Tuesday, June 29, 2010

kris asks more about the crappy prince thing



I guess I should have probably asked you all yesterday if you were fans of the Beauty and the Beast theme, but:

(a) you would have already been struck down by The Romance Genre Gods if you weren't;

(b) I am random and why give you a false impression of myself; and,

(c) I would have had to think up some other shit to post about today.

So getting back to my sort-of-related topic for today...

My response to wanting the Beast to stay in his form, whilst icky in a shifted sex way, reminded me that I was also one of those who preferred the Ugly Duckling to remain his adorable little ungainly self and for him to tell his siblings to fuck off.

Yes, although it is quite possible I have image issues, what about you?

Do you reckon the whole Beautiful Swan thing is over-rated, not to mention high maintenance? Or are you a fan of this romantic trope?

Some thinking music:



24 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

I do confess I tend to get rather annoyed by it sometimes, suddenly there is a beauty where there used to be a beast

Sullivan McPig said...

I especially get annoyed when in movies the 'ugly' girl is wearing glasses and then the glasses are taken away and hey: now she's beautiful because she's not wearing glasses anymore! *grumble*

Or movies were the hero has a really great beard and/or mustache and has to shave it off somewhere along the way to turn 'handsome'.

I like someone to stay as he/she is looks-wise and see some growth in character if there has to be any change.

Kris said...

Blodeuedd: I get annoyed by the suddenness of some transformations. I know that they are meant for dramatic affect but I think they can give people a really false impression of what can be achieved and/or emphasise the beauty myth. Not good.


Sullivan McPig: "I like someone to stay as he/she is looks-wise and see some growth in character if there has to be any change."

Totally agree. I also like the way a minimal or gradual transformation can reflect the hero/ine's developing emotional and physical connection with the 'Ugly Duckling'. I think that can be used equally as effectively as the insta-transformation.

Jessica said...

You can thank the Brothers Grim for Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty etc. Barbie doll mentality is the root of all self acceptance evil.

I've always been overweight, sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much, but still pudgy. I always felt I'd never get the happy ending or the great, perfect guy. It took me quite some time to realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and beauty that is only skin deep, well, it just ain't worth it.

Acceptance for just being yourself is hard for society. People are not perfect, they just think they are. True beauty is in the heart and soul.

Give me the Beast or Ulgy Duckling anyday, they are true beauties, ah, studs, whatever!

Chris said...

Kris: I think you summed up my biggest complaint about this sort of story - the suddenness of the fictional transformation leading people to have unrealistic expectations.

Jenre said...

In my experience the 'ugly ducklings' are the most generous, thoughtful and non-judgemental people, whereas those who are 'lucky' enough to be born with society's idea of beauty are only really beautiful on the outside. Yes, it's a generalisation, and a bit of a cliché, but visit any high school and you'll soon see cliché in action.

I like my heroes to have something interesting about them, especially in their looks, something that sets them apart from 'Ken clones'. Romance dictates that our heroes must be good looking, but there's lots to work within that parameter.

Let's leave the handsome princes to the pre-teens and give us a real man.

Keira Gillett said...

I want the beast. I read a teen short on B&B and Beauty thinks toward the end - when he was a beast we hung out more, he listened more, etc... as a person he hogs the covers, we argue, etc. and while she loves him still most of the time she wished he remained a beast. I laughed so hard because I felt that way too!

Anonymous said...

I love the beast because of his personality, character and mostly because he's a 'wounded hero' type and they just make me weak in the knees. Looks don't really matter to me if the hero has all the rest.

That's not to say some perfect god hero doesn't work for me, he does, but the looks aren't important to me.

I prefer subtance over looks in my heroes.

:o)

MsM

KT Grant said...

I'd rather have the beast in the long run. Having a prince who is so handsome that birds will sing when he walks by would be too annoying.

It all comes down to personality in the end. If the most beautiful of people are horrid inside, that makes them ugly.

Janna said...

I don't like stereotypes in my romances, at least not very conspicuous ones.

Sweet Vernal Zephyr said...

Katibabs has got it right to my ears. BUT I always love a good makeover! <-- Sorry, but that is my girly-ness shining through. I still at times lament that I have no more excuses to wear a beautiful gown.

Tam said...

I think it's better when the beauty comes after being accepted. That love makes them beautiful, not sudden magic because it's self-confidence in yourself that can make someone beautiful and hopefully falling love can make you see that you are a beautiful person even if you continue to wear glasses, are a bit "plain" (by society's standards) and rather than go from small breasted mousy brown haired obscurity to big boobed blonde bombshell, just pull back those shoulders, smile and be confident. THAT'S a transformation that is more realistic.

Sure, I know it's not supposed to be realistic and I like to see pretty boys and girls as much as the next person, but it pretty doesn't mean having to change completely, a new do, some confidence and a smile can change a person in many ways.

Lea said...

I much prefer the tortured hero with some baggage than the pretty boy. Sometimes it does seem very contrived in romance.

"Ruggedly handsome", or "craggy" are always good descriptors for me. But in the end it has to be the personality...

Tracy said...

I thought I was the only one that wanted the ugly duckling to stay ugly! lol

Kris said...

Jessica: "Acceptance for just being yourself is hard for society."

I think that one of the hardest things for any person is to accept ourselves for who we are. Those who do should have our deepest admiration because they are not the ones trying to define themselves by what they're not and being all the worse off for it.


Chris: Yes. I think the best of the insta-transformation stories are the ones that deal in with emotional issues associated with the changes. They are the only kinds of stories which really work for me when it comes to this theme.


Jenre: "Let's leave the handsome princes to the pre-teens and give us a real man."

Amen. Plastic heroes may be pretty to look at, but it's the ones with depth that we, as readers, will fall in love which as much as the heroines.

Kris said...

Keira: "I want the beast. I read a teen short on B&B and Beauty thinks toward the end - when he was a beast we hung out more, he listened more, etc... as a person he hogs the covers, we argue, etc. and while she loves him still most of the time she wished he remained a beast. I laughed so hard because I felt that way too!"

LOL. This reminded me of the graphic novel series 'Fables'. Have you ever read these? In it, the 'Handsome Prince' is a womanising, multi-divorced wastrel. It's hilarious!


MsM: "I love the beast because of his personality, character and mostly because he's a 'wounded hero' type and they just make me weak in the knees."

*sigh* Me too.

I don't mind the Handsome Prince hero either, but, like you, want him to be more than just his looks.


Katiebabs chook: "Having a prince who is so handsome that birds will sing when he walks by would be too annoying."

God, can you imagine being stuck with a person like that for the rest of your life?? It would drive me batshit.

Could be that I'm just a nasty cow, though. :P

Kris said...

Janna: "I don't like stereotypes in my romances, at least not very conspicuous ones."

I'm the same, and I love it when authors play around with the stereotypes; take a tongue-in-cheek dig at them, turn them on the heads, whatever. It can be humourous and thought provoking at the same time.


Miranda: I enjoy a few of the makeover shows too. Mainly those that address underlining emotional and mental issues of the person undergoing the 'transformation'. These tend to be more the clothes ones than the body make overs. Some of those make me cringe.


Tam: Self-acceptance can do so much for self-confidence and that is just so very appealling and attractive in a person. Makes them shine. :)

Kris said...

Lea: "I much prefer the tortured hero with some baggage than the pretty boy. Sometimes it does seem very contrived in romance."

Word.

You know, I just realised that I do like it when the pretty boy falls for the Ugly Duckling/Beast. Does that make me a hypocrite??


Tracy: "I thought I was the only one that wanted the ugly duckling to stay ugly!"

Nope. He was so friggin' cute!

Christa Paige said...

I'm the one who would choose the scarred and lonely Phantom of the Opera over the pretty, rich and socially adored Vicomte de Chagny. So, I would most likely choose the beast, in theory, as well.
However, one is a murderer and the other a good-guy underneath all the beastly appearances. Maybe, the beast would be the best choice out of all of them. I know he'd totally understand what if feels like to not be stunning and gorgeous and on my bad hair days or when I'm totally looking out of sorts, he could be utterly sympathetic.

Now, when he turns into the prince once again, all I can say is, he better keep some of those beastly traits in the bedroom. A few growls and roars, will go a long way! LOL

Great topic.

Christa

Kris said...

Christa: "I'm the one who would choose the scarred and lonely Phantom of the Opera over the pretty, rich and socially adored Vicomte de Chagny."

Really, why let a little thing like murder get in the way? :P

Pretty princes just seem so boring and, yes, the Beast/Ugly Duckling/Phantom is much more likely to understand you, warts (aka bad hair) and all. LOL.

He probably has much better techniques in bed too since he is likely to have relied on them to pick up. It's wins all 'round. :)

s7anna said...

Oh gosh...I thought I was an odd ducky for wanting the Beast to stay as he was and not turn into a "so-called" prince. I think he would've been a more effective hero that way. I'm not a fan of the ugly duckling to swan stories...why can't we have characters who embrace their true selves and are beautiful regardless of societal mores.

Kris said...

Anna: "I think he would've been a more effective hero that way."

I absolutely agree. A book I recently read, which I will be talking about tomorrow, was exactly like that and all the more compelling and powerful because of it.

"... why can't we have characters who embrace their true selves and are beautiful regardless of societal mores."

*sigh* I think there are certain romance conventions that are expected by reader or authors think are expected and therefore are used again and again. It will take more readers questioning these before substantial change will happen large scale.

JenB said...

Heh. Don't knock the shifted sex, biatch! Haven't you ever read the Soul Mates series by Jourdan Lane?

OMG. *swoon*

*swoon some more*

Kris said...

Jen: Don't call me a biatch, beeyotch!

Yep, I have read the Soul Mates series. Yep, it's great. And, yep, shifted sex is still icky.

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