Mother Knows Best (song) siren motif" for Gothel's appearance and personality. A "big" musical number, "Mother Knows Best" begins within the first fifteen minutes of "Tangled" during the film's first act when, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Rapunzel finally summons enough courage to ask Gothel for permission to travel and see the floating lanterns in person. Gothel, whose eternal youth and beauty solely relies on the safety and protection of Rapunzel's magical hair, denies this request by sarcastically reminding her that "mother knows best," warning her ward that "the world is full of wicked people who want to steal her hair's magic,"
Mother Knows Best (song) while explaining to her that it's "for her own good," claiming to only want to protect her. At one point during the scene, Gothel actually contradicts herself; Teena Elizabeth of "BookMyShow" observed, "Gothel has no intentions of letting her go. Though Mother Gothel sings, 'soon, but not yet,' but ironically later says, 'Rapunzel, don't ever ask to leave this tower...again.'" Writing for the "Tulsa World", Michael Smith observed that Gothel uses the song "as her lie/rationale for keeping the girl safe (holding her hostage) from those who might steal her for their own hair-inspired profit schemes." Amid Amidi of Cartoon