Revisiting The "Lion King" Reference

Submitted by FrankMurphy on

I thought it was eerie that Harbaugh made a reference to the same scene in "The Lion King" that Rich Rodriguez referenced at his introductory press conference eight years ago. The Rodriguez quote:

On his initial reaction upon being approached for the position...

RR: "I mean, everybody wants to talk about the past and I have two young children and I don't watch a lot of cartoon movies, I don't have a chance. But there's an old movie called 'The Lion King,' I don't know if you've seen it. And there's a scene where the monkey hits the lion over the head and the lion says, 'What did you do that for' And the monkey says, 'Doesn't matter, it's in the past.' It doesn't matter, it's in the past."

The Harbaugh quote:

Reporter: I imagine you know the numbers: Michigan State’s won six of the last seven games. Are you in tune with how those games have gone and the physical nature they’ve seemed to control Michigan with, and is that something that’s a focus this week for you guys?

JH: “The past?”

Reporter: The physical nature of how they’ve beaten Michigan like that.

JH: “Think about 'The Lion King': Simba gets hit over the head and tells ‘em, ‘Yeah, the past can hurt. You can either run from it or embrace it and learn from it.’ I think that’s exactly what he said, so those seem like very wise words. We’ll go about that.”

The actual scene (h/t GustaveFerbert): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF39O_OQm6M

There are tons of metaphors here for the melodramatic among us (which is all of us, seeing as how this is MGoBlog). Discuss.  

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maizenbluedevil

October 12th, 2015 at 10:52 PM ^

I would love to see Harbaugh slingin the rock for the Lions!!!

I think he'd legit be better than Stafford.

And seeing him at those camps, you know he still wants to play...

And with the EUTM he could totally coach Michigan on Saturday and play for the Lions on Sunday...  Great idea, it could happen!

Joined: 09/12/2008

MGoPoints: 6906

alum96

October 12th, 2015 at 7:10 PM ^

team improved every year...rabble rabble...needed 1 more year...rabble rabble...but Toledo...rabble rabble... cupboard was bare....rabble rabble... if had kept Mallet.... rabble rabble.. .Carr killed him...rabble rabble... cultural fit...rabble rabble...budget for DC...rabble rabble... Casteel would have made all the difference...rabble rabble... 3-3-5 haha....rabble rabble...no cell phone on a yacht.... rabble rabble....Les Miles...rabble rabble... Josh Groban....rabble rabble...Lion King...rabble rabble...

Did I miss anything?

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82266

NittanyFan

October 12th, 2015 at 8:35 PM ^

(1)  First of all, what mean-spirited parents would name their child "Scar"???  Geez, way to handicap your kid from the get-go by making him perpetually self-aware of his scar.  Shame on Ahadi and Uru.  

(2)  Scar was more intelligent than Mufasa.  Yet, strength was chosen over intelligence in terms of choosing the successor.  Another indefensible decision by Ahadi.

(3)  Mufasa oppressed hyenas.  Completely excluded hyenas from the "circle of life."  Great leaders do not oppress folk.

(4)  Scar rallying the hyenas is noble, as it prevents their death via starvation.  Great leaders do care and advocate for the meek and oppressed.

(5)  Simba was a "playboy" lion for much of his youth.  Not doing anything, frolicking around the jungle, living the "easy" life.  He didn't learn character in his youth.

(6)  In the sequel, we learned that Simba was a "my way or the highway" type of "leader."  Heaven forbid that anyone not imminently accept the reign of Simba --- Simba banished them and set the scene for the entire conflict that defined the sequel.  

Joined: 12/04/2012

MGoPoints: 42871

chickenpotpie

October 12th, 2015 at 10:16 PM ^

So what you're saying, really, is that the Lion King really mischaracterized Simba's redemption. In order for him to really be redeemed, he needed to have created a kingdom that included Scar and the hyenas. However, all he did was complete the circle of life, thereby creating a kingdom on the same terms as his father (aka one that preferences some animals above others). 

Of course, while he had his strengths, Scar wasn't without faults. First of all, obviously, he snookered a young Simba into watching his father's death and then blamed him for it. Pretty inexcusable. He also ruled over the hyenas like a totalitarian dictator (there were pretty obvious Nazi Germany references in some of the hyena sequences). 

A more nuanced movie would have acknowledged the strengths and weaknesses of both Scar and Mufasa as prototypes of leaders. Of course, this is a Disney movie geared primarily for the 5-12 year old set, so nuance was probably not what they were going for.

Joined: 10/11/2013

MGoPoints: 1345

MGoNukeE

October 12th, 2015 at 11:01 PM ^

Agree with points 1, 2, 5, and 6 (though you can't really hold 5 against Simba; he was forced into exile). In the beginning of the movie, Mufasa discusses how their ecosystem exists in a "delicate balance", maintained by keeping hyenas out of the pridelands. Scar destroyed the balance by increasing the predator population (hyenas), killing the ecosystem. In the end, both the lions and hyenas were worse off under Scar (Banzai the hyena admits as much).

Joined: 11/11/2009

MGoPoints: 3134

evenyoubrutus

October 12th, 2015 at 7:04 PM ^

So, Harbaugh is Hamlet, Bo is his father the king. Dantonio, also descending from Ohio is the king's brother. Jed York and Trent Baalke are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The ghost of Bo visited Harbaugh in San Francisco and told him that Dantonio has taken the throne of Michigan and now he must avenge his death by taking back what is rightfully his? Or something like that... anyway that's the closest connection I can draw to the Lion King.

Joined: 11/04/2008

MGoPoints: 178111

UMProud

October 12th, 2015 at 7:05 PM ^

The real metaphor here is that hungry lions who are wise hunt best. .. and Michigan is starving. This beast must be fed and Spartans are on the menu.

Joined: 12/18/2014

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recklessaBrandon

October 12th, 2015 at 7:16 PM ^

I was just thinking "I'm somewhat surprised that Harbaugh has a quote from the Lion King memorized". I wonder if he watched the RR press conference and and that quote stuck in his memory. 

Joined: 08/22/2015

MGoPoints: 721

Rick's American Cafe

October 12th, 2015 at 7:21 PM ^

I'd guess that Harbaugh has no idea RichRod referenced the same scene.  It's just an extremely useful phrase/mindset, particularly in sports.  In sports, you're constantly going up against comparisons, and being evaluated moreso than just about any other job in life.  And comparisons/tests are a brutal assault on one's ego...

If you dwell on the past, you're screwed, because it is a 100% certainty that you'll have defeats/losses in your past.  In order to be a successful in any sport, it's absolutely necessary to not let the past get you down, because it can easily turn into a negative feedback loop that just feeds on itself, and turns into a self-perpetuating downward spiral.  Obsession with past failures has been the downfall of many an athlete/coach.

Joined: 05/29/2011

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You Only Live Twice

October 12th, 2015 at 8:14 PM ^

 

Newer generations won't know this, but people my age will.  Lion King is an exercise in plagarism.

Disney completely ripped off a 1960s TV show called "Kimba" and gave no credit to its Japanese creator, Osamu  Tezuka, renaming Kimba as Simba after Disney failed to get the rights.

http://www.kimbawlion.com/kimbawlion/rant2.htm

Joined: 09/14/2013

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You Only Live Twice

October 12th, 2015 at 8:29 PM ^

Mr. Schiano.  Disney cartoonists themselves admitted as much.  Do a little research, if this matters to you, at least look at the abundant evidence that is available.  The Disney version may be quite a good movie, but the Disney lawyers were certainly not accustomed to losing.  The ripoff is blatant.

Credit should be given to the original creator of the the concept, characters and animation.

Integrity is the Michigan way 

Joined: 09/14/2013

MGoPoints: 9615