document_title: The Princess and the Frog

question_text: who plays princess tiana in princess and the frog

root

text: The Princess and the Frog

text: Plot[edit]

text: In 1912 New Orleans a seamstress, Eudora, is reading the story of The Frog Prince to her daughter, Tiana, and her friend, Charlotte La Bouff. Charlotte finds the story to be romantic, while Tiana proclaims she will never kiss a frog. Fourteen years later, Tiana has grown into an aspiring young chef who works as a waitress for two local diners, so she can save enough money to start her own restaurant, a dream she shared with her deceased father James.

tag: p

text: Prince Naveen of Maldonia arrives in New Orleans to better his financial situation. After being cut off by his parents, Naveen intends to marry a rich southern belle, and Charlotte is the perfect candidate. Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff, a rich sugar baron and Charlotte's father, is hosting a masquerade ball in Naveen's honor. Charlotte hires Tiana to make beignets for the ball, giving her enough money to buy an old sugar mill to convert into her restaurant.

text: Meanwhile, Naveen and his valet, Lawrence, meet Dr. Facilier, a voodoo witch doctor who plans to rule the city of New Orleans. Inviting them into his emporium, Facilier convinces them that he can make their dreams come true, but neither man gets what they are expecting; Naveen is transformed into a frog, while Lawrence is given a voodoo charm that makes him resemble Naveen. Facilier intends for Lawrence to marry Charlotte, after which he will kill Big Daddy and claim his fortune.

text: At the ball, Tiana discovers she may lose the mill to a higher bidder. Tiana then meets Naveen, who, believing her to be a princess because of her costume, asks her to kiss him and break Facilier's spell. In exchange for the money needed, Tiana accepts, but when she kisses Naveen, she is turned into a frog herself. A chase ensues, and Tiana and Naveen escape to a bayou.

text: At the bayou, Tiana and Naveen meet Louis, a trumpet-playing alligator who longs to be human, and Ray, a Cajun firefly who is in love with the morning star, whom he calls Evangeline. Louis and Ray offer to lead Tiana and Naveen to the hoodoo priestess Mama Odie, who they believe can undo the curse. During this time, Tiana and Naveen develop feelings for each other. Meanwhile, Facilier makes a deal with the voodoo spirits, offering them the souls of the people of New Orleans in exchange for finding Naveen.

text: When the four find Mama Odie, she tells them that Naveen must kiss a true princess in order to break the spell. They return to New Orleans to find Charlotte, who is the princess of the Mardi Gras Parade, but only until midnight. Naveen tells Ray he loves Tiana and is willing to give up his dreams for her, but before he can tell her, he is captured by the demons and brought to Facilier.

text: After Ray tells Tiana that Naveen loves her, Tiana goes to the Mardi Gras parade to find a human "Naveen" marrying Charlotte; but Ray rescues the real Naveen and steals the charm that disguises Lawrence. Ray finds Tiana, gives her the charm and attempts to hold off the demons so she can escape, but Facilier kills him. Facilier then offers Tiana to make her restaurant dream come true in exchange for the charm. Realizing she would rather be with Naveen, and realizing Facilier's true intentions, Tiana destroys the charm. The angered voodoo spirits claim Facilier himself as payment for his debts to them and drag him to his death in hell.

text: Tiana and Naveen then reveal their love to each other and explain the situation to Charlotte, who agrees to kiss Naveen, as Lawrence is taken away by the police. However, the clock strikes midnight before she can kiss him, but the two decide they are content to live together as frogs. Then they bid farewell to Ray along with Louie, later to find out Ray finally joined Evangeline. Tiana and Naveen are wed by Mama Odie; and because of Tiana's new status as princess, they are restored back to human form after their kiss. Later, the couple returns to New Orleans to legally get married and celebrate, and together the two open their new restaurant. The movie ends with Tiana and Naveen dancing as the two stars, Ray and Evangeline, twinkle in the sky.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Anika Noni Rose as Tiana/"Tia", a 19-year-old waitress and aspiring chef/restaurateur. She is a smart, hard-working, and independent young woman, but one who works so hard that she often forgets important things such as love, fun, and family.[4] Originally, Tiana was supposed to be known as "Maddy". Mark Henn served as the supervising animator for Tiana in both human and frog form, making her one of several Disney lead female characters he has animated.[5] Henn declared that he attempted to make a character that could stand on its own "without repeating what I've done on Belle, Ariel, and Jasmine", with Tiana having a more cynical and grounded personality. Rose's performance influenced much of the animation, with the actress even suggesting to Henn for Tiana to be left-handed like herself.[6]

Elizabeth Dampier voices Tiana as a child.

Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, the prince of Maldonia. Naveen is a 24-year-old ne'er-do-well and playboy who has been cut off from his family's riches until he learns the value of responsibility. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator of Naveen in both human and frog form.[7] As a prince from the fictional kingdom of Maldonia (which the directors describe as "located in an East of the Sun and West of the Moon location"), Campos adlibbed a French accent with his Brazilian accent to make up a Maldonian accent.[citation needed]
Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis, a friendly, neurotic, trumpet-playing alligator whose dream is to become human so he can join a jazz band. His name comes from the famous jazz artist and trumpeter, Louis Armstrong. Eric Goldberg, the supervising animator of Louis and other miscellaneous characters,[7] won the Annie Award for Character Animation in a Feature Production for his work on the film.[8]
Jim Cummings as Ray, a Cajun firefly. He and his vast family are close friends with Mama Odie, so he offers to help the frogs get to her. Ray has an unrequited love for the Evening Star, which he believes is another firefly named "Evangeline" (a reference to the 19th-century Longfellow poem).[9] Mike Surrey was the supervising animator for Ray. Ray's name comes from the blind pianist Ray Charles.[7]
Keith David as Doctor Facilier, also known as The Shadow Man, a voodoo bokor (witch doctor). Bruce W. Smith, supervising animator of Doctor Facilier, referred to the character as the "lovechild" of his two favorite Disney Villains: Captain Hook from Peter Pan (1953), and Cruella de Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).[10] Smith was nominated for the Annie Award for Character Animation in a Feature Production for his work.[8]
Jennifer Cody as Charlotte "Lottie" La Bouff, a wealthy Southern débutante and Tiana's best friend since childhood who dreams of marrying a prince. Nik Ranieri served as the supervising animator of Charlotte as an adult and child.[7] Jennifer Cody won the Annie Award for Voice Acting in a Feature Production for her performance.[8]

Breanna Brooks voices Charlotte as a child.

tag: ul

text:
Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, a blind, 197-year-old voodoo priestess, who serves as the film's 'Fairy Godmother figure'. Andreas Deja was the supervising animator for both Mama Odie and her pet snake, Juju, and was nominated for the Annie Award for Character Animation in a Feature Production.[8][11]
Peter Bartlett as Lawrence, Prince Naveen's valet, whom Dr. Facilier recruits as a partner in his scheme by transforming him to look like Naveen using a blood charm. Anthony DeRosa was the supervising animator for the Lawrence character, whose design was influenced by the Mr. Smee character from Peter Pan.[9]
John Goodman as Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff, a very wealthy Southern sugar mill owner and father of Charlotte La Bouff. While he spoils Charlotte with everything she asks for, he is a loving and generous man, and loves Tiana's cooking. Duncan Marjoribanks was the supervising animator for Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff.[7]
Oprah Winfrey as Eudora, Tiana's mother who wants to see her happy and worries that Tiana focuses too much on her dream of owning a restaurant.[12] Ruben A. Aquino animated both Eudora and her husband, James.[7]
Terrence Howard as James, Tiana's father, who helped instil a strong work ethic in Tiana. He served in World War I as evidenced by a dresser-top portrait photo of him in a World War I uniform. The circumstances of his death were not stated in the film; however, his portrait is accompanied by the Distinguished Service Cross, a US medal awarded to soldiers who demonstrated great heroism or risk of life in battle.
Frank Welker as Stella (vocal effects), Charlotte's pet dog who talks to Tiana during the film, when she is chasing Tiana and Naveen as frogs on the table. She loves Tiana's beignets and begs at Tiana when she wants one.
Dee Bradley Baker as Juju, Mama Odie's green pet snake.
Corey Burton and Jerry Kernion as the Fenner Brothers, two real estate agents who eventually sell Tiana the sugar mill.
Ritchie Montgomery, Don Hall, and Paul Briggs as Reggie, Darnell, and Two-Fingers, three bumbling frog hunters who try to catch Tiana and Naveen as frogs. Their resemblance to the Three Stooges has been noted.
Kevin Michael Richardson and Emeril Lagasse as Ian and Marlon, the two alligators.

text: Production[edit]

text: Early development[edit]

text: Disney had once announced that 2004's Home on the Range would be their last traditionally animated film. After the company's acquisition of Pixar in early 2006, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, the new president and chief creative officer of Disney Animation Studios, reversed this decision and reinstated hand-drawn animation at the studio.[13] Many animators who had either been laid off or had left the studio when the traditional animation units were dissolved in 2003 were located and re-hired for the project.[14] Lasseter also brought back directors Ron Clements and John Musker, whose earlier works include The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), and Treasure Planet (2002).[15][16] The duo had left the company in 2005, but Lasseter requested their return to Disney to direct and write the film and had let them choose the style of animation (traditional or CGI) they wanted to use.[9]

text: The story for the film began development by merging two separate projects in development at Disney and Pixar at the time, both based around the "Frog Prince" fairy tale.[9][14] One of the projects was based on E. D. Baker's The Frog Princess, in which the story's heroine (Princess Emma) kisses a prince turned frog (Prince Eadric), only to become a frog herself.[14] The Princess and the Frog returns to the musical film format used in many of the previously successful Disney animated films, with a style Musker and Clements declared, like with Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, had inspiration from Golden Age Disney features such as Cinderella.[6]

text: Musker and Clements thought that given all fairy tales were set in Europe, they could do an American fairy tale.[6] They stated that they chose New Orleans as a tribute to the history of the city, for its "magical" qualities, and because it was Lasseter's favorite city.[9][17] The directors spent ten days in Louisiana before starting to write the film.[6]

text: The Princess and the Frog was originally announced as The Frog Princess in July 2006,[13] and early concepts and songs were presented to the public at the Walt Disney Company's annual shareholders' meeting in March 2007.[18] These announcements drew criticism from African-American media outlets, due to elements of the Frog Princess story, characters, and settings considered distasteful.[19][20] African-American critics disapproved of the original name for the heroine, "Maddy", due to its similarity to the derogatory term "mammy".[19] Also protested were Maddy's original career as a chambermaid,[20] the choice to have the black heroine's love interest be a non-black prince, which upset opponents of on-screen interracial romance,[19] and the use of a black male voodoo witchdoctor as the film's villain.[19] The Frog Princess title was also thought by critics to be a slur on French people.[21] Also questioned was the film's setting of New Orleans, which had been heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, resulting in the expulsion of a large number of mostly black residents.[22] Critics claimed the choice of New Orleans as the setting for a Disney film with a black heroine was an affront to the Katrina victims' plight.[19][22]

text: In response to these early criticisms, the film's title was changed in May 2007 from The Frog Princess to The Princess and the Frog. The name "Maddy" was changed to "Tiana",[21][23] and the character's occupation was altered from chambermaid to waitress.[19] Talk show host Oprah Winfrey was hired as a technical consultant for the film, leading to her taking a voice acting role in the film as Tiana's mother Eudora.[9]

text: Writing and themes[edit]

text: The head of story, Don Hall, described the plot as a fairy tale "twisted enough that it seems new and fresh", with a kingdom that is a modern city, a handsome prince that is a "knuckleheaded playboy" and a variation on the fairy godmother with Mama Odie. Co-writer Rob Edwards also said The Princess and the Frog was "a princess movie for people who don't like princess movies". As the writers thought Tiana's character motivation of simply dreaming of having her own restaurant was not appealing enough, they expanded so it was her father's as well, with the extra philosophy of "food bringing people together from all walks of life". Musker and Clements stated that while Tiana already starts as a sympathetic character, the events of the plot make her "understand things in a deeper level" and change people around her. Both protagonists would learn from each other — Naveen to take responsibilities, Tiana to enjoy life — as well as figuring from Ray's passion for Evangeline that the perfect balance is brought by having someone you love to share the experience.[6] Tiana became the first African-American Disney Princess.[24][25]

text: Voice cast[edit]

text: On December 1, 2006, a detailed casting call was announced for the film at the Manhattan Theatre Source forum.[26] The casting call states the film as being an American fairy tale musical set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age and provides a detailed list of the film's major characters.

text: In February 2007, it was reported that Dreamgirls actresses Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose were top contenders for the voice of Tiana, and that Alicia Keys directly contacted Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook about voicing the role.[27] It was later reported that Tyra Banks was considered for the role as well.[28] By April 2007, it was confirmed that Rose would be voicing Tiana.[29] Three months later, it was reported that Keith David would be doing the voice of Dr. Facilier, the villain of the film.[30]

text: Animation and design[edit]

text: Clements and Musker had agreed from very early on that the style they were aiming for was primarily that of Lady and the Tramp (1955), a film which they and John Lasseter feel represents "the pinnacle of Disney's style".[31] "After that, everything started becoming more stylized, like Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians – which are fantastic films as well, but there's a particular style (to 'Lady and the Tramp') that's so classically Disney."[32] Lady and the Tramp also heavily informed the style of the New Orleans scenes, while Disney's Bambi (1942) served as the template for the bayou scenes.[31] Bambi was described as a stylistic reference for the painted backgrounds, as according to art director Ian Gooding "Bambi painted what it feels like to be in the forest instead of the forest" so The Princess and the Frog would in turn try capturing the essence of roaming through New Orleans.[6]

text: The former trend in Disney's hand-drawn features where the characters and cinematography were influenced by a CGI-look has been abandoned. Andreas Deja, a veteran Disney animator who supervised the character of Mama Odie, says "I always thought that maybe we should distinguish ourselves to go back to what 2D is good at, which is focusing on what the line can do rather than volume, which is a CG kind of thing. So we are doing less extravagant Treasure Planet kind of treatments. You have to create a world but [we're doing it more simply]. What we're trying to do with Princess and the Frog is hook up with things that the old guys did earlier. It's not going to be graphic...".[33] Deja also mentions that Lasseter was aiming for the Disney sculptural and dimensional look of the 1950s: "All those things that were non-graphic, which means go easy on the straight lines and have one volume flow into the other – an organic feel to the drawing."[33] Lasseter also felt that traditional animation created more character believability.[34] For example, with Louis the alligator, created by Eric Goldberg, Lasseter said: "It's the believability of this large character being able to move around quite like that."[34] Choreographer Betsy Baytos was brought by the directors to lead a team of eccentric dancers that gave reference to make each character a different style of movement. The character design tried to create beautiful drawings through subtle shapes, particularly for most characters being human. For the frog versions of Tiana and Naveen, while the animators started with realistic designs, they eventually went for cutesy characters "removing all that is unappealing in frogs", similar to Pinocchio's Jiminy Cricket.[6]

text: Toon Boom Animation's Toon Boom Harmony software was used as the main software package for the production of the film, as the Computer Animation Production System (CAPS) system that Disney developed with Pixar in the 1980s for use on their previous traditionally animated films had become outdated.[35] The Harmony software was augmented with a number of plug-ins to provide CAPS-like effects such as shading on cheeks and smoke effects.[11][33] The reinstated traditional unit's first production, a 2007 Goofy cartoon short entitled How to Hook Up Your Home Theater, was partly animated without paper by using Harmony and Wacom Cintiq pressure-sensitive tablets. The character animators found some difficulty with this approach, and decided to use traditional paper and pencil drawings, which were then scanned into the computer systems, for The Princess and the Frog.[11]

text: The one exception to the new Toon Boom Harmony pipeline was the "Almost There" dream sequence, which utilized an Art Deco graphic style based on the art of Harlem Renaissance painter Aaron Douglas.[36] Supervised by Eric Goldberg and designed by Sue Nichols,[37] the "Almost There" sequence's character animation was done on paper without going through the clean-up animation department,[9] and scanned directly into Photoshop. The artwork was then enhanced to affect the appearance of painted strokes and fills, and combined with backgrounds, using Adobe After Effects.[10][11]

text: The visual effects and backgrounds for the film were created digitally using Cintiq tablet displays.[11][38] Marlon West, one of Disney's veteran animation visual effects supervisors, says about the production; "Those guys had this bright idea to bring back hand-drawn animation, but everything had to be started again from the ground up. One of the first things we did was focus on producing shorts, to help us re-introduce the 2D pipeline. I worked as vfx supervisor on the Goofy short, How to Hook Up Your Home Theater. It was a real plus for the effects department, so we went paperless for The Princess and the Frog." The backgrounds were painted digitally using Adobe Photoshop, and many of the architectural elements were based upon 3D models built in Autodesk Maya.[11] Much of the clean-up animation, digital ink-and-paint, and compositing were outsourced to third-party companies in Orlando, Florida (Premise Entertainment), Toronto, Canada (Yowza Digital Animation), and Brooklin, São Paulo, Brazil (HGN Produções)[7]

text: Music[edit]

text: During Disney's 2007 shareholder meeting, Randy Newman and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band performed the film's opening number, "Down in New Orleans", with famous New Orleans singer Dr. John singing, while slides of pre-production art from the film played on a screen.[18] Other songs in the film include "Almost There" (a solo for Tiana), "Dig a Little Deeper" (a song for Mama Odie), "When We're Human" (a song for Louis, Tiana and Naveen [as frogs]), "Friends on the Other Side" (a solo for Doctor Facilier), and "Gonna Take You There" and "Ma Belle Evangeline" (two solos for Ray).[18] Newman composed, arranged, and conducted the music for the film, a mixture of jazz, zydeco, blues, and gospel styles performed by the voice cast members for the respective characters while R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo wrote and performed the end title song "Never Knew I Needed", an R&B love song referring to the romance between the film's two main characters, Tiana and Naveen. Supported by a music video by Melina, "Never Knew I Needed" was issued to radio outlets as a commercial single from the Princess and the Frog soundtrack.[39]

text: The film's soundtrack album, The Princess and the Frog: Original Songs and Score, contains the ten original songs from the film and seven instrumental pieces. The soundtrack was released on November 23, 2009, the day before the limited release of the film in New York and Los Angeles.[40]

text: Release[edit]

text: The film premiered in theaters with a limited run in New York and Los Angeles beginning on November 25, 2009, followed by wide release on December 11, 2009.[41] The film was originally set for release on Christmas Day 2009, but its release date was changed due to a competing family film, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, scheduled for release the same day.[42] The Princess and the Frog will have a limited re-release in AMC Theatres, lasting from October 6-12, 2017 as part of the Dream Big, Princess campaign.[43][44]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: The Princess and the Frog was supported by a wide array of merchandise leading up to and following the film's release. Although Disney's main marketing push was not set to begin until November 2009, positive word-of-mouth promotion created demand for merchandise well in advance of the film.[45] Princess Tiana costumes were selling out prior to Halloween 2009, and a gift set of Tiana-themed hair-care products from Carol's Daughter sold out in seven hours on the company's website.[45] Other planned merchandise includes a cookbook for children and even a wedding gown.[45] Princess Tiana was also featured a few months before the release in the Disney on Ice: Let's Celebrate! show.[46] The film itself was promoted through advertisements, including one from GEICO where Naveen, as a frog, converses with the company's gecko mascot.[47]

text: A live parade and show called Tiana's Showboat Jubilee! premiered on October 26, 2009, at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida,[48] and on November 5 at Disneyland in California.[49] In Disneyland, actors in New Orleans Square paraded to the Rivers of America and boarded the park's steamboat.[49] From there, the cast, starring Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis the alligator, and Doctor Facilier, would sing songs from the movie, following a short storyline taking place after the events of the film. The Disneyland version's actors actually partook in singing, while the Walt Disney World rendition incorporated lip-syncing.[49]

text: Tiana's Showboat Jubilee! ran at both parks until January 3, 2010.[48][49] At Disneyland Park, the show was replaced by a land-based event called Princess Tiana's Mardi Gras Celebration, which features Princess Tiana along with five of the original presentation's "Mardi Gras dancers" and the park's "Jambalaya Jazz Band" as they perform songs from the movie.[50] "Tiana's Mardi Gras Celebration" officially ended on October 3, 2010. However, it returned to Disneyland from 2011-2013 as part of the "Limited Time Magic" family-fun weekends.[51][52][53]

text: Tiana also appears in Disneyland Paris' New Generation Festival.[54] Some of the characters appear frequently during World of Color, the nightly fountain and projection show presented at Disney California Adventure. Disney announced on June 4, 2009, that they would release a video game inspired by the film and it was released on November 2009 exclusively for Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. It has been officially described an "adventure through the exciting world of New Orleans in a family-oriented video game", featuring events from the film and challenges for Princess Tiana.[55]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The Princess and the Frog was released in North America on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on March 16, 2010.[56]

text: The film is available on DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and Blu-ray Disc combo pack editions; the combo pack includes DVD and digital copies of the film, along with the Blu-ray Disc version.[56] The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in Australia on June 2, 2010, and on June 21, 2010, in the United Kingdom. As of December 2010 the DVD has sold 4,475,227 copies and has made $71.3 million in DVD sales,[57] making it the ninth-best-selling DVD of 2010.[58]

text: Reception[edit]

text: The financial and critical success of The Princess and the Frog persuaded Disney to green-light at least one new hand-drawn animated film to be released every two years.[14] However, the blog /Film noted in July 2014 with the release of hand-drawn concept art for the 2013 computer animated film Frozen, that any future hand-drawn animated films have been "killed" for the time being due to The Princess and the Frog failing "to ignite the box office".[59] Two months later, however, many Disney artists announced they were working on a new independent hand drawn animated film, Hullabaloo as part of an attempt to bring back hand-drawn animation.[60] Despite such speculation, Walt Disney Animation Studios has continued to use both hand-drawn animation and computer animation in subsequent films.

text: Box office[edit]

text: On its limited day release, the film grossed $263,890 at two theaters and grossed $786,190 its opening weekend.[61][62] On its opening day in wide release, the film grossed $7 million at 3,434 theaters.[63] It went on to gross $24.2 million over the opening weekend averaging $7,050 per theater,[64] ranking at #1 for the weekend, and making it the highest-grossing start to date for an animated movie in December, a record previously held by Beavis and Butt-Head Do America.[65] The film went on to gross $104.4 million (in the United States and Canada) and $267 million (worldwide), making it a box office success, and became the fifth-highest-grossing animated film of 2009.[66] While the film did out-gross Disney's more recent hand-drawn films such as The Emperor's New Groove, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, and Home on the Range, it was less auspicious than the animated films from Walt Disney Animation Studios' 1990s heyday. Disney animator Tom Sito compared the film's box office performance to that of The Great Mouse Detective (1986), which was a step up from the theatrical run of the 1985 box office bomb The Black Cauldron.[67]

text: Looking back on the experience four years later, Catmull acknowledged that Disney had made a "serious mistake" in the process of marketing and releasing the film.[68] The Walt Disney Studios' marketing department had warned Disney Animation that the word "princess" in the title "would lead moviegoers to think that the film was for girls only," but the animation studio's management insisted on keeping the "princess" title because they truly believed that the film's excellent quality and beautiful hand-drawn animation would bring in all quadrants anyway.[68] In Catmull's words, this belief "was our own version of a stupid pill."[68] The marketing department turned out to be correct in their prediction that many moviegoers would and did avoid the film because they thought it was "for little girls only."[68] This error was further compounded by the fact that the film opened five days before Avatar.[68]

text: Looking back seven years later, Lasseter told Variety: "I was determined to bring back [hand-drawn animation] because I felt it was such a heritage of the Disney studio, and I love the art form ... I was stunned that Princess didn’t do better. We dug into it and did a lot of research and focus groups. It was viewed as old-fashioned by the audience."[69]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The film received largely positive reviews from critics, praising the animation, characters, music and themes. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 84% of 185 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.4 out of 10.[70] The site's general consensus is that "The warmth of traditional Disney animation makes this occasionally lightweight fairy-tale update a lively and captivating confection for the holidays."[71] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 0–100 from film critics, has a rating score of 73 based on 29 reviews.[72]

text: Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an "A" grade and applauded the film's creative team for "uphold[ing] the great tradition of classic Disney animation".[73] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised Walt Disney Animation for "rediscovering its traditional hand-drawn animation" and for "a thing called story".[74] David Germain of the Associated Press wrote that "The Princess and the Frog is not the second coming of Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King. It's just plain pleasant, an old-fashioned little charmer that's not straining to be the next glib animated compendium of pop-culture flotsam."[75] Justin Chang of Variety was less receptive, stating "this long-anticipated throwback to a venerable house style never comes within kissing distance of the studio's former glory".[76] Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News gave the film 3/5 stars while saying "The Princess and the Frog breaks the color barrier for Disney princesses, but is a throwback to traditional animation and her story is a retread".[77] Village Voice's Scott Foundas found that "the movie as a whole never approache[d] the wit, cleverness, and storytelling brio of the studio's early-1990s animation renaissance (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King) or pretty much anything by Pixar".[78] Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review claiming that "the dialogue is fresh-prince clever, the themes are ageless, the rhythms are riotous and the return to a primal animation style is beautifully executed."[79] Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and admired Disney's step back to traditional animation, writing, "No 3-D! No glasses! No extra ticket charge! No frantic frenzies of meaningless action! And...good gravy! A story! Characters! A plot! This is what classic animation once was like!", but stated that the film "inspires memories of Disney's Golden Age it doesn't quite live up to, as I've said, but it's spritely and high-spirited, and will allow kids to enjoy it without visually assaulting them."[80]

text: S. Jhoanna Robledo of Common Sense Media gave the film three out of five stars, writing, "First African-American Disney princess is a good role model".[81] Saint Bryan of the NBC-TV Seattle praised the film and called it "The Best Disney Movie Since The Lion King".[82]

text: Upon its release, the film created controversy among some Christians over its use of Louisiana Voodoo as a plot device.[83] Christianity Today's review of the film cited its sexual undertones and use of voodoo, arguing that the scenes with Dr. Facilier and his "friends on the other side" contain many horror elements and that young children might be frightened by the film.[84] The film's treatment of Louisiana voodoo as a type of magic instead of a religion also drew criticism from non-Christian factions.[85]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and twice for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to Up and Crazy Heart, respectively.[3][86] It was also nominated for eight Annie Awards and, at the 37th Annie Awards Ceremony on February 6, 2010, won three.[8]

text:
Award
Category
Nominee
Result

2009 Satellite Awards[87]
Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media
The Princess and the Frog
Nominated

Best Original Song
Randy Newman
(Almost There)

Randy Newman
(Down in New Orleans)

African-American Film Critics Association Awards 2009
Top 10 Films
The Princess and the Frog
Won

Best Screenplay
John Musker, Ron Clements and Rob Edwards — Tied with Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

2009 Producers Guild of America Awards[88]
Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
Peter Del Vecho
Nominated

2009 Online Film Critics Society Awards[89]
Best Animated Feature
The Princess and the Frog

67th Golden Globe Awards[90]
Best Animated Feature Film

2009 Chicago Film Critics Association[91]
Best Animated Feature

2009 Critics Choice Awards[92]
Best Animated Feature

Best Score
Randy Newman

Best Song
(Almost There)

2009 Black Reel Awards[93]
Best Film
The Princess and the Frog

Best Song, Original or Adapted
Ne-Yo
(Never Knew I Needed)

Anika Noni Rose
(Almost There)
Won

Anika Noni Rose
(Down in New Orleans)
Nominated

Best Voice Performance
Keith David

Anika Noni Rose
Won

Best Ensemble
The Princess and the Frog
Nominated

37th Annie Awards[8]
Best Animated Feature

Animated Effects
James DeValera Mansfield
Won

Production Design in a Feature Production
Ian Gooding
Nominated

Character Animation in a Feature Production
Andreas Deja

Eric Goldberg
Won

Bruce W. Smith
Nominated

Voice Acting in a Feature Production
Jennifer Cody ("Charlotte")
Won

Jenifer Lewis ("Mama Odie")
Nominated

82nd Academy Awards[3][86]

Best Animated Feature
John Musker and Ron Clements

Best Music, Original Song
Randy Newman
(Almost There)

Randy Newman
(Down in New Orleans)

41st NAACP Image Awards
Outstanding Motion Picture

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Anika Noni Rose

36th Saturn Awards[94]
Best Animated Film
The Princess and the Frog

2010 Teen Choice Awards[95][96]
Choice Movie: Animated

2011 Grammy Awards[97]
Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Randy Newman
(Down in New Orleans)

Women Film Critics Circle
Best Animated Females
Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Jennifer Cody (Charlotte La Bouff), Oprah Winfrey (Eudora), Jenifer Lewis (Mama Odie), and all other female characters in The Princess and the Frog.
Won

tag: table

text: Television[edit]

text:
Tiana made a guest-appearance on Sofia the First in the season 2 episode titled "Winter's Gift".[98]
A live-action version of Tiana will also be a main character on the seventh season of Once Upon a Time.[99][100][101]


document_title: List of most-followed Instagram accounts

question_text: person with the most instagram followers in the world

text: Top accounts

text: All-time

text: The following table lists the top 50 most followed accounts on Instagram.[1]

text:
Rank

Chg

Account name

Owner

Followers(millions)

Profession

Country

1

@instagram

Instagram

260

Social media platform

 USA

2

@cristiano

Cristiano Ronaldo

144

Footballer

 POR

3

@selenagomez

Selena Gomez

144

Musician and actress

 USA

4

@arianagrande

Ariana Grande

132

Musician

 USA

5

@kimkardashian

Kim Kardashian

120

Reality TV personality

 USA

6

@beyonce

Beyoncé

119

Musician

 USA

7

@therock

Dwayne Johnson

119

Actor and professional wrestler

 USA

8

@kyliejenner

Kylie Jenner

117

Reality TV personality

 USA

9

@taylorswift

Taylor Swift

112

Musician

 USA

10

@neymarjr

Neymar

104

Footballer

 BRA

11

@justinbieber

Justin Bieber

102

Musician

 CAN

12

@leomessi

Lionel Messi

100

Footballer

 ARG

13

@kendalljenner

Kendall Jenner

97

Model

 USA

14

@nickiminaj

Nicki Minaj

94

Musician

 TRI

15

@natgeo

National Geographic

93

Magazine

 USA

16

@nike

Nike

81

Sportswear multinational

 USA

17

@jlo

Jennifer Lopez

81

Musician and actress

 USA

18

@khloekardashian

Khloé Kardashian

81

Reality TV personality

 USA

19

@mileycyrus

Miley Cyrus

75

Musician and actress

 USA

20

@katyperry

Katy Perry

73

Musician

 USA

21

@ddlovato

Demi Lovato

70

Musician

 USA

22

@kourtneykardash

Kourtney Kardashian

68

Reality TV personality

 USA

23

@badgalriri

Rihanna

65

Musician

 BAR

24

@realmadrid

Real Madrid C.F.

64

Football club

 ESP

25

@kevinhart4real

Kevin Hart

64

Comedian and actor

 USA

26

@victoriassecret

Victoria's Secret

61

Lingerie brand

 USA

27

@fcbarcelona

FC Barcelona

61

Football club

 ESP

28

@theellenshow

Ellen Degeneres

59

Comedian

 USA

29

@shakira

Shakira

54

Musician

 COL

30

@zendaya

Zendaya

53

Actress and musician

 USA

31

@justintimberlake

Justin Timberlake

52

Musician and actor

 USA

32

@davidbeckham

David Beckham

51

Footballer

 GBR

33

@vindiesel

Vin Diesel

51

Actor

 USA

34

@champagnepapi

Drake

49

Musician

 CAN

35

@emmawatson

Emma Watson

48

Actress

 GBR

36

@9gag

9GAG

47

Social media platform

 HKG

37

@chrisbrownofficial

Chris Brown

47

Musician

 USA

38

@kingjames

LeBron James

44

Basketball player

 USA

39

@gigihadid

Gigi Hadid

44

Model

 USA

40

@caradelevingne

Cara Delevingne

41

Actress and model

 GBR

41

@jamesrodriguez10

James Rodriguez

40

Footballer

 COL

42

@ronaldinho

Ronaldinho

38

Footballer

 BRA

43

@shawnmendes

Shawn Mendes

37

Musician

 CAN

44

@garethbale11

Gareth Bale

37

Footballer

 GBR

45

@nikefootball

Nike Football

36

Sportswear

 USA

46

@nasa

NASA

36

Space agency

 USA

47

@zacefron

Zac Efron

36

Actor

 USA

48

@maluma

Maluma

36

Musician

 COL

49

@iamzlatanibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

35

Footballer

 SWE

50

@iamcardib

Cardi B

34

Musician

 USA

As of  October 30, 2018[update]

text: By country

text: The following table lists the top 15 most followed accounts on Instagram by country of origin.[1]

text:
Rank

Chg

Country

Account name

Owner

Followers(millions)

Profession

1

 United States

@instagram

Instagram

260

Social media platform

2

 Portugal

@cristiano

Cristiano Ronaldo

144

Footballer

3

 Brazil

@neymarjr

Neymar

104

Footballer

4

 Canada

@justinbieber

Justin Bieber

102

Musician

5

 Argentina

@leomessi

Lionel Messi

100

Footballer

6

 Trinidad and Tobago

@nickiminaj

Nicki Minaj

94

Musician

7

 Barbados

@badgalriri

Rihanna

65

Musician

8

 Spain

@realmadrid

Real Madrid C.F.

64

Football club

9

 Colombia

@shakira

Shakira

54

Musician

10

 United Kingdom

@davidbeckham

David Beckham

51

Footballer

11

 Hong Kong

@9gag

9GAG

47

Social media platform

12

 Sweden

@iamzlatanibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimović

35

Footballer

13

 France

@chanelofficial

Chanel

30

Clothing retailer

14

 Uruguay

@luissuarez9

Luis Suárez

30

Footballer

15

 Germany

@adidasoriginals

Adidas Originals

29

Clothing line

As of  October 29, 2018[update]


document_title: We Bare Bears

question_text: who does ellie kemper play in we bare bears

text: We Bare Bears

text: Plot[edit]

text: We Bare Bears follows three adoptive bear brothers: Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear. The bears attempt to integrate with human society, such as by purchasing food, making human companions or trying to become famous on the Internet, although these attempts see the bears struggle to do so due to the civilized nature of humans and their own animal instincts.[3] However, in the end, they figure out that they have each other for support.[4] One notable aspect of the show's humor is the bears' ability to form a "bear stack". As its name shows, the bears stack on top of each other, which serves as their unique way of transportation.[3] Occasionally, the bears share adventures with their friends, such as child prodigy Chloe, bigfoot Charlie, internet sensation Nom Nom, park ranger Tabes, and produce saleswoman Lucy.

text: Occasionally, there are flashback episodes which chronicle the adventures of the bears as cubs trying to find a home. So far the only cub episodes of the series are "The Road", "Pet Shop", "The Island", "Baby Bears on a Plane", "$100" and "The Fair". There have been two episodes centered on one bear, "Burrito" (Grizzly), and "Yuri and the Bear" (Ice Bear). There is a Panda one in development.[5]

text: Characters[edit]

text: Bears[edit]

text:
Grizzly ("Grizz" for short) (voiced by Eric Edelstein, Sam Lavagnino as a cub) is a grizzly bear. The oldest and the de facto leader of the brothers, Grizz is a fun-loving bear who tends to get the others into random hijinks. Grizz is paradoxically highly sociable yet socially inept. Despite this, he is constantly wanting to meet new people and tries to befriend everyone he comes across. As a baby, he was rescued by a team of firemen who prevented him from falling off a tree-top during a storm. It seems that he was younger than in most baby bear episodes according to the flashback pictures in "Burrito." It was mentioned by Ice Bear that Grizz writes poems in English, as well as being a DJ and a beatboxer. He also possesses an alter ego as Crowbar Jones who is the star of a series of cheesy home made action movies. Despite Grizz's desire to be loved by everyone, he still puts his brothers first and foremost and can't bare to be separated from them. He has a strange love-hate relationship with Nom Nom, whom he looks up to due to his popularity, yet acknowledges that he can be mean and sometimes untrustworthy.
Panda (voiced by Bobby Moynihan, Duncan Joiner as a cub) is a giant panda. He is the middle brother and is nicknamed Pan-Pan by Grizz. He is tender-hearted and gets embarrassed or anxious easily. Panda has a lot less self-confidence than his brothers. He is good with technology, and uses that skill on online social media and dating sites, with which he finds little to no success. He is also the one who "falls in love" the most quickly. Often several times to court several human girls, most notably Lucy the produce girl who has platonic feelings for him. He is the most creative of the brothers, having written songs in "Everyone's Tube" , and undoubtedly the "cutest" as settled in "Panda's Sneeze." Panda is a vegetarian and has severe allergies to peanuts and cats. It has been revealed that Panda likes Anime and enjoys other things related to Japanese culture. He can be seen eating Ramen in multiple episodes, and in "Hibernation" he is seen eating a snack similar to Pocky. Panda also attends community college where he majors in art as revealed in "Panda's Art."
Ice Bear (voiced by Demetri Martin) is a polar bear and the youngest brother. Ice Bear is often stoic and rarely speaks. When he does, he speaks mostly in the third person and mostly says his name first before anything else. He learned to talk much later than his two brothers, as revealed in "The Island". He is multilingual, having been shown to speak Korean, French, Japanese (on "Losing Ice") and Russian fluently. Ice Bear also is able to speak to pigeons in the episode "Our Stuff." He is also a skilled chef, dancer, piano player, a novice at robotics, charade player (on "My Clique"; it was revealed on "The Island" that he learnt to speak very late, and originally used his charades skills to communicate), welder, poet (which he writes in French) and a mixed martial artist ( cited as Brazilian jiu-jitsu on "Chloe", but his skill set is closer to Taekwondo and judo with skills in Nunchaku, Shuriken and swords). Ice Bear is the most composed of the brothers, always maintaining an "ice-cool attitude" in even the most awkward and embarrassing of situations. As seen in "Losing Ice" and "Coffee Cave", his brothers often take him for granted and are unappreciative of all the cooking and cleaning he does, although they eventually realize the error of their ways. Ice Bear sleeps in the refrigerator with a fire axe which he can use with either hand. It was revealed in "Yuri and the Bear" that Ice Bear was raised by a Russian man named Yuri after his mother was killed by poachers. This is how he learned to speak Russian, and because Yuri spoke exclusively in third person, this is most likely how Ice Bear obtained the habit. He earned accommodation by learning to chop wood, cook salmon, read maps, study calculus, knit, play Uno with standard cards and speak Russian and English, but was cut adrift into the ocean when Yuri had to let him go to save him from the poachers, and the ice floated down to surface.

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Chloe Park (voiced by Charlyne Yi) is a 10-year-old[6] (9 in Season 1) Korean-American girl. She is a child prodigy and attends college in San Francisco Bay Area. Debuting in "Chloe," she breaks into the Bears' cave to study them for a college presentation, and along the way, she befriends them. She doesn't have many human friends other than the bears and has a hard time relating to her much older peers. In "My Clique," Chloe finally makes some friends with her college classmates, albeit with the help of the Bears. In the same episode, she is revealed to be bilingual. Chloe devotes most of her time to studying in the hopes of having a secure future and becomes stressed when it seems like she is on the verge of failing as evidenced in "The Library" and "Professor Lampwick". Despite fully knowing that the bears mean well, their antics sometimes stress her too. Nevertheless, she adores them and will often rely on them for help.

Mr. Park (voiced by Jinkoo Jeong) is Chloe's father. He was initially reserved about Chloe hanging out with the bears, but warms up to their presence in "Slumber Party". He is bilingual.
Mrs. Park (voiced by Niki Yang) is Chloe's mother. She is very supportive of Chloe's friendship with the bears as evidenced when she makes sandwiches for them in "Chloe and Ice Bear". She is bilingual.

Nom Nom (voiced by Patton Oswalt) is a koala. He is a famous internet star, known for his "cute" videos. While he doesn't talk in any of his videos, Nom Nom often swears angrily towards everyone he comes in contact with, especially the bears. Grizzly imposes him enough to talk to him and admits that he liked his video, but Nom Nom is self-centered and more concerned with materialistic things, and is very selfish and lashes out at anyone who he doesn't like. In "Viral Video," Nom Nom says that he does not want any friends because he finds them unimportant and too loud, and proves his point by kicking Grizz out of his limo. His temper is so short, he lashes out at anyone who even slightly annoys him. In "Anger Management", it's revealed that Grizz's hugs genuinely calm him to the point of making him optimistic. He has further shown a more tolerant side. In "Nom Nom's Entourage," he saves a picture of his time with the Bears and in "Kyle," opened his home to another koala who claimed to be his brother.
Charlie (voiced by Jason Lee) is a bigfoot who wanders alone around the San Francisco woods until he meets the Bears in "Charlie," where they agree to let him live in their cave for a little while via a website called CaveShare. It is revealed that, due to his life of solitude, he is socially inept and doesn't know how to be a good friend. This results in him unintentionally causing havoc for the Bears whenever he hangs out with them. He is also constantly harassed by humans trying to get pictures of him, which results in him becoming xenophobic towards them and developing a fear of cameras. In the episode "Charlie Ball," we see that Charlie is extremely skilled at ball-handling, and that his height makes him perfect for basketball. In "Charlie's Big Foot," Charlie is revealed to have blue colored blood and a very jointed body due to constantly being harmed by the wilderness which he seems to view as perfectly normal. He also sees Panda as his best friend.
Ranger Dana Tabes (voiced by Cameron Esposito) is a park ranger. She lives in a cabin located in the park where the Bears live. They first meet her in "Ranger Tabes" where she helps them locate a missing package. She is shown to be overly confident, persistent and even downright obsessive with wanting to help people. Her obsession is explored in "Creature Mysteries" where she tries to capture and prove Charlie's existence. In that same episode, it's revealed that her mother was also a park ranger and the one who inspired her to become one. Her obsession is also prominent in "Poppy Rangers" where she was willing to lead a team of girl scouts into a dangerous cave, against Grizzly's wishes. Despite her quirky personality, the Bears consider her as one of their closest friends. In "Citizen Tabes", it is revealed that her first name is Dana.

Kirk Is a dog that Tabes was given as a Christmas present by the Bears in "Christmas Parties". In "Lunch with Tabes," he is shown to be rather clever and mischievous.
Ranger Martinez (voiced by Keith Ferguson) is Tabes' partner. He has been a park ranger since Tabes was a child and was initially her mother's partner. In his old age, he is always prone to sleep and is shown to be rather laid back. He is also very friendly with the Bears.

Lucy (voiced by Ellie Kemper) is a friend to the Bears and runs a produce delivery service called Lucy's Produce. She first appears in "Panda's Date" where she takes an immediate liking to the Bears and their goofy personalities. Panda quickly (as usual) develops a crush on her, but she seems to be unaware of his feelings. She finally returns in season 3 episode, "Lucy's Brother" where it is revealed that she delivers fruit to the Bears every Friday. In that same episode she is shown to have a younger brother named Clifford whom she cares for and worries over immensely. She is also shown to be a terrible dancer. Despite being oblivious to Panda's feelings for her, the two share a mutual friendship.

Clifford (voiced by Hudson West) is Lucy's younger brother. He has many allergies and has trouble socializing with others. He constantly wanders off and is very shy. He starts to like Panda once he is considered a friend. He is also very defensive of his sister, seen as he is aware that many boys use him as an attempt to get close to her and gets mad at Panda for doing so. Fortunately, he and Panda reconcile and consider each other close friends.

Yana (voiced by Margarita Levieva) is a Russian woman with dark connections to Ice Bear. She is an aggressive woman with a sentimental side to her as well. She and Ice Bear have known each other for a long time and have been on missions together for unknown reasons. Yana first appeared in "Icy Nights" where she briefly helped Ice Bear look for his Roomba. She returns in "Icy Nights II" where she is kidnapped by Barry, a tech genius who is after the Roomba. It's implied that she has romantic feelings for Ice Bear. At the end of the episode, it's revealed that Yana's father is Yuri, the same man who raised Ice Bear.
Barry (voiced by Kevin McHale) is a technical expert and Ice Bear's arch-nemesis. He leads a gang of techies and is involved in illegal activities. His main goal is to steal Ice Bear's Roomba due to the technical specifications it possesses. The reasons for doing this is so that he can earn the approval of his father, something that is a sore spot for him.
Captain Craboo is the Bears' pet crab whom they adopted in the episode "Emergency". He actually came from the super market which Grizz went to buy food and immediately fell in love with the crab. Unfortunately, it pinches onto Ice Bear's ear causing him to become catatonic and deranged. Grizz and Panda eventually get Craboo off of Ice Bear and resort to giving him tiny mitts so that he doesn't pinch Ice Bear again. He returns in "Captain Craboo" where it is revealed that he has been gone for quite some time and that Ice Bear still has not forgiven him. However, the two later make up. In that same episode, Craboo attacks Nom Nom, making him a wanted fugitive. By the end of the episode, Craboo solemnly leaves the Bears.
The Mailman (voiced by Keith Ferguson) is a friendly mailman that occasionally visits the Bears. He first appears in "Nom Nom" where he delivers a toy helicopter to the Bears. He falls into a pit where Ice Bear was trapped by Nom Nom. He shows that he doesn't mind the situation and also didn't seem to mind being left there. He returns in "Crowbar Jones" where he was invited to see the titular movie that Grizz had made. He was easily impressed by it and based on his reactions, simply wishes to have friends. In "Citizen Tabes," he was also impressed with Tabes' packaging to the point that he was willing to listen to her ramble about how she did it.
Mad Scientist (voiced by Jason Mantzoukas) is an unnamed scientist who is constantly plotting against the government. He first appears in "Grizz Helps" where Grizz answers a want ad for someone to aid him in traveling back in time. He was going to use a chicken named Mark as a test subject and Grizz had to rescue him for its owner. The scientist reappeared in "Summer Love" with a pelican assistant named Gary and tried to use a body swapping machine on Panda. He revealed that he once had a girlfriend named Amelia who joined the space program, implying one of reasons he kept conspiring against the government.

text: Production[edit]

text: The show was created by cartoonist Daniel Chong, who had previously worked as a story artist for Pixar and Illumination Entertainment. The show is based on his webcomic The Three Bare Bears, which also features the identifying characters. The comic was published from 2010 to 2011.[7] Billed as a comedy, the show is a production of Cartoon Network Studios, which developed the program with Chong as part of their shorts development program. It was announced during the network's 2014 upfront.[4]

text: Nom Nom and Charlie were initially voiced by Ken Jeong and Tom Arnold, respectively, before getting recast sometime before airing. The show's visual simplistic look was inspired by classic hand-drawn animation akin to Charlie Brown and The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh.[8]

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired

First aired
Last aired

Pilot
November 6, 2014 (2014-11-06) (KLIK! Festival)
August 26, 2015 (2015-08-26) (UK and Ireland)

1
26
July 27, 2015 (2015-07-27)
February 11, 2016 (2016-02-11)

2
26
February 25, 2016 (2016-02-25)
April 11, 2017 (2017-04-11)

3
TBA
April 3, 2017 (2017-04-03)
TBA

text: Broadcast and reception[edit]

text: The pilot episode made its world premiere as part of two separate venues of the KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival at the EYE Film Institute Netherlands: the "Animated Shorts 5",[9] and the "Animated Shorts for Kids" ages 9 to 12.[10] The short was screened alongside the Dutch premiere of Clarence, the Steven Universe episodes "Mirror Gem" and "Ocean Gem", and a live interview with the creator of the latter series, Rebecca Sugar. Described by the institute as "hilarious and endearing",[11] the pilot won in the "Young Amsterdam Audience" category.[12]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: We Bare Bears has received generally positive reviews from critics. Kevin Johnson from The A.V. Club gave "Everyday Bears" a B. He thought the show was charming enough to enjoy, but not "must-watch". He praised the voice actors, but was disappointed that the show did not thoroughly explore the discrimination humans have towards the bears and ended by calling it a "very good 'just okay' kind of show" until the discrimination is explored.[13]

text: International[edit]

text: We Bare Bears premiered on Cartoon Network in Canada on July 27, 2015[14] and on Cartoon Network in the United Kingdom and Ireland on September 7, 2015.[15][16] The series debuted on Cartoon Network channels in Australia and New Zealand and the Philippines on November 16.[17][18] It premiered on Cartoon Network in India on November 29, 2015, and in Italy on December 8, 2015. We Bare Bears premiered in Pakistan on Cartoon Network on July 13, 2016 and airs on every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 PM, according to Pakistan Standard Time.[19] In Germany, Austria and Switzerland it airs on Cartoon Network (Pay-TV) and Disney Channel (Free-TV). In the Czech Republic it airs on Cartoon Network (Pay-TV) and ČT Déčko (Free-TV).

text: Other media[edit]

text: Penguin Random House announced in 2014 that it will publish books based on various programs for Cartoon Network, including We Bare Bears. The books are produced out of the company's Cartoon Network Books imprint, a division of the Penguin Young Readers Group, and is based on a partnership with the network that started in 2013.[20]

text: Home media[edit]

text: DVD releases[edit]

text:
Region 1

DVD title
Season(s)
Aspect ratio
Episode count
Total running time
Release dates

Viral Video[21]
1
16:9
12
132 minutes
October 4, 2016

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result

2016
Annie Awards
Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
Madeline Sharafian, Manny Hernandez, and Bert Youn (for "Burrito")
Nominated

2016
BAFTA Children's Awards
International

Won

2017
17th Kidscreen Awards
Best Animated Series

Won

Best Writing

Won

2017
24th International Trickfilm Festival Stuttgart
Best International Animation Series For Kids[22]

Won

2017
Kids' Choice Awards Mexico
Favorite Cartoon[23]

Nominated


document_title: Joseph Merrick

question_text: who played the elephant man in ripper street

text: Joseph Merrick

text: Early life and family[edit]

text: Joseph Carey Merrick was born 5 August 1862 at 50 Lee Street in Leicester, to Joseph Rockley Merrick and his wife Mary Jane (née Potterton).[1] Joseph Rockley Merrick (c. 1838 – 1897) was the son of London-born weaver Barnabas Merrick (1791 – 1856) who moved to Leicester during the 1820s or 1830s, and his third wife Sarah Rockley.[2] Mary Jane Potterton (c. 1837 – 1873) had been born at Evington, Leicestershire, her father being William Potterton, who was described as an agricultural labourer in the 1851 census of Thurmaston, Leicestershire.[3] She said to have some form of physical disability and as a young woman worked as a domestic servant in Leicester before marrying Joseph Rockley Merrick, then a warehouseman[4], in 1861.

text: The following year, Joseph Carey Merrick was born, apparently healthy, and had no outward symptoms of any disorder for the first few years of his life. Named after his father, he was given the middle name Carey by his mother, a Baptist, after the preacher William Carey.[5] The Merricks had two more children, not three as stated on his mother's grave. John Thomas, born 21 April 1864, who died of smallpox on 24 July of the same year, was not related to Joseph and Mary Jane Merrick.[6] The other two children were: William Arthur, born January 1866, who died of scarlet fever on 21 December 1870 aged four and was buried on Christmas Day 1870; and Marian Eliza, born 28 September 1867, who was born with physical disabilities and died of myelitis and "seizures" on 19 March 1891 aged 24. William is buried with his mother, aunts and uncles in Welford Road Cemetery in Leicester[7] while Marian is buried with her father in Belgrave Cemetery in Leicester.[8] In his book The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity, Ashley Montagu states that "John Thomas [sic] Merrick was born on 21 April 1864".[9] Montagu believed Treves's statement in his book, The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences, referring to Merrick's first name as John, not Joseph, was due to confusing him with his younger brother, a child which has now been proven was not related to Joseph Merrick.[10]

text: A pamphlet titled "The Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick", produced c. 1884 to accompany his exhibition, states that he started to display symptoms at approximately five years of age, with "thick lumpy skin ... like that of an elephant, and almost the same colour".[11] According to a 1930 article in the Illustrated Leicester Chronicle, he began to develop swellings on his lips at the age of 21 months, followed by a bony lump on his forehead and a loosening and roughening of the skin.[12][nb 1] As he grew, a noticeable difference between the size of his left and right arms appeared and both his feet became significantly enlarged.[12] The Merrick family explained his symptoms as the result of Mary's being knocked over and frightened by a fairground elephant while she was pregnant with Joseph.[12] The concept of maternal impression—that the emotional experiences of pregnant women could have lasting physical effect on their unborn children—was still common in 19th-century Britain.[14] Merrick held this belief about the cause of his affliction for his entire life.[15]

text: In addition to his deformities, at some point during his childhood, Merrick suffered a fall and damaged his left hip. This injury became infected and left him permanently lame.[16] Although affected by his physical deformities, Merrick attended school and enjoyed a close relationship with his mother.[16] She was a Sunday school teacher, and his father worked as an engine driver at a cotton factory, as well as running a haberdashery business.[16] On 29 May 1873, less than three years after the death of her youngest son William, Mary Jane Merrick died from bronchopneumonia.[17] Joseph Rockley Merrick moved with his two children to live with Mrs. Emma Wood Antill, a widow with children of her own. They married on 3 December 1874.[18]

text: Employment and the workhouse[edit]

text:
"I was taunted and sneered at so that I would not go home to my meals, and used to stay in the streets with a hungry belly rather than return for anything to eat, what few half-meals I did have, I was taunted with the remark—'That's more than you have earned.'"

— "The Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick"[11]

tag: div

text: Merrick left school aged 13, which was usual for the time.[19] His home-life was now "a perfect misery",[11] and neither his father nor his stepmother demonstrated affection towards him.[18] He ran away "two or three" times, but was brought back by his father each time.[11] At 13, he found work rolling cigars in a factory, but after three years, his right hand deformity had worsened and he no longer had the dexterity required for the job.[19] Now unemployed, he spent his days wandering the streets, looking for work and avoiding his stepmother's taunts.[1]

text: Merrick was becoming a greater financial burden on his family, and eventually his father secured him a hawker's licence which enabled him to earn money selling items from the haberdashery shop, door to door.[20] This endeavour was unsuccessful, since Merrick's facial deformities rendered his speech increasingly unintelligible and prospective customers reacted with horror to his physical appearance. Housewives refused to open doors for him and now people not only stared at him but began to follow him out of curiosity.[20] Merrick failed to make enough money as a hawker to support himself. On returning home one day in 1877, he was severely beaten by his father and he left home for good.[21]

text: Merrick was now homeless on the streets of Leicester. His uncle, a barber named Charles Merrick, heard of his nephew's situation, sought him out and offered him accommodation in his home.[22] Merrick continued to hawk around Leicester for the next two years but his efforts to earn a living met with little more success than before. Eventually, his disfigurement drew such negative attention from members of the public that the Commissioners for Hackney Carriages withdrew his licence when it came up for renewal.[22] With young children to provide for, Charles could no longer afford to support his nephew. In late December 1879, now 17 years old, Merrick entered the Leicester Union Workhouse.[23]

text: Merrick became one of 1,180 residents in the workhouse[24]. Joseph was given a classification to determine his place of accommodation. The class system determined which department or ward he would reside as well as the amounts of food he would receive. Joseph was classed as class one for able bodied males and females[25]. On 22 March 1880, only 12 weeks after entering, Merrick signed himself out of the workhouse and spent two days looking for work. With no more success than before, he found himself with no option but to return to the workhouse. This time he stayed for four years.[26] Around 1882, Merrick underwent surgery on his face. The protrusion from his mouth had grown to 8–9 inches and severely inhibited his speech and made it difficult to eat.[27] He was operated on in the Workhouse Infirmary under the direction of Dr Clement Frederick Bryan and had a large part of the mass removed.[28]

text: Life as a curiosity[edit]

text: Merrick concluded that his only escape from the workhouse might be through the world of human novelty exhibitions.[29][30] He knew of a Leicester music hall comedian and proprietor named Sam Torr. Merrick wrote to Torr, who came and visited him at the workhouse. Torr decided that he could make money exhibiting Merrick; although, to retain Merrick's novelty, he would have to be a travelling exhibit.[29] To this end, he organised a group of managers for Merrick: music hall proprietor J. Ellis, travelling showman George Hitchcock, and fair owner Sam Roper. On 3 August 1884, Merrick departed the workhouse to start his new career.[31]

text: The showmen named Merrick the Elephant Man, and advertised him as "Half-a-Man and Half-an-Elephant".[31] They showed him around the East Midlands, including in Leicester and Nottingham, before moving him on to London for the winter season. George Hitchcock contacted an acquaintance, showman Tom Norman, who ran penny gaff shops in London's East End exhibiting human curiosities. Without a meeting, Norman agreed to take over Merrick's management and in November, Hitchcock travelled with Merrick to London.[32]

text: When Tom Norman first saw Merrick, he was dismayed by the extent of his deformities, fearing his appearance might be too horrific to be a successful novelty.[33] Nevertheless, he exhibited Merrick in the back of an empty shop on Whitechapel Road. Merrick had an iron bed with a curtain drawn around to afford him some privacy. Norman observed Merrick asleep one morning and learnt that he always slept sitting up, with his legs drawn up and his head resting on his knees. His enlarged head was too heavy to allow him to sleep lying down and, as Merrick put it, he would risk "waking with a broken neck".[34] Norman decorated the shop with posters that had been created by Hitchcock, depicting a monstrous half-man, half-elephant.[35] A pamphlet titled "The Autobiography of Joseph Carey Merrick" was created, outlining Merrick's life to date. This biography, whether written by Merrick or not, provided a generally accurate account of his life. It contained an incorrect date of birth but, throughout his life, Merrick was vague about when he was born.[36]

text:
Ladies and gentlemen ... I would like to introduce Mr Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man. Before doing so I ask you please to prepare yourselves—Brace yourselves up to witness one who is probably the most remarkable human being ever to draw the breath of life.

—Tom Norman[37]

text: Norman gathered an audience by standing outside the shop and drawing a crowd through his showman patter. He would then lead his onlookers into the shop, explaining that the Elephant Man was "not here to frighten you but to enlighten you."[35] Drawing aside the curtain, he allowed the onlookers—often visibly horrified—to observe Merrick up close, while describing the circumstances leading to his present condition, including his mother's alleged accident with an elephant.

text: The Elephant Man exhibit was moderately successful, and made money primarily from the sales of the autobiographical pamphlet.[34] Merrick was able to put his share of the profits aside, hoping to earn enough to one day buy a home of his own.[38] The shop on Whitechapel Road was directly across the road from the London Hospital, an excellent location, as medical students and doctors visited the shop, curious to see Merrick.[34] One visitor was a young house surgeon named Reginald Tuckett. Like his colleagues, Tuckett was intrigued by the Elephant Man's deformities and told his senior colleague Frederick Treves.[39]

text: Frederick Treves first met Merrick that November at a private viewing, before Norman opened the shop for the day.[34] Treves later recalled in his 1923 Reminiscences that Merrick was "the most disgusting specimen of humanity that I had ever seen ... at no time had I met with such a degraded or perverted version of a human being as this lone figure displayed."[40] The viewing lasted no more than 15 minutes after which Treves returned to work. Later that day, he sent Tuckett back to the shop to ask if Merrick might be willing to come to the hospital for an examination. Norman and Merrick agreed.[41] To enable him to travel the short distance without drawing undue attention, Merrick wore a costume consisting of an oversized black cloak and a brown cap with a burlap sack that covered his face, and rode in a cab hired by Treves.[42][nb 2][30]

text: At the hospital, Treves examined Merrick, observing that he was "shy, confused, not a little frightened, and evidently much cowed."[40] At this point, Treves assumed that the Elephant Man was an "imbecile".[40] He measured Merrick's head circumference at the large size of 36 inches (91 cm), his right wrist at 12 inches (30 cm) and one of his fingers at 5 inches (13 cm) in circumference. He noted that his skin was covered in papillomata (warty growths), the largest of which exuded an unpleasant smell.[44] The subcutaneous tissue appeared to be weakened and caused a loosening of the skin, which in some areas hung away from the body. There were bone deformities in the right arm, both legs, and, most conspicuously, in the large skull.[45] Despite the corrective surgery to his mouth in 1882, Merrick's speech remained barely intelligible. His left arm and hand were not large and were not deformed. His penis and scrotum were normal. Apart from his deformities and the lameness in his hip, Treves concluded that Merrick appeared to be in good general health.[46] Norman later recalled that Merrick went to the hospital for examination "two or three" times[41] and during one of their meetings, Treves gave Merrick his calling card.[1] On one of the visits, Treves had photographs taken, and he provided Merrick with a set of copies which were later added to his autobiographical pamphlet.[47] On 2 December, Treves presented Merrick at a meeting of the Pathological Society of London in Bloomsbury.[48] Eventually, Merrick told Norman that he no longer wanted to be examined at the hospital. According to Norman, he said he was "stripped naked and felt like an animal in a cattle market."[49]

text: During this time in Victorian Britain, tastes were changing in regard to freak show exhibitions like the Elephant Man. Shows like Norman's were a cause for public concern, both on the grounds of decency and due to the disruption caused by crowds gathering outside them.[50] Not long after Merrick's last examination with Frederick Treves, the police closed down Norman's shop on Whitechapel Road, and Merrick's Leicester managers withdrew him from Norman's care.[49] In 1885, Merrick went on the road with Sam Roper's travelling fair.[51] He befriended two other performers, "Roper's Midgets"—Bertram Dooley and Harry Bramley—who on occasion defended Merrick from public harassment.[43]

text: Europe[edit]

text: The dampening of public enthusiasm for freak shows and human oddities continued and the police and magistrates became increasingly vigilant in closing shows down. Merrick remained a horrifying spectacle for his viewers and Roper grew nervous about the negative attention the Elephant Man drew from local authorities.[43] Merrick's group of managers decided that he should go on tour in Continental Europe, with the hope that authorities there would be more lenient. Merrick's management was assumed by an unknown man (possibly named Ferrari) and they left for the continent.[52] The Elephant Man was no more successful there than in Britain, and similar action was taken by authorities to move him out of their jurisdictions. In Brussels, Merrick was deserted by this new manager, who stole Merrick's £50 (2015 equivalent £4,900) savings.[53] Abandoned, Merrick made his way by train to Ostend, where he attempted to board a ferry for Dover but was refused passage.[54] He travelled to Antwerp and was able to board a ship bound for Harwich in Essex. From there, he travelled by train to London and arrived at Liverpool Street station.[55]

text: Merrick arrived at Liverpool Street Station on 24 June 1886, safely back in his own country, but with nowhere to go. He was not eligible to enter a workhouse in London for more than one night and would be accepted only by Leicester Union, where he was a permanent resident. Leicester was 98 miles (158 km) away.[56] He approached strangers for help, but his speech was unintelligible and his appearance repugnant. He drew a crowd of curious onlookers until a policeman helped him into an empty waiting room, where he huddled in a corner, exhausted. Unable to make himself understood, his only identifying possession was Frederick Treves's card.[57] The police contacted Treves, who went to the station. Recognising Merrick, Treves took him in a hansom cab to the London Hospital. Merrick was admitted for bronchitis, washed, fed and put to bed in a small isolation room in the hospital's attic.[58]

text: London Hospital[edit]

text: With Merrick admitted into the hospital, Treves now had time to conduct a more thorough examination. He discovered that Merrick's physical condition had deteriorated over the previous two years and that he had become quite crippled by his deformities. Treves also suspected that Merrick now suffered from a heart condition and that he had only a few years left to live.[59] Merrick's general health improved over the next five months under the care of the hospital staff. Although some nurses were initially upset by his appearance, they overcame this and cared for him.[60] The problem of his unpleasant odour was mitigated through frequent bathing and Treves gradually developed an understanding of Merrick's speech. A new set of photographs was taken. The question of Merrick's long-term care had to be addressed. Francis Carr Gomm, the chairman of the hospital committee, had supported Treves in his decision to admit Merrick, but by November, long-term plans needed to be made. The London Hospital was not equipped or staffed to provide care for the incurable, which Merrick clearly was.[60]

text: Carr Gomm contacted other institutions and hospitals more suited to caring for chronic cases, but none would accept Merrick. Gomm wrote a letter to The Times, printed on 4 December, outlining Merrick's case and asking readers for suggestions.[61] The public response—in letters and donations—was significant, and the situation was even covered by the British Medical Journal.[62] With the financial backing of the many donors, Gomm was able to make a convincing case to the committee for keeping Merrick in the hospital. It was decided that he would be allowed to stay there for the remainder of his life.[63] He was moved from the attic to two rooms in the basement adjacent to a small courtyard. The rooms were adapted and furnished to suit Merrick, with a specially constructed bed and—at Treves's instruction—no mirrors.[64]

text: Merrick settled into his new life at the London Hospital. Treves visited him daily and spent a couple of hours with him every Sunday.[65] Now that Merrick had found someone who understood his speech, he was delighted to carry on long conversations with the doctor.[65] Treves and Merrick built a friendly relationship, although Merrick never completely confided in him. He told Treves that he was an only child, and Treves had the impression that Merrick's mother, whose picture Merrick always carried with him, had abandoned him as a baby.[65] Merrick was also reluctant to talk about his exhibition days, although he expressed gratitude towards his former managers.[66] It did not take Treves long to realise that, contrary to his initial impressions, Merrick was not intellectually impaired.[65]

text: Treves observed that Merrick was very sensitive and showed his emotions easily.[67] At times Merrick was bored and lonely, and demonstrated signs of depression.[68] He had spent his entire adult life segregated from women, first in the workhouse and then as an exhibit. The women he met were either disgusted or frightened by his appearance.[69] His opinions about women were derived from his memories of his mother and what he read in books. Treves decided that Merrick would like to be introduced to a woman and it would help him feel normal.[70] The doctor arranged for a friend of his named Mrs. Leila Maturin, "a young and pretty widow", to visit Merrick.[40] She agreed and with fair warning about his appearance, she went to his rooms for an introduction. The meeting was short, as Merrick quickly became overcome with emotion.[70] He later told Treves that Maturin had been the first woman ever to smile at him, and the first to shake his hand.[40] She kept in contact with him and a letter written by Merrick to her, thanking her for the gift of a book and a brace of grouse (a pair of birds), is the only surviving letter written by Merrick.[71] This first experience of meeting a woman, though brief, instilled in Merrick a new sense of self-confidence.[72] He met other women during his life at the hospital, and appeared taken with them all. Treves believed that Merrick's hope was to go to live at an institution for the blind, where he might meet a woman who could not see his deformities.[72]

text: Merrick wanted to know about the "real world", and questioned Treves on a number of topics. One day he expressed a desire to see inside what he considered a "real" house and Treves obliged, taking him to visit his Wimpole Street townhouse and meet his wife.[73] At the hospital Merrick filled his days with reading and constructing models of buildings out of card. He entertained visits from Treves and his house surgeons. He rose each day in the afternoon and would leave his rooms to walk in the small adjacent courtyard, after dark.

text: As a result of Carr Gomm's letters to The Times, Merrick's case attracted the notice of London's high society. One person who took a keen interest was actress Madge Kendal.[74] Although she probably never met him in person, she was responsible for raising funds and public sympathy for Merrick.[75] She sent him photographs of herself and employed a basket weaver to go to his rooms and teach him the craft.[76] Other ladies and gentlemen of high society did visit him however, bringing gifts of photographs and books. He reciprocated with letters and hand made gifts of card models and baskets. Merrick enjoyed these visits and became confident enough to converse with people who passed his windows.[77] A young man, Charles Taylor, the son of the engineer responsible for modifying Merrick's rooms, spent time with him, sometimes playing the violin.[75] Occasionally, he grew bold enough to leave his small living quarters and would explore the hospital. When he was discovered, he was always hurried back to his quarters by the nurses, who feared that he might frighten the patients.[77]

text: On 21 May 1887, two new buildings were completed at the hospital and the Prince and Princess of Wales came to open them officially.[78] Princess Alexandra wished to meet the Elephant Man, so after a tour of the hospital, the royal party went to his rooms for an introduction. The princess shook Merrick's hand and sat with him, an experience that left him overjoyed.[79] She gave him a signed photograph of herself, which became a prized possession, and she sent him a Christmas card each year.[40]

text: On at least one occasion, Merrick was able to fulfil a long-held desire to visit the theatre.[80] Treves, with the help of Madge Kendal, arranged for him to attend the Christmas pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Treves sat with some nurses, concealed in Baroness Burdett-Coutts' private box.[81] According to Treves, Merrick was "awed" and "enthralled". "The spectacle left him speechless, so that if he were spoken to he took no heed".[40] For weeks following the show Merrick talked about the pantomime, reliving the story as if it had been real.[82]

text: Last years[edit]

text: On three occasions Merrick left the hospital and London on holiday, spending a few weeks at a time in the countryside.[83] Through elaborate arrangements that allowed Merrick to board a train unseen and have an entire carriage to himself, he travelled to Northamptonshire to stay at Fawsley Hall, the estate of Lady Knightley.[83] He stayed at the gamekeeper's cottage and spent the days walking in the estate's woods, collecting wild flowers.[84] He befriended a young farm labourer who later recalled Merrick as an interesting and well-educated man.[71] Treves called this "the one supreme holiday of [Merrick's] life", although in fact there were three such trips.[40][85]

text: Merrick's condition gradually deteriorated during his four years at the London Hospital. He required a great deal of care from the nursing staff and spent much of his time in bed, or sitting in his quarters, with diminishing energy.[71] His facial deformities continued to grow and his head became even more enlarged. He died on 11 April 1890, at the age of 27.[86] At around 3:00 p.m., Treves's house surgeon visited Merrick and found him lying dead across his bed. His body was formally identified by his uncle, Charles Merrick.[87] An inquest was held on 15 April by Wynne Edwin Baxter, who had come to notoriety conducting inquests for the Whitechapel murders of 1888.[86]

text:
He often said to me that he wished he could lie down to sleep 'like other people' ... he must, with some determination, have made the experiment ... Thus it came about that his death was due to the desire that had dominated his life—the pathetic but hopeless desire to be 'like other people'.

—Frederick Treves[40]

text: Merrick's death was ruled accidental and the certified cause of death was asphyxia, caused by the weight of his head as he lay down.[88][89] Treves, who performed an autopsy on the body, said that Merrick had died of a dislocated neck.[89] Knowing that Merrick had always slept sitting upright out of necessity, Treves came to the conclusion that Merrick must have "made the experiment", attempting to sleep lying down "like other people".[40][89]

text: Treves dissected Merrick's body and took plaster casts of his head and limbs. He took skin samples, which were later lost during the Second World War, and mounted his skeleton, which remains in the pathology collection at the Royal London Hospital.[90] Although the skeleton has never been on public display, there is a small museum dedicated to his life, housing some of his personal effects.

text: Medical condition[edit]

text: Ever since Joseph Merrick's days as a novelty exhibit on Whitechapel Road, his condition has been a source of curiosity for medical professionals.[91] His appearance at the meeting of the Pathological Society of London in 1884 drew interest from the doctors present, but none of the answers nor the attention that Treves had hoped for. The case received only a brief mention in the British Medical Journal, and the Lancet declined to mention it at all.[92] Four months later, in 1885, Treves brought the case before the meeting for a second time. By then, Tom Norman's shop on Whitechapel Road had been closed, and the Elephant Man had moved on. Without Merrick, Treves made do with the photographs he had taken during his examinations. One of the doctors present at the meeting was Henry Radcliffe Crocker, a dermatologist who was an authority on skin diseases.[93] After hearing Treves's description of Merrick, and viewing the photographs, Crocker proposed that Merrick's condition might be a combination of dermatolysis, pachydermatocele and an unnamed bone deformity, all caused by changes in the nervous system.[50] Crocker wrote about Merrick's case in his 1888 book Diseases of the Skin: their Description, Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment.[94]

text: In 1909, dermatologist Frederick Parkes Weber wrote an article about von Recklinghausen disease in the British Journal of Dermatology.[95] erroneously citing Merrick as an example of the disease, which German pathologist Friedrich Daniel von Recklinghausen had described in 1882,[96] but in the last year has been found that this conjecture was wrong. In fact, symptoms that are always present in this genetic disorder include tumours of the nervous tissue and bones, small warty growths on the skin,[97] and (which is a peculiar characteristic of this disease) the presence of light brown pigmentation on the skin called café au lait spots.;[98] however, these spots were never observed on Merrick's body.[99] For this reason, although this diagnosis was quite popular through most of the 20th century, other conjectural diagnosis were advanced, such as those of who suffer Maffucci syndrome and polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (Albright's disease).[99]

text: In a 1986 article in the British Medical Journal, Michael Cohen and J.A.R. Tibbles put forward the theory that Merrick had suffered from Proteus syndrome, a very rare congenital disorder recently identified by Cohen in 1979 (this explains why this diagnosis was not advanced previously), citing Merrick's lack of reported café au lait spots and the absence of any histological proof that he had suffered from the previously conjectured syndrome.[100] In fact, Proteus syndrome affects tissue other than nerves, and it is a sporadic disorder rather than a genetically transmitted disease.[101] Cohen and Tibbles said that Merrick showed the following signs of Proteus syndrome: "macrocephaly; hyperostosis of the large skull; hypertrophy of long bones; and thickened skin and subcutaneous tissues, particularly of the hands and feet, including plantar hyperplasia, lipomas, and other unspecified subcutaneous masses."[100]

text: In a letter to Biologist in June 2001, British teacher and Chartered Biologist Paul Spiring[102] speculated that Merrick might have suffered from a combination of the two syndromes. This hypothesis was reported by Robert Matthews, a correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph.[103] The possibility that Merrick had both conditions formed the basis for a 2003 documentary film entitled The Curse of The Elephant Man that was produced for the Discovery Health Channel by Natural History New Zealand.[104][105] During 2002, genealogical research for the film led to a BBC appeal to trace Merrick's maternal family line. In response to the appeal, a Leicester resident named Pat Selby was discovered to be the granddaughter of Merrick's uncle George Potterton. A research team took DNA samples from Selby in an unsuccessful attempt to diagnose Merrick's condition.[106] During 2003, the filmmakers commissioned further diagnostic tests using DNA that was extracted from Merrick's hair and bone. However, the results of these tests proved inconclusive; therefore, the precise cause of Merrick's medical condition remains uncertain.[104][105][107]

text: Legacy[edit]

text: In 1923, Frederick Treves published a volume, The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences, in which he detailed what he knew of Merrick's life and their personal interactions. This account is the source of much of what is known about Merrick, but there were several inaccuracies in the book. Merrick never completely confided in Treves about his early life, so these details were consequently sketchy in Treves's Reminiscences. A more mysterious error is that of Merrick's first name. Treves, in his earlier journal articles as well as his book, insisted on calling him John Merrick. The reason for this is unclear; Merrick clearly signed his name as "Joseph" in the examples of his handwriting that remain.[108] In the handwritten manuscript for The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences, Treves began his account by writing "Joseph" and then crossed it out and replaced it with "John".[109] Whatever the reason for the error, it is one that persisted throughout much of the 20th century; later biographers who based their work on Treves's book have continued the error.

text: Treves's depiction of Tom Norman, the showman who had exhibited Merrick, was that of a cruel drunk who had ruthlessly exploited his charge.[110][111] In a letter to the World's Fair newspaper, and later in his own memoirs, Norman denied this characterisation and said that he provided his show attractions with a way of earning a living, and that at the London Hospital, Merrick was still on display, but with no control over how or when he was viewed. According to Nadja Durbach, author of The Spectacle of Deformity: Freak Shows and Modern British Culture, Norman's view gives an insight into the Victorian freak show's function as a means of survival for poor people with deformities, as well as the attitude of medical professionals of the time.[112] Durbach cautions that both Treves's and Norman's memoirs must be understood as "narrative reconstructions ... that reflect personal and professional prejudices and cater to the demands and expectations of their very different audiences".[113]

text: In 1971, anthropologist Ashley Montagu published The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity which drew on Treves's book and explored Merrick's character.[114] Montagu reprinted Treves's account alongside various others such as Carr Gomm's letter to the Times and the report on Merrick's inquest. He pointed out inconsistencies between the accounts and sometimes disputed Treves's version of events; he noted, for example, that while Treves claimed Merrick knew nothing of his mother's appearance, Carr Gomm refers to Merrick carrying a painting of his mother with him,[115] and he criticised Treves's assumption that Merrick's mother was "worthless and inhuman".[115] However, Montagu also perpetuated some of the errors in Treves's work,[116] including his use of the name "John" rather than "Joseph".[115]

text: In 1980, Michael Howell and Peter Ford published The True History of the Elephant Man, presenting the fruits of their detailed archival research. Howell and Ford brought to light a large amount of new information about Merrick. In addition to proving that his name was Joseph, not John, they were able to describe in more detail his life story. They refuted some of the inaccuracies in Treves's account, showing that Merrick's mother did not abandon him, and that Merrick deliberately chose to exhibit himself to make a living.

text:
'Tis true my form is something odd,
But blaming me is blaming God;
Could I create myself anew
I would not fail in pleasing you.

If I could reach from pole to pole
Or grasp the ocean with a span,
I would be measured by the soul;
The mind's the standard of the man.

 —poem used by Joseph Merrick to end his letters, adapted from "False Greatness" by Isaac Watts[11]

text: Between 1979 and 1982, Merrick's life story became the basis of several works of dramatic art; these were based on the accounts of Treves and Montagu. In 1979, a Tony Award–winning play, The Elephant Man, by American playwright Bernard Pomerance was staged.[117] The character based on Merrick was played by Philip Anglim, and later by David Bowie and Mark Hamill.[118] In 1980, a film The Elephant Man, directed by David Lynch, was released; it received eight Academy Award nominations. Merrick was played by John Hurt and Frederick Treves by Anthony Hopkins. In 1982, US television network ABC broadcast an adaptation of Pomerance's play, starring Anglim.[119]

text: Merrick is portrayed in two episodes in 2013 (the second series) of the BBC historical crime drama Ripper Street, portrayed by actor Joseph Drake. In 2017, the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne commissioned playwright Tom Wright to write a play about Merrick's life. The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man premiered on 4 August, and starred Daniel Monks in the title role. The cast also featured Paula Arundell, Julie Forsyth, Emma J Hawkins, and Sophie Ross.[120]

text: In 2002, American heavy metal band Mastodon, on their album Remission, included an instrumental track, "Elephant Man". In 2004, on their album Leviathan, they included a similar instrumental, "Joseph Merrick". Merrick's life is the subject of Joseph Merrick, The Elephant Man, an opera by composer Laurent Petitgirard, set to a French libretto by Eric Nonn. It premiered on 7 February 2002 at the State Opera House, Prague, and starred contralto Jana Sykorova in the title role.[121]

text: In November 2016, Joanne Vigor-Mungovin published a book called Joseph: The Life, Times and Places of the Elephant Man, with the foreword written by a member of Joseph Merrick's family. The book looks into the early life of Merrick and his family in Vigor-Mungovin's hometown of Leicester, with detailed information about Joseph's family and his ambition to be self-sufficient rather than survive on the charity of others.[122]