Friends of Disney: you had to change your fate, would you? I don't know. Today, and gentlemen, friends of Disney and all non-binary friends, welcome to our very special Disney Princess Season episode of Brave. That was a very brave way to say all that. You might saying, Megan, what's with the energy? I apologize in advance if you hear a little. A little sniffly, a little bit of something clacking against my teeth. Here a little wrapper. I'm not rapping. I am currently sick, so I have to second cough drops. And you might be wondering, Megan, where's Jonel? Or Sean, where's Jonel? Gosh, Megan. Such a Mike hog. Jonel's going to be taking a break. for a little bit, cause life's been busy. So you get me and Megan for a while. Our fabulous faces? ⁓ No way. It's like we live together or anything. But yeah, talking on brave. Brave. Okay. You like brave ⁓ a lot. let you go. Brave. Okay. look, look up this point, ⁓ because Frozen didn't out yet. This was the first, well first, Disney Princess Pixar movie. There hasn't been any before or any since. Frozen come after Brave? We're talking Pixar movie. There's been no other Disney Princess Pixar movie. yeah, because this was the year ⁓ that came out with a Disney movie and Disney came out with a Pixar movie. ⁓ What Disney's Pixar movie? Wreck-It Ralph. ⁓ right. right. Wreck-It Ralph looks so much like a Pixar movie. And then you have an actual Disney Princess in Brave, which is And so. that and then she was the first one says you didn't have a love interest Cause she was still before Frozen? She was still before Frozen. mean, I'm trying to think now. Hold on. Can we really say that John Smith was a love interest in the first Pocahontas though? I mean, how about no like other male supporting actor? Like she didn't have a male counterpart. Okay. Yeah, that's fair. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There was no male counterpart there. Listen, listen for a long time. for a long, time until I met you. I was convinced I was going to grow up and just be single forever. This sounds really sad. This sounds really sad. I rekindled your faith and love. It wasn't even that. It was just like... I had this expectation of how I wanted my life to be the adults in my life were like, no, that's not how other human beings act. And I was like, like I remember when I was nine, right? I remember going to my mom and my dad. mean, like, listen, weddings are big because in my life up so far, weddings were like these huge deals with like a hundred, 200 people. God, that's too many. Or like that's my young brain remembers. Okay. Hold on, give me a second. And so I was like, listen, I know like it's a thing where like, like the honeymoon is a thing. I didn't know like what consummation of marriage was in like sense, in the physical sense, but I didn't know that my husband would want my attention. And so I told my parents, I was like, listen, the day after my wedding, I don't want my husband to talk to me because I will be too tired. And parents were like, no, your husband's going to want your attention. And I was like, then I don't want to get married. Is that why you like Brave so much? And so I think that's part of the reason why I liked Merida because when she, like, all of her suitors and she was like, I don't like any of them. They all kind of suck. I was like, I get that. I get that. This was my first time watching Brave all the way through. What? ⁓ Like I generally knew what happened in the more or less the order that happened. The only one that threw me off was the brothers being bears. I thought that happened. That was like much more prevalent in the movie than it was. the brothers are by far my favorite characters. ⁓ I knew they would be. I of this movie and I think they're literally there for comic relief. think ⁓ Disney through like a test run of just like, just like the three of like the dad and the mom in Merida. And they were like, ⁓ no, it's like too like serious. We need comic relief. And so they added the lady with the big boobs. Yeah. And then they added the three brothers. The brothers to me make the whole movie. But did notice they were never given names? They're just boys. Well, so I only have a handful of memories attached to this movie. being the ⁓ opening because I know it from the Happily Ever After Fireworks show that's done at Walt Disney World. ⁓ even though me and Megan have never been to Walt Disney World. ⁓ love Happily Ever After. We have watched that show so many times on YouTube. It is amazing. And ⁓ Jordan Fisher. And ⁓ can't remember. I don't remember the other. The singer's name did a fantastic job. And we love Jordan in this house. yes. And so I remember like seeing that sequence on the Cinderella castle. And then the other part that like always like really stuck with me was, um, Nope. lost it. well. I'm thinking about in Wreck it Ralph Ralph breaks the internet where they, where Vanellope goes into the rooms. And no one can understand. they're like, that's the princess from the other. like the other studio. the reason that's so funny is, ⁓ fun fact, so the actress who plays Merida, who I forgot to look up before this recording, like I said, I'm sick, so please bear with my brain. She ⁓ had very thick Scottish accent, and so she was like asking Disney, like, do you want me to like go hard into it, or do you want me to like soften it up a bit? And obviously softening it up. ⁓ But they were doing Ralph Breaks the Internet, they were like, ⁓ go deep into that accent as you want, go off the deep end. So she did. I think it's so funny. Well, I also think it's funny because like the third suitor, ⁓ dad has like a really nice mustache. He's like that way, like you can't understand at all what he's saying, which love. If you had to pick a suitor, which ⁓ would pick? Cause I know my answer right away. ⁓ No. ⁓ My answer is easy picks. None. I mean, Merida. What's wrong with the one I like, the one you couldn't understand? OK. know what's wrong with the other two. That's self-explanatory. ⁓ what's wrong with him? OK, so the guy who you can't understand is like... ⁓ think he's like from the MacGuffin tribe. I can't remember the difference, to be honest. Yeah, talk while I think. OK, listen, break down the three suitors. So there is the young one who like has like the weakest and the smallest, right? why I don't like him is like, he's from Dingwall. I know that much. Dingwall. And the reason I don't like him is not that he's smallest or the weakest is, obviously his dad was trying to like boast about like what he did. And he one out of luck, but like, I just, I would want. the person who I'm to be with to be honest, not to like try to like over brag about who they are. But that's the him for his dad's actions. And I don't like his dad. But like the other thing is he just looks things. That is Like his whole thing was he was lucky and his I will agree that his dad is the worst of the three. Yes. And I feel like, look, we aren't who parents are. But like, we also have been influenced by our parents. So it's like nature versus nurture. I'm like, how much of like, and he also doesn't talk much throughout the movie or do much. And he is like one of the first to speak up about like tradition about like, want to, I want to like marry someone who I love or whatever. Yeah. But like with how little he speaks, um, I get the impression that he just lets his dad make all the decisions. And I like a Significant other who like speaks up now, let's talk about the middle one the the one who the The one that like through the fit. Yeah through the arrow like the bow and crap in merit I was like, well, that's attractive. Yeah Well, I feel like I don't need it like that that's self-explanatory there You know how some people are like, ⁓ my husband is literally my fifth child. That is ⁓ vibe He gives me like no, I want to date an adult. He's worse. He's ⁓ the type of person like here reminds me of like the that's like the most red flag of red flag guys that you could imagine. So I'm like, Like the aggression, ⁓ like ⁓ of himself attitude show offy jockey. Just No. And then the one you can't understand. And listen, I He seems like such a gentle giant is my thing. He does seem like a gentle giant. One, we don't have enough scrim time with him to be like, yes, I 100 % fall in love with him. Like you do with almost every other prince, maybe Snow White. You're not wrong. And the other thing is, I like talking my significant other. Fun fact, that's why half of the reason why we created a podcast, like we also wanted to talk with Jonel, ⁓ but there's three of us. And if Sean just did not talk, this podcast would just be me and you and Elle and that would be boring. So like, I like talking to my significant other. What me and Sean usually do is just to have really deep conversations. like to have a significant other that just I couldn't understand would break my heart. That's fair. like him because also in part also because of like the dads, like the other two are too much. Like Lord Dingwall, one is creepy and everything else. But like, and the guy with like the ones with like the long hair or whatever, just too much energy, get too showboaty, full of themselves, that kind of stuff. That third tribe, again, I can't remember which tribe that is. I'm literally looking it up. Like, ⁓ is like, the dad was like the most normal. looked the picture. We gave our some chocolate today, by we I mean, our husband. I gave our son chocolate and it was a mistake and the pictures we got from it are hysterical. dad, the of that clan was the most and respectful, but also his presence commanded He was intimidating in the way that I would expect from a Scottish Irish clan to be. ⁓ You know? did I lose you? I'm looking up clans. No, I am paying attention. ⁓ They were like the, ⁓ like their presence commands a room. ⁓ you were at. Yeah. But like he was always controlled. never like ⁓ up like the other two did. like is the one. Not Macintosh. Dingwall. Not Dingwall. Thornbroche. Not Dumbrock. The fourth MacGuffin. MacGuffin. That is MacGuffin. I knew it. ⁓ Yeah. So MacGuffin tribe like. is the one that I really like and yeah, his son does seem like a big, gentle, cuddly giant, which I love. Cause like, you know, also he's like, he's just like a little timid, like he just needs like speak up a little bit more. He talks really quiet and the Scottish accent doesn't do well with quiet people. No. and then we all love Merida. Merida, I can mend her on the loophole that she found. ⁓ yes. Because I heard it in my ears perked. I'm like, there it is. There it is. There's the loop. I call myself the king of loopholes. Maybe I can tell you this. It's like the best thing when you need to get out of something. ⁓ is the worst thing when you try to make a deal with him and then he finds the loophole and you're like, I just needed you to mop the floors. ⁓ It's true. I like to get myself out of situations and it sucks when you're on the other end of it. And so like when Merida found the loophole and she's like, well, I'm the oldest. I have to fight apparently. Like I was like, yes, that is what I like to see. Can we talk about little Merida for a second? Little Merida was adorable. The scruffy red hair. Listen, I don't think I talked. I think I talk a lot about this in the podcast, but I grew up in a very sheltered home. Not because like my parents were like particularly like you may not see the outside world of Megan, but we grew up in a very, very white area with nothing, very little like cultural influence from anywhere else. ⁓ to me and Jonel where we were like grew up very much with like near reservations and stuff. Megan did not. ⁓ not. No, ⁓ was very white. And so I meet a person who spoke another language than me until I was in middle school. It wild. Merida was the first person who I encountered. Even though she was a Pixar character with super curly hair, and I was so fascinated by that. was like, her hair is so cool. And the way it bounces and moves in the movie, it's incredible. ⁓ Her accent was the coolest thing. I kept trying to replicate it. can tell they took advantage of the software for Rapunzel's hair with her hair. my god. Maybe this just coming from like... a place of like, my mom and I don't have the best relationship. We're not on talking terms anymore. And I'm not going to get too much into why, it make it difficult to like see this movie and stuff? It to be really difficult when I was like in the trenches, as it were, ⁓ where in movies, in situ when you're in a situation where you don't have the happy ending, you're in like the climax or like right before it, like- the rising when you're talking about story maps. It's really hard to watch movies that have a nice conclusion because you're in middle of it. liked movie, but there were parts I would fast forward. Sean can tell you that when I watch it inside out, I will fast forward through scenes that I literally can't sit through without having secondhand embarrassment. There are just things where ⁓ I have to forward. loved ones like to tell me they take on a lot of emotions. It's because I was like in control of like balancing everyone's emotions to making sure everyone was okay. so I was watching movies, that was even more emotions I had to take care of. And so now I just fast forward scenes as long as the movie that I have seen at least once. So that way I can just get to the parts where I find it enjoyable. But yeah, no, her mom, Eleanor. my gosh, she's a control freak. ⁓ It's so... It was so bad watching this movie when I was growing up because I... My mother wasn't that big of a control freak, but she did like things to be done. She a view of the world. She wanted to impart on me and my siblings, which I can understand. We're parents now. We have things that we want to teach our son. We want our son to understand music. and to understand empathy and to like know how to share and not to throw a fit in public. and also like how to do math because one day, hopefully he will have to do taxes and we want him to know how to do a tax. ⁓ and don't worry. And I'll teach him like some nice quick witty, sarcastic insults and how to like make a meal ⁓ like himself. I love how mine is like how to survive in the world one-on-one and yours is like, how to be sassy. A, I'm just thinking about Meredith during the whole, like her and her dad making comments about the like archery skills of the three suitors and how they were making digs. And I'm like, that's a hundred percent me and our child. We're going to be those quick witted insults. ⁓ my goodness. like, and I understand that obviously you could tell that like the mom was put into a marriage that she didn't exactly want. She says as much in movie. And the dad's reaction to that is so funny. Like he didn't even, he was so oblivious to the point that maybe a teenage girl didn't want to get married. I had like, while we were watching, actually had to Google like who was actually like the royalty in this because like most like royal families, like you have like the true monarch and then you have like a consort typically of some kind. so like Like with Queen Elizabeth, she was the real monarch, King Phil, Prince Philip. cause though was like just like the person she married, she was the true monarch of England. And I actually had to Google like who was actually like ⁓ the monarch for the clan of Dunbrock ⁓ didn't anywhere, ⁓ but kept on saying that, Fergus married his dad was like a figurehead ⁓ and that was up to the queen. She's the one who actually was actually the. political leader. Fergus was just the bullheaded, figurehead king who just fights the bear that chopped off his leg. hear it. Merida described what happened. it's constantly described what happened to his leg. No, why he was chosen as the king. I don't remember this. ⁓ yeah. Okay, so like, do remember that scene where like Merida's mom is already a bear? Stephen Yeah. They have to get up to get the tapestry. so all like the gentlemen were fighting. And so she is like trying to understand what her mom is saying while she's like pantomiming it as a bear. then goes up on her own little tangent. apparently there was some. was a war in like, yeah, all four of like the leaders had like taken turns, like protecting each other basically and like had each other's back from like northern invaders. Yes. And then they decided that Fergus was just like... They all looked to him, right? They decided he was like the main guy. so, and that was what made her the queen. Was their teamwork versus like any of the other three and their wife. I wonder why we never saw their wives. We never saw any female from the other clans. No, I'm really curious. Like I would love to see Merida talk shit with the other sisters. I know, this is what we done. Get in these babies. I also was obsessed with whips, the whips. The wisps? The wisps. ⁓ my, I can't get over. so cute. They're so cute, but I can't get over the little like detail of like, can see their like little arms saying, come here. Come here. Like I thought that was like, like they're so tiny. I remember things. Yes. So once a time, Megan has never seen once upon a time. I've seen the first. maybe five episodes. It's a really, really hard TV show to watch. an adopted kid, yeah. As an adopted kid, because like the first episode. The first season. The first episode, let me finish my thought, please and thank you, was ⁓ literally Snow White versus what's her name? Regina? ⁓ Evil Queen? Snow White in real world. Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret is talking to like Emma, the main character, she's literally like, ⁓ well, he's adopted. And he was wondering if he was like worth it. And I was like, And like. ⁓ it's a it's hard to watch it and it literally it makes me go to a very dark place. ⁓ But reason I bring it the reason I bring up once upon a time is because. In one of the seasons, they bring in Merida as a character. Merida. And though like the movie ended all peacefully, Once Upon a Time likes to twist the tails a little bit. ⁓ the three suitors actually kidnapped Merida's brothers. Because refuse to marry them. ⁓ Oh, that makes me angry. it was a whole thing in like, think Emma like helped like get her brothers out and stuff. can't remember the full details. old were her brothers? I don't remember. It's been a while since I've seen that specific season because Emma's the dark one. It's a complicated thing. Um, I'm not even going to question it because if he, if I asked a question, would take. That'll lead to the mother of all tangents. Yeah. No. Um, You know what a movie I rarely always pair this movie with? The Tinkerbell's Secret of the Wings. I don't understand it. It has to do with the music because I pair it into the open air, which is like the only real song you get in from this movie with the song that's in Secret of the Wings or can't remember what it's called. I think it's like the great diva. ⁓ yeah. I guess they have similar like folk music vibe. Yeah, that's exactly it. Like both movies weirdly give me this weird folksy vibe. Even in Tinker in this specific, I don't get it. But I, for some reason, always like a pair of these two movies together in my head. also like when you're watching Brave. So like Scotland is beautiful. ⁓ ⁓ I've never been. But I want to. but it's like, it's beautiful and we see like Stonehenge. I almost went to go see Stonehenge. I would love to see Stonehenge. But apparently it's like a letdown. Like you pay a lot of money just to see some rocks. I don't see what people were expecting. Everyone knows it's just rocks. But, what was I saying? It's beautiful. It's beautiful. ⁓ And know what? The fairy are really good at. nature. so when you watch a Tinkerbell movie, you're just like, ⁓ my gosh, nature is so pretty. And then sometimes you go outside and you're like, I wish it was as pretty as the Tinkerbell fairs made it. And that's how I feel about in Scotland, watching this movie, I'm like, ⁓ my gosh, I want to get my own ingus and just gallop through the woods and follow some wisps talk to crazy old ladies who carved bear statues. Something I appreciate this movie for doing like I feel like with every other prison princess movie we get Both parents are alive? Well, yes, both parents are alive in this movie in this movie, but like In every other princess movie They always explore the wilderness of some kind. Mm-hmm, and it's ⁓ ⁓ like animals are always the cutesy happy animals ⁓ Like I know like even in Snow White, they tried to make it like, they made the forest look dark and scary, then it turned into like light and happy. But they never bring up the other side of like the forest animals, bears. And like this movie was like, no, we're not going to just have like these like squirrels, bunnies ⁓ whatnot. No, we're going to bring in a literal killer bear, which if they knew this bear existed. Why the heck would they allow little baby Merida to go get her arrow by herself in the woods? hear me out. Hear out. When you with a danger for so long, you kind of forget that it's dangerous. That is a very true fact. It's the most ⁓ human fact. the sensation or the psychological when you smell a smell. and you're just in the same room as that smell and then your brain is like, ⁓ I can just like cancel that out. an actual, actually that can happen with like all of our different senses. It's an actual like biological thing where your body will reduce the stimulus. because it's just like, this is ongoing. ⁓ It's important. You can tune it out. I wish brain could do that. Thanks ADHD. It does. It takes a lot more for you to do it. But yeah. No, I think it's like the same idea and like who knows how long it was like like we don't know if ⁓ leg was like taken ⁓ that. I'm pretty sure that's the story. Before It was my understanding that it was that interaction that took his leg. Yeah. ⁓ Was I took it. But I think the other point as you were saying that like It's also like how long was the last sighting? Like after this one sighting, no one has seen the bear since this movie or like the of the like main part of the movie. Which is crazy to me. So like let's say Mara does like five and then she would have been like fifteen because like we to think she has to be at ⁓ more than fourteen be married in the Disney canon. Yeah, because she's at age. She's at age. She's 16 years old, so I was one year off. let's say she was like five ⁓ she was like throwing that scene. ⁓ then 11 years later, that bear is still alive and kicking. And that's an adult bear. Well, and like, we know that that bear is Mordu. Mordu. Which was also like the brother in that story that we hear that like went absolutely crazy. like. Because he was the last one to take the witch's spell, there's probably some kind of weird immortality factor to it. With many skeletons we saw? Well, and you can see how damaged that bear was. He had ⁓ and arrows sticking out of it, and it wasn't budging him. apparently was asking for the strength of 100 men, ⁓ according the witch ⁓ and So like strength of 10 men, but yeah, you know what I mean? so it's yeah, don't know. The whole thing was with Mordu was kind of odd. I liked it, but it was odd. I. OK, listen, I love that story ⁓ of like there was a beloved king who decided to give his kingdom to ⁓ his four children. ⁓ And then one child corrupts it all. Hear me out on something, just hear me out, okay? would have loved this movie, took a Shrek approach. Cause at the beginning of Shrek, Shrek like narrating like classic princess tale of like she was locked in a tower is going to be rescued by Prince, Prince, yada yada yada. And that's all bogus or whatever rips out the page, wipes his butt and all stark place. I would have loved if this movie were to like, if it started off, with the story the king ⁓ the four brothers. it doesn't give away that that older brother turned into Mordu. But I was like, it's an ominous beginning. I have loved that kind of intro or like, like for, if Fergus or was, ⁓ or Eleanor were to be telling the story to little Merida. the, ⁓ grandma in ⁓ Moana. Kinda, kinda like yeah, similar to that idea. you see like, and it's, ⁓ then you have like the whole picnic scene and she's coming and then you're like, what are you, like what the hell's the bear? And then like we learn later on, cause now that we have that initial learning of the story, cause I feel like the way that the queen told it, it kind of felt a little past cause Merida wasn't paying attention to it. Merida was like, don't, yeah, I I know the freaking story mom. And so it kind of, really glazed over that other story, that story. And so I feel like if you gave us that more foundational sense in the beginning to like get us into the movie, then you have like the picnic scene where you do and then you come here, there's that connection of like, more dues, the brother. I know feel like that just makes a little more sense, like storytelling wise to me. But like, hear what you're saying. I just want to play devil's advocate. Please do. like it. I like I like that was advocate. OK, so. don't know. We're about the brothers before ⁓ we for actually recording, right? How your brothers were favorite? No, we were still know that's been said, the how Meredith Brothers are my favorites. OK, OK, I can't. I can't remember. Sorry, it's been a long day. We were talking about like. There was probably a recording with like out. the brothers and Disney was like, too dark. need some life. they added the three brothers. I am wondering if there was a cut where they did have that part. I'm thinking what vibe would it give off? I'm wondering if was too foreboding. like to have the knowledge that's given to like four and then it falls. If you even look at it, like Merida has how many brothers? Three. She's the eldest? Yeah. She's the one who was like, I want to change my fate. knocks down the tower. I'm I'm wondering if it would have set a darker, like, put the emphasis on the dark story instead of just like, it's the difference of focusing on the shadows versus just that exist. Because this movie, feel like has a couple different messages it tries to send. The main one obviously was like the Freaky Friday plot, you know, of like, you have to respect each other, see the other perspectives, etc. And then things get all better. But then the other, she said like, when she was talking with the clan leaders, and she brought up that story, and they're like, we all know that story, it's just a legend. And she goes, And then she says like what her mom said of like, legends are born in truth or like rooted in truths or something like that, which I really liked that message because like older stories, like always hear like ancient Chinese proverbs ⁓ such, like all these different legends like have something to them, which our stories are like ⁓ grown from. And that's why fairy tales were originally created. mean, tales, like when they were put into books. were to like teach kids things. Like, Pinocchio was about not telling lies. Yeah. I don't know. I guess if it was me, it would all depend on how they transitioned to the rest of the movie because can have like Beauty and the Beast with like the stained glass and it like just zooming out on the dark castle, very shadowy, rainy, dark, and then just fades to black title. And then you open with Belle, song and the princess. Whereas this, like, how would you cut, it would all depend on how they would decide to cut from the story to, we're having the picnic and stuff that shooting arrows, that whole, it would all depend on how they make that transition. That would be how like, was in terms of how they set it up. What did you think about the mom? Sorry, I know like we were just talking about like, Oh, the mom, like I said earlier, she's such a control freak. cannot stand her. I love her. I was look, I there are plenty of flaws in her personality. But you saw at the moment she put Meredith's bow in the fire. She reacted out of emotion. She tried to like take it back and she her time as a bear, she really... like, stuff outside of herself. You're not wrong, that scene with the bow brought a lot of redemption for her. A lot. But I could not help. And obviously, like, again, like, there's a whole... It has a Freaky Friday plot. Get the other perspective, like, take yourself away, that whole shtick. I can't help but think about, like, one of our, like... So Megan and have been, watching Supergirl lately on Netflix. And episode we had just watched had, like, ⁓ Supergirl, extremely pissed off. She had all of these repressed emotions, had to remain controlled. And I couldn't help but like, acknowledge that that's kind of like, was the case here? She kept on saying that like, ⁓ a queen slash a princess has to like, shut her tongue, hunker down, be all respectful and be proper poise collected. like, it kind showed the damage of like, if you try to ⁓ keep all that without expelling that it can lead to like, dangerous consequences, hence the bow incident. then like you saw that like as she was a bear, she had moments where she lost control ⁓ saw the damage, which think is like one of those other subtle messages that they didn't even discuss. It just happened, which is like that whole idea of like showing and not telling. So I that was like ⁓ a bigger to it. Like, yeah, we all know she cares about Merida. We saw that from when she was little. in terms of the relationship between the King and Fergus, between Fergus and Eleanor, they definitely needed to figure out what the hell they were doing as parents. I love Fergus's relationship with both Merida and with Eleanor as like separate individuals. Fergus respects Eleanor so much. He is in complete awe of Eleanor constantly. She's very much like, that's my wife. so sweet because most, as we've alluded to earlier, most Disney couples who are Don't exist. They don't exist. Or dead. This is one of the few times we actually get a set of parents to bicker. And not only they bicker, but they- obviously adore each other, like genuinely love each other. Like there's genuine love and genuine devotion, is like ⁓ to depict in that. And I feel like in these kinds of like stories. Yeah. like when I think of when Fergus was like trying to talk to Merida about being married and he's just like, Merida. like, I'm gonna say, it's like in the older times of like a dad trying to explain a female's time of the month to his daughter as a single parent. ⁓ my god. It gave me the same vibes. ⁓ my gosh, yeah. like, and how those two like, and then how Fergus and Merida just like ⁓ jab. Yeah, the suitors and you can tell like she has the utmost respect for him. He has the most like faith in her and like It's very sweet. like he understands his role as a dad and it's not traditional, but Eleanor wants to stick with tradition. And I think that's where the clashing is ⁓ he is the fun dad, but he's also like, he respects his daughter very He trusts her. gets her a bow at like age five. He does he sits down to time to talk with her for such a big burly. man, would not expect that softer, gentler side to sit down and show her how shoot a bow and stuff. He was probably the one who taught her how to ride a horse. And all of those things. Angus was my favorite character. Angus was beautiful. ⁓ my gosh. So I was a horse girlie growing up. I loved horses. My aunt owned a horse. ⁓ I rode horse once or twice. And then every summer, Up until high school, I would ask to have like my one week for summer camp to ride horses because my sister was allergic. Like not deathly allergic, but like she would get really bad. so like those were like living out my horse girl dreams, but I would have books and just like dream about like going to the farm, helping horses all the time. And so Angus was like one of those dreams, right? ⁓ Cause ⁓ other companions are tiny. literally can just sit on Mulan's shoulder. Heihei, Mulana could carry him around. Clownder also just tiny. All animal companions Disney Princesses. Pascal literally just sits on Rapunzel's and has a personality. Angus is just a horse. See, I'm like having to like really think about it because technically trying to think, cause have a lot of horses in Disney. But none of them like Angus. Belle, think would be the only one with it as a sidekick. That's a, that's a horse. guess ⁓ Most the horses are paired with the princes. The only who actually, the only princesses that have horses are Merida, Belle Mulan. The And I'm going give a a 0.5. ⁓ Maximus is not I pair of Maximus with Flynn because their relationship like from the beginning of the movie. It's Maximus versus Flynn. Yeah That's why I said point five Okay, should be old though those two only get along because of Rapunzel but like the print like the horse with the most personality though I ⁓ has to go to Prince Philip's horse. ⁓ Samson has the most personality of all the horses. I ingus's ingus acts like our cat Nova. Yeah. The most, I'm food motivated and I mean no offense to Nova, our beautiful cat. Um, Angus probably follows directions better. Yeah. But Angus is just a horse. Yeah. That Merida actually feeds. Yep. I love it. Sorry, I totally got to- like sidetracked on that. it's okay. mean, yeah. Angus, I liked about Angus was that he wasn't just a horse. Like he did play some part, like how he wouldn't go past the stones and or in like how much Merida had to like not really nudge him along a little bit. Which is like working with an actual animal. also just A very pretty horse, because I feel like all the other Disney horses, they're all princely. You know, like very well groomed, sleek. This was like a rugged horse, like big thick boy. Let me talk a little about horses. I'm not like 100 % a horse girl, because when I was little, there was definitely more that I knew. But in Scotland, they have They had working horses I guess I'm going to call them show horses, which is what like you think of when you think of like, I don't know, Prince Philip writing. But, ⁓ guess it's definitely like a workhorse who is like ⁓ made to do harder work. And that's why he is more muscular. That's why he's thicker. I think that's just overall, the other part about this movie I appreciated was that it was much more rugged. Like the castle wasn't pretty. no, it was stone. It was like what I would typically think of also in like that castle with like the brick space brick type of look just very mossy, stony, not pretty. Yeah. Not like, I don't know any other Disney castle. Not every other Disney castle. They're made to be like immaculate perfection. Like you see it, you're like, it's beautiful. This one was like, hell no. ⁓ like you wouldn't want to see. this castle at a Disney park. Because you're just like- Personally, I would, but- But like, if you walked into like, I don't know, Disneyland, and this is the castle you saw, it wouldn't be like the ah moment. No, it wouldn't. It'd be like a, huh? That thing, it looks like it looks only half built. I think like along with the ruggedness, I was astonished with the vulgarity. of this movie. I mean, first it was like ⁓ Dingwall lifting up his kilt being like feast your eyes. Which knew was there from like the promos when the movie came out. Yeah. But then you had the whole scene where they had to like ⁓ use kilts and stuff to climb down the tower from being locked on the roof. Yeah. And it showed their butts. The butt cheeks. Like Disney showed butts. That's never happened. Not once. But twice, because in the scene with the, like, where the people who are turned into bears turn back into people. Norwood's like, I'm as naked as a wee bab. And he's like, what? And then the wee babs. then you also have like the big breasted maid at the triplets, like torture, basically. poor woman, but like also like the fact that they dived down for the key and like it zoomed in on her. Yeah, I was like damn Pixar is not playing if that was made today So many people would be so angry as of right now. Yes, because we're way too like like Hot Yes way too touchy. But I wonder I wonder if she was added for like humor ⁓ well, that's what you were saying earlier. the relationship between her and the boys really helped round out the story a little bit more because I definitely agree without them, it would have been a lot more serious. ⁓ I feel like the fighting between Merida and Eleanor or even the differences between Eleanor and Fergus would have been like, that was very empty. scenes because like for every serious moment you need something to break tension. you don't have anything that naturally breaks tension, it's just dead space and it's kind of just I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm having a thought but yes continue. And so I feel like it really helped to help really help flush out the story to have that made the made characters ⁓ the triplets, especially since like the triplets clearly like they're not like fighting with Merida. at all. Like there's no infighting within the family itself besides Merida and the Queen as like the only focal point. and her brothers get along great. the most part, And stuff like she was like all up for their games and stuff and like them as cubs are adorable. ⁓ They're of anti-heroes in the story. Not unlike where it's like, but they're just like, you know what they are, they're chaotic neutrals. They are chaotic neutrals. they're like Huey, Dewey and Louie. Like they're just like really ⁓ Like they're little boys in sense of the words, but like nothing out of malice for them. Okay. I want talk about the tapestry. Yes. Okay. So I've been thinking about it and my brain just like had this epiphany moment. ⁓ Okay. So we know that like for Mordu, there was like this, big rock, right? And it had the four of them, and then he split it down the middle. If he wanted to that, I don't know how he would have. I think the mending of the tapestry or the rock was not the specific point. I think it was mending the relationships. It was a hundred percent the mending of the relationship. And I think what really solidified it was her saying, I'm sorry, mom, she finally her part on like taking away her pride of like, sorry. I did this to you. I know that you love me. I know that you were trying to look out for me. Like she finally accepted her perspective when, when she said, I'm sorry, just as Eleanor finally accepted Meredith's perspective during the whole Puppetry charades Yes back the tapestry. So if you look at it, it's like Elnor awkwardly holding hands with Merida and then like on that side There's like the dad so I was wonder and there's like when I'm thinking back to the scenes of like Elnor on Angus like trying to like repair it I don't actually remember seeing the three little boys there because it was draped away or because The boys were added later in development I never paid attention to that. We'll have to like go back and look, but I have a feeling it's probably just because of like how he was positioned on Angus, which kudos to her for trying to sew on a horse that is running at full speed. Right? not liking him in the face of branches. Anyway, reason I bring it up is because the tapestry one, as someone who does like crafts, but like I do some embroidery. I do. crochet. I'm going to learn how to knit. Those are slow crafts. You know what's something interesting about the tapestry that I don't fully get? Eleanor made the tapestry. Yeah. She made herself separate. Literally, I was thinking about this. have an idea. hear me out. Hear me out. think that we were talking about how like, Fergus ⁓ Merida are like tight, right? They're like ⁓ goofing off together. You can tell that like they like enjoy each other. ⁓ and then like the boys are, mean, dad and young boys. I'm like, you see with me with our son. Catch made in heaven y'all. So I'm wondering if she feels because she's like uptight and proper and like she is responsible, responsible and like refined that she feels like she's an outsider. so that's why she feels so separated. And wonder if that's why she put herself on the outside. Yeah, I mean it makes sense because... I've been in, like I know we both, most people can say they've been in like situations where it's like, I don't feel like part of the, part of a group or the in group. Or whether that's like work related, friend related, whatever family related activity related. you often like there is like, we've all had that experience where it's like, you feel like the outsider and feel like it really comes to show that like, Eleanor's arc where it's like... maybe there has to be something about you that has to change. like one of those really important things to you. It's ⁓ that saying where it's like, if everyone else thinks I'm the what, like then maybe you actually are the problem. Like if it's one person that has an issue with you, that's one, like maybe it is that person's issue. like, ever, you have a lot of people saying there's a specific issue about you, then maybe it's actually, maybe the problem is you, not everyone else. Or I don't remember how that saying specifically goes, but. And so think. Eleanor needed to loosen the reins a little bit, a lot of it. really come to like see what was on the other side in order for her character to grow to feel like she was part of the group, of family. Which I know Tizen's like the whole plot point of the movie, she needed to understand Merida, but I think it grew be like, subtly was Merida. In that it her whole family. know what this maybe reminds me of? ⁓ Inconto and Freaky Friday and Freaky Friday, but I'm speaking in Kanto and hear me out. Hear me out because I feel like if brave was made today, they would have made a tragic backstory for Elinor. Probably. And like Abuela from Inconto has a horribly sad story. Yep. Horribly sad. ⁓ my gosh. I'm not going to cry thinking about it. It's fine. But I think Abuela and Eleanor have the same control problem, except the difference is Eleanor is trying to control Merida. Abuela is trying to control her ⁓ family. I think it's really interesting because we know, like, because they exclusively told us, not exclusively, like they told us explicitly in the movie, what her back, what Eleanor's backstory is having to do a giant musical number. Because in this movie, there are no musical numbers. And know that she was probably married young, considering the she didn't want to be married. And by what all she was teaching Merida, she probably, in comment she made to Fergus, she was like, well, I didn't have the resources, she should be happy that she has them. So she probably is trying to teach Merida all the things that she needed to know to be a good queen and to be successful. So my guess is she had like, she really struggled at first with like... how she presents and I think it's really interesting that they told us like we have the context clues to figure out what Eleanor's backstory is and not have to like it into a giant scene versus Abuela who they made it into like yeah. They didn't have to tell us ⁓ side for us to understand Eleanor's side. ⁓ think the only thing they could have done ⁓ ruining the integrity of the movie would be if they were to add at least one or two scenes Merida was aging, Eleanor trying to tighten the control and Merida, it just not happening for Merida. Again, it's hard to do because if they were to have tried to give us any more backstory on Eleanor or give her a backstory at all, and explicitly tell us, I feel like it would have ruined the integrity of the movie. like do it in a way that like is like a well, not like giving us like a little bits of dialogue that like, I don't know, like. It's one of those things where it's like it's in the details. Like if you don't look for it. You can still understand like, okay, yeah, she's the mom. She's trying to teach her how to be a princess. There's all these rules and Meredith is getting pissed off. I think these are a lot of rules stuff. ⁓ kid growing up understands the feeling of having to follow a lot of rules and being told why ⁓ exactly. so it's such a relatable experience that it doesn't take explanation for us to understand. You don't have to give us a whole backstory to explain to us why she's this way. as far as a kid's concerned, she's being a parent. She sucks. She's sucky parent to a kid's eyes. ⁓ I I get it. Cause I'm one of those teachers who have a lot of rules. And for record, it's not because I don't love the kids I work with. ⁓ It's literally we don't run in the bathroom because I had a kid trip and fall and hit their head on a sink and they got a bloody nose. We don't stand on shelves because you can trip, you could aloft and really hurt yourself. like when you're pushing buttons of those, like I have to constantly remind you like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. They're just not doing the things are yeses. It's true. And I feel like in Meredith's case, well, specifically the topic of this movie was like being marriage. I think it's the one evil of a royal, like I'm a monarchy basically because the issue comes like At some point you have to. The kingdom's gotta have a ruler. Yeah, how about just like a leader in general? Like, I would honestly love to see a movie where they have the princess abdicate the throne. Ooh. a sibling take the throne and let- Frozen? Like Elsa left. Elsa left. And then Anna became queen. Anna became like the leader of like the forest and such with like the magic side. But like, let's take this example. Merida did not want to marry someone. Let her abdicate and let one of her brothers. When they're of age. When they're of age come into being a ruler. Why does the ruler, why does the like, Alice have to be a ruler? I would love to see that kind of plot point be the ending of a movie. Let them abdicate and really choose their own fate. be like a painter or ⁓ hunter for Merida. don't know. Exactly. I think that would be such an interesting detail to have. me out. You could abdicate it to the brothers, but let's say that they're like Five mm-hmm now Let's say like she can't do it to the brothers for like many reasons mm-hmm, but like abdicated to like people that Well, obviously in the movie. We don't really see Merida has any friends. Yeah, we only really see the suitors and her family members, but like like seeing her abdicated to other people who are her age who would be really good at it well That gets touchy just in the politics, because when you abdicate it's just saying, I don't want to be it, so it goes to the next in line, which in this case would be mirrored as brothers. But again, it goes to that same point though of like... be an interesting plot point. Just it is the one evil of royalty. have to married, which is why almost every Disney princess we have has some kind of love interest, ⁓ typically. Only truly is this but it's still understood that she'll eventually marry someone. It's just going to be her choosing. She never says that she says she wants to decide her own fate like she wants to someone who's like ⁓ if gonna marry someone she wants to be able to choose them ⁓ she to able to actually have that love all those things she doesn't want it to be forced on her like it was ⁓ you the thing is I always assumed America was the most ace ⁓ hundred percent her and Elsa well like when she like looking at all the suitors ⁓ none of Look, appealing to her. No, but she never said that, they never said that she couldn't, it had to be one of those three. Cause like the other three said, yeah, I want to marry for love too. I want to pick who I want to marry. So the whole thing was like, they now have the choice to pick who they want to marry. But thing is, the royal side of it still exists. If they want that bloodline and stuff to continue, think Merida is cognizant to understand her royal duties. the arranged part that's the problem. She wants to be able to make that choice herself, not be forced upon her. Because basically that's all they did. They looked at her and said, ⁓ we're going to have the three clans come and present eligible suitors for you. And she's like, what? No. I pick who's eligible for me and I don't want anyone right now. Especially not from those three clans. I mean, yeah, I guess in my in my head, it was like she's like, I'm not ready at all for this conversation. To be fair, she's 16. That's the whole thing. Yeah. Yeah. And so I for me, I was like, it's the option to marry someone if she wants to or to not marry someone. Yeah, she's given the choice. Yeah. I'm just looking at the politics of it because if she doesn't, she is next in line to rule the clan. The clan is going to go off to the side unless like, I don't know if the brothers are able to like fill in the line ⁓ her. But if like something happens to her, I'd probably go to her brothers because they would be considered next to kin. But. Sorry, we hit a good topic. But should probably go to sleep. Yeah. And we have things to do. bye, friends. out in our next episode ⁓ next week, last princess episode on Aladdin. ⁓ Which is of our favorites. Bye, friends. Which is, wait, hold on. ⁓ Because it's live versus the animation. Yes, we'll be talking about the live and animated one. Yes! Bye friends!