FRACTURED FAIRY TALES What is a Fractured Fairy

F-R-A-C-T-U-R-E-D FAIRY TALES

What is a Fractured Fairy Tale? Usually, the fractured tale is a folktale that is retold to find unexpected humor in the way it portrays characters, uses a different vernacular (speech), has plot deviations (changes) and twists, or uses writing ploys.

A Short History As best we know: • 1939: James Thurber: “The Little Girl and the Wolf” • Late 1950’s: Rocky and Bullwinkle Show had a segment on Fractured Fairy Tales (“fractured fairy tale” phrase coined • 1986: Jon Scieszka authored The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. The floodgates were opened! • Now: books, plays, DVDs, and even video games

• Storytellers often create their own fractured tales. However, fractured versions may only be funny within a culture since they often rely on the humor, references, and word play unique to that culture. • An interesting fractoid: fractured fairy tales are not at all popular in Europe. They are a uniquely “American” genre!

What makes them f-r-a-c-t-u-r-e-d-? • Reverse gender roles (Cinderfella) • Tell the story from another point of view (Three Pigs as told by the wolf) • Place the story in a different setting – Wild West, Mexico, the North Pole, modern city • Have well-known folk tale characters meet in a completely different story • Use politically correct language - Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for our Life and Times

F F T F-A-V-s • The True Story of the Three Little Pigs • The Frog Prince, Continued • Sleepless Beauty • Stinky Cheese Man • The Jolly Postman

Son of Rumplestiltskin Good website of FFT: http: //www. brownielocks. com/fractu redfairytales. html