The distinction was different when the Brothers Grimm began catering fairy tales to children; child-friendly once meant more violent. The violence (i.e. pecking the stepsisters' eyes out in Cinderella) would scare children into obedience and other positive virtues. However, such violence would today be considered more for adults.
People have constructed the children's/adult binary to describe the target audiences of fairy tales. Perhaps the binary has been constructed for stories, in general. Our modern culture suggests adults and children cannot share the same forms of entertainment, thus widely perceiving family films as "just for kids."
This article is about fairy tales for families. Before I discuss the topic, I must clarify the difference between stories for children and stories for families.
Children's Stories
Children's stories are strictly for children; adult presence is not expected. Parents and caregivers might read the stories or watch the shows with their kids, but they are engaging in it for the kids and not necessarily for themselves. Yet, children's shows try to be tolerable by, for example, excluding "baby talk."
Stories for young children (ages 2-6) usually teach basic educational content (Sesame Street) or simple lessons (Bluey). Educational content and straightforward lessons are also present, though more complex, in stories for primary-age children (ages 6-9). Stories for older children (ages 9-12), though, delve into the complexity often found in novels and blockbuster films.
As it applies to fairy tales, children's stories usually have some kind of repetition in their plots. For example, there's the Beast's multiple marriage requests in Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's Beauty and the Beast, the three balls in the Grimm Brothers' Cinderella, Jack's three trips up the beanstalk, and the refusals of the hen's housemates to help with the chores in The Little Red Hen.
Family Stories
Family-oriented stories are still suitable for children, but they feature adult jokes and/or mature themes that make it more enjoyable with age. The storylines are easy for children to follow but complex enough to engage teenagers and adults.
Books, especially not novels, cannot be for entire families because reading is an exercise that must grow with age. However, plenty of adults enjoy children's books; several children's novels eventually become wholesome family films. Disney's Tuck Everlasting, though originally written for children, delves into themes about the meaning of life, ones that resonate with all ages.
Family-Oriented Fairy Tales
When applied to fairy tales, then, a family-oriented version touches on mature themes while remaining appropriate for children. However, Charles Perrault's Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, though not solely for children, lack mature themes. They do lack the repetition found in some Grimm tales, helping these stories age better.
The same can be said about Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty; people consider these family movies, but adult themes are also lacking. Besides, these stories are rather simplistic, making them seem more like children's films on the surface.
The Disney fairy tale has only delved into mature topics and more complex storylines since the Renaissance era (1989-1999). The Little Mermaid is about a father letting go of his daughter, for instance, and Beauty and the Beast is about a woman resisting sexism and finding intimacy.
When The Little Mermaid premiered, half of the viewers were teens and adults. Beauty and the Beast was a hit among childless dating couples. Since then, Disney has continued to prove fairy tales could appeal equally to children and adults by inserting mature themes. The Princess and the Frog is about a young woman working to open a restaurant. Tangled is about a gaslit young woman overcoming trauma. Even if adult themes were lacking, as in Aladdin and Frozen, the complex storylines ensured widespread appeal.
Conclusion
For a fairy tale to appeal to a wide audience, it can have adult themes but needs a lack of repetition and a complex storyline with well-developed characters. Children should still be able to follow it, but they will discover new things in the stories as they grow up.
How do you think a fairy tale could target the general population?
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