Fairy tale comeback?

I noticed that too. I find your thoughts on that interesting.
It might be an escape. I know, as a Lucy fanatic, that people like watching her and other old movies and T.V shows as a way to remember the good times. During 9/11, I Love Lucy got more viewers than some primetime shows.
This might be the same thing. Or, maybe, one person started the fairy tales and the others followed, seeing it was popular. For example, Disney’s last two movies were their first fairytales in awhile and it gave Disney a comeback. It could all just be money.

I think we are definitely witnessing the phenomenon you describe. Many shows are thinly veiled fairy tales, Doctor Who, for example. Don’t overlook the rise of the comic book movies, which call on the same archetypes of the ancient Greeks.

I do not think it is a reflection on current economic and political trends. I think we are returning to a historical norm. The refusal to believe in fairy tales witnessed at the end of the last century, almost a snobbish derision by educated people, was abnormal. Shakespeare was full of magic.

The writers of the late 20th century seem to have made a conscious decision to pretend the fantastical was only for children, not “Serious” writers.

Well, maybe I’m going crazy, but after reading that, I immediately thought “marketing”. I swear I read something about Disney in my textbook after studying for my marketing final for 4 days.

Fairy tails were geared towards children previously, but now they’re searching for a new target audience perhaps?

@the_overthinker “Fairy tails were geared towards children previously, but now they’re searching for a new target audience perhaps?”

Actually originally fairy tales were geared to general audiences or, more specifically, storytelling in general was something that engaged people from all age groups. When the Grimm brothers first compiled their collection it was meant to collect a bit of folk culture. They were surprised to find it was immensely popular with the kiddies and later editions were edited with a child audience in mind. So the tradition of fairy tales being “for children” began in the 19th century.</pedantry>

I have mixed feelings about the sudden surge of fantasy and fairy tales. Maybe love/hate. Love to see it done well, but I can’t help watching the stuff I know I’ll be picking apart blindfolded with a pair of tweezers. The surge means there’s more of the later, but I hope the we get some of the former as well. Tarsem Singh directed Mirror Mirror so that could be good.

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought I totally think of the sonic as a magic wand.

Let’s pretend I spelled that right, shall we?

In times of recession… fairy tales go on to television.

@fundevogel He just doesn’t want to say “Magic Doors”.

I think it’s a fad.

Maybe fairy tales are this year’s Zombie Apocalypse?

This has been happening all along, but you may not have noticed it. There are constant remakes of Red Riding Hood and the other fairy tales. They provide a never-ending supply of grist for the imaginative mill.

I believe that they have run out of new ideas and are strapped for cash to come up with and produce new ideas.

Reality shows have been the only “NEW” thing in TV for awhile, and it is being done to death. They are cheap to produce and provide a little novelty.

There are only so many situations that one can use in Situation Comedy.

The dramas have used the same story lines in Westerns, Space/SciFi, Mobster, 50’s family, 70’s family, Medical, Adventure, and recently, Animation.

Fairy Tales have appeal as traditional morality plays, and simple nostalgia. However, I have already tired of the new Fairy Tale shows. I know basically what will happen. The telling has room for some new ways of presenting the story, but these ‘new’ ways have been ‘done’ before in other shows.

I believe that television has reached it’s potential with it’s current technology. Unless it can incorporate new technology or new ideas for us to explore, TV is losing it’s stranglehold on the viewers.

@Jewel Actually I think it’s been an unusually good year for tv. I mean, maybe it’s blasphemy but I think American Horror Story out shines the last series of Doctor Who. That’s just mad. The last episode made my head explode.

@wundayatta I have noticed fairy tale re-imaginings before but not to this extent. It’s the new “thing”. Like for a while it was sitcoms after Friends ended, then it was reality shows, and then crime dramas. Now it seems to be fairy tales and I was curious for the reasons behind the trend toward that genre.

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought Interesting thoughts, I hadn’t thought of that but find myself agreeing. Do you have any thoughts on the reason behind the return to “a historical norm”? Just curious as to your opinion.

It is definitely a trend lately to re-imagine the classic fairy tales. Much of it is reclaiming the darker aspects of the tales from the somewhat sanitized Disney versions. People seem to like the dark undertones and the mythology of the old stories. I found this article about how we as a culture are making fairy tales relevant to modern life. Interesting. Good question.
http://oneutah.org/this-blog/understanding-re-imagining-and-re-claiming-fairy-tales/

If you are really interested in this subject, you might want to check out Bruno Bettelhiem’s classic work on fairy tales and psychology The Uses of Enchantment.

This is another good book on mythology and fairy tale’s deeper meanings.
http://www.amazon.com/Beast-Blonde-Fairy-Tales-Tellers/dp/0374524874

@global_nomad 2 thoughts really:

1) The baby boomers have worked their way through the system to some extent, Gen X and Gen Y are now discovering these old ideas and finding them to have merit.

2) The derision that was placed upon these types of work attracts the most creative people. The truly creative, the truly talented, rarely can flourish long term in respectable art forms. The average resent them, and eventually force them out into fringe media.