# Disney movies: Where are all the Moms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388 "2003-07-14T15:09:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/21 "2003-07-14T23:06:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Freaky Friday has a Mom. Yeah, but _Freaky Friday_ is a modern book, not a fairy tale. Collect them all: _Freaky Friday_, _A billion for Boris_ and _Summer switch_! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/22 "2003-07-14T23:17:18Z")
Just to nitpick, but not only does **Mulan** have a mom and dads, it also has a live-in grandmother (though it’s never specified whether she’s the maternal grandma or the paternal grandma). And IMO, the two-parents-and-two-kids-and-mom’s-preggers bit from **The Emperor’s New Groove** should count. ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/23 "2003-07-15T01:19:44Z")
As to the original _Jungle Book_ story: Shere Khan is out hunting for Man one night and tries to pounce on a woodcutter, barely missing. Everyone in the woodcutters’ camp panics and scatters. A toddler in the camp, his parents having run off, wanders into the jungle and fortunately happens to run into Raksha the she-wolf, who names the baby Mowgli and protects him from Shere Khan. Later on, when Mowgli’s 10 or 12, he decided to leave the jungle and go live in the human village. The villagers immediately say he looks like Messua’s son Nathoo “who was taken by the tiger.” Messua adopts Mowgli and tries calling him Nathoo at first, but eventually decides that he can’t be Nathoo because he looks like he’s been living in the wilderness for too long. So it’s kind of ambiguous whether or not Mowgli really is Nathoo. Anyway, whether or not she’s his biological mom, Mowgli does have two maternal figures in the book - Raksha and Messua - both of whom play much more prominent roles there than in the movie. (Raksha does appear in the movie, but very briefly. Mowgli’s wolf-father has slightly more to do, which is a little odd since he’s the less prominent of the two in the book and doesn’t even get a name there. Messua is nowhere to be seen, although I guess maybe she’s in this “Jungle Book 2” thing.) It’s kind of a shame - I always really loved the scene where Raksha faces down Shere Khan just after adopting Mowgli. In _The Lion King_, Simba’s mother Sarabi does have a fairly big role - after Mufasa’s death and Simba’s exile, Scar blames Sarabi for the fact that the lionesses can’t find any prey, and IIRC it’s very vaguely implied that Scar might be pressuring Sarabi to marry him. After Simba comes back, Sarabi’s the one who recognizes him. Heck, Nala’s mother even makes an appearance, although I think she only has maybe one line (and they stayed far away from the issue of Nala’s father, for fairly obvious reasons). It’s probably got more parents in it than just about any other Disney animated movie. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/24 "2003-07-15T01:31:11Z")
Here’s what I’ve said in previous threads. As best as I can tell, this has zilch to do with Disney. Kids’ stories tend not to have parents. Adults’ stories do sometimes, and don’t sometimes. If you compare Disney’s G-rated and “family” films with most kids’ stories, I bet you’ll see a comparable ratio. I don’t think _Pirates of the Caribbean_ should be in this class, though. I don’t know why people seem to notice it primarily with Disney. Maybe people just don’t realize the difference between a kids’ movie and a Disney movie. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/25 "2003-07-15T01:37:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by genie \* > \*\*Yeah, but _Freaky Friday_ is a modern book, not a fairy tale. Collect them all: _Freaky Friday_, _A billion for Boris_ and _Summer switch_! \*\* True. But the OP did not specify just fairy tales: > [@](#): > > Where are all the Mother’s in Disney movies? Oh, I forgot about _A Billion for Boris_. It’s been so long since I read it that I don’t remember the plot. And _Summer Switch_? I never even heard of that. I’ll have to check out that one. Thanks for letting me know about that third book, **genie**. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/26 "2003-07-15T03:33:26Z")
How could a Disney character have any adventures with their moms driving them to soccer practice and piano lessons? How could they feel misunderstood if their mom constantly has them in the kitchen making cookies for the Scouts bakesale? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/27 "2003-07-15T04:29:56Z")
Didn’t Simba’s mother give that closing speech to Scar about how bad things are now vs. how they once were? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/28 "2003-07-15T10:41:54Z")
In Disney’s **Hercules** , Herc has _two_ complete sets of parents, one mortal and one immortal. Heck, the Disney version’s even more family-friendly that the original story (Hera, not Hades, was the one who had it in for Herc, as she was pissed at Zeus for dipping his lightning bolt in the mortal well again). Some more Studio Ghibili films: **Totoro** - Dad’s raising the girls (with the help of the old lady next door) while Mom’s sick in the hospital. **Grave of the Fireflies** - Both parents dead (or assumed dead in the case of Dad), and the aunt and uncle throw the kids out to starve. Did Nausicaa have a Mom? ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/29 "2003-07-15T12:56:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*And IMO, the two-parents-and-two-kids-and-mom’s-preggers bit from **The Emperor’s New Groove** should count. \*\* That is true, but only from one side of the spectrum. Emperor Kuzco is only eighteen-years of age. No mention of his mother is made (in fact, his advisor Yzma mentions that she practically raised him herself), and I assume his father died and that’s why he’s now Emperor. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/30 "2003-07-15T13:09:12Z")
(Mulan’s grandmother would be her father’s mother, of course. Traditional Chinese culture being what it is, its very unlikely it would be her mother’s mother). ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/31 "2003-07-15T16:19:32Z")
Lady, of _Lady and the Tramp_ became a mom at the end of the movie, as did her human owner “Darling”. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/32 "2003-07-15T16:33:43Z")
_Treasure Planet_. Hero had a mother, no father. ---
**Author:** ![Loneraven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Loneraven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loneraven)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/33 "2003-07-15T17:09:47Z")
I just saw _Finding Nemo._ The moment I saw the opening few moments of the film, I thought about opening a thread like this. I loved the film, but killing off the kid’s mother seconds after the opening titles? _shakes head_ Although, I must admit it does work. Having the father take on the fussy, mothering role was one of my favourite parts of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/34 "2003-07-15T17:56:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by king of spain \* > **Later on, when Mowgli’s 10 or 12, he decided to leave the jungle and go live in the human village. The villagers immediately say he looks like Messua’s son Nathoo “who was taken by the tiger.” Messua adopts Mowgli and tries calling him Nathoo at first, but eventually decides that he can’t be Nathoo because he looks like he’s been living in the wilderness for too long. So it’s kind of ambiguous whether or not Mowgli really is Nathoo.** I had thought that she assumed he couldn’t be Nathoo because he couldn’t have survived in the jungle since he was a baby. But that since we knew he had, we knew he was. But it’s been a while since I read it. ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/35 "2003-07-15T22:20:49Z")
Found the relevant excerpt from the story: > [@](#): > > she laid her hand on his head and looked into his eyes; for she thought perhaps that he might be her real son come back from the jungle where the tiger had taken him. So she said, “Nathoo, O Nathoo!” Mowgli did not show that he knew the name. “Dost thou not remember the day when I gave thee thy new shoes?” She touched his foot, and it was almost as hard as horn. “No,” she said sorrowfully, “those feet have never worn shoes, but thou art very like my Nathoo, and thou shalt be my son.” ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/36 "2003-07-16T00:36:13Z")
> [@](#): > > True. But the OP did not specify just fairy tales…[snip] > Oh, I forgot about A Billion for Boris. It’s been so long since I read it that I don’t remember the plot. And Summer Switch? I never even heard of that. I’ll have to check out that one. Yeah, I was just thinking of the part where somebody said that most of the motherless movies are fairy tales, which hardly ever have a mother in them. Anyway, _Summer switch_ is about Apeface and Dad, who switch bodies for awhile at Apeface’s summer camp. I personally like _A billion for Boris_ best. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/37 "2003-07-16T01:38:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeadlyAccurate \* > \*\*_Treasure Planet_. Hero had a mother, no father. \*\* And this one is a case where in the original story _Treasure Island_, the hero had both a mother and a father. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/38 "2003-07-16T02:18:09Z")
In the first six Pokemon games (red, blue, yellow, gold, silver, crystal) the protagonist only has a mother (though to be fair, those really are just two games with slight differences). In the last two (ruby and saphire) a dad finally shows up. Kenshin of Ruroni Kenshin was an ophran and maybe even a slave if I understood the flashback correctly. My point: I dunno. Its’ not that uncommon I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/39 "2003-07-16T02:31:29Z")
Since people have brought in anime, a friend of mine once asked me if it was common for Japanese teens to live on their own. I was pretty surprised by this question, as Japanese _adults_ often live with their parents until they get married. I couldn’t think where on earth she’d get such a strange idea. Well, turns out she’d been watching too much anime and figured that since the teen heroes and heroines often had no parents around then Japanese kids must often live alone. Somehow it hadn’t occured to her that the teen heroes and heroines in American cartoons usually don’t have parents present either. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388/40 "2003-07-17T01:13:08Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by NoGoodNamesLeft_ > > I’d expect missing people to be more of a trend nowadays when kids are more often growing up without someone in theor lives, but I was puzzled to see this go sa far back when the “nuclear family” was the norm. Most of the classic Disney movies are based on much, much older fairy tales–stories that date from a time when the mortality rate, especially among childbearing women, was far higher than it is now. For children in medieval Europe, losing their mother was a much more realistic possibility than it is today. Marina Warner has written a very interesting book, _From the Beast to the Blonde: Fairy Tales and Their Tellers_. In it, she makes the point that the “wicked stepmother” was not a far-fetched archetype, but a very real possibility in families that often had the children of two different mothers competing for scarce resources (inheritance, dowries, etc.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disney-movies-where-are-all-the-moms/188388.md?page=1)