Warning: This post contains major spoilers forThe Madness.
Netflix’s new miniseries The Madness isn’t about the events of Jan. 6, 2021. But show creator Stephen Belber explains how the unsettling events of the Capitol insurrection that day had a direct impact on the creation of the conspiracy-tinged thriller.
“The world was a little shaky,” Belber says. “You weren’t exactly sure who to trust. I liked the idea of planting someone with whose perspective we could just sort of sail through the craziness and a lot of different worlds, a lot of different communities, and see where they fracture and where they can possibly eventually coalesce.”
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That “someone” in The Madness is Muncie Daniels, played by Colman Domingo, who is also an executive producer. Muncie is a successful CNN news anchor, whose life turns upside down during a getaway to the Poconos to start writing his new book. It’s there he becomes entangled in a murder case when he is framed for the killing of the leader of a white-supremacist hate group known as the Forge. A mass misinformation campaign then makes Muncie one of the most wanted men in America.
The series is a thrilling journey as Muncie tries to claim his innocence and uncover who framed him for murder—and to learn why he’s been framed for murder. The show is jam-packed with shocking twists and turns, culminating in a dizzying finale that concludes Muncie’s journey. But does he get the answers he’s looking for?
Belber and co-showrunner VJ Boyd explain the finale of The Madness, breaking down the show’s big conspiracy and a crucial showdown.
The climactic showdown
There are a number of enemies invested in Muncie’s downfall. In Episode 7, viewers discover the show’s big bad is Rodney Kraintz (Neal Huff), the silent majority investor of a big tech company called Revitalize, who orchestrated Muncie’s framing. The Madness finale hinges on one pivotal scene: Muncie’s faceoff with Rodney, at his office in a quiet, private warehouse in New York City.
With a gun in hand, Muncie breaks into Rodney’s office. The executive is alone and unarmed, in a room with a giant server farm he uses in service of his mission to spread disinformation like wildfire.
Rodney uses disinformation to fund his quest to influence politics and power, and Muncie stands in his way. Faced with the armed Muncie, Rodney doesn’t seem particularly threatened, nor does he seem worried about Muncie’s presence—a man this good at wide-scale manipulation can’t be thwarted by a single man. “If somebody hurt someone you love, or if you feel wounded by the stretching of some truth, or by the demise of a Neo-Nazi, I would ask you to consider the larger framework. This is a much –” Rodney’s explanation is cut off by Muncie, who, frustrated with Rodney’s dismissive attitude, has had enough.
“Why the fuck did you frame me?” Muncie demands. “You were there,” Rodney answers. It’s an answer that would upset anyone, and Muncie is certainly no exception. Though as Belber explains, it’s not a completely honest answer: “Rodney is being a little disingenuous by simply saying the framing was circumstance. The circumstances were a perfect storm: The fact that Muncie was a well-known figure, the fact that he was black, the fact that he was there, and creating a sort of racial storm out of this was a perfect deflection for what Rodney Kraintz was actually up to.” Still, that was all luck: Muncie wasn’t set up ahead of time.
The wrong place and the wrong time
It just so happened that Muncie appeared to be the perfect person to frame. “It definitely was a wrong-place, wrong-time situation,” Boyd says. The only flaw in Rodney’s plan was that Muncie was far more resourceful than he could have imagined.
The most shocking part of The Madness ending is that the big conspiracy at the heart of Muncie’s problems wasn’t a conspiracy at all. “I think it’s interesting how coincidences, and someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time, that those little things can end up creating conspiracy, creating something that looks like a conspiracy that was set up ahead of time,” Boyd explains. “If you look at something like PizzaGate, if you’re invested into it, you’re going to look at every tweet Hilary Clinton had that has a pizza emoji. What could it possibly mean? But it just means she wanted pizza,” says Boyd. “The conspiracy was what it always is, which is about power.”
Muncie is left with a crucial decision: Kill Rodney, or walk away. Muncie has taken the high road at every opportunity, and in the face of every horrifying thing that’s come his way. And in the most intense moment of his life, face to face with the man who framed him, he continues to take the high road, and decides not to kill Rodney.
“There’s a part of me that felt like, well, this is the predictable way to end it. Of course, he’s not going to kill him,” Boyd tells me. “But the truth is, we pushed him far enough that from a viewer perspective, who’s going to blame him if he does?” It’s that very notion that makes the scene between Muncie and Rodney so intense. You believe that Muncie will stick to his wits and not kill Rodney, but after all he’s been through, it’s hard to say it wouldn’t be justified.
“We thought about versions where Muncie does pull the trigger,” Boyd reveals. “There was actually an early version where we cut to Muncie at the end, and he’s kidnapped Rodney Kraintz, and has him tied up in his basement…He’s forcing him to pull strings to do good.”
Ultimately, the decision was made to stay true to Muncie’s moral compass; “I felt like it was unfair to Muncie to make him that guy…when they stoop low, he goes high,” Belber confirms. “Though we make a nod to the notion that he’ll never be safe—even if you were to eliminate Rodney Kraintz, the web of those seeking to control narratives lives on.”
One last twist
While Muncie walks away, The Madness has one last twist up its sleeve: Rodney is killed, but by someone unexpected. Bobby Woods, who narrowly escaped the FBI raid on The Forge, is seen killing Rodney and his bodyguards moments after a news announcement that he’s been completely acquitted of any wrongdoing. “As Agent Khalil explains earlier to Muncie, ‘When you stir up the madness, sometimes the madness comes back and bites you.’ And Rodney was pulling these strings and riling people up…he was very much hoisted by his own petard,” Boyd explains. Woods falls victim to hysteria, and in an ironic turn, the very hysteria Rodney readily whips up for personal gain proves to be his undoing.
With Muncie free of the madness that threatened to destroy his life, the final scene finds him spending time with his children in the park. But it’s not all peaceful. The sound of a car suddenly pulling away sends a shock down his spine. “Muncie realizes at the end, yes, he’s distressed by the car, frightened even. But he’s also realizing ‘Even if I pulled the trigger, I still wouldn’t feel more peace. I’d still have jumped when that car pulled out,’” Boyd says. He shares a tender moment with his ex-wife, Elena (Marsha Stephanie Blake), and they smile at each other as the show fades to black, leaving a sense of hope for Muncie and his family to be able to move on. But will Muncie ever feel truly safe again?
Muncie may have had his name cleared and put a life-threatening conspiracy behind him, and now he can forge ahead with repairing the family bonds that have been frayed over time. But misinformation still looms large, and the threat of the madness lingers on.
The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.
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The Senate passed the bill 34 votes to 19. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the legislation 102 votes to 13.
The House has yet to endorse opposition amendments made in the Senate. But that is a formality since the government has already agreed they will pass.
The platforms will have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced.
The amendments bolster privacy protections. Platforms would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver’s licenses, nor could they demand digital identification through a government system.
The House is scheduled to pass the amendments on Friday. Critics of the legislation fear that banning young children from social media will impact the privacy of users who must establish they are older than 16.
While the major parties support the ban, many child welfare and mental health advocates are concerned about unintended consequences.
Sen. David Shoebridge, from the minority Greens party, said mental health experts agreed that the ban could dangerously isolate many children who used social media to find support.
“This policy will hurt vulnerable young people the most, especially in regional communities and especially the LGBTQI community, by cutting them off,” Shoebridge told the Senate.
Opposition Sen. Maria Kovacic said the bill was not radical but necessary.
“The core focus of this legislation is simple: It demands that social media companies take reasonable steps to identify and remove underage users from their platforms,” Kovacic told the Senate.
“This is a responsibility these companies should have been fulfilling long ago, but for too long they have shirked these responsibilities in favor of profit,” she added.
Online safety campaigner Sonya Ryan, whose 15-year-old daughter Carly was murdered by a 50-year-old pedophile who pretended to be a teenager online, described the Senate vote as a “monumental moment in protecting our children from horrendous harms online.”
“It’s too late for my daughter, Carly, and the many other children who have suffered terribly and those who have lost their lives in Australia, but let us stand together on their behalf and embrace this together,” she told the AP in an email.
Wayne Holdsworth, whose teenage son Mac took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, had advocated for the age restriction and took pride in its passage.
“I have always been a proud Australian, but for me subsequent to today’s Senate decision, I am bursting with pride,” Holdsworth told the AP in an email.
Christopher Stone, executive director of Suicide Prevention Australia, the governing body for the suicide prevention sector, said the legislation failed to consider positive aspects of social media in supporting young people’s mental health and sense of connection.
“The government is running blindfolded into a brick wall by rushing this legislation. Young Australians deserve evidence-based policies, not decisions made in haste,” Stone said in a statement.
The platforms had complained that the law would be unworkable, and had urged the Senate to delay the vote until at least June next year when a government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies made its report on how young children could be excluded.
Critics argue the government is attempting to convince parents it is protecting their children ahead of a general election due by May. The government hopes that voters will reward it for responding to parents’ concerns about their children’s addiction to social media. Some argue the legislation could cause more harm than it prevents.
Criticisms include that the legislation was rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, is ineffective, poses privacy risks for all users, and undermines the authority of parents to make decisions for their children.
Opponents also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of the positive aspects of social media, drive them to the dark web, discourage children too young for social media to report harm, and reduce incentives for platforms to improve online safety.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been having a moment for a while, boasting three Super Bowl titles in the last five years.
But the team’s name recognition has leapt to a whole new level since tight end Travis Kelce began dating Taylor Swift. Sales of Kelce jerseys have spiked and Swift boosted viewership for some games. And as the holidays approach, there are two Christmas movies that tackle the Kansas City Chiefs’ stardom, and it’s all because of the new level of popularity that the pop star has brought to the team.
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Lifetime’s Christmas in the Spotlight, which premiered Nov. 23, most literally fantasizes about what Swift’s and Kelce’s relationship is like by starring a blonde pop star named Bowyn (Jessica Lord) and a football player named Drew (Laith Wallschleger) who have very public personas and are trying to navigate dating with as much privacy as possible.
Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, out Nov. 30, exists because of Swift dating a Kansas City Chiefs player, but it’s not about her and Kelce, exactly. Rather, the movie follows Derrick (Tyler Hynes), the team’s director of fan engagement who recently moved to Kansas City, as he falls in love with blonde Kansas City native Alana (Hunter King), who works at a Chiefs memorabilia shop and whose family has a special hat that they say brings good luck to the Chiefs. Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce, even has a cameo, as a waitress who introduces Derrick to Kansas City BBQ.
Here’s a look at how Swift and Kelce inspired both films and why their relationship, and football games in general, make great material for the Christmas movie genre.
Lifetime’s Christmas in the Spotlight
This film will sound familiar to anyone who followed along as Swift and Kelce began their relationship shortly after Kelce sung her praises on a July 2023 episode of podcast. That month, Kelce went to one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows, hoping to give her a friendship bracelet with his number on it, he explained in an episode of New Heights, the podcast he hosts with his brother Jason Kelce. Similarly, Drew in Christmas in the Spotlight, who plays for a Chiefs-like team called the Bombers, gets to have a brief conversation with the pop star Bowyn when he introduces her to his niece—a fellow Bowyn superfan—backstage. But they are interrupted. Drew, unsure whether he will see Bowyn again, makes a viral video inviting her to a game. Her manager, Mira Vu (Jeannie Mai), a huge fan of Drew’s team, makes sure the conversation continues. Bowyn calls Drew and admits “growing up I was never really the cheerleader, more a bleacher girl,” a play on a line in Swift’s “You Belong to Me” about a girl pining for a guy who has a girlfriend: “She’s cheer Captain, and I’m on the bleachers.”
Later, Drew is surprised and delighted to see Bowyn on the jumbotron at his game, waving pom-poms in the air, just as all cameras are on Swift when she’s cheering Chiefs games. Like Kelce, Drew has a brother who is also a star football player (though Christmas in the Spotlight, the brothers play on the same team, unlike Travis’s brother Jason, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles).
In order to avoid the paparazzi, they have dates on Bowyn’s private plane parked in a garage, the only place where they can find privacy as they snuggle up against each other watching movies on her laptop. Bowyn even messengers Drew a Santa suit to wear when he enters the garage One night, he cooks dinner and they do “sexy puzzling,” doing a jigsaw puzzle while stroking each other with the pieces. Each has found their missing piece, so to speak. Then Drew spills wine on his shirt, so, naturally, his shirt has to come off.
Bowyn’s jealous ex tries to throw a wrench in the new relationship by ambushing her with a camera person at a gala and asking her whether she’s dating Drew for publicity—a nod to the claims that the Swift-Kelce relationship is a PR stunt. Bowyn replies yes, sarcastically, but that gets edited out of context and published online, alienating Drew. To win him back, she composes a song and dedicates it to him. “Drew, if you’re watching the livestream, you were right. I know I promised not to fall in love with you, but I couldn’t help it…As long as I’m holding onto you, I promise I won’t fumble again.”
Eirene Donohue, the screenwriter and a passionate Swiftie, says she does not think that the Swift-Kelce relationship is a PR stunt and that she wrote the film to celebrate the pop star. “People put celebrities on these pedestals, and I understand that, but the reality is they are just human people who are going through their lives,” she says, arguing that the goal of the movie is to inspire more empathy for “what it must be like to try to have a new relationship, to fall in love, when the whole world is watching.” In perhaps the biggest clapback to the people who think the relationship is a PR stunt, Drew tells a team member in the locker room that Bowyn is “the biggest pop star in the world, she’s got like a billion dollars, she doesn’t need football fans.” He adds that he thinks it’s great that “she’s bringing all of these new fans to the game.”
Christmas in the Spotlight is available to stream on mylifetime.com and the Lifetime app and will air on TV on 11/29 at 8p, 12/14 at 6p, and 12/25 at 8p.
Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story
In Holiday Touchdown, Derrick is a new guy in town, who recently joined the Kansas City Chiefs as its director of fan engagement. The department is looking to name a “fan of the year,” and as part of his research, he goes to a local Chief memorabilia shop. There, he meets Alana, whose family runs the store and boasts a Chiefs knit beanie hat that they say brings good luck to the Chiefs. He hits it off with them and tags along with them as they do all of their Christmas traditions, like putting decorations up all around the city
Alana’s family members are desperate for Alana and Derrick to start dating, so much so they even talk about smearing flour on Alana’s face while she’s making gingerbread art so that Derrick will have to lightly brush it off her cheek. That’s when Donna Kelce comes out with a platter of cookies and says, “Don’t force it ladies. Just let it happen, trust me on this one.” That line can be read as a nod to her son’s relationship, but it’s the only allusion to Kelce and Swift in the film.
“Other than that, there’s really no hidden message in there about Travis and Taylor,” says Julie Sherman Wolfe, the screenwriter of Holiday Touchdown.
As Alana and Derrick fall for one another, he takes her to the Chiefs arena and they share a tender moment alone in the stands. When Alana’s family’s lucky hat goes missing at a holiday toy drive, he joins in the search efforts. But the family is not heartbroken. As her Chiefs megafan grandfather played by Ed Begley Jr., decked out in a team jersey, reassures Alana, “Even if the Chiefs lose, I still win—’cause I have everything: family, friends, love.” Alana then tells her grandfather that the lucky hat brought her and Derrick together—what if the lost hat means they aren’t meant to be together? “The magic is not in the hat, it’s in what the hat represents,” says the grandfather, “the belief that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves, knowing that we have each other’s back no matter what.”
Wolfe is actually a San Francisco 49ers fan, who ironically got the assignment to write a Hallmark Christmas movie about the Kansas City Chiefs right after the team defeated her beloved 49ers in the Super Bowl. (Hallmark is also headquartered in Kansas City.) Yet she channeled the grief into a heartwarming script, realizing that no matter the team, football brings friends and families together. Just as Alana’s family’s hat is thought to bring the Chiefs to victory in Holiday Touchdown, Wolfe shared a look at a 49ers jacket that’s thought to bring good luck to that team. A lifelong football fan who knows the rules of the game, Wolfe’s goal was to write a Hallmark Christmas movie that football fans could enjoy, so they will appreciate the references to specific plays.
Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story airs Nov. 30 at 8p on Hallmark’s TV channel and will re-airthroughout December.An extended cut of Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story premieres on Hallmark+ on December 12.
Why football movies make the perfect Christmas movies
While Holiday Touchdown may not be literally about a pop star dating a football player, Wolfe says the Swift-Kelce relationship inevitably led to the Chiefs Hallmark movie. “Obviously their love story was sort of the thing that got people thinking about romance and football together.” Given the news coverage of their romance—and the on-field Swift-Kelce smooches—she argues that the Chief’s 2023-2024 season “felt like a Hallmark Christmas movie.”
So what about the Swift-Kelce relationship makes it prime Christmas movie material?
Christmas time is a season of hope, especially of hope that the impossible could be possible. So the fairy tale of the Chiefs’ rise to dominance after 50 years without winning a Super Bowl, combined with a pop star and football star finding love in their mid-30s is ripe for the Christmas movie genre. Wolfe adds that Christmas is also the season for making family memories, and watching football is such a family affair for many Americans. Having faith in your team even when times are tough is an evergreen lesson that even people who aren’t football fans can appreciate.
Donohue says the Christmas season is a perfect time to put out a movie like Christmas in the Spotlight because of the “faith in magic” that characterizes the season. “I think that’s why people love Christmas movies. They’re a comfort food. You know there’s going to be a happy ending. You want to feel joyful. I am a big believer in the power of joy to uplift, to inspire, to give purpose, and so I just tried to make a movie that has a lot of joyful moments.”
Holiday Touchdown’s Wolfe explains, “I love movies that have actual Christmas magic in them—have a little wink, a bit of the supernatural… Christmas is the best time to show all of that because that’s where there’s extra magic, extra faith, extra fate, extra everything.”
Whether you’ve seen every single Disney animated movie or never seen a single one, you probably haven’t escaped the music that has become a staple of American, and global, culture. Since the first Disney feature animation in 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, these songs have taken on a myriad of forms, from silly tunes about cleaning up to dramatic ballads concerning a primal human need for something more. Whether sung by a group of vultures, a menacing sea witch, or a cavalcade of pirates, these Disney songs have made a titanic impact on the All-American songbook. The Nov. 27 theatrical release of Moana 2, the 63rd film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, once again raises the age-old question: What is the greatest Disney song of all time?
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To answer such a debatable question, we considered factors including how the songs move the plot and character development along, musical and lyrical prowess, impact on pop culture, how well they have stood the test of time, and that ineffable earworm factor (we’re looking at you, “Let It Go.”) We also included gems that never got their due and deserve reconsideration. And you’ll find no Pixar or Disney live-action films here. Everything included has come from one of the 63 films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios—you can find the full list right here.
It’s worth noting that there’s not a single bad song on this list. Of the well over 350 Disney songs, these are the 50 finest, with a slew of honorable mentions that nearly made the list at the very end. All have played a considerable part in establishing Disney’s hold on global culture, beyond its role as an animation studio. But only one song can reign supreme as the greatest Disney song of all time. Let’s get into it.
50. Everything is Honey – Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Winnie the Pooh’s honey obsession is one of his key character traits, and it gets a dazzling treatment with this dreamlike number where everything Pooh interacts with is made of honey. Its smooth arrangement puts you in a delightfully dreamlike state, and it’s so great to hear Pooh’s endless joy over infinite honey. The sumptuous animation that accompanies it is just the honey on the cake.
49. Lost in the Woods – Frozen 2 (2019)
“Lost in the Woods” gets lost in the shuffle thanks to the big Elsa-led numbers in Frozen 2, but Kristoff’s big moment is the funniest part of the sequel. It was surprising to cast a vocal talent like Jonathan Groff and not give him a big song in the first Frozen, but this more than makes up for it, delivering a goofy send-up of ‘80s power ballads that’s as catchy as it is silly.
48. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride – Lilo and Stitch (2002)
“Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride,” performed by Hawaiian artists Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu and the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus perfectly captures the charm and spirit of Lilo & Stitch, an animated Disney film that is not a musical. It’s the kind of song to warm you in the winter months, and to inspire you to grab your surfboard and ride the waves come summertime.
47. I’ve Got a Dream – Tangled (2010)
“I’ve Got a Dream” answers a question you didn’t know you needed the answer to: What are those scary-looking people at this bar dreaming of? It’s a song about how looks can be deceiving—and how everyone has a dream, surprising as it may be. It’s also a turning point for Rapunzel (Mandy Moore, who just sings a short snippet of this tune), who finally feels comfortable with her big decision to leave her tower behind in pursuit of the answers to the questions that have cast a shadow over her life.
46. Heigh-Ho – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The cultural impact of “Heigh-Ho” can’t be denied—people have been humming the song on their commutes for decades. We all need a song that gets us through those long working days, and it’s a whole lot more bearable with a delightful ditty like “Heigh-Ho” and its cheerful whistling interludes.
45. Best of Friends – The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Pearl Bailey’s warm vocals paint a portrait of a friendship against all odds, tinged with an undercurrent of melancholy that foreshadows the pair’s eventual falling out.
The lyrics are straightforward and poignant: “If only the world wouldn’t get in the way/ If only people would just let you play” speaks not only to the hopes of Tod and Copper but to those of anyone who just wants to feel alive.
44. Strangers Like Me – Tarzan (1999)
Leave it to Phil Collins to elevate an entire film with his wondrous songs, as he did for Disney’s vastly underappreciated Tarzan. Collins’ glorious shout of “I wanna know/ Can you show me” is remarkably fun to sing to (this is an underrated karaoke classic), and the song is more pure pop than most familiar Disney hits (like the rest of the Tarzan soundtrack). Few understand the assignment of creating emotionally hefty pop music better than Collins.
43. You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly! – Peter Pan (1953)
Beautiful male/female harmonies and whimsical and sweet lyrics (“He flew!” shouts Michael Darling in amazement) have helped to sustain the impact of “You Can Fly!” for decades. It doesn’t hurt that this already delightful song is set to one of Disney’s most memorable set pieces as Peter and the Darling kids fly, free of inhibition, through the skies of London, including landing on Big Ben. It’s the stuff kids’ dreams are made of.
42. We Know the Way – Moana (2016)
This collaboration from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foai’i comes at a crucial point for Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), as she discovers boats that her ancestors once used to sail the Pacific Ocean—an unexpected history given the current situation of everyone staying put on the island. The song is rousing as Moana feels more connected with her past than ever before, and the lyrics—in English, Samoan, and Tokelauan—will make you want to set out on an ocean adventure.
41. Out There – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
A song that’s surprisingly become the basis of a popular meme format on TikTok, “Out There” captures the desperation to be more than you’ve been made out to be, and to belong in a world that’s rejected you. It’s hopeful yet melancholic: “All my life I memorize their faces/
Knowing them as they will never know me” is as heartbreaking as “What I’d dare/
Just to live one day out there” is sanguine. The flurry of drums at the end is enough to put a lump in anyone’s throat.
40. Once Upon a Dream – Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Sleeping Beauty never gives us much of a chance to understand its drowsy protagonist Aurora, but “Once Upon a Dream” highlights her longing, romantic side. The introduction of the prince is as surprising (dancing with his jacket as he appears behind you isn’t the best first impression, but Aurora makes it work) as it is swooning, and the song is every bit as dreamlike and playful as Aurora and Charming’s first interaction.
39. The Family Madrigal – Encanto (2021)
Yes, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was an unexpected crossover smash hit, but “The Family Madrigal” is a lot more fun. It makes exposition delightful, as Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) runs through the amazing powers her entire family possesses—all while sidestepping her own lack thereof. The vocal gymnastics and pacing are impressive, the chorus of kids shouting “What about Mirabel?” makes this a certified earworm, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rapid-fire lyrics prove an ideal fit for establishing the world of Encanto.
38. Love is an Open Door – Frozen (2013)
A villain song disguised as a love song, “Love is an Open Door” is a very funny and earnest number that pokes fun at on-screen love stories that develop at alarming speeds. Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana harmonize together flawlessly, and the lyrics (“We finish each other’s/ Sandwiches/ That’s what I was gonna say!”) are as ridiculous as wanting to get married the same night you meet.
37. Mother Knows Best – Tangled (2010)
If being passive-aggressive were a superpower, Mother Gothel (voiced by Donna Murphy) would be the most powerful character in Disney’s history. Disney mainstay Alan Menken’s composition is deliberately soft and soothing, while Glenn Slater’s lyrics deliver Gothel’s manipulative personality to a tee (“Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy/ Please, they’ll eat you up alive” she says cruelly to Rapunzel)—a powerful expression of toxic and unbalanced relationships.
36. Go The Distance – Hercules (1997)
The “I Want” song—a Broadway and Disney Renaissance staple—finds a character singing about what they need from life that they currently don’t have. “Go the Distance” is a classic example of the trope, in which Hercules (Tate Donovan) discovers he’s a descendant of the gods. It’s emotionally stirring, and the horns are tremendous.
35. Cruella De Vil – 101 Dalmatians (1961)
Cruella is such a legendary villain that she’s still the only Disney baddie to get a song before she appears on screen. The lyrics (sung by Bill Lee as Roger), few as they are, are delicious: “You’ve come to realize/ You’ve seen her kind of eyes / Watching you from underneath a rock” is a scorching takedown. But it’s the smooth jazz accompaniment that really makes “Cruella De Vil” sing.
34. Love – Robin Hood (1973)
If you were to guess the Disney songs that have been nominated for an Oscar, “Love” would probably not be on your radar. But the song deserves more, well, love, than it gets. Sung by Nancy Adams (wife of lyricist Floyd Huddleston), the emotional highlight of Robin Hood is buoyed by this swooning, hazy concoction that feels as if you’re floating down a stream. It features especially moving lyrics: “Life is brief/ But when it’s gone/ Love goes on and on.”
33. The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind – The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Speaking of underappreciated, The Great Mouse Detective rarely gets the credit it deserves for rescuing Disney from financial peril in the mid-1980s. It also features a delightful villain song in “The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind.” The lyrics highlight Ratigan’s (Vincent Price) brutality (“Worse than the widows and orphans you drowned”) while his lackeys jovially celebrate his talents. It’s silly, it’s camp, and it deserves to be added to all your Disney playlists.
32. Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat – The Aristocats (1970)
Most Disney songs thrive on a certain level of predictability, but not “Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat,” written and composed by Floyd Huddleston and Al Rinker. Some needless and cheap racial stereotyping takes things down a bit, but the unpredictability of this jazzy, psychedelic number, as catchy as it is surprising, is electrifying. The 1970s wasn’t a great decade for the studio, but songs like this show that Disney was still capable of creative wonder.
31. Can You Feel the Love Tonight – The Lion King (1994)
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight” balances the comedic stylings of Timon and Pumbaa with earnest romanticism, and the result is nothing short of dazzling. Watching Simba and Nala fall in love is one of the most effective emotional moments in The Lion King, a film overflowing with them. The Oscar-winning song from Elton John and Tim Rice radio version became a smash crossover hit (with backing vocals by Rick Astley, Gary Barlow, and Kiki Dee) for good reason.
30. Under the Sea – The Little Mermaid (1989)
Disney hit a bullseye when they brought composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman together, and their work on The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin ranks among the studio’s best. Case in point: Oscar winner “Under the Sea,” in which Sebastian the crab makes the case for Ariel to remain underwater. Most importantly, “Under the Sea” is outrageously fun: “When the Sardine/ Begin the beguine/ It’s music to me” and “What do they got? A lot of sand/ We got a hot crustacean band” are particularly ingenious.
29. Friends on the Other Side – Princess and the Frog (2008)
You might not think Randy Newman and Voodoo would make a natural fit, but “Friends on the Other Side” proves the songwriter is a man of many surprises. The song establishes Dr. Facilier (Keith David) as a master manipulator and cunning linguist (“I got Voodoo/ I got hoodoo/ I got things I ain’t even tried!”). This already excellent song is given a further boost by the astonishing visuals that accompany it, culminating in an explosion of color and Voodoo imagery that ranks amongst the finest work the studio has ever accomplished.
28. The Bare Necessities – The Jungle Book (1967)
This is a song all about using what’s available to you to make the most out of life, and finding that those very things are full of surprises. Phil Harris’ vocals as bear Baloo are soothing and Mowgli learns an oh-so-valuable lesson along the way. Everything about “The Bare Necessities” feels effortless, with trumpets and clarinets crafting a calming and totally joyous atmosphere.. As life gets increasingly stressful, reminders to enjoy the necessities are worth their weight in gold.
27. The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
This is one of, if not the most, relentlessly upbeat of all Disney songs. It’s a perfect introduction to Tigger (Paul Winchell) and everything he offers, from a top made out of rubber to a bottom made of springs. His description of himself matches the song perfectly: “Bouncey, troucney, ounce, pouncey, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.” Proof that all it takes is half a minute to make magic.
26. How Far I’ll Go – Moana (2016)
Considerably more introspective than most “I Want” songs, (“What is wrong with me?” Moana asks in song) “How Far I’ll Go” explores a Moana torn between her love of family and her unshakable desire to explore beyond her island. Auli’i Cravalho delivers an astonishing vocal performance—alternately wistful, hopeful, and exciting—and always arresting.
25. Gaston – Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Most villain songs are about how evil or powerful said villain is, but “Gaston” distinguishes itself by being entirely an excuse to boast about Gaston’s (Richard White) muscles. An unabashed celebration of unlimited ego, Ashman’s lyrics even make you want to sing at the top of your lungs about spitting: “I’m especially good at expectorating,” Gaston declares.
24. Someday My Prince Will Come – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Disney’s first pure love song is still one of its most successful. Snow White’s (Adriana Caselloti) high-pitch warble is technically impressive and emotionally poignant, and the dwarfs watching her sing in amazement is incredibly touching. Despite nearly being murdered and having to hide away in the forest, she still dreams of the happiness she deserves.
23. Beauty and the Beast – Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Menken and Ashman’s romantic powers peaked with the titular song from Beauty and the Beast. Sung lovingly by Mrs. Potts (a divine Angela Lansbury), “Beauty and the Beast” is a gorgeous, sumptuous ballad about finding love in unexpected places. Some of the most dazzling animation in Disney’s history accompanies the song in the movie, as 2D and 3D elements seamlessly merge and Belle and the Beast dance the night away in the ballroom.
22. Mine, Mine, Mine – Pocahontas (1995)
One of the most unheralded villain songs is also one of the best. Governor Ratcliffe (David Ogden Stiers) worships at the altar of capitalism, and his song is full of ruthless ambition and worship for the almighty dollar. Stiers doesn’t get enough credit for his contributions to Disney (which also include Jumba, Cogsworth, and the Archdeacon), and his performance in “Mine, Mine, Mine” is pitch-perfect: smug, cocky, and ruthless, yet oddly lovable.
21. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo – Cinderella (1950)
This song is almost entirely lyrical nonsense, but it’ll have you singing lines like “Salagadoola menchicka boola” like you’re reciting your all-important wedding vows. Few voice actors had Verna Felton’s (a.k.a. Fairy Godmother) talent, and “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” is a dreamy showcase of her singular charisma and charm.
20. Bella Notte – Lady and the Tramp (1955)
One of Disney’s most memorable scenes happens during “Bella Notte,” as Lady and the Tramp share a bowl of spaghetti. It’s the pivotal moment when the pair falls in love, and it wouldn’t have nearly as much impact without this terrific love song, sung by George Givot and Bill Thompson in the style of Italian pop. The entirety of Lady and the Tramp hinges on making the dogs’ love believable, and how can it not be with this achingly romantic song bellowing around them?
19. Almost There – Princess and the Frog (2008)
Though Disney has largely moved away from traditional animation, The Princess and the Frog builds a strong case that Disney should consider a return to 2D drawings now and again. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) sings a classic “I Want” song about her dream of opening her own restaurant, which launches into an exquisitely rendered art deco sequence of Tiana living out her fantasies. Randy Newman delivers his finest work here—an optimistic jazz number with tinges of melancholy, as Tiana sings for a goal she knows will be nearly impossible to achieve.
18. I Won’t Say (I’m in Love) – Hercules (1997)
Disney love songs tend to be big, swooning affairs, which makes “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” such a welcome surprise. Lyricist David Zippel brilliantly plays Megara’s (Susan Egan) refusal to accept her feelings against the Muses’ exhilaration over her love for Hercules. The arrangement recalls classic doo-wop and may be the closest Disney gets to the wonderful world of Motown.
17. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes – Cinderella (1950)
Cinderella (Ilene Woods) has no reason to be optimistic. She’s a prisoner in her own home, forced to do the bidding of her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Her life is marked by endless cruelty—and yet, “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” is bursting at the seams with radical optimism. “No matter how your heart is grieving/ If you keep on believing/ A dream that you wish will come true” are lyrics powerful enough to make anyone believe in a better life. It’s the moment we come to understand how Cinderella is so resilient—she never stops dreaming.
16. Be Prepared – The Lion King (1994)
“Be Prepared” is unsparing in its brutality as Scar (Jeremy Irons) lays out his plan to take down King Mufasa and rule Pride Rock. Manipulating the desperate hyenas with ease, Scar builds an army of followers with nothing but bitter wit. Tim Rice’s lyrics paint a vivid portrait of how vulnerable people can be drawn to an evil that promises them prosperity, no matter how empty that promise may be.
15. Be Our Guest – Beauty and the Beast (1991)
“Be Our Guest” practically begs to be a big-time Broadway number (which came to fruition when the stage show premiered in 1994), and it works perfectly as a juicy ensemble piece. Led by candlestick Lumiere (Jerry Orbach), the lyrics are comical yet complex (“Beef ragout, cheese souffle/ Pie and pudding “en flambe”/ We’ll prepare and serve with flair a culinary cabaret”). The song runs the emotional gamut from overjoyed to miserable and everything in between, and it’s so good you can just about see why Belle is sort of OK with being a prisoner in Beast’s castle.
14. Friend Like Me – Aladdin (1992)
The Disney Renaissance (1989-1999) featured a boom in celebrated comedians getting key sidekick roles—see: Eddie Murphy in Mulan, Jason Alexander in The Hunchback of Notre Dame—and none of those are more universally adored than Robin Williams’ turn as the Genie in Aladdin. His most spectacular moment comes in “Friend Like Me” an extremely funny and plot-vital big-band-style number in which the Genie gives Aladdin the rundown about everything he can do to help the young man rise to the top.
13. Let It Go – Frozen (2013)
If you’re a parent, even reading the words “Let It Go” is probably enough to cause heart palpitations. But even though your children have made you listen to the song approximately 2.3 million times, that does not detract from the truth: Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, “Let It Go” is one hell of a song. Elsa (Idina Menzel) had been told her whole life to conceal what makes her special, but “Let It Go” represents a sea change for the icy princess as she belts a triumphant song about finally embracing your inner power. It’s beautifully arranged and exquisitely performed by Broadway icon Idina Menzel.
12. Belle – Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Belle (Paige O’Hara) never fit in anywhere, and her thoughts are too big for her quiet provincial town. Ashman’s lyrics cleverly balance a wide ensemble of characters, efficiently setting the scene for Belle’s day-to-day life and why she feels ostracized by just about everyone in town. It’s Broadway with a capital B and infectiously establishes why Belle, a voracious reader and dreamer, has become such a beloved Disney princess. A song that feels extra special to those who dare beyond the dreams of the place they’re born.
11. Love Is A Song – Bambi (1942)
An opening credits song, “Love Is A Song” may be brief, but it perfectly summarizes what makes Bambi an artistic masterpiece. It’s crushing, yes, but it has an unwavering hope at its core (“Hope may die, yet love’s beautiful music/ Comes each day like the dawn”).
10. I’ll Make A Man Out of You – Mulan (1998)
“Let’s get down to business, to defeat the Huns” begins Mulan’s “I’ll Make A Man Out of You,” and the energy only builds from there. Donny Osmond, who provides the singing voice of Li Shang, makes a five-course banquet out of this motivational number. “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” is one of cinema’s most rousing hype songs set to a powerhouse training montage—if Rocky trained to this, he’d never have lost a fight.
9. Baby Mine – Dumbo (1941)
Even in the face of unimaginable cruelty, there’s still opportunities for love: Dumbo finds his mother locked away, but she’s able to fit her trunk through the bars and offer her son some desperately needed comfort. We see so many animals sleeping peacefully with their parents, yet Dumbo has no such luck. Some songs break your heart. This one, nominated for an Oscar in 1942, shatters it.
8. When You Wish Upon A Star – Pinocchio (1940)
Written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington (the latter of whom also wrote the lyrics for “Baby Mine”), “When You Wish Upon A Star” has become the definitive piece of Disney music: A snippet of it has accompanied the opening of every Disney film since 1985. It’s proudly saccharine, and Cliff Edwards’ (as Jiminy Cricket) vocals are a perfect fit for the earnest lyrics that have come to symbolize Disney’s ethos (“When you wish upon a star/ Makes no difference who you are/ Anything your heart desires/ Will come to you”).
7. Colors of the Wind – Pocahontas (1995)
“Colors of the Wind” represents a significant shift for Disney princesses. While previous characters have been remarkably quick to fall in love, Pocahontas openly questions the ignorance of John Smith, demanding her love be earned: “But still I cannot see/ If the savage one is me/ How can there be so much that you don’t know?” Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s song, sung by Judy Kuhn, is rhapsodic, and breathtaking painterly and experimental visuals accompany this Oscar- and Grammy-winning triumph.
6. A Place Called Slaughter Race – Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
In Ralph Breaks the Internet, Disney’s most meta film, Vanellope Von Schweetz discovers her destiny belongs in the hyper-violent video game called Slaughter Race. How did a parody song wind up being so earnest? The lyrics by Phil Johnston and Tom MacDougall are both wickedly funny and surprisingly moving (“I’m rhyming/ My spirits climbing/ As I’m called through this fog of mace/ To this place called Slaughter Race”). All people long to fit in—and some people just happen to find that in the world of nonstop carnage. “A Place Called Slaughter Race” achieves a stupendously tricky balance, simultaneously working as a powerful “I Want” song while mocking the trope relentlessly.
5. Poor Unfortunate Souls – The Little Mermaid (1989)
Pat Carroll delivered the performance of her career as the sea witch Ursula, a vicious, conniving lady who’ll say anything to anyone to get what she wants. “Poor Unfortunate Souls” sets everything in The Little Mermaid in motion as Ursula convinces Ariel (Jodi Benson) to give up her voice for a chance to become human. Carroll goes into overdrive delivering practically unfathomable charisma as Ursula—it might seem crazy that Ariel would agree to the contract, but if a sea witch sang this compellingly to me, I’d find it hard to resist. “Don’t underestimate the importance of body language!” is the most exhilarating line to sing in any context (Karaoke especially). It’s campy, vampy, sinister, and addictive. Evil hasn’t been this fun since.
4. Circle of Life – The Lion King (1994)
Has the image of a sunrise ever conjured more magic than in The Lion King? That’s the opening image of the film, and of “Circle of Life,” composed by Elton John and Tim Rice and performed by Lebo M. and Carmen Twillie. In many ways, it has become the definitive song of contemporary Disney, a persistent earworm that makes for a very welcome takeover. The combination of the music and animation sends a chill down the spine, and “Circle of Life” is much more than a hugely enticing palate cleanser: It’s a sensational, transportive experience that brings you straight into the heart of the animal kingdom.
3. Hellfire – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is Disney’s darkest film by a solid margin, and “Hellfire” is pitch black. It’s a vital moment in the film as we come to understand Judge Frollo’s (Tom Hulce) motivations—he’s overcome by an inescapable lust, which is certainly atypical subject matter for the House of Mouse. Frollo laments his desire for Esmeralda (“This burning desire/ Is turning me to sin”). Disney often deals with love, but “Hellfire” is an explosive, operatic examination of pure, seething hatred and a savage exposé of religious hypocrisy. There’s nothing else like it in Disney history, and the studio has never come close to being this dark again. “Choose me or your pyre/ Be mine or you will burn” may be the bleakest couplet in Disney’s songbook.
2. Part of Your World – The Little Mermaid (1989)
“I don’t see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad,” Ariel muses before singing “Part of Your World,” an expresive song about the endless yearning to belong. Material goods may provide Ariel with surface-level pleasures, but she longs for a deeper connection that mere objects cannot provide. Ashman’s lyrics have never felt more emotional or impactful than they do here, and he likely brought himself to “Part of Your World” (Ashman was a gay man who died of complications from AIDS). A song that gives a big, powerful voice to the ostracized, “Part of Your World” is a rallying cry for those who long to belong: “When’s it my turn/ Wouldn’t I love, love to explore that shore up above?/ Out of the sea/ Wish I could be/ Part of that world.” No pair’s body of work has defined the Disney Renaissance—and frankly, many people’s Disney memories—better than Menken and Ashman.
1. You’ll Be In My Heart – Tarzan (1999)
This Phil Collins ballad became a crossover sensation, winning the Oscar for Best Original Song, and charting on the Billboard Hot 100. Collins’ vocals are achingly emotional (he wrote the song as a lullaby for his daughter Lily), and the song’s raw vulnerability and unwavering sentimentality make it an emotional powerhouse. Collins’ shout of “You’ll be here in my heart” will empty whatever was left in your tear ducts, but it is the bridge, which includes “When destiny calls you/ You must be strong/ I may not be with you/ But you’ve got to hold on” that’s the most heartbreaking. For anyone who’s ever had a special bond—with a parent, a friend, a pet, a lover—and had that bond shift, “You’ll Be In My Heart” goes straight for the jugular and never relents. It’s sweet, sincere, emotional, and hugely affecting. In short, it’s a microcosm of everything that makes Disney, Disney.
Honorable mentions: A Whole New World (Aladdin, 1992), Into the Unknown (Frozen II, 2019), Little Wonders (Meet the Robinsons, 2007), Savages (Pocahontas, 1995), Why Should I Worry (Oliver and Company, 1986), He’s A Tramp (Lady and the Tramp, 1955), Little April Shower (Bambi, 1942), In A World of My Own (Alice in Wonderland, 1951), So This Is Love (Cinderella, 1950), Son of Man (Tarzan, 1999).
Holiday season means food—and a lot of it, from work events to social gatherings with friends and family.
“When I talk to my patients, instead of calling it the most beautiful time of year, I call it the most challenging time of the year,” says Dr. Andres Acosta, a physician in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Mayo Clinic.
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For the 12% of adults in the U.S. now taking a weight-loss medication that targets the GLP-1 and/or GIP hormones to restrict appetite or treat diabetes—think Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound—the season is even more complicated.
“We’ve heard of people not skipping their injections but pushing them back,” says Michelle Cardel, chief nutrition officer at WeightWatchers. “So if they normally inject on Wednesday, and Thanksgiving is on Thursday, they might give themselves their injection on Friday instead, so they can have a little more room to enjoy the holiday foods and are less likely to experience unwanted side effects if they overeat.” Others stop the medications for longer periods during the holiday months, doctors say.
In general, doctors don’t recommend changing anything about your injection schedule. Unlike most previous anti-obesity medications, drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound work in part on the brain to dampen hunger signals and reduce appetite so you don’t feel like eating. In order to achieve that effect with the fewest side effects, the dose of the injections that people give themselves once a week have to be ramped up gradually over 16 weeks before people reach the maximum dose that they then maintain. Generally each injection can successfully control hunger signals for about a week, and just as its effect starts to wane, you give yourself another injection.
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Skipping or shifting injections has a domino effect. For those moving from a Wednesday dose to a Friday dose, for example, their future doses will now occur on Friday. And people skipping doses should be prepared to experience the same side effects that they felt when they first start their doses—such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms—when they restart their doses.
“I advise my patients against stopping their medication because we are managing chronic obesity,” Acosta says, and changing an established dosing schedule can have additional consequences. If patients stop their injections for more than one week, they have to return to lower doses and work their way back up to the dose they achieved before they stopped, which further pushes back any weight-loss goals they might have set.
Dr. Andre Teixeira, medical director of the Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute, has seen some serious examples of these spillover effects among his patients. “Some people can’t work back up to the dose where they were before,” he says. Because these are hormone-based medications, he likens the effect to what some women experience on different types of birth control; certain brands are associated with more extreme side effects that make the pills intolerable for some.
And of course, any time patients stop taking Wegovy or Zepbound, their weight eventually goes back up. “I tell my patients that we don’t want to burn all the effort they have put in to lose weight over the whole year over the six weeks of the holidays,” says Acosta.
Instead of messing with their medication, Acosta advises people to plan ahead with dietary and fitness adjustments. On Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, for example, don’t eat large meals earlier in the day. “You don’t need to have a big breakfast or a massive lunch,” Acosta says. “Go exercise that morning—everybody benefits from a long walk or a hike. We’re super good at planning meals and dinners with loved ones; we should also plan to go for a walk in the park with our loved ones. And if the weather isn’t nice, then go the mall. Do something that requires physical activity so you burn some calories.”
He also reminds patients about the consequences of overeating while on the medications, and advises them not to overdo it, even if they might feel pressure to at a family gathering. You might consider letting loved ones know about your situation. Since these drugs are discussed openly on social media and gaining popularity, “it’s become a little more acceptable to share that you are trying to lose weight and using anti-obesity medications.”
And it’s not just navigating food—but alcohol as well—that might be a challenge for people taking the medications. Many experience nausea, vomiting, and other GI issues if they drink while on the medications. WeightWatchers conducted a study to chronicle how anti-obesity medications affected alcohol consumption and found that 45% to 51% of people taking GLP-1 and GIP drugs decreased the amount of alcohol they drank. It wasn’t clear from the study whether people made this change because they wanted to avoid side effects or if they just decided to drink less as part of their overall desire to be healthier. But, says Cardel, “my guess is that it’s a combination of both.”
What’s most important for navigating the holidays is to plan ahead so that if you are taking one of these medications, you can find ways to maximize your enjoyment of long-standing family traditions while still staying on track with your dosing schedule.
