Fairy tale parody
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Fairy tale parody (also known as a fractured fairy tale) is a
genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
of fiction that parodies traditional
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
s. The parodies are often created as new literary stories, movies, or television shows. The genre was popularized on television by the "
Fractured Fairy Tales ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (commonly referred to as simply ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the American Broadca ...
" segments on ''
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (commonly referred to as simply ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the American Broadca ...
''. The 2001
computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...
film ''
Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenso ...
'' brought great popularity to the genre, and parodies soon eclipsed traditional fairy tales. The genre garnered significant praise for representing relevant societal views in the contemporary world but has also been criticised for supplanting the traditional stories.


Origins

The genre of fairy tale parody grew in popularity following the “
Fractured Fairy Tales ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (commonly referred to as simply ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the American Broadca ...
” segment on ''
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (commonly referred to as simply ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the American Broadca ...
'' in 1959, where well known
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
s were presented with altered storylines for a modern audience. Since then, fairy tale adaptions have pervaded contemporary popular culture - subverting, shattering, and altering understandings of classic fairy tales, with the digital revolution significantly contributing to the dissemination of these new tales in the 21st century. There are two types of fairy tale
parodies A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
– one focused on mocking the fairy tale genre and individual tales themselves, and the other, reformatting tales to include more serious morals and social messages - literary scholars and critics tend to focus on the tales that reflect the evolving sociocultural conditions of the 21st century. The fluid nature of the fairy tale and the evolution of technology has allowed fairy tales to permeate a wide range of media, providing these parodied tales with means to be presented in more creative and advanced forms, and providing the creators with an ability to alter the audience’s reception of the stories being told. This fluidity of the genre has allowed Fairy tale parodies to mutate over time, and to be portrayed in a plethora of forms - not only literary parodies but live-action and animated film and television, poetry, comics, and music, that have provided audiences with ubiquitous access to these complex narratives.


Development of the fairy tale parody

Traditional fairy tales are believed to be derived from
myth Myth is a folklore genre consisting of Narrative, narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or Origin myth, origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not Objectivity (philosophy), ...
s, relevant to religions of the time and as storytellers discarded religious connotations, the fairy tales became much more secular. As society progressed, and authors began writing fairy tale parodies, pertinent social and political matters became the key focus of the tales, and the question of “what, if any, is the role and function of such tales in the evolution of human civilisation” ( Burkert, 1979), was fundamental to the development of these parodies. Parody is “governed by intentionality” ( Hutcheon, 1985), thus when crafting a parody of traditional fairy tales, writers borrow, both consciously and unconsciously from other cultures in an “endeavour to imbue their symbolical stories with very specific commentaries on the mores and manners of their times”. Writers of fairy tale parodies decide what is relevant in society and communicate this crucial information through their tales, utilising memorable motifs, stereotype subversions and
intertextuality Intertextuality is the shaping of a text's meaning by another text, either through deliberate compositional strategies such as quotation, allusion, calque, plagiarism, translation, pastiche or parody,Gerard Genette (1997) ''Paratexts'p.18/ref>H ...
. The parodies are radical and significantly deviate from the trajectory of the traditional tale, modernising the previously explored ideologies to resonate with a contemporary audience and allow readers to question the principles of existing narratives. Fairy tale parodies will resonate with an audience if the configuration of the tale is adapted, and meaning is transformed to fit the relevant social and cultural context. If a parody of a tale does not alter the text to fit the contemporary social context and instead recycles content of traditional narratives, they are to be considered imitating existing stories to affirm traditional ideologies and prolong a conservative message.


Development for different audiences

To parody a fairy tale for children has some differences than in doing so for adults. For children, tales are retold to make them more comprehensive, to teach simple moral lessons suitable for the contemporary audience or to rouse greater senses of wonder and imagination through alternative endings. When parodying a fairy tale for children, in the form of a fictional picture book, authors often preserve the ‘happy ending’ convention, as a practise governed by a motivation “to enculturate children in societal codes”. For adults, the parodied tale acts as a means for carrying social and political dialogue regarding issues of the time – often with a heavy focus on
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
- a widely acknowledge and important approach to modern tales that allows authors to alter oppressive social representations.


Characteristics of the genre

Fairy tales have always been hybrid in their nature, borrowing from multiple simple genres – with a key focus on,
fable Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular mo ...
s,
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
,
romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...
, and
magical realism Magical is the adjective for magic. It may also refer to: * Magical (horse) (foaled 2015), Irish Thoroughbred racehorse * "Magical" (song), released in 1985 by John Parr * '' Magical: Disney's New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical Celebrations'', ...
- to form their own. Fairy tale parodies further this hybridity, disrupting and defying the traditional form of the tale through the following distinctive characteristics: #
Chronotope In literary theory and philosophy of language, the chronotope is how configurations of time and space are represented in language and discourse. The term was taken up by Russian literary scholar Mikhail Bakhtin who used it as a central element in hi ...
– The chronotope of a fairy tale parody– which refers to “how configurations of time and space are represented in language and discourse” (Bakhtin, 1937) – shifts the fairy tale to a more contemporary setting relevant for a modern audience, making it acceptable for diffusion into the public sphere. # Attribute to the
supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
– Authors of fairy tale parodies often “renegotiate the boundary between magic and realism” to coincide with a modern, secular society. When magic is utilised in these retellings, it is often described through the perspective of an
unreliable narrator An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility is compromised. They can be found in fiction and film, and range from children to mature characters. The term was coined in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in ''The Rhetoric of Fiction''. While unrel ...
, leaving the audience to question whether magic really occurs, or materialises only through the mind of the protagonist – fitting for a modern society with a greater focus on psychological health. # Optimism – as previously stated, many authors of fairy tale parodies for children conform to providing a traditional
happy ending A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which almost everything turns out for the best for the main protagonists and their sidekicks, while the main villains/antagonists are dead/defeated. In storylines where the protagon ...
, however, writers of parodies with an adult audience, often unmask this illusion, providing a pessimistic ending much more consistent with the harsh realities of society. # Intertextuality – When parodying a traditional fairy tale, authors will retain markers of their intertextual relationship with the original text such as numeric symbolism that favoured a patriarchal narrative focus – ‘ Damsel in Distress’, ‘
Evil Queen The Evil Queen, also called the Wicked Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm; similar stories exist worldwide. Other versions of the Queen appear in subsequent ...
’, ‘ Knight in Shining Armour’. Through refabricating, rather than removing a character, authors encourage the audience to make a comparison between the traditional and contemporary story and highlight the possibilities of empowering characters that have previously been disparaged or misrepresented. A good fairy tale parody will maintain recognisable traits of the traditional fairy tale, whilst reimagining certain traits of the genre.


Contemporary tales

The fluid nature of the fairy tale has allowed stories to be adapted over numerous generations and reshaped by different cultures to become more compatible with the sociocultural conditions of the modern day. Fairy tales have the ability to affect the world we are in as “ tales are ideologically variable desire machines” and are able to “project possible futures”. It is the morphic ability of the tales that allows authors to portray a world or character apt for their time with tales informed by “a human disposition to action – to transform the world and make it more adaptable to human needs” (Zipes, 2002). During times of war and economic hardship, adaptations of fairy tales were crafted to provide society with hope, that life would soon improve. In modern society, Fairy Tale parodies are written to reflect and suit the cultural and societal shifts of the contemporary world, therefore many topical adaptions have been framed through a feminist lens or with a focus on greater diversity in representation.


Feminist retellings

Fairy tale parodies are an adaption of their original text, and adaptions “keep their pre-text in play but also reaccentuate or destabilise them, and some relocate them”. Since the 1970’s, contemporary understandings and social uses of the Fairy tale genre have undergone significant change, with feminists debating the “value of fairy tales in shaping of gendered attitudes about self, romance, marriage, family and social power”. Traditional fairy tales have been criticised for their one-dimensional gendered character types that reinforce the societal oppression of women. It has been suggested that “the fairy tale characterisations are more powerful than the acts committed by the character” with their characterisations essentially trapping characters into their one-dimensional roles. Female protagonists, often
Princess Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...
es, are characterised by their beauty, innocence and female passivity, all of which are depicted as valued womanly attributes, whilst the female antagonist - the
Villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
, the Witch, the Evil Step Mother - is often portrayed as “evil from within, ugly and scheming”, reiterating the traditional association between beauty and goodness, and ugly and evil. Those traditional tales typically depicted female characters through a patriarchal lens, with a happy ending and fulfilment being closely related to “domestic satisfaction” through a heterosexual marriage. The female protagonist receives a happy ending, albeit within the patriarchal constraints of their world and female antagonists, that dared to exercise their power and thus place themselves on par with men, where outcast and condemned. In a modern world, many fairy tales have been parodied in favour of a
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
viewpoint, with feminist retellings being used as agents to elicit social change or provide critical commentary. Feminist authors that have taken to writing their fairy tale parodies through a “woman-centric lens”, give voices to heroines and allow the female character to narrate their own story. Through providing female characters with agency, authors are creating three-dimensional beings, fully realised as their own character rather extensions of men. When parodying a Fairy Tale for a feminist audience, or through a feminist lens, authors have subverted the stereotypical depictions through role reversal, liberation of characters or mockery/ridicule of past texts. However, literary critics have found that despite ridicule being included in the definitions of parody, the most transformative tales are grounded more deeply in feminism than mockery. Fairy tales are meant to evoke wonder, and therefore if a parodied tale still wants to be considered a ‘fairy tale’ need to maintain that sense of awe and wonder that traditional tales hold. A feminist parody will not ridicule past depictions but instead focus on “what women can be and are, not about how women have been constructed in the past” (Altmann, 2008), empowering modern women, rather than mocking those preceding. There are, of course, influential feminist fairy tale parodies that are written through satire and exaggeration, such as Anne Sexton's 1971 poetry collection ''Transformations,'' that parodies the
Grimm's Fairy Tales ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (german: Kinder- und Hausmärchen, lead=yes, ), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Grimm brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob and Wilhelm, first publis ...
, however modern tales do not tend to merely focus on satirisation or sarcasm as their main technique for parody. Author
Robert Coover Robert Lowell Coover (born February 4, 1932) is an American novelist, short story writer, and T.B. Stowell Professor Emeritus in Literary Arts at Brown University. He is generally considered a writer of fabulation and metafiction. Background C ...
writes “The future of postmodern feminist fairy tales lies in stories that can rewrite the genre without totally unmaking” and thus when parodying Fairy tales, Coover subverted the stereotyped negative ramifications of ‘The Stepmother’, through the use of first-person narration that encourages readers to identify and sympathise with the character, as the distance between reader and character is diminished. The narration humanises the villain and allows the audience to understand the context and motivation behind her actions, provoking the audience to question whether her actions render names such as “wicked” or “evil”, and reducing the ability of audiences to categorise characters into their traditionally recognised stereotypes.


Modern representation

Fairy tales offer a way of both "explaining the world around us and offering a method of imagining a world possible". Traditional fairy tales often featured a transformation or reveal - Cinderella's infamous fairy god-mother makeover, Ariel gaining human legs, and so on - where the character, often female, transforms themselves to fit with societal expectations of beauty, femininity and marital appeal. It is always the character conforming to society, rather than society expanding its definitions of classifications such as 'normal' and 'beautiful'. In a modern society where fairy tale parodies have grown prominent and have expanded the representation many ill-represented groups in the past, particularly females, the next step for representation regards expanding representation of topics such as masculinity and disability. Whilst female characters have been provided with more agency in modern fairy tale parodies, the representation of the male protagonist often remains the same - a 2-dimensional, handsome, idyllic husband that in some way, saves the day or a unexpected, dopey outsider who happens to get the girl. Traditional tales have been constrained by the necessity to conform to the definitions of '
masculinity Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...
', however with the definition expanding in the contemporary world, there is a greater focus on gender subverting fairy tale parodies that allow for a broader depiction and characterisation of male characters.
Disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be Cognitive disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, dev ...
is a lesser explored topic in fairy-tale parodies, however it is a significant topic needing to be explored in further depth. Critics understand that envisioning a fairy tale retelling where a protagonist is not able-bodied, and yet the world is not hostile, or expecting them to adjust to fit into societal norms should be a crucial focus point for future parodies, to assist society in shaping and informing the true ideas of disability, not the stereotyped and negative versions.


Children's books

Children's books that have been classified as fairy tale parodies: * ''The Giant's Big Toe'' by
Brock Cole Brock Cole (born May 29, 1938)
. Children's Literature Network. Retrieved on 2008- ...
* ''Sleeping Ugly'' by
Jane Yolen Jane Hyatt Yolen (born February 11, 1939) is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and children's books. She is the author or editor of more than 350 books, of which the best known is '' The Devil's Arithmetic'', a Holocaust novella. H ...
* ''Jack and the Meanstalk'' by
Brian Wildsmith Brian Lawrence Wildsmith (22 January 1930 – 31 August 2016) was a British painter and children's book illustrator. He won the 1962 Kate Greenaway Medal for British children's book illustration, for the wordless alphabet book ''ABC''. In all h ...
and Rebecca Wildsmith * ''The Book That Jack Wrote'', ''
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! ''The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!'' is a children's book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. Released in a number of editions since its first release by Viking Kestrel, an imprint of Viking Penguin in 1989, it is a parody of The Three Little Pigs ...
'', ''
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales ''The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales'' is a postmodern children's book written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith. Published in 1992 by Viking, it is a collection of twisted, humorous parodies of famous children's stori ...
'', and '' The Frog Prince, Continued'' by
Jon Scieszka Jon Scieszka ( :) (born September 8, 1954) is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based li ...
* ''
Revolting Rhymes ''Revolting Rhymes'' is a 1982 collection of Roald Dahl poems first published in 1982 originally under the title ''Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes''. A parody of traditional folk tales in verse, Dahl gives a re-interpretation of six well-known ...
'' by
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
* ''Ruby'' by Michael Emberley * ''Jim Henson Presents Goldilocks, Miss Piggy's Dream'' by Louise Gikow * ''The Three Bears'' by Cindy West * Cinderella ** ''Cinder Edna'' by Ellen Jackson ** ''Cinder-Elly'' by Frances Minters ** ''Cinderella and the Glass Flipper'' by
Janet Perlman Janet Laurie Perlman (born September 19, 1954) is a Canadian animator and children's book author and illustrator whose work includes the short film ''The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin'', which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animat ...
** ''Cinderella with Benjy and Bubbles'' by Ruth Perle * ''The Adventures of Simple Simon'' by Chris Conover * ''The Velveteen Killer Rabbit'' by Elia Anie * ''Kawoni's Journey Across the Mountain: A Cherokee Little Red Riding Hood'' by Cordellya Smith * ''Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit A Cherokee + Appalachian Tortoise and the Hare'' by Cordellya Smith * ''
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig ''The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig'' is a children's picture book written by Eugene Trivizas (Evgenios Trivizas), illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and first published by Heinemann in 1993. The story is a comically inverted version of t ...
'' by
Eugene Trivizas Eugene Trivizas (Greek: Eυγένιος Τριβιζάς; born 1946) is a Greek sociologist and writer of children's books. For his lasting contribution as a children's writer, Trivizas was a finalist for the biennial, international Hans Chri ...
''Politically Correct Fairy Tales'' and '' Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life and Times'' by James Finn Garner have been called "Adult fractured fairy tales ... still humorous but the humor is for adults".


Animated shorts

*Some of the early
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
and
Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...
cartoons of the 1930s and 1940s featured a number of fairy tales in one form or another, often more than once. These often used were
Little Red Riding Hood "Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brother ...
,
The Tortoise and the Hare "The Tortoise and the Hare" is one of Aesop's Fables and is numbered 226 in the Perry Index. The account of a race between unequal partners has attracted conflicting interpretations. The fable itself is a variant of a common folktale theme in wh ...
,
The Three Little Pigs "The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house t ...
,
Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Cole ...
and
Goldilocks and the Three Bears "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (originally titled "The Story of the Three Bears") is a 19th-century English fairy tale of which three versions exist. The original version of the tale tells of an obscene old woman who enters the forest home ...
. *The "
Fractured Fairy Tales ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (commonly referred to as simply ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the American Broadca ...
" segments on ''The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show'' from 1959 to 1961. *The late 1980s ''
ALF Tales ''ALF Tales'' is a 30-minute Saturday morning animated series that aired on NBC from September 10, 1988, to December 9, 1989. The show is a spin-off of '' ALF: The Animated Series'' which featured characters from that series playing various char ...
'' Saturday morning animated series specifically focused on re-interpreting fairy tales in usually non-traditional settings.


Film

*''
Jack the Giant Killer "Jack the Giant Killer" is a Cornish fairy tale and legend about a young adult who slays a number of bad giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklor ...
'', a live-action film mocking "
Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Cole ...
" (1962) *'' Ladyhawke'', a live-action film poking fun of fairy tale clichés (1985) *''
The Princess Bride The Princess Bride may refer to: * ''The Princess Bride'' (novel), 1973 fantasy romance novel by American writer William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He ...
'', a live-action film poking fun at fairy tale clichés (1987) *''
Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenso ...
'', an animated film poking fun at fairy tale clichés (2001) *''
Ella Enchanted ''Ella Enchanted'' is a Newbery HonorCinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
" (2004) *''
Teacher's Pet Teacher's pet is a person that has an advantageous position compared to other students, where the teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or v ...
'', an animated film poking fun at ''
The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocc ...
'' (2004) *''
Shrek 2 ''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book ''Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The sequel to ''Shrek'' (2001) and the seco ...
'', the second installment in the ''Shrek'' series (2004) *''
Chicken Little "Henny Penny", more commonly known in the United States as "Chicken Little" and sometimes as "Chicken Licken", is a European folk tale with a moral in the form of a cumulative tale about a chicken who believes that the world is coming to an end ...
'', an animated high school, sci-fi take on the
Henny Penny "Henny Penny", more commonly known in the United States as "Chicken Little" and sometimes as "Chicken Licken", is a European folk tale with a moral in the form of a cumulative tale about a chicken who believes that the world is coming to an end ...
fable (2005) *''
Hoodwinked! ''Hoodwinked!'' is a 2005 computer-animated musical comedy mystery film. It retells the folktale ''Little Red Riding Hood'' as a police procedural, using backstories to show multiple characters' points of view. It was produced independently by ...
'', an animated mystery-thriller take on "
Little Red Riding Hood "Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brother ...
" (2006) *''
The Ugly Duckling and Me! ''The Ugly Duckling and Me!'' is a 2006 animated film directed by Michael Hegner and Karsten Kiilerich. Intended for a family audience, it is a modern adaptation of the 1843 fairy tale "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen Hans Ch ...
'', an animated fairy tale take on "
The Ugly Duckling "The Ugly Duckling" ( da, Den grimme ælling) is a Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was first published on 11 November 1843 in ''New Fairy Tales. First Volume#New Fairy Tales. Fir ...
" (2006) *''
Happily N'Ever After ''Happily N'Ever After'' is a 2006 computer-animated family comedy film directed by Paul J. Bolger, produced by John H. Williams, and written by Rob Moreland. It is inspired by fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen and is ...
'', an animated film poking fun at "Cinderella" and other fairy tales (2006) *'' Enchanted'', a live-action/animated
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
film poking fun at Disney fairy tale films (2007) *''
Shrek the Third ''Shrek the Third'' (also known as ''Shrek 3'') is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The se ...
'', the third installment in the ''Shrek'' series (2007) *''
Unstable Fables ''Unstable Fables'' is a trilogy of Computer animation, computer-animated films produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with Flame Ventures, Prana Studios, and The Weinstein Company. The direct-to-DVD feature-length films were distribute ...
'', a series of direct-to-video animated films poking fun at fairy tales (2008) *''
Shrek Forever After ''Shrek Forever After'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book ''Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The sequel to ''Shrek the Thi ...
'', the fourth and final installment in the ''Shrek'' series (2010) *''
Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil ''Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil'' (also known as ''Hoodwinked 2'') is a 2011 3D computer-animated spy comedy film and the sequel to 2005's ''Hoodwinked!'', directed by Mike Disa in his theatrical feature directorial debut. The film was also wr ...
'', a spy sequel to ''Hoodwinked!'' (2011) *''
Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for hi ...
'', a spin-off from the ''Shrek'' series about the character
Puss Puss may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Puss'' (magazine), Swedish magazine published between 1968 and 1973 * ''Puss'' (film), a Swedish film dated 2010 * "Puss" (song), a noise rock song dated 1992 * Tom Puss, a fictional anthro ...
, poking fun at the "
Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for hi ...
" fairy tale (2011) *''
Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure ''Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure'' is a 2013 animated fantasy comedy direct-to-video film starring Tom and Jerry, produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Tom and Jerry are the faithful servants of Jack, son of the founder of a struggling storybook a ...
'', an animated film starring the cartoon characters
Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...
, poking fun at "
Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Cole ...
" and other fairy tales (2013) *''
Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story ...
'', a live-action adaptation of the
play of the same name Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...
(2014) *'' Strange Magic'', an animated film mocking ''
Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
'' and ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
'' (2015) *'' Secret Magic Control Agency'', an animated spy take on "
Hansel and Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; german: Hänsel und Gretel ) is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister. Hansel ...
" (2021) *'' Disenchanted'', a sequel to ''Enchanted'' (2022) *'' Puss in Boots: The Last Wish'', a sequel to ''Puss in Boots'' (2022)


See also

*
Fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
*
Disney animated films This list of theatrical animated feature films consists of animated films produced or released by The Walt Disney Studios, the film division of The Walt Disney Company.This list does not include films or specials streamed on Disney+ as Disne ...


References

{{Fantasy fiction Fairy tales * Fantasy genres Genres Parodies