
There is one other interesting observation by a few of the commenters on the article that I want to highlight too. I'll quote the shortest one:
One thing I do agree with the writer on, though, is that I hope Brave does well - really, really well actually. Why?
1) I would like to see more lead heroines from Pixar. With the marketing force of Disney behind them, Pixar does have a great influence on kids. I'd like to see what other female leads they come up with and hope that the results are as "groundbreaking" as everyone's been hoping Merida would be.
2) I'd like to see more fairy tale fare handled by Pixar (and Disney) story people, especially now that the public view on fairy tales has changed somewhat.
While it's a given that Brave will be a beautiful film it is interesting to see the smattering of mixed reviews surfacing in its debut week. There are the expected rave reviews and gushing over the lush animation and the feisty red-headed princess but there's been more than a little criticism too.Why? Three theories:
1) Merida got upstaged
Pixar was a little late to the theater with their feisty heroine this year. Since we've had Hunger Games and Snow White and the Huntsman provide audiences with larger-than-life kick ass girl-women, seeing Merida do much of the same is, sadly, a little like deja vu, despite that this is the first family film in that vein where the others were mainstream (or perhaps teen-stream).
 |
| The "Brave" wigs |
There's waaaay too much emphasis on all this hair! Maria Tatar recently linked to an article and it seems Ms. Tatar has the right of it when she noticed the topic continually returning to Merida's hair. It's what everybody - creators and marketers - seem focused on. Hair! A quick story to illustrate: my husband is currently working in downtown Hollywood and, in his words, this is what he saw:
This morning when I came out of the Hollywood/HighlI think this scene is a good example of the response we're seeing all over. Despite how strong, feisty and brave Merida is, with marketing campaigns like Target's stating: "Look pretty and be brave, too" we've diluted anything important the film may have had to say. But that's not the whole story either.and station I saw, walking down the street in front of me, two women with a little girl and a young boy. Both women had curly, curly long red-orange hair and the girl was carrying a chunk of red-orange hair. This seemed a bit odd to me until I realized that they were walking away from the El Capitan theatre and were wearing "Brave" wigs. The boy was having nothing to do with the females and was walking apart from them. He had no wig.
3) Change your fate. Or not.
Even more importantly, it would appear the entire story has already been told in the promotional fare and there's really nothing more to Princess Merida than we've seen. Although she's feisty and defies convention she doesn't really have a direction or drive once she's able to do all the things she wants. In other words, we have a princess who is behaving like, well, a princess. There's no saving her people, the world or anything else going on. She makes a mistake and has to repair the damage she's done but, in reality, though she grows closer to her mother, nothing much else appears to change.
There's an interesting article in Time published today, titled: Why Pixar's Brave is a Failure of Female Empowerment. Unlike the writer, I don't have a problem with Merida being a princess. Nor do I have a problem that she has to deal with the marriage issue. For the era, that was primarily what princesses were useful for: forming alliances by joining in marriage and producing heirs. How she deals with that is where she has to show her individuality. What is a problem, though, is the lack of both growth and of personal purpose by Merida, beyond the crisis (of her own making).
From the article:
The best parts of Brave are the scenes involving the changed Queen Elinor, now a gigantic bear. But despite a lot of superficial talk of fate — “Our fate lies within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it” — her physical metamorphosis represents the main transformation. Other than deciding her mother isn’t so bad, Merida doesn’t really grow. She’s simply extended her time as a tomboy, another archetype, less a girl than a stereotype of a kind of girl. “It wasn’t clear to me what her arc was,” Orenstein (FTNH ed: author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter) says. “What is it that we are imagining girls moving toward here? ‘I get to ride around on a horse all day’ isn’t really enough. That isn’t going to take her anywhere. There wasn’t a desire to do something.”
This wouldn’t feel so vaguely unsatisfying if Brave were just one of many Pixar movies that featured a strong female lead. It’s the absence of others that turns the spotlight on Brave. And having a princess protagonist isn’t inherently bad. It’s just that she is so chapter one of what girls can be — and so many other Pixar movies skipped most known chapters and moved on to whole new volumes. (FTNH: bold emphasis mine)You can read the whole article HERE.
There's one other issue that appeared in the comments regarding the grilling Brave gets in the article. I feel for the parents who are tired of every movie needing to "be a good example" for their children when all they want is good, clean entertainment. I would wholeheartedly agree except for one major thing: the marketing push and resulting peer pressure from the toy angle (even four year olds will influence their peers with regard to what is "cool"!) really does speak as loudly, often louder, than the most conscientious parents. and that's when a kid hasn't even seen the movie! When the best way for a child to recapture their personal movie experience is through a toy or book with the same images, that's the "message" that will sink in and stay.What if the marketing for Brave was more gender-neutral, or perhaps aimed more toward tomboy-girls and boys at most, rather than at the princess culture girls? Instead of exiting El Capitan with giant red-orange wigs what if each kid got a sword or bow and arrow? (No floaty blue dresses in sight either, thank you.) Do you think the boy my husband saw would have been keeping himself so carefully separate from his "wimminfolk" then? I don't think so. I think he'd be (happily) trading blows and bruises with his sister, complete with sound effects of turning into a bear of which his sister would no doubt (happily) match him roar for roar.
There is one other interesting observation by a few of the commenters on the article that I want to highlight too. I'll quote the shortest one:
I'd appreciate if films with female leads had adequate male character. I don't understand why "female empowerment" films have the need to portray men as incompetent goofs.They have a good point and there's more in the comments expanding on it too. The presence of a "strong" female character does not exclude the presence of strong men. The now go-to standard in family films (making the men less competent to make the women appear more so) isn't good for boys, for assertive/kick-ass girls OR for the princess set. I'll let you read the debate (and rants) for yourself.
One thing I do agree with the writer on, though, is that I hope Brave does well - really, really well actually. Why?
1) I would like to see more lead heroines from Pixar. With the marketing force of Disney behind them, Pixar does have a great influence on kids. I'd like to see what other female leads they come up with and hope that the results are as "groundbreaking" as everyone's been hoping Merida would be.
2) I'd like to see more fairy tale fare handled by Pixar (and Disney) story people, especially now that the public view on fairy tales has changed somewhat.
20 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
Pixar's "Brave": Release Day
To contact us Click HERE
Today's the day. It's the "other" big fairy tale movie of the year, by which I mean the other movie which will have an effect on how people view fairy tales this year and how movie studio and TV series executives will consider spending their money with regard to other fairy tale fare. Personally (and despite all you will read in the next post) I'm very much looking forward to seeing it.
Here's a clip to whet your appetite:
Pretty, yes? And moody in the best way. It's going to look amazing on the big screen.
The clip reminds me of Secret of Kells but then it probably should - and the association is a good one. Brave will be very different in many ways, of course, but there's no doubt it will be beautiful too.
Today's the day. It's the "other" big fairy tale movie of the year, by which I mean the other movie which will have an effect on how people view fairy tales this year and how movie studio and TV series executives will consider spending their money with regard to other fairy tale fare. Personally (and despite all you will read in the next post) I'm very much looking forward to seeing it.Here's a clip to whet your appetite:
Pretty, yes? And moody in the best way. It's going to look amazing on the big screen.
The clip reminds me of Secret of Kells but then it probably should - and the association is a good one. Brave will be very different in many ways, of course, but there's no doubt it will be beautiful too.
Pixar's Brave to Change the Fate of Princess Culture?
To contact us Click HERE
While it's a given that Brave will be a beautiful film it is interesting to see the smattering of mixed reviews surfacing in its debut week. There are the expected rave reviews and gushing over the lush animation and the feisty red-headed princess but there's been more than a little criticism too.
Why? Three theories:
1) Merida got upstaged
Pixar was a little late to the theater with their feisty heroine this year. Since we've had Hunger Games and Snow White and the Huntsman provide audiences with larger-than-life kick ass girl-women, seeing Merida do much of the same is, sadly, a little like deja vu, despite that this is the first family film in that vein where the others were mainstream (or perhaps teen-stream).
2) Too much hair
There's waaaay too much emphasis on all this hair! Maria Tatar recently linked to an article and it seems Ms. Tatar has the right of it when she noticed the topic continually returning to Merida's hair. It's what everybody - creators and marketers - seem focused on. Hair! A quick story to illustrate: my husband is currently working in downtown Hollywood and, in his words, this is what he saw:
3) Change your fate. Or not.
Even more importantly, it would appear the entire story has already been told in the promotional fare and there's really nothing more to Princess Merida than we've seen. Although she's feisty and defies convention she doesn't really have a direction or drive once she's able to do all the things she wants. In other words, we have a princess who is behaving like, well, a princess. There's no saving her people, the world or anything else going on. She makes a mistake and has to repair the damage she's done but, in reality, though she grows closer to her mother, nothing much else appears to change.
There's an interesting article in Time published today, titled: Why Pixar's Brave is a Failure of Female Empowerment. Unlike the writer, I don't have a problem with Merida being a princess. Nor do I have a problem that she has to deal with the marriage issue. For the era, that was primarily what princesses were useful for: forming alliances by joining in marriage and producing heirs. How she deals with that is where she has to show her individuality. What is a problem, though, is the lack of both growth and of personal purpose by Merida, beyond the crisis (of her own making).
From the article:
There's one other issue that appeared in the comments regarding the grilling Brave gets in the article. I feel for the parents who are tired of every movie needing to "be a good example" for their children when all they want is good, clean entertainment. I would wholeheartedly agree except for one major thing: the marketing push and resulting peer pressure from the toy angle (even four year olds will influence their peers with regard to what is "cool"!) really does speak as loudly, often louder, than the most conscientious parents. and that's when a kid hasn't even seen the movie! When the best way for a child to recapture their personal movie experience is through a toy or book with the same images, that's the "message" that will sink in and stay.
What if the marketing for Brave was more gender-neutral, or perhaps aimed more toward tomboy-girls and boys at most, rather than at the princess culture girls? Instead of exiting El Capitan with giant red-orange wigs what if each kid got a sword or bow and arrow? (No floaty blue dresses in sight either, thank you.) Do you think the boy my husband saw would have been keeping himself so carefully separate from his "wimminfolk" then? I don't think so. I think he'd be (happily) trading blows and bruises with his sister, complete with sound effects of turning into a bear of which his sister would no doubt (happily) match him roar for roar.
There is one other interesting observation by a few of the commenters on the article that I want to highlight too. I'll quote the shortest one:
One thing I do agree with the writer on, though, is that I hope Brave does well - really, really well actually. Why?
1) I would like to see more lead heroines from Pixar. With the marketing force of Disney behind them, Pixar does have a great influence on kids. I'd like to see what other female leads they come up with and hope that the results are as "groundbreaking" as everyone's been hoping Merida would be.
2) I'd like to see more fairy tale fare handled by Pixar (and Disney) story people, especially now that the public view on fairy tales has changed somewhat.
While it's a given that Brave will be a beautiful film it is interesting to see the smattering of mixed reviews surfacing in its debut week. There are the expected rave reviews and gushing over the lush animation and the feisty red-headed princess but there's been more than a little criticism too.Why? Three theories:
1) Merida got upstaged
Pixar was a little late to the theater with their feisty heroine this year. Since we've had Hunger Games and Snow White and the Huntsman provide audiences with larger-than-life kick ass girl-women, seeing Merida do much of the same is, sadly, a little like deja vu, despite that this is the first family film in that vein where the others were mainstream (or perhaps teen-stream).
|
| The "Brave" wigs |
There's waaaay too much emphasis on all this hair! Maria Tatar recently linked to an article and it seems Ms. Tatar has the right of it when she noticed the topic continually returning to Merida's hair. It's what everybody - creators and marketers - seem focused on. Hair! A quick story to illustrate: my husband is currently working in downtown Hollywood and, in his words, this is what he saw:
This morning when I came out of the Hollywood/HighlI think this scene is a good example of the response we're seeing all over. Despite how strong, feisty and brave Merida is, with marketing campaigns like Target's stating: "Look pretty and be brave, too" we've diluted anything important the film may have had to say. But that's not the whole story either.and station I saw, walking down the street in front of me, two women with a little girl and a young boy. Both women had curly, curly long red-orange hair and the girl was carrying a chunk of red-orange hair. This seemed a bit odd to me until I realized that they were walking away from the El Capitan theatre and were wearing "Brave" wigs. The boy was having nothing to do with the females and was walking apart from them. He had no wig.
3) Change your fate. Or not.
Even more importantly, it would appear the entire story has already been told in the promotional fare and there's really nothing more to Princess Merida than we've seen. Although she's feisty and defies convention she doesn't really have a direction or drive once she's able to do all the things she wants. In other words, we have a princess who is behaving like, well, a princess. There's no saving her people, the world or anything else going on. She makes a mistake and has to repair the damage she's done but, in reality, though she grows closer to her mother, nothing much else appears to change.
There's an interesting article in Time published today, titled: Why Pixar's Brave is a Failure of Female Empowerment. Unlike the writer, I don't have a problem with Merida being a princess. Nor do I have a problem that she has to deal with the marriage issue. For the era, that was primarily what princesses were useful for: forming alliances by joining in marriage and producing heirs. How she deals with that is where she has to show her individuality. What is a problem, though, is the lack of both growth and of personal purpose by Merida, beyond the crisis (of her own making).
From the article:
The best parts of Brave are the scenes involving the changed Queen Elinor, now a gigantic bear. But despite a lot of superficial talk of fate — “Our fate lies within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it” — her physical metamorphosis represents the main transformation. Other than deciding her mother isn’t so bad, Merida doesn’t really grow. She’s simply extended her time as a tomboy, another archetype, less a girl than a stereotype of a kind of girl. “It wasn’t clear to me what her arc was,” Orenstein (FTNH ed: author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter) says. “What is it that we are imagining girls moving toward here? ‘I get to ride around on a horse all day’ isn’t really enough. That isn’t going to take her anywhere. There wasn’t a desire to do something.”
This wouldn’t feel so vaguely unsatisfying if Brave were just one of many Pixar movies that featured a strong female lead. It’s the absence of others that turns the spotlight on Brave. And having a princess protagonist isn’t inherently bad. It’s just that she is so chapter one of what girls can be — and so many other Pixar movies skipped most known chapters and moved on to whole new volumes. (FTNH: bold emphasis mine)You can read the whole article HERE.
There's one other issue that appeared in the comments regarding the grilling Brave gets in the article. I feel for the parents who are tired of every movie needing to "be a good example" for their children when all they want is good, clean entertainment. I would wholeheartedly agree except for one major thing: the marketing push and resulting peer pressure from the toy angle (even four year olds will influence their peers with regard to what is "cool"!) really does speak as loudly, often louder, than the most conscientious parents. and that's when a kid hasn't even seen the movie! When the best way for a child to recapture their personal movie experience is through a toy or book with the same images, that's the "message" that will sink in and stay.What if the marketing for Brave was more gender-neutral, or perhaps aimed more toward tomboy-girls and boys at most, rather than at the princess culture girls? Instead of exiting El Capitan with giant red-orange wigs what if each kid got a sword or bow and arrow? (No floaty blue dresses in sight either, thank you.) Do you think the boy my husband saw would have been keeping himself so carefully separate from his "wimminfolk" then? I don't think so. I think he'd be (happily) trading blows and bruises with his sister, complete with sound effects of turning into a bear of which his sister would no doubt (happily) match him roar for roar.
There is one other interesting observation by a few of the commenters on the article that I want to highlight too. I'll quote the shortest one:
I'd appreciate if films with female leads had adequate male character. I don't understand why "female empowerment" films have the need to portray men as incompetent goofs.They have a good point and there's more in the comments expanding on it too. The presence of a "strong" female character does not exclude the presence of strong men. The now go-to standard in family films (making the men less competent to make the women appear more so) isn't good for boys, for assertive/kick-ass girls OR for the princess set. I'll let you read the debate (and rants) for yourself.
One thing I do agree with the writer on, though, is that I hope Brave does well - really, really well actually. Why?
1) I would like to see more lead heroines from Pixar. With the marketing force of Disney behind them, Pixar does have a great influence on kids. I'd like to see what other female leads they come up with and hope that the results are as "groundbreaking" as everyone's been hoping Merida would be.
2) I'd like to see more fairy tale fare handled by Pixar (and Disney) story people, especially now that the public view on fairy tales has changed somewhat.
Laguna's Beaches, Second to None.
To contact us Click HERE
Laguna Beach boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in California. The city's seven miles of picturesque Pacific coastline features plenty of pristine sandy beaches. Throughout the year, you'll find beachgoers of all ages soaking up the sun and enjoying all the great activities you'll find in Laguna Beach. Map of Laguna Beaches.
Lounging in the soft, warm sand is only the beginning of what you can do here at the beach. Surfing and skimboarding are popular among locals and visitors. With up to 15-foot waves, the coves along Laguna Beach's coastline are home to some of the best waves in southern California. Or, cast a line and try your luck at the plentiful fishing along the coast of Laguna Beach.
Exploring the underwater world is fun and exciting in Laguna Beach, which is home to amazing diving. You'll discover a new world just beneath the waves filled with fish, anemones - even the occasional octopus!
But you don't have to dive to experience the amazing marine life hidden just below the waves. Laguna Beach boasts impressive tidepooling opportunities, giving you an up-close look at marine life without having to get your hair wet! Nestled within the rocky outcroppings that frame Laguna Beach's white sand beaches, you'll find an amazing display of marine life that calls this unique environment home. Check out our tidepool video for a sneak peek at the amazing sights you'll see while tidepooling in Laguna Beach.
While you explore the coves of Laguna Beach, please help us keep these beaches beautiful for years to come! All of Laguna's beaches and coves are designated "Marine Protected Areas," so remember:
• Deposit all litter in designated containers. Keep trash out of our parks and out of the food chain.
• Stay on designated trails. Prevent erosion and preserve plant and animal habitats.
• No pets are allowed in wilderness parks. Protect wildlife and your fellow park visitors.
With such an amazing variety of things to do and ways to relax at the beach, it's easy to see why Laguna Beach is a prime vacation destination for visitors from around the world.
Lounging in the soft, warm sand is only the beginning of what you can do here at the beach. Surfing and skimboarding are popular among locals and visitors. With up to 15-foot waves, the coves along Laguna Beach's coastline are home to some of the best waves in southern California. Or, cast a line and try your luck at the plentiful fishing along the coast of Laguna Beach.
Exploring the underwater world is fun and exciting in Laguna Beach, which is home to amazing diving. You'll discover a new world just beneath the waves filled with fish, anemones - even the occasional octopus!
But you don't have to dive to experience the amazing marine life hidden just below the waves. Laguna Beach boasts impressive tidepooling opportunities, giving you an up-close look at marine life without having to get your hair wet! Nestled within the rocky outcroppings that frame Laguna Beach's white sand beaches, you'll find an amazing display of marine life that calls this unique environment home. Check out our tidepool video for a sneak peek at the amazing sights you'll see while tidepooling in Laguna Beach.
While you explore the coves of Laguna Beach, please help us keep these beaches beautiful for years to come! All of Laguna's beaches and coves are designated "Marine Protected Areas," so remember:
• Deposit all litter in designated containers. Keep trash out of our parks and out of the food chain.
• Stay on designated trails. Prevent erosion and preserve plant and animal habitats.
• No pets are allowed in wilderness parks. Protect wildlife and your fellow park visitors.
With such an amazing variety of things to do and ways to relax at the beach, it's easy to see why Laguna Beach is a prime vacation destination for visitors from around the world.
Life's a Beach
To contact us Click HERE
For those familiar with Laguna Beach, it iswidely recognized that Laguna Beach is known for…well, it’s beaches! (And maybea reality show or two…)Located halfway between Los Angeles and SanDiego, Laguna Beach is home to over 7 miles of coastline, including over 20beaches and coves. Because there are so many beautiful beaches and Pacific Edge plays host to one of the most beloved, we wanted to know what the locals’ favorites were.Well, the answers were all over the board – from semi-hidden beaches that couldget missed when walking by, to the bigger beaches with all the action. Looking at the variety of favorites got usthinking…do we know all the beaches Laguna has to offer? Well, here’s a goodplace to start.
http://www.lagunapages.com/beach/default.asp
For those familiar with Laguna Beach, it iswidely recognized that Laguna Beach is known for…well, it’s beaches! (And maybea reality show or two…)Located halfway between Los Angeles and SanDiego, Laguna Beach is home to over 7 miles of coastline, including over 20beaches and coves. Because there are so many beautiful beaches and Pacific Edge plays host to one of the most beloved, we wanted to know what the locals’ favorites were.Well, the answers were all over the board – from semi-hidden beaches that couldget missed when walking by, to the bigger beaches with all the action. Looking at the variety of favorites got usthinking…do we know all the beaches Laguna has to offer? Well, here’s a goodplace to start.
http://www.lagunapages.com/beach/default.asp
End of the World?
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With 12/21/12 approaching, we have all heard avariety of responses. From the doomsday preppers to those who assume this willbe another “year 2000” situation to those who find this to be a great excuse toget together for eating, drinking, and whatever little extra indulgences can befound. We run the spectrum on this one. Regardless of which category you fall into,today we ask you not to worry about the end of the world on 12/21/12. Not toworry about over-indulging. Not to worry about the “what ifs”.
Today, we ask you to hug the people you love alittle tighter….to take the day off of work to spend it with someone special…totake that vacation you’ve been putting off until the right time.
Today, we ask you to stop thinking about the “whatifs” and focus on the “what is”. The what is wonderful in life…the what is specialto you…the what is most important to you right this minute.
Enjoy today. Enjoy the holidays. Enjoy yourlife. Enjoy living like it is the last day, regardless of whether or not it is.
With 12/21/12 approaching, we have all heard avariety of responses. From the doomsday preppers to those who assume this willbe another “year 2000” situation to those who find this to be a great excuse toget together for eating, drinking, and whatever little extra indulgences can befound. We run the spectrum on this one. Regardless of which category you fall into,today we ask you not to worry about the end of the world on 12/21/12. Not toworry about over-indulging. Not to worry about the “what ifs”.
Today, we ask you to hug the people you love alittle tighter….to take the day off of work to spend it with someone special…totake that vacation you’ve been putting off until the right time.
Today, we ask you to stop thinking about the “whatifs” and focus on the “what is”. The what is wonderful in life…the what is specialto you…the what is most important to you right this minute.
Enjoy today. Enjoy the holidays. Enjoy yourlife. Enjoy living like it is the last day, regardless of whether or not it is.
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