Why Have Fairy Tales Gotten So Gritty?
Alyssa Rosenberg ponders the proliferation of fairy tales (“Snow White” movie remakes, “Once Upon A Time” and “Grimm” on TV), especially the grittier versions. ‘In the absence of the dark woods, the arbitrary nature of feudal lords, the horror of high infant mortality rates (at least in the developing world), the wolves that steal the sheep, what are our terrors? And which stories are the best matches for telling them? The persistence of crime dramas would suggest that the big city has replaced the big woods, that serial killers are our ravening beasts. But I’m not sure we have myths to embody the new fears generated by a world that’s much larger than the village, or the disembodied terrors of the digital age.’
“Once Upon A Time” is so dumb. I couldn’t watch more than one episode.
Really, would anyone over the age of 12 rather go to “Mirror, Mirror” instead of “Snow White and the Huntsman”?
Julia Roberts in another stupid movie.
Your posting is much too intellectualized. People like fairy tales because they are great stories with great characters. Period.
I’m the only one I know who prefers “Grimm” to “Once upon a Time.” “Once upon a Time” is too sweet.