Fairy Tales in Popular Media

      I have to say that I can't help but notice a trend in TV shows and films.  Not only one TV show, but two, have come out in one season that are both based on fairy tales.  It is my hope, though perhaps vain, that these two shows will help people realize that fairy tales aren't just for children.  The idea that fairy tales are just "kid's stuff" is something of a recent trend, when in fact these tales used to be for adults.
   
     Once Upon A Time is based heavily on the Grimm and Perrault set of tales, it is not above poking fun at itself once in a while or taking dark twists that you really don't expect.  Since it is produced by ABC channel, that means some of the Disney characters that you know and love will be making an appearance, although maybe not in ways you would expect.
   
     Grimm is also heavily based on the Grimm tales.  This show is a crime drama with fairy tale twists.  It is dark and gritty.  I would suggest this particular tv show for people who are interested in the darker side of fantasy and for horror fans.  One of the things that gets me hooked is the quote at the beginning.  I always Google it so I can see which tale it is going to be based on.  This is how I discovered that not all of the episodes are based on the Grimm set of tales.  One of the episodes, titled  "Beeware", has the quote from a film called The Queen Bee.  Another of the episodes, "The Thing with Feathers" is actually based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Nightingale.  I had never read that tale so I went and got it.  It's actually quite an interesting story about freedom.
   
     If you are not familiar with fairy tales, there are so many variations for each tale.  Each culture has its own version of Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood.  If you like darker versions, I highly suggest that you try to track down the gypsy versions.  Seriously, someone in my oral storytelling class told a gypsy version of the Twelve Dancing Princesses and it was super creepy and adult.  Definitely not for children.
   
     If you want child friendly versions, I suggest you check out the children's section of your local library.  Grimm, Perrault and Anderson are all very popular, but see if you can find some versions from other cultures.  I know it may seem weird if you are in adult in the children's section, but the librarians don't mind!  398.2 is the fairy tale section in the public library.

     Also, two films are coming out this summer, both based on the Snow White tale:  Mirror, Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman.  Personally, I think that Snow White and the Huntsman looks like a far more interesting version than Mirror, Mirror, but I tend to like films with a feminine twist (i.e. heroine kicks butt) much better.

Happy Reading (and watching)!

New YA TV Shows

I went to TV Guide to look up the schedule for the evening and found an interesting article on a new TV show called Skins.  Originally a British TV series, they have decided to do an American version.  I have to admit it was the title of the article that caught my eye.  The title is called "The Sins of 'Skins'".  Here's the link to check it out:  http://tvguide.ca/Interviews/Features/Articles/110117_skins_DW

I am also somewhat of a geek and I was watching Space when a commercial for a relatively new TV show called "Being Human" came up.  When I was in New York city, I saw a number of posters for this show in the subway system.  Again, it is a British series and while it is only starting in North America, they are on their third season in the UK (according to the BBC website).  However, the one thing that caught my eye for this trailer was the Twilight reference.  Like True Blood, it is marketing to adults, but it will probably draw in the YA crowd as well.  Although I was able to find the commercial yesterday, I am having a difficult time tracking it down right now.  I will post it when I am able to find it again.