Frozen is not my favorite Disney movie. There were many things I found just ok,
and even downright annoying.
However, in the past couple of weeks, fellow bloggers of religious ilk
have targeted the movie for its immoral messages or – ready for this? – its
hidden gay agenda – of which parents need to beware. I acknowledge their vigilance. I appreciate their
courage. I also think they are
over-analyzing (this coming from a rabid-analyst) and not giving kids nearly
enough credit.
Let’s start with the most reasonable arguments. Some are taking issue with the
transformation of Elsa from good girl Elsa into sexy Elsa as well as the lyrics
to her anthem, “Let it Go.” I admit,
I’m uncomfortable with my girls singing this song over and over at the top of
their lungs – which my husband and I discuss in a Podcast on the topic
(Reinforcing the Positive Messages Disney Films Teach your Girls).
I happen to
agree that the lyrics convey a message of rule breaking and rebellion right
alongside those of self-discovery and empowerment. However, I disagree that Disney was doing it subversively,
advocating anything insidious, or trying to blur the lines between right and
wrong. There is a simultaneous moment of learning and growth going on, but she's also filled with fear, rage and rebellious angst.
Elsa is throwing a tantrum. With a catchy song.
But that’s simplifying - it’s way more than a tantrum – Elsa
is taking dangerous steps down the road toward becoming the villain. Luckily, because of the faith, devotion
and love of her sister, her journey toward isolation and cruelty is stopped. WHICH IS THE STORY. Instead of Frozen: How the Ice Witch
Became Evil – we sort of get, Frozen: The Journey Towards Becoming a Scary Evil Witch and Back
Again.
The only thing I can think of to convey
what I’m getting at is a Star Wars analogy: if Anakin Skywalker were singing as
he turned into Darth Vader, it would be something along the lines of “Let it
Go.”
Giggles. I know. The visual of that happening makes me giddy. I'm kind of ridiculous and now I want to write a Star Wars musical. But think about it for a minute. It works. Sort of. An extremely powerful, talented young adult rebelling, pushing limits, wreaking havoc, journey to the dark side, return to the light, in this case, because of his son. (Now I've got the "Tell your sister, you were right about me," line stuck in my head!)
But seriously. Yes, Elsa’s song is powerful. Anger feels powerful. Rebellion feels powerful. Yes, for that moment she feels like
she’s on top of the world. She is
finally using beautiful talents that have been misunderstood. And Yes, she is
absolutely leaving the good girl and rules behind. But the film does NOT advocate this as desirable
behavior. Unless you walk out of
the movie right there, in which case, I can see your point.
However, shortly after the song during which she truly discovers the wonder of her powers, her talents almost
kill her sister then create a monster to throw them off a cliff! Hello. Villain. Just look at her eye makeup – she’s a
villain ;) Only Maleficent rocks the eye shadow harder.
Which brings me to her
somewhat vampy look people are decrying.
Here’s my question I’d like to pose to the board for consideration: If
Elsa had started off the movie as THE ICE WITCH, an evil antagonist, and she
looked EXACTLY the same as she does in her ice castle scene, would anyone be
pitching a fit? Just sayin’
The big difference in this film is, again, that we’re seeing
how a villain becomes a villain.
We’re getting the back story. The
transformation. Not that a tight shiny
dress and eye shadow are evil, but hopefully you get my point. Besides, that dress is hardly
groundbreaking in the revealing category when you consider Tinkerbell…
Ah, you say, but children are not sophisticated enough to
see this. They sing the song, they
want to dress up like Elsa, they want to be like her so they’ll think it is ok
to leave the “good girl” and “right and wrong” and “rules” behind like Elsa
does. To that I respond with two
answers.
First, back to Star Wars – pretty sure that every kid ever
has dressed up like Vader at some point or another. Pretty sure society is still in tact. Sometimes the villain is just cool. And Elsa pulls herself back from
becoming the villain. She shows
strength of character to stop that path.
Not too bad a morality lesson.
Second, ASK THE CHILDREN! They get it.
While us frantic adults run around the internet analyzing and policing,
all it takes is a conversation to see that sometimes we’re the blind ones.
Here’s my dinner conversation with my
children:
Me: You keep singing that song. What does it even mean?
Chloe: It’s about how Elsa has been locked up in her room
and now she’s free to use her powers.
Me: So it’s a good song?
Chloe: Well, sort of – because she’s also running away and
doing some bad things too. So she only
thinks she’s free. But then, she's not really bad because she's really just a lot scared.
Me: She builds an Ice Castle though – that’s pretty
cool. And powerful. Is that when she’s most powerful?
Lily: No. She
isn’t. Because she can’t control
it and she hurts people. She isn’t really powerful until she can control her
powers at the end. When she loves
her sister she is most powerful.
Hello. Counterarguments anyone?
Out of the mouths of the children themselves. “When she loves her sister she is most
powerful.” What are kids getting out of this film? Let’s stop speculating and
ASK THEM! As we advocated on the podcast, talking to our children about what
they are ingesting from media is the best way to turn it into a positive
parenting tool.
As for the gay agenda in the film – I don’t really have much
to say. Except if you’re looking
for anything, you’ll find it.
Magical power to create snow and freeze things is EXACTLY like being gay. Why didn’t I see that? (Where is my sarcasm font when I need
it?)
Also, the family gloried in her power UNTIL IT ALMOST KILLED SOMEONE. Only then came the fear. Um, wouldn’t you be afraid? It’s not shaming, it’s protection. And if it is a gay agenda, why make Elsa’s
power dangerous. If the film is advocating, the figure representing the agenda
would have a talent that is universally positive and misunderstood, rather than one both
dangerous and literally and figuratively “cold”.
The gay agenda argument made is simply based on how Elsa is
encouraged to hide, and then finally “comes out.” I’m going to blow your mind
right here, all of you who believe this.
Don’t watch the Little Mermaid. Gay agenda. Being human= being gay. Ariel wants to be human but has to
hide it, even from her father. His reaction to her human (gay) tendencies is
entirely predictably violent. Only when he accepts that she IS human (gay) do
we get the happy ending. Oh wait,
don’t watch Beauty and the Beast.
Gay agenda. The Beast hides away in his castle afraid of what others
will think of him. And when he
finally does transform, that hair…totally gay. Wait, wait…Tangled.
She’s shut away in a tower because of her special power that must be
hidden from the world! The only
reason she doesn’t end up special in the end is because her power is destroyed
by a man –OH NO – maybe we can watch that one because he fixes her and she is
all better. Hey, watch out for
Merida – she doesn’t want to get married, and she rides horses and wields
weapons… wow, SO gay agenda. Don’t
even get me started on Mulan. Oh, that Disney…
All I’m getting at here – facetiously, I admit, is that if
you look for it, you can make whatever agenda you’re jonesin on fit whatever
you’d like to demonize.
Or we can encourage positivity.
Ask kids what they are learning. Because I think they are more sophisticated than we are
sometimes. If they pick up
questionable messages, nip it in the bud. But pulling out the positive, the uplifting,
and the wholesome teaches our children to do the same - with people and with
the world around them. Even though, go ahead and attack me now, I thought
Frozen was boring and not nearly the equal of Brave, I love that my girls got
out of it that “when she loves her sister she is most powerful.” I’m good with that.
11 comments :
Love this post! Well thought out & written!
Reminds me of how people criticized Ender's Game saying kids were too sophisticated. In reality kids are often more sophisticated in their ability to conceptualize than adults.
Faith In Humanity Restored.
Love the post. Insightful and entertaining to read. Well done.
The "gay agenda" is because the shop keepers family includes another man. They show him for like 2 seconds.
Anonymous, that isn't the shop keepers family. It's just a random family. The large man, his small wife on the right and their children.
I love this so much! I feel like society today is going to take anything and everything they can and twist and turn it until we have everyone in an uproar! Its annoying and i wish people would stop over analyzing everything and turning it into a controversy. Thanks for this post!
Thanks for such a well-written, realistic, blog post!!!
Finally! Thank you, I loved your post!
This is great. I think people spend way too much time on the internet trying to find something to generate a bit of a storm. I completely agree with you and am glad you wrote this! I am vigilant with my 5 kids but I also give them credit and I'm glad to find there is someone else like me out there. When I was watching this with my 3 girls and listened to the song for the first time, it actually really spoke to me in my moment, where I need to let go of what people think of me and my style of motherhood and just enjoy it for what I can make it. Let go of what other bloggers houses look like, let go of the Jones expectations,let go of the feeling that I am not contributing financially with my husband because I stay home and tend my children day and night, let go of it all and enjoy my family and my life. Now I think we all should give ourselves as parents a a little credit and have a little faith in our kids and LET IT GO!
This is great. I think people spend way too much time on the internet trying to find something to generate a bit of a storm. I completely agree with you and am glad you wrote this! I am vigilant with my 5 kids but I also give them credit and I'm glad to find there is someone else like me out there. When I was watching this with my 3 girls and listened to the song for the first time, it actually really spoke to me in my moment, where I need to let go of what people think of me and my style of motherhood and just enjoy it for what I can make it. Let go of what other bloggers houses look like, let go of the Jones expectations,let go of the feeling that I am not contributing financially with my husband because I stay home and tend my children day and night, let go of it all and enjoy my family and my life. Now I think we all should give ourselves as parents a a little credit and have a little faith in our kids and LET IT GO!
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