Sleeping Beauty

This month's StoryBook Club theme was Sleeping Beauty. We all prepped for it, by going enmasse to see "Maleficent" last month and drinking both before and afterwards. There were 17 of us and it ROCKED.

An earthy experience and a wonderful tale!

Maleficent was excellent! You know, I always inwardly wondered why she was such a bitch. Now I know. Everyone who has an axe to grind, usually has a reason...granted some of the reasons may be twisted reasons for some folks...but it wasn't that she wasn't invited to your damn party for the baby....no....it had roots MUCH deeper than even that.

Like....Betrayal. And yes....maybe even rape.

It's hinted at in Maleficent. It's also more than hinted at in some stories and movies that we adults did find when we researched this "children's story."

Wowsa.

Take this film for instance.

Good God. Talk about creep city. Harry and I watched this, and it was indeed disturbing.  But then again, I am not into the power angle of sex. It isn't what I like, and it makes me feel icky.
Stories where the heroine is vulnerable is tragically too real sometimes for women. In this story (and I let you research that one, if you are interested), there is a line that someone says to the heroine of the story:
"Your body is your temple."
To which the "Sleeping Beauty" mutters: "Mine isn't."

And if you believe that...then....well...it truly isn't. Women have been lured into complacency, vulnerable relationships or situations that brink on disaster through all of history.

When is it that we "wake up?"
Is it when Prince Charming actually kisses her and she awakens to her perfect world?
Or is it when she wakes up to the reality that she has made for herself?

Interesting dilemma and a decidedly unusual moral for "kids" but really, one that should be told with a bit more Umph than a perfect Disney ending.

And so, Maleficent steps up to the plate, giving her a true reason for her pain, mistrust and seclusion.

At the end, when she and the King are spiraling downward and he is dead upon the ground, Maleficent looks at him with a mixture of love, pity and scoff.

It's like she was saying: "I loved you, you stupid shit. What a waste of my time and you were nothing but bad. Why did I love you? Because I DID. Yet, you wasted it on your anger and power.
You stupid, stupid fuck."

But of course, Maleficent couldn't say that in a Disney movie.

But we know she did...INSIDE her head and her heart.
They weren't a match. He was truly evil.

She was not, but became so, by loving him. Once she dealt with her inner darkness and her true capacity to love, she found her wings again!

(now THERE'S the Happy Ending!)

Maleficent proved that she wasn't a victim. She was victimized. There IS a difference!

We chatted about so much this hot summer evening at Terri's house! About so many themes and subjects and topics! Women's rights, rape, women's roles throughout history.

And we ate amazingly well as we always do!

This is a French folk tale, so there was several kinds of nods to French cuisine this night! Amazing drinks with a kick, fresh salad, stuffed zucchini boats, olives, goat cheese with cranberries and crackers, fresh cherry tomatoes, awesome bread, cream puffs, cheesecake and sorbet!

We LOVE these gatherings of wit, humor, stories and food and friendships!

Next month's theme?

Snow White and the 7 Dwarves!
Let's see ....now where did I put those special apples?