As a young kid, I really adored watching Disney’s Hunchback of Norte Dame. I watched it over and over and over (at different ages, I did the same for Pocahontas and Mulan). The VHS tape got ruined when I was pretty young, so I didn’t get to revisit it every couple of years like I did with the others, so it’s a bit more difficult to think back to why I was drawn to this story. I think I was drawn to a main character that doesn’t look like any other main characters (facial differences don’t get enough representation…), but also doesn’t act like others, either. I think I’ve always been drawn to anything that shows lives that do not fit the “standard” expectations of what a life looks like. I think I was also very drawn to the differences in his behavior between when he was talking with the gargoyles and anyone else. He was his whole self with them, and as a high masking undiagnosed autistic kid, I also didn’t know how to present my entire personality to other people. Someone else walks in, and his Him just shuts off. I think I have always deeply been attracted to themes of justice and “throw away people” (by that I mean, people society treats like nothing) finding love and purpose and being seen for the value that they absolutely do have. I watched the film a couple years ago and I was heartbroken that Quasi and Esmeralda didn’t end up together. As a child, I didn’t store movie scenes chronologically in my head - I could remember all of the scenes, but how one led to another was always something I needed to be reminded. So I really didn’t remember how the love triangle resolved and I was really frustrated that quasi ends the movie as alone as ever. I was also deeply horrified by the pe*o themes, didn’t remember that at all, it clearly went over my head as a 4 year old.
I saw that movie when it came out and I was an undiagnosed 15 year old autistic child getitng bullied for my appearance. Those songs always stayed in my head and reinforced this idea that I was too different, too ugly, for romantic love. I kinda latched onto it as an anthem for being bullied about my differences. This was in a Catholic school and devout household environment. So that vibe wasn't new for me re: Frollo being of questionable values as a caretaker.... Anyway, joke's on them though, i'm a polyamorous queer now
I loved your hunchback video essay. As a disabled writer, I've always dreamt of crafting a script to make it less ableist and racist. Your video is very helpful.
This video is great! I’m using the book for my English course work where I plan to talk about how Quasimodo is presented in his appearance and disabilities.
Gonna say up front, I love this video. I am subscribed now. Thank you for talking about and taking one of my favorite Disney movies seriously. Nitpick at 15:13 because I find it to be kind of important but not in terms of plot or anything. Iirc the whole "Court of Miracles" name is not because it's a place that literally makes disabled people not disabled. It's a sort of tongue-in-cheek sarcastic name referring to people who live there and go out and pretend to have various disabilities in order to scam people, thus becoming "miraculously cured" of whatever their deal was when they return home from a day of pretending to be blind/deaf/otherwise physically disabled to get money. Is there something to be said there from a "how HOND tackles disability" perspective? Possibly. Is it worth a follow-up video? I dunno, man. Maybe the actual irl place it was based on could be, but frankly as the Disney movie presents it, it's just another thing on the pile.
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![Disability in Next to Normal [CC]](/img/tr.png)
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Yeah… medical emergency make outs are oddly normalized in cinema… they are the last thing on my mind, personally….
✍️Do not ✍️make out with people ✍️during medical emergencies ✍️
As a young kid, I really adored watching Disney’s Hunchback of Norte Dame. I watched it over and over and over (at different ages, I did the same for Pocahontas and Mulan). The VHS tape got ruined when I was pretty young, so I didn’t get to revisit it every couple of years like I did with the others, so it’s a bit more difficult to think back to why I was drawn to this story. I think I was drawn to a main character that doesn’t look like any other main characters (facial differences don’t get enough representation…), but also doesn’t act like others, either. I think I’ve always been drawn to anything that shows lives that do not fit the “standard” expectations of what a life looks like. I think I was also very drawn to the differences in his behavior between when he was talking with the gargoyles and anyone else. He was his whole self with them, and as a high masking undiagnosed autistic kid, I also didn’t know how to present my entire personality to other people. Someone else walks in, and his Him just shuts off.
I think I have always deeply been attracted to themes of justice and “throw away people” (by that I mean, people society treats like nothing) finding love and purpose and being seen for the value that they absolutely do have.
I watched the film a couple years ago and I was heartbroken that Quasi and Esmeralda didn’t end up together. As a child, I didn’t store movie scenes chronologically in my head - I could remember all of the scenes, but how one led to another was always something I needed to be reminded. So I really didn’t remember how the love triangle resolved and I was really frustrated that quasi ends the movie as alone as ever.
I was also deeply horrified by the pe*o themes, didn’t remember that at all, it clearly went over my head as a 4 year old.
I saw that movie when it came out and I was an undiagnosed 15 year old autistic child getitng bullied for my appearance. Those songs always stayed in my head and reinforced this idea that I was too different, too ugly, for romantic love. I kinda latched onto it as an anthem for being bullied about my differences. This was in a Catholic school and devout household environment. So that vibe wasn't new for me re: Frollo being of questionable values as a caretaker....
Anyway, joke's on them though, i'm a polyamorous queer now
Congratulations! We all need love ❤
This was very well done and comprehensive 👏 👏 👏
I just have to say, your high-speed summary of a very long and complicated novel is 🔥
I loved your hunchback video essay. As a disabled writer, I've always dreamt of crafting a script to make it less ableist and racist. Your video is very helpful.
This video is great! I’m using the book for my English course work where I plan to talk about how Quasimodo is presented in his appearance and disabilities.
YESSSS!!!! been waiting patiently
Gonna say up front, I love this video. I am subscribed now. Thank you for talking about and taking one of my favorite Disney movies seriously. Nitpick at 15:13 because I find it to be kind of important but not in terms of plot or anything. Iirc the whole "Court of Miracles" name is not because it's a place that literally makes disabled people not disabled. It's a sort of tongue-in-cheek sarcastic name referring to people who live there and go out and pretend to have various disabilities in order to scam people, thus becoming "miraculously cured" of whatever their deal was when they return home from a day of pretending to be blind/deaf/otherwise physically disabled to get money. Is there something to be said there from a "how HOND tackles disability" perspective? Possibly. Is it worth a follow-up video? I dunno, man. Maybe the actual irl place it was based on could be, but frankly as the Disney movie presents it, it's just another thing on the pile.
This was an amazing video.