Interesting "Frozen" article

[AtlantaSue]

Haven't seen this posted here yet....

http://www.policymic.com/articles/7...frozen-the-most-progressive-disney-movie-ever

 

[sunshinehighway]

Eh, I thought the article missed a lot of things that didn't fit in with what it was going for. It seemed like it was trying to be clever and cool, analyzing Frozen and Disney movies but it mostly didn't have a point.

 

[Lolsmum]

As the mother of a Princess obsessed 6 year old, I totally approve of Frozen for many of the reasons that article mentioned. I want my daughter to be Anna or Elsa, not Snow White or Aurora. Merida was great too, but actually coming right out and saying "don't marry a man you just met" and having a queen, not just a princess or the wife of a king, who doesn't need a man and a princess who figures out what kind of man is worth having is better.

 

[sunshinehighway]

As the mother of a Princess obsessed 6 year old, I totally approve of Frozen for many of the reasons that article mentioned. I want my daughter to be Anna or Elsa, not Snow White or Aurora. Merida was great too, but actually coming right out and saying "don't marry a man you just met" and having a queen, not just a princess or the wife of a king, who doesn't need a man and a princess who figures out what kind of man is worth having is better.

A lot of the things in the article were addressed with Jasmine. How long ago was that, 20 years?

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

A lot of the things in the article were addressed with Jasmine. How long ago was that, 20 years?

It does seem that the author was reaching a bit. Even in Rapunzel she was the first to kiss Flynn. Has there even been a "kiss the princess and get marries" movie in the modern princess era? Belle spent time with the Beast, Ariel did end up marrying Eric after a week, but she saved him before he saved her, Mulan was a warrior, Pocahontas lept of cliffs, it's not like she was shy and retiring, Jasmine was total attitude, honestly, sounds like she was looking for a hook for her article, and totally ignored all of the cannon that didn't fit that hook. Dumb, Frozen was a great movie, it didn't need the hook.

 

[sunshinehighway]

It does seem that the author was reaching a bit. Even in Rapunzel she was the first to kiss Flynn. Has there even been a "kiss the princess and get marries" movie in the modern princess era? Belle spent time with the Beast, Ariel did end up marrying Eric after a week, but she saved him before he saved her, Mulan was a warrior, Pocahontas lept of cliffs, it's not like she was shy and retiring, Jasmine was total attitude, honestly, sounds like she was looking for a hook for her article, and totally ignored all of the cannon that didn't fit that hook. Dumb, Frozen was a great movie, it didn't need the hook.

When you actually think about it, you realize the modern era Disney princesses are all pretty outspoken and independent.

Enchanted (which I thought was going to be really dumb but ended up being really cute) did a good job of teasing at the whole meet a prince and get married thing.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I honestly didnt pick up on that gay thing until it was mentioned in this article!! Bravo Disney!

 

[Lolsmum]

A lot of the things in the article were addressed with Jasmine. How long ago was that, 20 years?

Jasmine was not a queen who had power in her own right. She didn't even have full control over who she married, and certainly needed a man. As for marrying a guy she just met, if Aladdin had actually been Prince Ali she sure would have done so. Jafar's meddling was the only thing that stopped it. Additionally, Jasmine is not the main character, unlike the older princess movies.

Ariel? She fell for the guy without even speaking to him and gave up her greatest talent to change for him. It's my favourite of the modern era princess movies, but it's not a lesson I'd want my daughter to learn.

Rapunzel went for the first man she ever even met.

Belle? She was effectively imprisoned by a guy who controlled whether she lived or died and somehow fell for him. Another awesome lesson. Besides, as a prince the beast is just boring.

Pocahontas and Mulan are better, and also get far less exposure than those listed above and than Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora.

Tangled and Aladdin were both attempts to pull boys in too, so the "prince" had to be something more than a one dimensional character who kisses the princess and marries her.

I love Disney movies and my kids do watch them, but I don't always like the messages they send to young girls. I really like the messages my kids got from Frozen.

 

[aprilgail2]

I honestly didnt pick up on that gay thing until it was mentioned in this article!! Bravo Disney!

My daughter picked that out the minute she saw it- she said "hey good job Disney, putting in a gay family, about time!"

 

[sam_gordon]

I honestly didnt pick up on that gay thing until it was mentioned in this article!! Bravo Disney!

My daughter picked that out the minute she saw it- she said "hey good job Disney, putting in a gay family, about time!"

Since the guy says "hello family", couldn't it have been cousins or brothers or any other relation? I didn't get the feeling this was set in modern times, but in time when family (even extended) all stayed close.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

Since the guy says "hello family", couldn't it have been cousins or brothers or any other relation? I didn't get the feeling this was set in modern times, but in time when family (even extended) all stayed close.

I did as well, I assumed it was a brother or older son, but I can also see where people interpret it as a gay couple and their kids, cute and funny either way.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Jasmine was not a queen who had power in her own right. She didn't even have full control over who she married, and certainly needed a man. As for marrying a guy she just met, if Aladdin had actually been Prince Ali she sure would have done so. Jafar's meddling was the only thing that stopped it. Additionally, Jasmine is not the main character, unlike the older princess movies.

Ariel? She fell for the guy without even speaking to him and gave up her greatest talent to change for him. It's my favourite of the modern era princess movies, but it's not a lesson I'd want my daughter to learn.

Rapunzel went for the first man she ever even met.

Belle? She was effectively imprisoned by a guy who controlled whether she lived or died and somehow fell for him. Another awesome lesson. Besides, as a prince the beast is just boring.

Pocahontas and Mulan are better, and also get far less exposure than those listed above and than Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora.

Tangled and Aladdin were both attempts to pull boys in too, so the "prince" had to be something more than a one dimensional character who kisses the princess and marries her.

I love Disney movies and my kids do watch them, but I don't always like the messages they send to young girls. I really like the messages my kids got from Frozen.

You can find whatever message you want in those movies. It all depends on how you look at it and what you are focusing on.

 

[FireDancer]

Since the guy says "hello family", couldn't it have been cousins or brothers or any other relation? I didn't get the feeling this was set in modern times, but in time when family (even extended) all stayed close.

Either that or it was hi "a" family, not "my" family. I don't know either way but when I read the article I thought they were grasping a bit at that part. If Disney wants to make a statement they will make it obvious.

I think trying to psycho-analyze children's movies is a fools errand myself.

 

[wiigirl]

My daughter picked that out the minute she saw it- she said "hey good job Disney, putting in a gay family, about time!"

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

I've seen these interpretations of the more current movies before, and honestly, I don't agree with them, I think it's nit-picking details to fit a specific opinion.

Jasmine was not a queen who had power in her own right. She didn't even have full control over who she married, and certainly needed a man. As for marrying a guy she just met, if Aladdin had actually been Prince Ali she sure would have done so. Jafar's meddling was the only thing that stopped it. Additionally, Jasmine is not the main character, unlike the older princess movies.
No, but then again, we're talking about princesses also, not queens. She did stand up for herself and refuse to conform to the mold of marrying whoever she was told. She ran away and fought Jafar to try and defeat him, so she also isn't just a wilting flower who sat on her hands while the big boys solved her problems for her.


Ariel? She fell for the guy without even speaking to him and gave up her greatest talent to change for him. It's my favourite of the modern era princess movies, but it's not a lesson I'd want my daughter to learn.
She also selflessly saved somone's life, and again refused to conform to the standard of what was expected of her because her heart led her another direction. She was curious, inquisitive and inventive, all qualities that are good to encourage in girls.

Rapunzel went for the first man she ever even met.
So because she didn't play the field for awhile she's not worthy? Nope, she was also self sacrificing, and showed great courage and faith in people.

Belle? She was effectively imprisoned by a guy who controlled whether she lived or died and somehow fell for him. Another awesome lesson. Besides, as a prince the beast is just boring.
She fell for him because she looked past the gruff exterior and saw more in him than what his "skin" showed. She showed courage and intelligence to stand up to the whole town who thought she was strange, and she followed her heart, again, qualities that should be encouraged in young girls.

Pocahontas and Mulan are better, and also get far less exposure than those listed above and than Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora.

Tangled and Aladdin were both attempts to pull boys in too, so the "prince" had to be something more than a one dimensional character who kisses the princess and marries her.

I love Disney movies and my kids do watch them, but I don't always like the messages they send to young girls. I really like the messages my kids got from Frozen.

Just a different interpretation for the sake of the discussion. If you only look at the movies through one lens, then you miss a lot of the things that other people see in them.

 

[DWGal210]

You can find whatever message you want in those movies. It all depends on how you look at it and what you are focusing on.

I totally agree.

And not saying we shouldn't think about and analyze the messages we're sending kids via media - but at a certain point - COME ON. Not every flippin thing has a subliminal message, with the goal to make our sons into the "I'll save you" princes and our daughters into "Rescue me" princesses.

 

[minniecarousel]

I like that Anna didn't immediately get engaged to Kristoff. She obviously had chemistry with him, but I like that she didn't need to be with him.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I think trying to psycho-analyze children's movies is a fools errand myself.

Seriously?! That could not have been a well thought out statement!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Uses_of_Enchantment, etc., etc.......

 

[FireDancer]

Seriously?! That could not have been a well thought out statement!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Uses_of_Enchantment, etc., etc.......

Yea, anyone can over-analyze anything and then right a book. I'm not impressed.

I watched movies as a kid to have fun. I didn't sit there and wonder what the symbolism meant or what real-world situations it applied to.

 

[Narnian_Princess]

I'm surprised (and a little validated) to see that someone else interprets the girls' parents as emotionally abusive. Even to those who haven't been on the inside and haven't experienced that type of abuse themselves it seems it should be fairly obvious. I mean, even if you miss 'the signs' early on, the movie later explicitly says that love is the key to Elsa controlling her powers. And yet the approximately 12 years between the accident and her parents disappearance only made her worse? Sounds like someone never experienced love.

Now, claiming that Disney wrote them that way to make a statement about child abuse or speak to an abused demographic is a HUGE stretch and totally unfounded. Everyone I've talked to thinks of them as wonderful parents, and I'm willing to bet the majority of moviegoers see just that. If it were meant to be obvious, it would be.