Friday, July 15, 2011

Why Disney villains should be nervous at the Grand Canyon.


Have you ever noticed that an inordinate amount of Disney villains meet their doom by falling from high places? The wicked queen from Snow White was the first, but by no means the last. Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, the evil queen from Enchanted, and Mother Gothel from Tangled all bit the dust that way. Shan Yu form Mulan flew off on a rocket, so we can assume there was some falling involved with his demise as well.

Of course not all Disney villains die exactly that way. Disney likes to mix things up once in awhile. Scar from The Lion King fell and then got eaten by hyenas. The film Mega Mind started with Mega Mind falling to earth and then the movie went on to tell about his formative years and all of the events that led to his fall. I'm sure I’m missing many other Disney fallers, but according to the first website I saw after I googled the phrase: “How many films has Disney produced?” there are 318 Disney movies and one cannot be expected to remember all the grisly deaths.

Suffice it to say, falling is a popular way to end one’s existence.

What does that have to do with my recent vacation, you may ask. I’ll tell you. The Rallison clan just went to The Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon--which is still pretty darn grand even if it doesn’t use the word in the title. Some canyons are modest that way.

Here we are smiling at the start of our trip. There are signs that tell you to be careful when you turn your back on the canyon to take pictures, as this is how most people fall in. They forget how close they are to the edge and take a step backward. We made sure we were far away from the edge.


Here is a picture of what looks like my middle daughter lovingly putting her hand on her little sister’s shoulder.

I'm pretty sure Middle Daughter is doing this as a way to make sure Youngest Daughter doesn’t do a Disney Villain and plunge off the side. Youngest daughter has no built-in fear gage and is much too daring.

Middle Daughter has already saved Youngest Daughter’s life once. When Youngest Daughter was about four we were walking along Newport Beach and a rogue wave nearly carried Youngest Daughter out to sea. Thankfully, Middle Daughter was standing nearby and grabbed Youngest Daughter before she was swept away. Youngest Daughter laughed with delight during this incident but Middle Daughter and I remain traumatized to this day.

At any rate, one has to watch Youngest Daughter very carefully.

So then of course the next thing we did was go horseback riding at Bryce Canyon. This was perhaps not the cautious thing to do since the last time we rode horses, Youngest Daughter’s horse bit Middle Daughter’s horse which caused a horse fight in which there was actual rodeo-like bucking.


Somehow this didn’t dim Youngest Daughter’s love of horses. Middle Daughter, however, refused to go on a horseback ride anywhere near a canyon.

Here is a picture of Youngest Son by the edge of Bryce Canyon.


When we got to this point, I was beginning to agree with Middle Daughter about the whole horse/canyon thing, but by then it was too late. My horse went right to the edge to eat the grass growing there.


One side note about my horse: His name was Zero. I thought that was an odd name until I mounted him and he proceeded to walk around the corral putting his face into the other horses' butts. Then I realized zero was the amount of friends he had.

So there I was on the edge of Bryce Canyon, my horse happily munching on grass, and all the other horses followed him, thus boxing him in. He turned sideways, walked a few steps, then turned his back on the Canyon.

This is when I realized that not only was I on a horse with no social skills, he couldn't read either. It was entirely possible that he was going to take an unintentional step backward. Or one of the other horses might have been fed up with his butt-nudging antics and decided to push him over. Heaven knows, if I were one of those horses, I would have been tempted.

Which is why I was very glad that I have never been a Disney Villain.

I lived to vacation another day.

And no, this picture isn't photoshopped. This is the sort of thing gymnasts do.

19 comments:

Kathryn Packer Roberts said...

Ha. I never realized that about the Disney villains. Sleeping Beauty's Villain has a similar end when she turns into a dragon, has a sword thrown to the chest and then falls off the cliff.

Good thing you aren't the villainous type=) and you made it safely home.

Anonymous said...

- i agree. and am so totaly glad you made it home safely bcause i don't like to read books by a dead authur.
i just finished reading your book 'My Fair Godmother'. i loved it. -

Anonymous said...

Ah, Maleficent is Son#2's favorite villain. He was just talking about her the other day so it's one of those "small world" things that you should post her picture. For the record, I'm very happy none of your family was lost over the edge.

Youngest daughter sounds like fun.

The horse was being a butt-munch because that is how they flick flies off their face, they borrow a neighbor's tail. It's a horse thing.

Great pics, thanks for sharing them!
Angela

Janette Rallison said...

Ah, yes, how could I forget the Sleeping Beauty fall scene? See, I knew there were others.

And thank goodness for hands as I would hate to have to put my face in a horse's tail every time I wanted to shoo flies away.

Anonymous said...

I agree...it would be rough to have to deal with horse's asses on a daily basis....wait a sec-

Anonymous said...

- whaen is your next book comming out, Janette? -

Janette Rallison said...

The next book will be out in October (not exactly sure of the day yet). It's called Slayers and I'm using the pen name CJ Hill for it.

Naomi said...

I feel like you should know that your blog is my favorite thing to read. With your books a close Second.

Janette Rallison said...

Ahhh, thanks!

Steelefamily said...

Beautiful family. I agree with middle daughter, we hiked the grand canyon and some people rode mules down. I was sure I would spot a couple plummeting to their death! Go gymnast boy! That is an awesome pic.

Steelefamily said...

why do authors use pen names?

Janette Rallison said...

Authors use pen names for different reasons. My friend Dave Wolverton writes under Dave Farland because he didn't want his books to be last on the shelve. Some authors use pen names to keep their writing life seperate from their real life. (They don't have to worry about stalkers.) But most authors use pen names because they're writing for a different genre. (I was Sierra St. James when I wrote LDS romances) I'm becoming CJ Hill because my publisher is trying to reach out to the boy readers who apparently won't read a book if it's written by a girl. Thus JK Rowling and JD Robb.

Melanie Jacobson said...

I guess the villain-falling-off-a-cliff thing is a rule the same way that there must be a rain scene in a romantic comedy before the couple can get together.

Janette Rallison said...

Really? Why did I not know this information when I was writing romantic comedies? There is a rain scene in my paranormal romance. Leave it to me to do things backwards

Steelefamily said...

thanks for the info! It is hard as a reader when I want to read all of my authors books and then I find out they have different names. I have one of your LDS books given to me with a dozen others and didn't even know it. It is unread but I will rectify that:)

Hoontah said...

The horseback ride through Bryce Canyon is one of the scariest things I've ever done in my life. I suspect we may have ridden the same horse.

The Lemkes said...

Very interesting. I never thought about how many Disney villains end their "evilness" this way!
As a side note, I grew up at Bryce Canyon, spent many a day playing on the very rim that you were on (well, maybe not ON the rim, but near the rim would be a better way to say it!). My family owns the horse rides and hotel there, so I'll have to let them know that "Zero" has really lived up to his/her name!
P.S. Just got you latest book, can't wait to read it!

Janette Rallison said...

Bryce Canyon is awesome! And everybody there was so nice. My son left our kindle in the lobby of the hotel and a nice clerk ran out to the parking lot to give it back to us. I was so impressed.

cailey said...

Janette. I am obsessed with your blog. it is absolutely hilarious. also. i'm a huge fan of your books!
I work in a seagull book in utah and just the other day i came across your book under the pen name sierra st james. i have it on hold, waiting for me. i had no clue it was yours until i read the comment you wrote! It makes me all the more excited to read it!