Last week we boldly went where no 2022 Dis article has dared to go; we tackled unpopular opinions in a time where complaining has become the globe’s favorite pastime, and positivity of any kind can be frowned upon without warning. What exactly were my unpopular opinions this time around? You’ll need to check out the article here, but there was one that led me to this week’s topic, which I will share with you now. I don’t like Donald Duck.
I know it is pretty brave of me to admit this once, let alone twice, but my reason for mentioning this again is a good one, I promise. As usual, the brain trust of The Dis community came together to offer many different points of view, a few of which have definitely swayed me back into the more neutral corner of your mate Donald. It’s amazing what a little conversation can do. So, today I thought it might be a great time to start a new mini-series in Ranking Disney Characters, with the first installment sharing the ones of which we aren’t big fans. I got the ball rolling with Donald last week, but I’m going to share another confession here as well.
As a youngster, I was always a bit more rebellious than my sister — you remember Casey — and everyone else around me. While my friends loved the classics like Cinderella and Aurora, I was more interested in the more adventurous ones like Belle and Ariel. Honestly, the perfect dress, heels, and gloves never really did it for me; I was far more taken by Jasmine’s pantsuit and the idea of jumping on that magic carpet.
Even so, I’m not going to call any of the princesses out on the characters-I-can-do-without list. Snow White would be the one I connected with the least, though given she was created in a time much different from the one I grew up in, she gets a nostalgic pass. The character I could do without isn’t a Disney princess.
If you look through some of the Disney movies over the years, both animated and live-action, there are more than a handful of characters that didn’t make the grade. I tend to take more notice of the supporting characters anyway, usually the animal friends or the sidekicks that provide the comic relief, and there is one that stands out as being downright frustrating. The Mad Hatter.
The Mad Hatter drives me, well, mad! Both in the story and the parks. In the story, I just keep thinking, calm down; no wonder the Queen of Hearts wanted to take your head off. In the parks, I always manage to be taking photos or doing something innocent when The Mad Hatter comes along to ‘playfully’ mess with my shot. It would have happened about four times over the years where he would come out of nowhere, sometimes with Alice, sometimes without, and mischievously set upon me.
At first, I giggle, playing along with a he he he, what a funny fellow you are. Within seconds I think, that’s enough now, go pick on someone else. Then before I know it, I am having creative thoughts about what to tell him to do with his hat. The first time I convinced myself that it was me just being too rigid, unwilling to give up my perfect photo for a bit of tomfoolery, but the next few times, it occurred to me, it’s not me, it’s you! My relationship with the Mad Hatter took a dismal, irreparable turn from that point on.
I’m now unapologetically intolerant to the Mad Hatter’s antics and could do without his existence altogether. Admittedly, I’m not a massive fan of Alice in Wonderland to begin with, though I can make peace with all of the other characters except for him. Unbirthdays? Pfft!
So, now it is your turn. What character pushes you over the edge? Name the Disney character you could do without, and let me know why you’ve come to feel that way. Of course, if you have a secret love for the Hatter and feel the need to defend his honor, by all means, have at it.