Transcript What Makes a Repulsive Frog So Appealing? Article by Zipes

WHAT MAKES A REPULSIVE
FROG SO APPEALING?
BY: JACK ZIPES
Presentation by:
Katrina Markowicz
Aurora Stoica
Lauren O’Neill
THESIS

It is important to explore why tales from oral
tradition have been transformed throughout the
years and why they stick with us as memes.


Accomplish this using theories from the various
sciences, such as social sciences, evolutionary
psychology, and cultural anthropology.
Meme: “Cultural artifact that acts as a cultural
replicator or cultural adaptor that manages to
inhabit our brains (essentially becomes
memorable).”
CLAIM #1
TALES STICK AROUND

Tales stick around because they are
revealing of certain aspects of both our
social lives and human behavior; this makes
them memetic.
Almost everyone knows the story of the Frog King
even if they don’t know how it has transformed into a
literary version, but the story sticks with us and the
appeal transforms it into different avenues.
 Particularly, “The Frog Prince”, gives insight into
mating and courting behaviors that can be traced
back hundreds to thousands of years.

CLAIM #2
MEMORABLE MEMES

The versions of the “Frog King” by the
Grimm Brothers are “artistically shaped,
prepared, and stabilized” to make it so
memorable that we, as a culture, talk about
it and pass it on to others.

This version is memetic according to Zipes because it
is relevant to culture and provides information
important in demonstrating how to act in society,
specifically “sexual selection, reproduction, and
evolution as culture.” (Zipes, 111)
CLAIM #3
IRON HEINRICH IMPORTANCE

The tale “The Frog Prince; or Iron
Heinrich” provides an example of how tales
can be revealing of human nature. It
provides important information on the
process of mate selection, reproduction, and
in general, the evolution of culture.
CLAIM #4
SCIENCE/NATURAL SCIENCE
THEORIES
The propagation of a meme within society
can largely be compared to the propagation
of particular genes within a population.
 Theories about the brain and evolutionary
psychology help explain how fairy tale
memes change.

Dawkins
 Genes


Humanities and natural sciences help
explain how culture evolves and how folk
and fairy tales support this cultural
evolution.

Wilson and Sperber
CLAIM #5
SHIFT IN FAIRYTALE TRADITION

Fairytales will only be viewed as a meme if it is
preserved and replicated using a sociohistorical lens to incorporate the purpose of the
relevant topic (sexual selection)

The Grimm’s “The Frog Prince” is guaranteed to be
preserved and replicated because:
1) The 1857 version (the most told/well known version) is not
forgotten because of retellings.
2) Variations of the story are generated in terms of specific
cultural discourses to communicate information of alterations
of the original message.

The kiss replaces the wall slam and sleeping in the same bed
in some versions.



Major shift in “Frog Prince” tradition
Implies changing viewpoint in mate selection
Feminist movement of 1960s – Self Help books contributes to
this
CLAIM #5 CONT
ADAPTATIONS

Children/early teens’ books

sexual elements in a comical fashion or eliminated;
questions mating rules.


Novels for young readers


show a gender switch
focus is less on mating; more on finding one’s own identity
(both still present)


E. D. Baker’s The Frog Princess (2002): self-reflection  mate
selection
Adult literature

focus on mating process, false promises, and marriage.


Jackie Mims Hopkins’ The Horned Toad Prince (2000): Prince
leaves, beauty isn’t enough to stay
Nancy Springer’s Fair Peril (1996): illusion; stand on her own
feet
Zipes concludes that all of these variations contribute
to the “Frog Prince’s” ability to continue to be a meme
playing a role in mating norms.
OTHER SCHOLARSHIP

Haase

Purposeful deviations in story that destroys message


Talairach-Vielmas

Gender roles change with time  cultural shift of
tale


Zipes: culture causes the deviation to fit norms
Zipes’ argument is similar, but focuses on mate selection
changes
Hearne

Fairy tales undergo changes and adaptations because
of cultural changes

Zipes would agree, but adds that adaption occurs because of
the memetic ability of the tale
ARGUMENT

Strong argument? Yes.

Uses examples from various other scholars and
professionals

Haig, Sforza, Dawkins, Wilson and Sperber
Applies theories from various disciplines such as
science, the social sciences, evolutionary psychology,
and cultural anthropology
 Uses many examples of adaptations of the Frog
Prince to demonstrate his thesis

helps solidify the idea that tales become altered and
adapted
 Shows how fairytales stay relevant to current society

CONCLUSION

The memetic significance of a fairy tale has been
integrated into society and passed down through
tradition so much that it is seen through mass
communication avenues. This becomes even more
integrated into society that it is transformed
throughout history to change the oral tradition
that people believe originated with their
ancestors.