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To cite this article: Wolfgang Mieder (1987) Grim Variations from Fairy Tales to Modern Anti-Fairy Tales, The Germanic
Review: Literature, Culture, Theory, 62:2, 90-102, DOI: 10.1080/00168890.1987.9934196
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Grim Variations
From Fairy Tales
to Modem Anti-Fairy Tales
WOLFGANG MIEDER
he appearance of the two volumes of the and the world at large. Child psychologists, in particular
Brothers’ Grimm Kinder- und Huus- Bruno Bettelheim,’ have made a strong case for the di-
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YO
G RI M VA K I AT1ONS
Fairy tales present the world in black and white, but in wide (or at least for the Indo-European tradition), they
the end this conflict is resolved, and happiness, joy and concern themselves not at all with what is happening to
contentment become the optimistic expression of hope such well-known fairy tales in the present century.
for a world as it should be. This trust in ultimate justice There is no immediate need for additional tale-type
and the belief in the good of humanity have to be of sig- studies of such detail (although they obviously have
nificance to adults today if hope is to exist for mankind their intrinsic and respected value), since what is really
at all in an age that is anything but a fairy tale. It is not needed is bringing the existing studies up-to-date, i.e.
surprising, therefore, that the Marxist philosopher Ernst taking them from the Brothers Grimm to the present
Bloch talks so much about the utopian function of fairy day.I4 Dozens of variants in the form of rewritten
tales in his monumental work, Das Prinzip der Hoff- children’s stories, or literary reworkings, parodies and
nung, (The Principle of Hope), which appeared from satires exist, and there are also many uses of such fairy
1954-59. For him, at least some fairy tales contain tales in movies, caricatures, cartoons, comic strips,
emancipatory potential for mankind, liberating people advertisements and graffiti, which all need to be
from oppression and leading to more just societies4 documented and interpreted in regard to their function
Read and interpreted in this vein, fairy tales clearly con- and significance.
tain elements of social history from a time far removed In a most enlightening essay concerning the possibil-
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from the present. They often camouflage the trials of ity of fairy tales in the modern age, Hermann Bausinger
oppressed people against malevolent rulers, the ever argues successfully that mankind is predestined toward
present conflict between the haves and the have-nots, a type of “Marchendenken” (fairy-tale thinking), i.e.
the desire for a fairer political system and social order, mankind longs for and strives toward the happy ending
etc.’ The supposedly children’s stories conceal in part so vividly expressed in fairy tales. Even though there
the frustrations of adults, who to this day long for a bet- might be moments of regression or deviation from this
ter and fairer world, where people can in fact finally live path, people will always try to escape the status quo of
happily ever after. social reality in their longing for happiness. He too
This element of hope for social justice, fairness and refers to Ernst Bloch’s view of the fairy tale as a future-
humanity enables these traditional fairy tales to survive oriented departure toward utopia and the fact that the
today among children and adults. Their universality in biographical plots of many fairy tales thus become mir-
dealing with human questions as well as their universal rors of people on their path to a better life.’’ In this
appeal as aesthetic expressions of the resolutions of regard Max Luthi speaks of the fairy tale as presenting
these queries have occupied more psychologists and “opportunities” t o people for a “purposeful motion”
philosophers than Bruno Bet telheim and Ernst Bloch. toward a world as it ought to be.“ Jack Zipes refers to
The scholarship on the Grimm fairy tales alone is so vast this aspect as the “emancipatory potential” of fairy
by now that an individual researcher can hardly claim to tales “chart(ing) ways for us to become makers of his-
know it all. There exist, in the meantime, superb critical tory and our own destinies,”’? and Lutz Rohrich even
editions with voluminous notes by such renowned schol- talks of the “Modell-Charakter” of many fairy tales for
ars as Johannes Bolte, Georg Polivka,‘ and Heinz human emancipation from certain role expectations.’*
Rolleke,7 several detailed studies concerning the aesthet- In this regard the traditional fairy tales are in fact
ics of fairy tales by Max Luthi,’ fascinating structural therapeutic, didactic and optimistic expressions couched
investigations by Vladimir Propp,’ significant historical in symbolic language.
studies by Lutz Rohrich,”’ socio-political interpretations But many adults are unwilling or incapable of accept-
by Jack Zipes,” and many more.” Mention should also ing the positive value system of the old fairy tale as even
be made, at least in passing, of the inclusive tale-type a possibility to be hoped for, since they are too occupied
studies which have been carried out using the Finnish with real-life problems. If suffering and oppressed
geographic-historical met hod of analyzing the origin people of earlier ages created these fairy tales as an
and dissemination of individual fairy tales. There are escape valve from an unhappy and ugly reality, modern
among others Ernst Boklen’s two volumes of Schnee- people, adhering to a pessimistic if not cynical world
wittchenstudien (Leipzig 1910 and 1915), Anna Birgitta view at the expense of the optimistic nature of the fairy
Rooth’s The Cinderella Cycle (Lund 1951), Marianne tales, rather identify with the societal problems of
Rumpf‘s Rotkappchen. Eine vergleichende Unter- former times that appear to resemble their own. It has
suchung (Gottingen 1951) and more recently Michael often been remarked that the fairy tale contains its anti-
Belgrader’s Das Marchen von dem Machandelboom pode in its very essence. That is, while certain characters
(Bern 1980).” But the basic problem with these other- achieve ultimate happiness, others very drastically go to
wise excellent studies is that they document variants of their doom. To many people of the present day the ac-
these major tales only through the 19th century. While tual fairy tale is simply too far-fetched to accept, and it
they present attempts at finding the archetype of each is the anti-fairy tale that appears to give a clearer sym-
tale and its historical dissemination more or less world- bolic view o f what the human condition is really like.’’
%- - W 0L FG A NG MI E DE R
The moment one does not look at a fairy tale as a the more gruesome aspects of some fairy-tale episodes.
symbolic expression of the idea and belief that every- This is made clear in another cartoon in which a small
thing will work out in the end, the cathartic nature of boy comments to his mother who is reading him
the tale vanishes rather quickly. Rather than “enjoy- Grimms’ tales for the umpteenth time: “ ‘Witches
ing” the happy state of the fairy-tale heroes and poisoning princesses, giants falling off beanstalks,
heroines at the very end of the fairy tale, modern adults wolves terrorizing pigs . . . and you complain about
tend to concentrate on the specific problems of the fairy violence on TV!?’ ”” A German cartoon expressed this
tales since they reflect today’s social reality in a striking splendidly by taking the formula “and they lived hap-
fashion. Who after all would possibly admit to being so pily ever after” literally and juxtaposing it with present
naive and trusting as to believe in the optimism and day reality. The caption of this cartoon showing a
hope of fairy tales? A good dose of negativism is present couple sitting in front of a television set explains: “ ‘. . .
in an intellectual view of the world and also in the prag- so leben sie noch heute.’ VerlaR dich drauf, in den
matic reaction to the ills of modern society. Although at Grimmschen Marchen steckt mindestens ein halbes Dut-
times we may wish and hope for a better or even fairy- zend todsicherer Grusicals und Kriminalthriller drin!””
tale existence, we are in fact preoccupied and burdened (“ ‘. . . and they lived happily ever after.’ You can bet
with real problems which prevent us from longing for, that there are at least half a dozen sure horror and detec-
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let alone finding, that marvellous happy ending. The tive thrillers in Grimms’ fairy tales”).
positive and emancipatory vision of fairy tales appears The first fairy tale in the Brothers Grimm collection,
more often than not to be buried in a world where one The Frog Prince, certainly has been reinterpreted along
tragedy and crime chases the next. Pessimism, skep- these lines numerous times, most likely due to the fact
ticism and cynicism are rampant and perhaps too much that it deals with obligation, transformation, matura-
even for the traditional fairy tales to overcome. tion, sex and marriage.24 Such universal themes are par-
We constantly reinterpret a handful of tales by recall- ticularly relevant to the adult world, even though Den-
ing them not necessarily in their entirety, but rather by nis the Menace might naively ask his mother upon hav-
looking critically at particular problems in the individ- ing this fairy tale read to him, “How long was Dad a
ual tales. Neglecting the final positive resolution of all frog before you kissed him?”” Let’s at least hope that
problems at the end of the tales, certain of their episodes Dennis’s mother and father are happily married and
are seen as reflections of a troubled society, as a critical that his mother does not reproach her husband with,
view of the belief in perfect love, as a concern with “You kissed better when you were a frog.”26Or that the
social matters, etc. Such modern reinterpretations of father must conclude, “If you must know, yes! 1 was
fairy tales gain in pungency when contrasted with the happier when I was a frog!”” Next, we have the un-
traditional tale, that is when reality is juxtaposed with happy father sitting in a frog-like position at a pond and
the world of wishful thinking. The resulting interplay of the mother explaining to the child, “Don’t worry about
tradition and innovation not only takes place in the it, dear. Your father’s just reliving his youth.”’* And if
reinterpretations of these fairy tales or segments of them fairy-tale transformations were possible, he might even
by individuals, but also in the many modern allusions to change back into a real frog and leap back into the
fairy-tale elements in movies, advertisements, comic
strips, caricatures, cartoons, greeting cards and graffiti,
as well as in poetic reinterpretations of entire tales or
parts thereof.
ing news stories of the day: “ ‘Snow White kidnapped. “lYitclies poisoning princesses, giants fulling off
Prince released from spell. Tailor kills seven. These are beanstrriks, wolves lerroriziirg pigs . . .
the headlines. I’ll be back in a moment with the mid you coniplairr about violence oti II‘V!?”
details.’ ’’‘I Fairy-tale violence appears to be making
big news, and even children seem to react negatively to
GRIM VARIATIONS 93
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water with the woman left to comment: “He’s opted out What this person (frog) is in fact saying is that mar-
of society again.”29 While these cartoons might be jok- riage should not force a person to lose his identity.
ing reversals of the fairy tale, they put into question the Another cartoon shows this splendidly where a frog
truth of the tale by secularizing and demythologizing its faced with a princess about to kiss him argues, “But I
symbolic content..” On a more serious literary level, don’t want to be turned into a prince. I want you to ac-
Susan Mitchell has expressed this longing to get out of a cept me for what I am.”” Life at court or in today’s
marriage in her poem, “From the Journals of the Frog materialistic world is not necessarily desirable, espe-
Prince” (1978), in a caring and understanding fashion. cially not if it means giving up a more contented life.
What at first seemed to be a fairy-tale transformation Thus a frog can even be ridiculed by his peers for having
has proven to be a curse in a world where perfect mar- such transformation thoughts: “I’m a frog, you’re a
riages are not possible: frog. Hell, we’re all frogs. Except, of course, for Prince
[...I Charming over there.”” Again we have a poetic
Night after night I lie beside her. reworking of this idea in a poem by Hyacinthe Hill so
“Why is your forehead so cool and damp?” she asks. appropriately called “Rebels from Fairy Tales” (no
Her breasts are soft and dry as flour. date):
The hand that brushes my head is feverish.
At her touch 1 long for wet leaves, We are the frogs who will not turn to princes.
the slap of water against rocks. We will not change our green and slippery skin
for one so lily-pale and plain, so smooth
“What were you thinking of?” she asks. it seems to have no grain. We will not leave
How can 1 tell her our leap, our spring, [. . .]
1 am thinking of the green skin We scorn their warm, dry princesses. We’re proud
I.. .I of our own bug-eyed brides with bouncing strides.
“What are you thinking of?” she whispers. Keep your magic. We are not such fools.
I am staring into the garden. Here is the ball without a claim on it.
I am watching the moon We may begin from the same tadpoles, but
wind its trail of golden slime around the oak, we’ve thought a bit, and will not turn to men.34
over the stone basin of the fountain.
How can I tell her In this regard, consider finally the wonderful German
I am thinking that transformations are not forever?” cartoon from the perspective of the frogs, where a kid-
0.l
WOLFGANG
- M I E Dt.K
frog begs his mummy: “Lies noch ma1 den Teil vor, in the deceptive frog has obviously gotten the young
der der harjliche Prinz ein hubscher Frosch wird!”” woman to kiss him without his miraculously changing
(Read that part again where the ugly prince becomes a into a prince. His sly comment is simply, “Funny! I
beautiful frog!) What a wonderfully humoroils and yet usually turn into a handsome prince.’”* But in a Pent-
telling inversion of the fairy tale motif! house cartoon we find the frog in a n animalistic sex act
Concerning the kiss scene, there is of course the fear with the princess who can only comment, “Hey, I
of the unknown, be it merely a sexual encounter or a thought you were supposed to change into a prince
more lasting relationship. Charles Addams, for exam- first,’’41 and a second cartoon from this magazine shows
ple, drew a somewhat timid young woman next to a the frog putting on his frogsuit after the sexual act and
large overwhelming frog with the caption, “Aber woher slyly saying, “ I lied!”LZ An additional poem by Phyllis
sol1 ich denn wissen, darj d u ein verzauberter Prinz Thompson entitled “ A Fairy Tale” (1969) may bring
bist?”“ (But how a m 1 supposed to know that you are the sexual preoccupation with this tale t o a close. She
an enchanted prince?). 4 more sophisticated modern t o o describes once more the bedroom scene of the fairy
princess doubtingly confronts the would-be seducer tale, but obviously in a vocabulary and directness which
with the question, “You really expect me to believe that destroy the magic of human love involving sex:
you’re a prince?” ” Another young woman is concerned
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crowned king, and 1975 was a very bad year for a parody of a society in which outward appearance is
king^.''^' Perhaps the new tax bill might help him as was more highly valued than ethical convictions. In the case
caricaturized by two frogs with signs “Kiss me-I’m of Snow White, it is the universally known verse, “Mir-
really a handsome G O P Tax Maybe even the ror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
prime rate might go down if someone dares t o kiss yet which has served innumerable times as an attention-
another obese frog claiming, “He’s a n enchanted prime getting advice to shock people into a critical analysis of
rate.”4’ While these cartoons use the positive symbol of their own selves or of problems surrounding them.
the kiss-scene of the fairy tale, they are in fact negating Imagine the disappointed look o n the woman’s face,
its utopian significance. There is n o hope expressed in who after having asked the standard question, “Mirror,
these modern variations, but instead one senses an over- mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” re-
powering clash of the magic and the real. Even if the ceived the answer, “Elizabeth Taylor,”“ in a 1957 New
kiss were t o take place, the economic problems would Yorker cartoon. Other women, realizing that they are
remain in the form of only a slightly deflated frog. n o match to such competition, rephrase the question to a
Turning t o a few last political allusions to the fairy safer, “Who’s the greatest Mom of them all?”s” or
tale The Frog Prince, we have o n e frog commenting to “ W h o is the fairest o n e of all, and state your so~rces!’’~‘
another, “ I can only hope when I become a prince again And if the mirror, as it is likely t o d o , gives an unsatisfac-
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it [my kingdom] hasn’t changed into a democracy.”-”’ tory answer, the reaction is quick and to the point:
Hope springs eternal for the prince, but obviously he “Well, then, who’s the most intelligent?’’sh or “Oh,
doesn’t want any change in the political stafus quo. yeah? Well, I’ve seen better-looking mirrors, too!”” Of
There was also a n interesting cartoon in 1983 showing course there are also the defeatists who don’t give the
the entire women’s vote represented by a princess con- mirror a chance since they know that some “Snow
fronting the democratic contenders with the comment, White” will obviously beat them out: “Mirror, mir-
“Just wait a minute now! Let me get this straight . . . . A ror-I know, why belabor the point . . .”’H or “Mirror,
kiss will turn one of you Democrats into a President?!”5’ mirror, o n the wall, go to hell.”5“ But there is always
But the magic didn’t work, since political reality refuses hope, and in the modern technological world an aggres-
to be patterned after fairy tales. Even more bitter in its sive woman would definitely turn from a mirror to a
satire is another political caricature showing the strained much more objective and reliable computer. After com-
relations between the Reagan administration and the plicated calculations, she is able t o read the print-out to
Soviet Union. The artist has changed the Soviet Union her female competitors with much spite and self-
into a n ugly toad called Olga whom Prince Reagan is assurance: “ I t says I’m the fairest one of all! So
about to kiss. T h e stage directions for this absurd en- there!”60 Even though she might have won this gro-
counter read “. . . Then, when I kiss you, Olga, you tesque beauty contest, the cartoonist clearly wants t o
turn from a n ugly old toad into a not-too-bad looking satirize this preoccupation with appearance. The ends
broad, and we live more-or-less happily ever after.”s2 that some women are willing t o go to in order to beau-
All that we can hope is that o u r political leaders will at tify themselves are fittingly ridiculed in a cartoon where
least succeed in maintaining a world balance in which a woman sits in front of a mirror surrounded by dozens
we can, in fact, live “more-or-less happily ever after.” of cosmetic items. She t o o asks the traditional question,
They have already succeeded in alienating us from the ‘‘Mirror, mirror, o n the wall, who’s the fairest of them
belief in magic fairy tales, but the fact that we con- all?” but the answer by the “advertising” mirror is,
tinuously draw on old fairy-tale motifs t o comment on “Just keep spending, sweetheart, it could be YOU!"^' We
o u r human comedy here o n earth is ample proof that wouldn’t be surprised if this woman were to buy a new
hope still exists for a transformation of humanity type of handy mirror along with her cosmetics that was
toward a higher level of social consciousness. In every advertised with four pictures and the appropriate slogan:
humorous or satirical allusion t o a fairy tale is hidden a “Mirror Mirror. O n the wall. O n the desk. O n the shelf.
statement of how things ought t o be, and in this eman- O n the door.”” In comparison, how much more relevant
cipatory thrust lies the significance of fairy tales such as and significant is an article o n various concepts of female
The Frog Prince for adults, in addition to recalling fond beauty at different ages, from Nefertiti to Rubens’
memories of childhood days long passed. female figures and others. Befittingly, the journalist
chose the headline “Mirror, Mirror o n the Wall . . .”h3
fishy-stale in her innocent linens? Spiegel” (The Mirror) (c. 1940) by Max Herrmann-
What are their little penises like, Snow White?” Neil3e that miraculously survived a major war. The
[. * .I poem closes with the question which all people ask their
politicians: “Spieglein, Spieglein, an der Wand, wann
As in this poem, the dwarfs in sexual cartoons also seem kommt der Friede diesem Land?”’” (Mirror, mirror on
to be unable to forget the wonderful girl with whom the wall, when will peace come to this land?) No doubt
they enjoyed common sexual activities. That such mat- the mirror oracle will be questioned for many centuries
ters went on, as far as the adult interpretation of the to come, since questions of identity, beauty, etc., will
fairy tale is concerned, is well documented in a cartoon always plague mankind.
in Playboy magazine in which the dwarfs are listlessly
showing up for their morning work. The explanation
given is: “Snow White withheld her favors this morn-
ing, so we all got up Grumpy.”73 There are also
In his interpretation of the Hansel und Gretel fairy
tale Bruno Bettelheim states that “the gingerbread
house is an image nobody forgets,”” and judging by the
American and German cartoons showing the dwarfs at many allusions to it in modern texts and illustrations, it
the window of the palace where Snow White now lives definitely has been implanted in our consciousness.
her life with her prince husband. The American caption Who wouldn’t want to give in to his oral greed and nib-
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quite pointedly has Snow White send her former ble on all those wonderful goodies? The temptation cer-
“lovers” away with the statement: “Can’t you get it tainly is always there for children and adults to give in to
through your heads? That part of my life is over!”74 the drive of the taste buds. Even if Hansel and Gretel
while the German drawing by Horst Haitzinger has the stand in front of a marvellous gingerbread house that
prince ask his bride “Hast du eigentlich noch Kontakt displays a sign drawing attention to the fact that the
zu deinen Freunden von friiher, S~hneewittchen?”~~ sweets are “Containing glucose, dry skimmed milk, oil
(Are you still in contact with your former boyfriends, of peppermint, dextrose, etc.,”” they probably will not
Snow White?) There is also a cartoon in which the be able to control their desire. There is always Alka
prince finds the seven dwarfs in bed with Snow White. Seltzer for immediate relief after gorging oneself, as can
This scene results in his resolute declaration: “Jetzt will be seen from a splendid three-frame comic strip: the
ich aber mit diesen sieben Zwergen ein Wortchen reden,
S~hneewittchen!”~~ (Now I really want to have a word
with these seven dwarfs, Snow White.)
Yet there obviously are more serious reinterpretations
of the seven dwarfs as well. Consider for example the
following three political cartoons that make U.S. presi-
dents into grotesque Snow Whites. Ridiculing our in-
volvement in Southeast Asia, a cartoon from 1970 in
Punch shows former President Nixon as a democratic
peace-bringer followed by seven dwarfs turned generals,
each with a briefcase labeling his respective country:
“South Vietnam, South Korea, Cambodia, Thailand,
Taiwan, Indonesia and Laos.” The caption puts this en-
tire democratization plan into question by stating:
“Snow White and the Seven Experiments.”” During
the Watergate scandal, Nixon also was drawn as Snow
White surrounded by his dwarf-like cronies. This time
the caption is a mere “Snow White,”7xwhich suffices to
place the conniving Nixon into a shocking juxtaposition
with the pure Snow White of the fairy tale. The presi-
dential advisors involved in the cover-up also absolutely
negate the innocent dwarfs of the traditional tale. In a
final political caricature, we have President Reagan as
Snow White with his little helpers surrounding him. No
caption is necessary, but seven of the politicians with
whom Reagan has surrounded himself have names on
their shirts which pervert those sweet Walt Disney labels
“Jetzt will ich aber mit diesen
in a most telling manner: “Sleazy, Shifty, Cozy, Slick,
Easy, Porky and G r a b b ~ . ” ~On
’ yet a more serious sieben Zwergen ein Wortchen
note, there is finally also a German poem about “Der reden, Schneewittchen !I’
98 ~ ~ ~~~
Just as in the cartoon, Hansel and Gretel are interpreted the symbolic nature of these tales, we are bound to em-
here as juvenile delinquents who really don’t get much phasize the gruesome isolated scenes since they reflect
of a punishment. This opens up a whole new question life all around us. But the fact that fairy tales too appear
about the character of Hansel and Gretel, who, like so to have inhuman scenes should certainly not be an ex-
many primitive fairy-tale heroes, have committed a cuse for realistic actions. Fairy tales must be seen in
most serious crime. The German poet Josef Wittmann their entirety, or otherwise they will be as disenchanting
treats this question in his short “Hansel und Gretel” as the news of the day. Once again realizing the pessi-
poem (1976): mistic world view that understandably surrounds US, it
is only natural that such negative reinterpretations have
Nichts als die Not gehabt, become popular. But in all of that despair there is also
erwischt beim Stehlen, always that glimmer of hope that something will some-
eingesperrt ,
ausgebrochen
day come of us, just as it did of Hansel and Gretel.
und ihren Warter dabei umgebracht. Our final examples turn grimmer yet: we find a maga-
Und aus denen, zine cover of The Economist with a rather traditional
meinst du, drawing of Hansel and Gretel approaching the witch’s
sol1 noch ma1 was ~ e r d e n ? ! ~ ’ house, but with the interesting headline: “West Ger-
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existence. Although they themselves are scarcely real, Mommsen (eds.), hairy rules us U a w of Knowing. Essu.v3 on M u r -
chen in Ps.vcho1og.v. Sociery und Lirerurure (Bern: Peter Lang. 1984).
they represent real things. The glass beads of the fairy
See also the eighteen studies o n the fairy tale of Cmderellu alone which
tale mirror the world.”’“ Recalling one more time the Alan Dundes edited in the volume Cinderella. A Folklore Casehook
drive toward the positive solution of all conflicts in fairy (New York: Garland Publishing. 1982).
tales, where good wins out over evil in the end, the 13. For these remarkable studies see Ernst Boklen, Schneewirr-
chensrudien. 2 vols. (Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1910 and 1915); Anna
modern anti-fairy tales represent, in spite of their grim Birgitta Rooth, The Cinderella Cycle (L.und: C . W . K . Gleerup, 1951);
variations of traditional Grimm fairy tales, a con- Marianne Rumpf, Rorkappchen. Eine vergleichende Unrersuchung
tinuous movement toward improving the human condi- (Diss. Gottingen, 1951); Michael Helgrader, Dus Murchen won dern
Machandelboom IKHM 47). Der Marchenfypus A T 720: M y Morher
tion. Fairy tales were always meant t o be emancipatory Slew M e , M.v Farher A l e M e (Bern: Peter Lang, 1980).
tales for people of all ages, and we need them, as well as 14. See in this iegard Joseph R y a n ’ s pioneering article “Folklore
their survival forms, t o cope in a n ever more complex and Mass-Lore,” Sourh Atlunric Bullerin 36 (1971): 3-9, in which he
argued that “there is n o reason why the Finnish method employed so
world. successfully in the field of folktales could not be applied to the study
of the transmission and migration of modern mass-lore rumors”
The University of Vermont (p. 9). We propose that the Finnish method be used to study the dis-
semination of modern texts and allusions to certain fairy tales in the
mass media o n an international basis. See also Priscilla Denby, “Folk-
lore in the Mass Media,” Folklore Forum 4, no. 5 (1971): 113-125;
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36. Charle5 Addams. ES war eitit~iul. . . .4drIanis und Eva (Mun- 1977) 84. The cartoon was publi\hed in Pardon magazine in 1975. A
zhen: Deutscher Tarchenbuch Lcrlag. 1971). no pp. given. similar cartoon is to be found in L u t z Rohrich. Der W i c . Figurer7,
37. New Yorker (February 5 , 1966) 46. Fi~rnien,Funkrronen (Stuttgart: Metzler, 1977) 72a.
38. Chsnivpolriun (Novembcr 1982) 31X. 77. Punch (July I , 1970) 33.
39. PluJhoy (August 1977) 152. 78. Mike Peters, The Ni.von Chronrcles (DaytonIOhio: 1.orcni
40. Reprinted in Mieder (note 24) 30-31. Pre\\. 1976) 92.
41. See for example the Adult Erotica Carulog published by 79. Burlingron Free Press (April 9. 1984) 5A. Regarding fairy tale
Di\er\e Industrie\ in California. The Spring Catalog 1978 contained movies see Kay F. Stone, “Fairy Tales for Adults: Walt Disney’q
adkertisements for such film\ with appropriate illustrations on p. 10. Arncricanization of the ‘Marchen,’ ” in Folklore on Two Continent.s.
each film costing $12.95. Essuvs in Honor of Linda Degh, ed. by Nikolai Burlakoff and Carl
42. Punch (June 29, 1%) 958. ILindahl (Bloomington/Indiana: Trickster Press, 1980) 40-48.
43. Pentliouse (November 1977) 178. 80. The poem is printed in Deutsche Gedichte 193@/960, ed. by
44. Penthou.se (April 1976) 40. Hans Bender (Stuttgart: Reclam, 1983) 106-107.
45. Reprinted in Mieder (note 24) 28.
81. See Bettelheim (note 3) 161.
46. Bra//lehoro Reformer (June 29. 1978) 4.
82. The New Yorker. Albuni 41 Drawings 1925-1975 (New York:
47. Sutirrrfu.v Revrew (May 29, 1976) 38.
Viking Press, 1975) no pp. given.
48. New York Times (August 2, 1981).
49. Newrweek (November 12. 1979) 85. 83. Mad (December 1974) 28.
50. Sorirrriyv Re\*iew (November 2 , 1963) 13. 84. Punch (April 6, 1983) 38.
51. Los Angeles Times (Nobember 10, 1983) section 2. p. 7. 8 5 . Pla-vbo-v (August 1969) 133.
52. Burlrtigion Free Press (January 26, 1984) 8A. 86. Die LVelrwvche (3. November 1982) 41.
53. .New Yorker (July 27, 1957) 69. 87. New Yorker (October 20. 1975) 45.
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24. New Yvrker (October 2, 1965) 53. 88. New Yorker (December 26, 1977) 31.
55. N e w Yvrker (December 10, 1984) 54. 89. Betrer Hon7e.s and Gardens (March 1977) 194.
56. New Yorker (March 27. 1965) 42. 90. Nufionul Lampoon (October 1976) 81.
57. New Yorker (January 2 , 1965) 26. 91. New Yorker (June 13. 1977) 39.
58. Co.srtiopolitun (October 1981) 274. 92. Punch (December 6 . 1978) 1008.
59. New Yorker (July 23, 1979) 61. 93. Punch (December 2, 1981) 1014.
60. New Yorker (February 16, 1963) 35.
94. Punch (March 24, 1982) 465.
61. Birrlington Free Press (December 1 1 , 1978) IOA.
95. Sun Francisco Chronicle (March 21, 1980) 5.
62. Photo Plu.v (January 1975) 1 . For studies on folklore and ad- 96. Reprinted in Mieder (note 24) 66.
vcrtising see Otto Corner. “Reklame und Volkskunde,” Mirrel- 97. Mieder. Gritnms Murchen-modern (note 24) 24. For a much
rfeutxhe Blurrer fiir Volkskunde 6 (1931): IW-126; Julian Mason, longer prose version in which a retarded Hansel becomes the murderer
“Some Uses of Folklore in Advertising.” Tennessee Folklore Society of his mother see Andra Diefenthaler’s short story “Hansel” (1932) in
Bulletin 20 (1954): 58-61; Alan Dundes, “Advertising and Folklore,” The Besr Short Stories of (932. ed. Edward J. O’Brien (New York:
New York Folklore Quarter@ 19 (1963): 143-151; and Lutz Rohrich, Dodd, Mead and Company. 1932) 101-107.
“lolklore and Advertising,” in Folklore Studies in the Twentieth 98. Reprinted in Mieder (note 24) 68.
Centirrv, ed. by Venetia Newall (WoodbridgeAJK: Brewer, 1978) 99. The Economist (August 11-17, 1984) cover page.
114-1 15. 100. Burlington Free Press (December 4. 1982) 1 IA.
63. Time (March 6, 1978) 54, 101. Nebelspulter, N r . 38 (21. September 1982) 8.
64. New Yorker (January 8. 1966) 34. 102. Reprinted in Mieder (note 24) 60.
6 5 . Plu.vbv.v (December 1978) 315. For an obxene female counter- 103. Burlington Free Press (April I I , 1981) 8A.
part to this sexual cartoon see Hustler (February 1979) 84. 104. Mike Peters, Win one for /he Geezer. The Carfoons (New
66. Saturday Review/World (December 18. 1973) 49. York: Bantam Books, 1982) 79.
67. Herbert Block. Herhlvck Special Repor! (New York: Norton. 105. The Buffalo News ( J u l y 28, 1985) comics section, no pp.
1974) 54. The cartoon dates from January 2, 1960. given. For an introduction to folklore materials in comic strips \ce
68. Der Spiegel, N r . 28 (7. Juli 1975) 70. Rolf Wilhelm Brednich, “Die Comic Strips als Gegenstand der Er-
69. The Econoniist (June 14, 1985) cover page. tahlforschung.” Paper distributed at the V I . Congress of the Inrerna-
70. Burlington Free Press (June 23, 1983) 7D. rionul Socret.v ,fbr Folk-Narrutit*e Research (Helsinki, Junc 10-21,
71. Ne6elspalter. Nr. 31 (29. Juli 1980) 29. 1974) I9 pp. Compare alFo the earlier paper by Grace Partridge Smith.
72. Reprinted in Mieder (note 24) 153-154. “The Plight o f the bolktale in the Comics.” Southerti Folklore Quur-
73. Plavbqv (September 1979) 179. rer/v 16 (1952): 124-127.
74. Plavho.v (April 1977) 129. 106. See Werner Psaar and Manfred Klein. Wer hut Angst vor &r
75. See Horst Haitzinger, Archetjpen (Munchen: Brucknidnn, /xisen GejJ3? Zur Murchendiduktik und Marchenrezepprion (Braun-
1979) 43. Other sexual cartoons can be found in Playboy (August \c.hweip: Georg Westermann. 1976, 1980) 63.
1977) 150; Penthouse (December 1977) 214; Plqvgirl (January 1984) 107. See L u t h i , Do.? eirropaische Volh-smurchen(note 8 ) 69. For the
94. See a150 the obscene joke which parallels these visual interpreta- Lnglish translation of this significant book by John D. Niles 5ec I.uthi
tions in Playhoy (March 1982) 132. (note 6) 74.
76. Pardon. Voni Besten (Frankfurt: Pardon Verlagsgesellschaft. IOX. 1.uthi (note 6 ) 80.