Disney's Portrayal of Beauty and the Beast

In the class discussion today, we were talking about Disney's use of inanimate objects brought to life to represent the enchanted characters in the story. We were questioning why Disney might have added these characters and used them in the animated version of the tale. Several people in class had a good suggestion that these characters are for the benefit of children, to keep them entertained. I would definitely agree with that. The characters are very cute and funny to watch. They add a certain lightness and comedy relief to a potentially scary situation with the Beast. When Belle finds herself in the huge castle with the Beast she is frightened, but it is the characters portrayed in the form of dancing, singing objects that put her at ease. They also put the audience at ease and provide musical entertainment which is, of course, an integral part of Disney productions. In the song entitled "Be Our Guest", we can see these characters come to life. Go to the link I post here to watch a clip of this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC8xcagMcTY
The characters provide fast action, color, and lively entertainment that kids will really enjoy. However, I'd like to add another theory to this discussion by saying that the inanimate objects also provide adult entertainment. Parents usually have to accompany children to the movies and Disney would not want the adults to be bored. So, Lumiere speaks French and has a love affair going with the French maid, portrayed by the character of Featherduster. During the song, many French words are used that children would probably not know but that would be appealing to adults. Also, the lyrics of the song are quite witty and quick and many young children would not catch them but the adult audience would. For example, Lumiere sings such things as, "life is so unnerving to a servant who's not serving" and "try the gray stuff, it's delicious. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!" Mrs Potts, the teapot, gaily sings, "While the cups are all soft-shoeing, I'll be bubbling, I'll be brewing!" Children would most likely not know what "soft-shoeing" even is, but adults will enjoy the wittiness and humor.
So, while I agree that these objects brought-to-life are wonderful for the children to watch, I maintain that these characters are also used to entertain the adult audience. Adults will appreciate the wit, rhyming, humor, and even sexual innuendoes brought about by these enchanted characters.