Anshina Verma Blog 13- Stick to Your Books, Schoolboy
“Stick to your books.” “School boy.” Preminger drawls before letting out a sharp cackle. The recipient of his insult stares after Preminger, as he saunters away, his medieval style loafers click-clacking away on the marble floors.
I’m sure many of you are wondering who Preminger is. Well, to that question I must say, did you imbeclies not watch the blockbuster, showstopping, incredible franchise that is the Barbie series? Well, judging by your questions, I assume you haven’t, so I shall provide a proper introduction. Preminger. In Barbie Princess and the Pauper, Preminger is Queen Genevive’s royal advisor. Although royal schemer is a more fitting term to call him. For some background on the movie itself, the kingdom’s princess, Princess Annelise, meets Erika, a common girl who shares the rare birthmark that she does. Because the birthmark is said to be an identifying factor of royal blood, Annelise is overjoyed at the prospect of a new family member. When Erika is introduced to the queen and Preminger, the pair is far from overjoyed. Preminger intended to overthrow Princess Annelise for the throne, or if this wasn’t possible, he intended to prevent her from ever coming into power to preserve his position as royal advisor. Now with Annelise’s newfound interest in her birthright, Preminger feels threatened by Erika’s presence, given that she is the source of Annelise’s new royal fervor. Thus, Preminger sets out to disprove Erika’s potential relation to Princess Annelise.
But now that you all have been thoroughly informed of Preminger’s background and character, I must reveal why he is being discussed in the first place. Frankly, since the moment six year old me saw Preminger on screen, well I’ve adored his character. Sarcastic, witty, always willing to say what nobody else in the room would, I saw the appealing and less than appealing aspects of my personality emulated in a character with a silly white wig.
Preminger is frequently dismissed as comedic relief or simply the average antagonist, but I believe Preminger has a specific amount of emotional depth that most miss. Preminger’s actions stem from deep insecurity rather than greed. As a royal advisor who is in very close proximity to power but never truly possesses it, Preminger must constantly bow to the nobility that surrounds him. Forced to beg and scrape in front of those who possess half his intelligence and wit, Preminger turns sour and angry, to cope with this humiliation as a result of his position. His schemes and elaborate manipulation tactics, which he uses to make Erika leave Annelise of her own volition, demonstrate his adaptability. Despite his insecurities, Preminger can observe without bias, though his remarks and insults may suggest otherwise. With this skill, Preminger can use the insecurities of those around him to his advantage, ensuring that he controls the wealth he is surrounded by rather than the other way around. Thus, I do hope you are all enlightened to be informed of Preminger’s emotional depth, you would all think I have psychological issues if you knew how much I told the walls of my room about this.
https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Preminger
The Princess and the Pauper is one of my favorite Barbie moves! I love the soundtrack and the nostalgic animation. Even when I was a prepubescent child, Preminger was still one of my favorite villains at the time for his flamboyance. I liked how unrealistic his character was and his witticisms. Preminger is an unapologetic villain, and (from what I remember) doesn’t repent for his actions despite being a character with nuanced motivations. Looking back on it, Preminger was actually an excellent villain; the trope of a “redeemed villain” is tiring when it’s repeated in the media ad nauseam. (I do think his attempt to marry the princess, who was probably over half his age, was questionable, however.) His musical numbers I found especially entertaining, and his scheming looks conveyed were wonderfully animated. I’ve always had a penchant for mildly idiotic villains, and Preminger is nothing if not mildly idiotic.
ReplyDeleteHi Anshina! I honestly cannot remember if I’ve watched The Princess and the Pauper, but I think you’ll be delighted to know that I’ve definitely read the book. I remember reading about Annelise and Erika, and I remember thinking that Preminger was iconic and entertaining. However, after reading your blog, I am now also convinced that he possesses a lot more depth than I initially thought.
ReplyDeletePreminger first reminded me of a character who I consider to be one of the best villains that Disney has created: Jafar. Jafar, although he is extremely narcissistic and power-hungry, not to mention cruel and manipulative, is a character who is highly intelligent and well-versed in strategy. In addition to the fact that they are both cunning royal advisors, what prompted my connection between these two villains was their situations. Both characters are forced into places where they are close enough to power to fully understand it, but they are ultimately excluded from it. Both characters also choose to reject this exclusion of power by manipulating it in ways that give them some form of control, as much as they can possibly have in their circumstances.
What I find especially interesting about Preminger, though, is that his manipulation techniques are a lot more subtle and calculating. Jafar tends to rely more on intimidation and more overt techniques, but Preminger chooses to utilize a more effective form of deception by acting harmless in front of the royal family in order to hide the fact that he is very carefully observing and then later exploiting their weaknesses. Thank you for reminding me of this nostalgic book/movie!