#Princess of Orleans

[lackadaisycats]

I tried to answer this succinctly, but it turned into an essay. (Sorry.)

The Princess and the Frog was not accurate, strictly speaking, but dinging it for that would be like criticizing the Lion King for not being a realistic wildlife documentary. Accuracy wasn't really the point. Given the fantastical elements and fictional nations like “Maldonia”, I suppose we're meant to understand this as a bit removed from the real New Orleans. It's more a a jazz-flavored fairy tale than a historical fiction.

But for discussion's sake....

Is it fashion-accurate to its 1926 timeframe? Ehhh, sort of. It pays homage to 20s fashion trends with cloche hats, furs and feathery headpieces, but without fully committing to it. The waistline on almost all of Tiana's clothing is too high for the 20s, and the the shapes of her fancier costumes take a lot of liberties, or deviate wildly from the style of the period.

In the 20s, dresses (including workaday stuff) tended to have a straight up-and-down shape to it - kind of a low-waisted rectangle that de-emphasized curves instead of highlighting them. There are valid reasons to play fast and loose with that, though (something I’m definitely guilty of as well). One of those reasons is communication. 

For instance, speculatively, the filmmakers wrote Tiana as a hard-working waitress and wanted her to look the part, so they made the choice to clothe her in something familiar - that gingham dress of mid-century shape that we broadly associate with diner waitresses. Actual waitress uniforms of the 20s had a fair bit of overlap with maid uniforms at the time too, and I can see why they wouldn't want to risk the confusion. It's more important to communicate clearly with the larger audience than to appease a small faction of fashion nerds who'd notice or care about the precision.

I don't think it's a case of the designers failing to do their research - I'm sure they had piles of references, and maybe even consultants - but they also had to have priorities.

With her hat and coat on, she looks a lot more 1920s-shaped.

Pretty consistently, the indication of the characteristic 1920s drop waist is there, but the approach otherwise ignores the 20s silhouette. The clothes hug the body too much. This may be about appealing to a 2000s audience, visually speaking, but also could be an animation thing. Maybe both. For practical reasons, clothes in 2d animation are usually more a sort of second skin than something that wears or behaves like realistic fabric.

These are not in the 1920s ballpark at all. Tiana's blue gown looks like your basic Disney brand invention. Strapless things would have been extremely unusual and the overall shape is far out of step. Excusable, I guess, because it's a costume in context. Charlotte looks like she’s heading for a mimosa brunch in a modern maxi dress.

Charlotte's princess dress did seem to be calling back to the ultra-wide pannier side hoops of the 18th century - something that made a reappearance for part of the 20s, albeit in much milder form called robe de style. I'm not sure if the filmmakers were alluding to that at all, really, but either way, her dress is hilarious.

They only went about halfway with the cloche hats. The 1920s cloche really encapsulated the cranium, almost entirely covered bobbed hair, and obscured much of the face from certain angles, so it's easy to see why they've been somewhat reined in for the film. Still, it ends up looking more 1930s, where the hats started to recede away from the face, evolving in the direction of the pillbox.

Similarly, Tiana's hair is not very reminiscent of the bobbed, close-to-the-cranium style of the period, but I think that could legitimately be written off as characterization. She's not at all the type of person who'd fuss about going à la mode. Not everyone bobbed and finger-waved their hair.

The clothes Prince Naveen is introduced in are very 1920s collegiate in spirit - the wide-leg oxford bags, the sleeveless pullover sweater, the flat cap, and high, stiff collar. The ukulele and banjolele were pretty trendy instruments at the time too.

Definitely some Josephine Baker vibes here. Also, the look of this whole fantasy sequence was reportedly inspired by the works of Aaron Douglas, a luminary painter of the Harlem Renaissance known for his depictions of the lives of African-Americans. (The mural is in Topeka, Kansas.)

They pretty much nailed the Art Deco. It's gorgeous. Looks somewhat inspired by the interiors of some of the Ralph Walker-designed NYC architecture, plus some French Quarter balcony flair for the final manifestation of Tiana's Place. Her dress here does resemble some gauzy mid-1920s looks, too.

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Culturally speaking...

New Orleans is an unusual place. Because some of the colonial Spanish and French laws and conventions that New Orleans evolved under persisted even after its inception into the United States; because it was such a heterogeneous hub of indigenous and immigrant peoples; and because it had a considerable population of free people of color (mostly Creole), it did not function quite like the rest of the South leading up to the Civil War, nor for a while after. Its particular coalescence of cultures made it its own unique sort of culture within the country, within the region, within the state of Louisiana even. By the early 20th century, though, regardless of the not-very-binary nature of New Orleans, Jim Crow laws were enforcing a literal black-and-white distinction, and not an evenhanded one, by far. In that aspect, the city had begun to resemble the rest of the South.

The film nods at the wealth disparity, but goes on to paint a pretty rosy picture of race and class relations at the time. Still it's not unbelievable that some people were exceptions to the rules. You could probably find a few compartments of old New Orleans society that resisted segregation or certain prejudicial norms, preferring to do things their own way. That aside, the film wasn't trying to confront these topics. Not every piece of media should have to. Sometimes breaking away from miserable period piece stereotypes is refreshing. I'm not sure it could have handled that meaningfully given the running time, narrow story focus, and intended audience, anyhow. (But you could perhaps also make a case that family films habitually underestimate younger audiences in this way.)

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Raymond the firefly I guess is the film's Cajun representation. There's not much to say about it, except perhaps to note that Evangeline is a reference to the heroine of a Longfellow poem of the same name. The poem is an epic romance set during the expulsion of the Acadians from the eastern provinces of Canada and the northernmost reaches of the American colonies (now Maine) by the British in the mid-1700s. Many exiled Acadians gradually migrated south to francophone-friendly Louisiana, settling into the prairies and bayous, where 'Acadian' truncated into the pronunciation 'Cajun'. Evangeline - who is only finally reunited with her love when he’s on his deathbed - has become an emblem of the heartbreak, separation and faithful hope of that cultural history, and there are parishes, statues and other landmarks named after the her throughout Louisiana.

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Voodoo does have a very historical presence in New Orleans, having arrived both directly from West Africa and by way of the Haitian diaspora (where it would more properly be called Vodou). While I don't think Disney's treatment of it was especially sensitive or serious, it also wasn't the grotesquely off-base sort of thing that media of the past has been known to do. It was largely whittled down to a magical plot component, but it wasn't so fully repurposed that it didn't resemble Voodoo at all either - and that's mostly owing to the characters, because it does appear the writers pulled from history there.

It’s apparently widely held that Dr. Facilier is a Baron Samedi caricature - and likely that's true, in part - but I have the impression he's also influenced by Doctor John. Not the 20th century funk musician, but the antebellum “Voodoo King” of New Orleans. Doctor John (also called Bayou John, Jean La Ficelle, and other aliases) claimed to be a Senegalese prince. He became well known as a potion man and romance-focused prognosticator to people from all corners of society. Though highly celebrated and financially successful at his peak, he seems ultimately remembered as an exploitative villain.

To my recollection, the film sort of gingerly avoids referring to Facilier as a Voodoo practitioner directly (I think he's more generically called a witch doctor in the script?) but it does seem to imply his 'friends on the other side' are a consortium of loa. It's mostly abbreviated into nebulously evil-seeming special FX, glazing over any specificity or dimensionality, but it does also loop back around as a vehicle of moral justice. Loa are all very individualistic and multi-faceted, but they do have reciprocal rules for asking favors of them.

There's also the benevolent counterpart in Mama Odie's character. Her wearing ritual whites has a definite basis in Voodoo/Vodou practice, and her depiction as a fairy godmother-like figure isn't entirely out of step with how a mambo may have been perceived...in a very general sense. They were/are ceremonial leaders and community bastions who people would seek out for help, advice and spiritual guidance. More than just emanating matronly good vibes, though, some have wielded considerable political and economic power.

(Just my opinions here. I've done a lot of reading on the subject for research but I'm no authority with any special insider understanding of Voodoo, and I really shouldn't be relied upon as an arbiter of who has or hasn't done it justice in fiction.)

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In summary--

Culturally, I think the film is respectably informed but paints a superficially genteel picture. The set pieces are gorgeous, but the story mostly delivers a sort of veneer of New Orleanishness. And as for fashion, well, it’s the 1920s run through a Disney filter. It’s very pretty, but it’s only as proximally accurate as seemed practical.

I don’t know that any of that really matters so much as whether or not it achieved what it intended, though. As a charming yarn and as a tribute to New Orleans and the Jazz age, I think it’s mostly successful. It’s also really beautifully animated!

[animatejournal]

The Princess and the Frog Directors: John Musker & Ron Clements Studio: Walt Disney | USA, 2009

[nickysfacts]

This makes Tiana the Princess of Creole Cuisine!

🍽️👩🏾‍🦱👑

[wakandama2]

Shouts out to Princess Jasmine for holding it down for the Black girls from 1992 to 2009, she knew we needed the rep while Tiana was done cooking.

[loxvr]

𝖣𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗆𝗌 𝖽𝗈 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝖭𝖾𝗐 𝖮𝗋𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗇𝗌 🌇🍜

[hauntedhearse]

Eudora's Chic Boutique at Disneyland Disney IG: kadieinwonderland ∞

[romanovsotma]

Princesses Marie and Isabelle (sitting) of Orleans, 1902.

[jesterwhoreknee]

Watching Princess and the Frog again and there is no way it didn't serve Vivzie as an inspiration for Alastor. It reminds me so much of him, specially when Tiana's father talks about how good food reunite people regardless of their origin, raise their mood and draws them a smile on their face. Tiana's mother reminds me of Alastor's mother's headcanons, and of course there is Dr. Facilier, a black voodooist deal maker soul dealer man from Louisiana/New Orleans in the 20's with a shadow alter ago.

Maybe is just coincidence because after all, it's normal that both have many things in common due to the aesthetic of that period of time and place. However, I can't watch the movie without imagining Alastor walking around in the background with his mother holding his arm, while reading a newspaper sitting in a cafe or his voice sounding through a radio in a bar.

Also, we have Keth David hired to play Husker (owned by Alastor and a gambler which is similar to Facilier's tarot aesthetic) who's Facilier VA. Coincidence? I doubt it 🤨

I love this movie so much, it isn't the typical movie where the princess gets the prince charming and live happily after. Lottie is the white, rich, spoiled girl who wants to marry Prince Naveen. Instead, he ends with the poor black hard working woman who never believed in fairy tales and didn't want to kiss a frog regardless of the result. In the story Tiana also transforms into a frog, not just the prince, and they fall in love because of their personalities regardless of the looks and the difference of social classes. Their dynamic is kind of a slow burn and not love at first sight for what I say THANK YOU DISNEY. Finally we have a princess with a mom and a functional family lol, with more developed dreams. The best thing is that Lottie, regardless of her usual spoiled privileged traits, is a good friend, she is a good person and is happy that her best friend found love and gave up on her dreams for Tiana, knowing she would get another chance in the future while Tiana deserved to have what she got.

We also have the food represented in the film, the outfits, the music, the backgrounds... Everything is so pretty and even if I have NOTHING to do with New Orleans or that period of time, it makes me feel nostalgic for no reason at all. This is one of my favourites Disney movies and it needs to be more appreciated. Period.

" Won't you shake a poor sinner's hand? "

[tiaramania]

TIARA ALERT-ISH: Princess Hélène of Orleans wore a diamond tiara as a necklace for Le Bal des Débutantes at the Shangri La Hotel in Paris on 26 November 2022.

[princess-ibri]

Sheesh I'd had this as a draft for almost four months now sorry :/

Originally I wasnt going to do backstories for the PatF characters until the Tiana show came out but they keep pushing it back so what the heck.

Mama Odie Backstory

Real name is Ozigbodi

She was born in 1729 to enslaved parents brought over from Ghana, when New Orleans was still under French rule 

She was born with a condition that caused progressive blindness

Her mother passed down to her in secret the practices of their ancestors, which came to be known as voodoo.

At the age of 16, she was able to escape slavery and found a home deep in the bayou, where she truly began her life as a priestess, helping those in need who crossed her path

Over her long life  she had many adventures, both mundane and magical. She helped slaves escape, crossed paths with such legendary figures as the pirates Jean Lafitte and William "Blood" Gracey, did a service for the mysterious Tia Dalma for which she was granted her seeming immortality, learned of the existence of other realms such as the Everrealm, taught a young Madame Leota her trade and even married and had a child at one point.

This child would found a line that eventually culminated in the birth of one Andre Facilier, who Mama Odie taught for a time before realizing the boy was attempting to use his power for dark means and cutting off his teaching, which unfortunately only spurred him into making a deal with some of the dark loa of The Other Side

[nico-moist-moses]

Guess who just learned how to draw crocodilian anthros! Ill post a fuller rendition later. for now, ~sneak peak~

[roehenstart]

Élisabeth-Marguerite d'Orléans, petite-fille de France (1646-1696). Par Charles et Henri Beaubrun.

[dani-luminae]

Finding Tiana, Naveen, Dr. Facilier, and a reference to Charlotte’s family hidden in the decor of Sassagoula Float Works at Port Orleans French Quarter

[earlgreycoffee5]

I recently watched The Princess and the Frog, long due I know but I was so THE MOVIE WAS ACTUALLY SO GOOD??? FIRST OF ALL for this in 2009 and Tangled in 2010, the upgrade is FUCKING INSAAANEEEEEE. SECOND, story wise, the real shine of the movie was Charlotte. we all think she's a spoiled rich princess BUT NAH IT WAS SO HEARTWARMING HOW EVEN THOUGH HER ENTIRE GOAL WAS TO MARRY NAVEEN AND FIND TRUE LOVE, SHE EASILY LET HIM GO IN A HEARTBEAT FOR TIANA. that is smth you cant even find that easily in society today AND THAT SHOULD BE FUCKING APPRECIATED. also it's set in New Orleans which is such a slay like Margi Gras city? sign me the fuck up man I loved that shit, Disney before Tangled era really felt like the 90s and it fuckin showed in the movie (positive point) I LOOOVEEEEED IT

[taakosleftshoe]

Does anyone else just picture Devo as this guy?