Google Translate Sings 'Aesthetic & the Animals' (aka B&tB) aka the importance of good translation!

Ah Google Translate! Where would researchers and far flung friends and colleagues be without you? Performer Malinda Kathleen Reese gave us a glimpse of what non-English speaking folks, trying to translate tales and lyrics via Google Translate, might be 'hearing' instead...

This is a bit of (very well done) fun, of course, but it illustrates wonderfully why, when studying tales translated to English from other languages, you should be aware of the translator and how accurate they're considered to be, or (if you're lucky and have their notes) why they chose to use certain words and phrases instead of the more obvious ones... for instance the ones the Google Translate might suggest. ;)
             
One of the difficulties in translating to English is that it's a very imprecise language and definitions are constantly evolving, because social and popular meaning changes. And that's only half of the equation. The other is the original language and its quirks. If you've ever dabbled in languages with even minor translation endeavors, you quickly learned that there is rarely a 'correct' way to translate  - except that the guaranteed 'wrong way' is to try the word-for-word method - and that it's more of an art form than a science of substituting equal meanings.

You have to take into account:

• the words and what they specifically mean (and their equivalent in the language you're translating too)
• what the words also imply (the subtext of using that specific word instead of similar ones), which is influenced by...
• the context at the time - and place - of writing
• all of which usually has a 'tone' and style

(A very small selection of recommended books of translated tales with lots of great notes!)

And that doesn't include:

• storytelling style - which is very important in translating tales
• cultural expressions, idioms, similes and metaphors
• those words that have no English equivalent

(And there are more factors too that a qualified folklorist or professional translator could discuss at length, but you get the idea.)

When you take these into account, even retelling old tales originally written in English can prove tricky..!

Speaking of untranslatable words, can you imagine a retelling of Rapunzel, in which these words - wonderfully illustrated  by Marija Tiurina - are used? (Click on the images to see full size.)

And what about this one for Riquet of the Tuft?

You can find a lovely bunch of many more 'untranslatable words', that have been wonderfully illustrated HERE.

It's a pretty fascinating subject and we're a little in awe of people who translate tales and other creative and social works (not to mention those who facilitate United Nations negotiations!). Be prepared for a fun ride down a rabbit hole if you decide to look into this subject further!

(Note: our suggestion, if you don't want a world of instant-overwhelm, would be to start with annotated tales, and tale collections in which the translators include their notes on the story origins, collection and translation process, sometimes summarized in a foreword on each of the stories. Be prepared to never read anything quite the same way again!)

And just because these are a lot of fun, here's Malinda's latest Google Translate Sings video with a compilation of Mary Poppins songs. Enjoy!

Want more? Malinda has a bunch of princess songs too, in which she sings the original and has a 'sing-off' with the google translate version. Funny stuff!

'Bratty & the Beast' (Trailer Spoof)

Too fun not to share and doubles as a commentary on the generation that are watching the remake as well. Nice work by Toon Sandwich (of ArtSpear Entertainment)!

A bit of a much-needed laugh for your Monday.

Stay till the end once the credits & notices for the channel starts. There's a parody of 'Tale As Old As Time' sung over it which is pretty amusing as well.

Enjoy!

Little Red Body Shames Grandma

At first glance this comedic video that's making the rounds, seems like a one note joke but it quickly develops into a reflection on Princess Culture and "fairy tale expectations".

It's worth a look.

From Huffington Post:

When you think about it, Little Red Riding Hood is rather mean to her grandma, body-shaming her features the second she walks in the door.
Excuse me, Red? Maybe instead of waltzing into someone’s home and judging them on their personal appearance, you should spend more time worrying about the wolf that’s going to eat you right now.
Comedy writer Taylor Cox creates a very modern take on this old tale. Sorry, didn’t mean to call it “old” and age-shame it.

(Warning for small amount of language.)

It's kind of satisfying that the Wolf takes the old path at the end though, don't you think?

One Upon A Time Opener Adds Refugees from The Land of Untold Stories

"Nothing is more dangerous than an untold story..." 

So begins the 6th season of Once Upon A Time. And we truly hope this is a promise and not just a catch phrase (though it appears it's going to take a few episodes to get to the 'untolds' in question #wevoteCinderellastepfamily).

In this season Storybrooke will be "invaded" by "The Land of Untold Stories", where characters from the series have discovered that "there are more stories and tales out there than we ever dreamed..". (Note: while this was the teaser, the first episode treated inhabitants from this land more like refugees, given blankets after surviving the crashed dirigible.) Our optimistic hearts leapt at the thought that perhaps the producers and writers were finally open to delving into the myriad fairy tales (and myths and legends) from around the world. Where the lands of Storybrooke and other realms of Once Upon A Time had seemed limited and going in circles, it seemed there was finally the possibility of developing and exploring the hundreds and thousands of unexplored tales. Our optimism was abruptly bridled on reading the cast from the series had expressed thoughts that it "seems like we're running out of tales" at ComiCon, even though they hastened to add, "but of course that would never happen". 

It's a strange dichotomy: the series becoming open to "the land of untold stories" and delving into 1001 nights of Scheherazade's stories, while the show seems to be struggling with finding tales to tell. They're also making sure to mention that they're going "back to basics" with this season so the hope is that rather than just watching another version of having the reset button hit, that any first season story lines that are revisited will be explored in greater (and we hope, fairy tale related) depth. We do know Cinderella is set to return (although living in Storybrooke this whole time, we really haven't seen, if nay of her), but this time we'll see more of her stepmother and stepsisters as well. Since Cinderella has already been given her "happily ever after" (she was Emma's first success story, which, in part, led her to stay on in the town) we're curious to see if this will be dismantled and redefined or if indeed the show is taking a serious look at what "happily ever after" really means.

Meanwhile, the season opener on Sunday reported boosted ratings, due to the expectation of Aladdin, Jasmine and flying carpets, further exploration of the Disney version of the Beauty and the Beast story, along with a resurgence of the Wicked Queen persona. It probably helps that the budget seems to have had a boost as well. (Cue full sized dirigible set/prop piece #piratescaribbeanleftovers? and decent 3D animation for its appearance.) Though the special effects continue to be less than stellar from time to time, (#oraclebirdredeye) the production values are better and the sets, props vehicles and costumes seem to have noticeably improved (or the photography of those has improved - either way - things look better overall than they did).

The Belle-Rumpel story line (we left Belle pregnant and in an enchanted sleep at the end of last season) has its usual complications, though, without spoiling too much, it was refreshing to see "dream Belle" resist falling into her old ways with Rumpel. Children give you strength to do the most difficult things, which it seems will be a theme that will be explored in this season. And hers isn't the only baby around. Zelena (the Wicked Witch and sister of Regina/Evil Queen) has a baby too. But we're wishing on stars that isn't the only role these children will fill. With so much fairy and fairy tale lore surrounding births and babies, we sincerely hope the writers will be exploring some of these aspects as well, rather than just having infants complicate a situation (not to mention there is potential for both children to be "magical" given their parentage). Pregnancy, birth, infants and new motherhood in fairy tales is a fairy new area being explored in depth in fairy tale scholarship and, along with related fairy lore, there's so much potential for furthering fairy tales here.

Regarding the plot for the opener, not a lot happened, (other than the set up for which certain moments were included) so there's not much, if anything to truly spoil. Things should begin to develop in the next episode though, so we have eyes-on to see if any of these potential threads are followed.

The preceding hour recap of the series and introduction to season 6 with Kitsis and Horowitz 'answering questions', was much more intriguing. Things often take a long time to happen on the show just due to the enormous amounts of conversations and discussions so extracting the moments of magic and the touchstones for different characters and putting them together for discussion and review is interesting. While we understand the "drama" aspect appeals to many of the viewers, we find it often gets in the way of the storytelling, especially when retelling various fairy tales which tend toward flatness and are spare on unnecessary details. Highlights remind us that there have been many different explorations of tales of the show that are worth attention, and often work to bring different themes and threads into clearer focus as well. 

In the recap, there was a discussion of Easter eggs from the final episode of last season, confirming possible characters and classics that would appear this season. Agrabah folk, which have been the main teasers before the season premiere, Victorian London, which we already saw with Hyde, along with Paul Bunyan and other clues. There were also many mentions of fairy tale motifs and moments that were presented differently, which are interesting to reflect on. The exploration - and promise of exploration - of Snow White's character is something the teasers have pushed during the hiatus but the story that started it all (Snow White and Charming) has been "background soap" for the last few seasons, confirming for us that many writers are a little lost in trying to find "the magic in marriage" and make it "exciting TV". That they're promising to bring it front and center again is interesting (and we could suggest some great  tales for them to use to do that) but without the threat of terrible things (and Stockholm syndrome) as shown in the Belle/Rumpel dynamic, making it the equivalent of a train wreck you can't look away from, Snow and Charming are likely to have to deal with something extreme to bring back the fan-obsession. We have to wonder if part of the problem isn't to do with the lack of Charming's own mythic story. Although he's been given interesting background, matching the level and strength of a Snow White myth is a tough call, and for Snow to be wedded (literally) to a weaker arc, has the result of making her appear weak too. If that turns around to indeed become central again (and hit those' epic fairy tale' heights), it might make all the difference. We choose to cheer them on toward this goal.

A last aside: among the various questions asked of the creators, one random one was: "If Henry is the Author, who is the Illustrator?" We weren't happy with the lack of acknowledgement of the people who create the visuals - including those of the Once Upon A Time book, and the reply that the magic pen gave the Author powers of illustration as well was a blatant cop-out. It was also a missed opportunity for expanding the OUAT mythos. Given this is a visual information age, and that fairy tale illustrations have been key in keeping fairy tales alive in our time, not to mention that illustrations are a unique way of relating fairy tales and stories and a completely different skill set from writing, we felt let down by the lack of understanding here.

On a pro note: we were told very specifically that Dopey, who was turned into a tree some time back and has generally been forgotten about, will make a return appearance and fill in the gaps in relation to that story as well. We haven't had tree-related stories for a while (though the Merlin story line made use of one) and they were a key foundation, with Regina's apple tree in the first few episodes helping set the tone, twists and mythology for the series, and there's so much tree lore in fairy tales, it's a rich mine to pull from. We hope this will be a wonderful addition.

From Jennifer Morrison, who plays Emma, Snow White & Prince Charming's child and the Savior of Storybrooke:

"It's also showing that it's a return to returning to happy endings. The original concept of the storytelling of Once Upon a Time was that we were going to restore the happy endings," Jennifer explained. "So as we look at our characters in more depth and sort of introspectively deal with some of their baggage and all of the things that have happened over the last six years, they're also returning to the identity that they have. As the heroes, they're going to help save these happy endings." (source)

Bonus OUAT Season 6 Opener Drinking game:

(created by our Once Upon A Blog newsroom team)

Do a shot:

- every time you hear the word "story" in episode 1 

- every time you hear refrains from Beauty and the Beast 

- every time you hear the word "Savior" 

- every time Emma does her "anguished" face

Enjoy your OUAT hangover! 

Fairy Tale Bonus of the Day (or at least a OUAT bonus):

In case you haven't been keeping up with the OUAT buzz over the Summer, there are reports that for two episodes and once story arc, Princess Leia (yes, Star Wars Leia), will be, not only making an appearance but add some twists to the twisted family tree of the Once characters. I'll just include extracts as taken from an interview with the creators earlier this year after the jump:

✑  ✑  ✑  ✑  ✑  ♛ (click the "Read more" link below this line) ♛  ✑  ✑  ✑  ✑  ✑

Disney Parodies Snow White & Other Fairy Tales in "Wish Upon A Coin"

Once of the best things coming out of the various Disney animation studios at the moment are the new generation Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Disney Shorts. The original spirit of Mickey is there, along with some needed sweetness (which Mickey has been known for since the parks opened) and it's one of the best uses of excellent comedic timing that Disney has ever done with Mickey Mouse (I cannot watch the old Mickey shorts - their comedy timing is awful and irritates the heck out of me).

One of their newest Mickey shorts, however, is a bit of a surprise. I wasn't initially surprised to see a send-up of Snow White and parodying different aspects, but I was with some of the paths it went down! Despite the borderline issues it may have, it's still one of the better parodies I've seen and still manages to be sweet in the end.

Take a look:

Not quite what you expected but still rather satisfying and funny-sweet, no?

What's MOST interesting to me, though, is the commentary on how the Disney studio currently regards fairy tales and fairy tale tropes, including their own versions. It's a good barometer for telling you where the studio is at today, sensibility-wise, as well as current pop-culture, since the "arm" that produces these shorts is rather separated from the TV series studio and the feature animation studio. To help mark these little (or not so little) things, I'm adding a hashtag: #FTBarometerCheckpoint (and if I get time/remember will add the tag to older posts that are a good pop-culture and societal "pulse check" with regard society's current thoughts and views on fairy tales).

Additional note on coins and wishing: it's interesting to me that throwing coins into a well or fountain remains such a strong superstition and/or tradition and has been adopted the world over. It's a direct link to folklore and belief in local deities and fae, as well as various tales and isn't hidden by much commercialism or "watering down" as other traditions and superstitions have received over the centuries. Interestingly, it's not fear motivated, like many superstitions are, nor is it truly greed oriented but more of a petition for additional luck to the powers that be. There's a little article HERE if you'd like to read more. I couldn't finish without mentioning Britain's amazing "wishing trees" (more pics and history at this link HERE) in which people have, over centuries (!), pushed coins into the bark for luck and good health.

 

"The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship" Read by Robin Williams

Unable to decipher who the artist is sorry!

I found this recording on Tumblr and had to share, once I tracked down a better version. I had no idea Robin Williams had recorded this fairy tale. He did this project the year before he played the Genie in Disney's animated film Aladdin. It's hilarious, classic. I don't think we'll ever stop missing that guy and the way he made us laugh...

This runs about 30 minutes and is completely suitable for kids to be listening to, in fact, that's recommended.

Take a listen:

"Desperately Ever After" (Book 1) - Review by Emily Rasely

"Desperately Ever After"

Book 1: Desperately Ever After Series

by Laura Kenyon

Review by Emily Rasely

Editor's Note: This is the first book in a series that had a lot of excellent reviews and been touted by many as 'not the romance novel you were expecting'. It's had acclaim in fiction-fantasy and humor categories, which is something unusual all by itself. I've been looking forward to seeing what our reviewer Emily has to say about it.

Jacket description: 

Imagine what might happen if our most beloved fairy tale princesses were the best of friends and had the dreams, dilemmas, and libidos of the modern woman. How would their stories unfold after the wedding bells stopped ringing? Set in a fictional realm based on New York City, DESPERATELY EVER AFTER sprinkles women’s fiction with elements of fantasy, and encourages readers to rethink everything they know about happy endings. 

Years after turning her husband from beast back to man and becoming his queen, Belle finds out she’s finally going to have a child. But before she can announce the wondrous news, she catches him cheating and watches her “happily ever after” go up in flames. Turning to her friends for the strength to land with grace, she realizes she’s not the only one at a crossroads: 

Cinderella, a mother of four drowning in royal duties, is facing her 30th birthday and questioning everything she’s done (or hasn’t) with her life. 

Rapunzel, a sex-crazed socialite and one-woman powerhouse, is on a self-destructive quest to make up for 20 years locked away in a tower. 

Penelopea, an outsider with a mother-in-law from hell, is harboring a secret that could ruin everything at any moment. 

One part Sex and the City, two parts Desperate Housewives, and three parts Brothers Grimm, DESPERATELY EVER AFTER picks up where the original tales left off—and reimagines them a la Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. With the wit of authors like Jennifer Weiner and the vision of ABC’s Once Upon a Time, the women of DESPERATELY EVER AFTER rescue each other from life’s trials with laughter, wine, and a scandalous new take on happily ever after.

Laura Kenyon’s Desperately Ever After series sits at the crossroad of traditional fairy tales and Sex in the City. In an alternate New York City, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Beauty all struggle with their lives a decade or so after “happily ever after”. What happens, after all, when Beauty’s relationship runs its course?  What does romance look like for Cinderella and her prince after 10 years of running a kingdom and parenting 4 children? Questions like these are what this book is all about--with a little bit of magic, some glass slippers, and a fairy godmother or two. 

Too often, the debt modern romance novels and romantic comedies owe to fairy tale narrative structures goes unacknowledged.  However, Kenyon refreshingly takes readers beyond the familiar arc of courtship, love, and marriage. There aren’t enough stories about what relationships look like in practice. Desperately shows that post-honeymoon relationships certainly looks different than before and explores whether that difference is bad, interesting, fabulous, boring, or great. , 

By far, the highlight of this book is the friendship between the princesses. This element is particularly well developed and delightful as each have made incredibly different choices in their lives. This book gives them the time and space here to think about their decisions.  While some of them make changes in their lives and others choose to stay the course, each make informed and thoughtful choices. Both the princes and princesses are three dimensional characters with names, personalities, faults, hobbies, desires, and goals. It’s easy to empathize with them and the pressures they function under.  

 As a page-turning subversion, this novel will let fairy tale enthusiasts read beyond earlier endings of well-known tales. This makes it an ideal entry point to fairy tales for a wide range of readers interested in dipping their toes into the well of Perrault and the Grimms.

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was sent by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Rasely works with teens in a library by the sea and is a recovering academic who writes, reads, and thinks mostly about fairy tales, gender, queerness and cats.  When not playing minor-key Celtic tunes on her fiddle, she avidly tracks down obscure fairy tale anthologies and voraciously hordes anything written by Catherynne Valente.  As ever, she pursues that culinary Questing Beast, the perfect guacamole.

Fairy Tale Plot Machine

Something fun to start off the weekend for you, especially if you'd like a writing prompt. Do you like combining different fairy tale tropes, without ending up with the Red Riding Hood-meets-Goldilocks in the woods, scenario yet again? Direct from Cicada Magazine, meet the Fairy Tale Slot, er Plot Machine!

There's even a slot machine handle animation and spinning with sparkles, to encourage you to hold your breath and wish for just the right combination... so much fun!

Here are some jackpots I hit:
 

I wish I could embed it so you can try it straight away but the link HERE will take you straight there.

If you give it a go, why don't you share your jackpot sentences in the comments below? If you don't like what you were given, you can always play again. And again. And again... ;)

A note from Cicada Magazine for the on-the-go-tech people: (Tablet & smartphone pals: for a device-friendly version of the Fairy Tale Plot Machine, download the Cicada Magazine app at the Google Play or iTunes store.)

"Desperately Ever After" Double Sale Starts TODAY

Starting TODAY, author Laura Kenyon is having a "double ebook sale" on her popular Desperately Ever After novel and its sequel,  Damsels in Distress.

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Evanovich says: “Laura Kenyon makes happily ever after desperately delicious!"

Adds Elizabeth Blackwell, author of While Beauty Slept:
"At times laugh-out-loud funny, and at times very touching, Desperately Ever After is the debut of a real talent.”

If you're not familiar with Laura Kenyon's series, just think:
Sex and the City + Desperate Housewives + Brothers Grimm = Desperately Ever After. 

Book One was named a 2014 National Indie Excellence Awards chick-lit finalist. In October, the e-book skyrocketed to the top of Amazon’s charts, hitting #49 and becoming the #1 Best Seller in each of its three categories: Women’s Humorous Fiction, Women’s Fantasy Fiction, and Paranormal Fantasy.

Laura explained more about what inspired her to write the series on her blog, some of which I thought I'd share, in case these books are new for you. (Excerpted from a two-part post):

Like so many women today, I grew up on Disney movies and fairy tales. 

Then… shocker… I grew up. I got to know the real world. I experienced heartbreak and cursed the very notion of “true love” as a bunch of poison we were all force fed as a generation. I took a second look at the tales I used to love and  wondered how each princess would have really felt in her situation. What would they have said if they had the freedom to do so? If their choices weren’t marriage, poverty or spinsterhood? If they had the luxury of deciding between the story’s chosen hero, someone else, or self-sufficient independence...

You can read more about the issues she explores in the rest of the post HERE, but for now, here's a good little summary. ;)

The sale details for the books, by country, are below:

In the US (Amazon.com -- ebook only):
• The price of Desperately Ever After drops to 99 cents on Friday, April 17, and steadily climbs back up until the sale ends at midnight (PST) April 24. Link: http://amzn.to/1zamP3j
• Damsels in Distress will be 99 cents from April 17 through April 23. Link: http://amzn.to/1DbMjkL

In the UK (Amazon.co.uk -- ebook only)
• Desperately Ever After will be 0.99 GBP from 8 a.m. (GMT) April 17 through April 23. Link: http://amzn.to/1ykox7c
• The price of Damsels in Distress drops to 0.99 GBP at 8 a.m. (GMT) April 17, and steadily climbs back up until the sale ends at midnight April 24. Link: http://amzn.to/1aKc9md

For more about the books, please visit http://laurakenyon.com/the-desperately-ever-after-series or see Laura's many links below:

Website: laurakenyon.com

Twitter: @laura_kenyon

Facebook: laurakenyonwrites

Goodreads: Laura Kenyon

Amazon: Desperately Ever After