*Frozen 2 Spoilers ahead, read at your own risk*
As we all know, Disney has made a huge impact on the way many generations view their bodies. The Disney Princesses, although they may seem innocent, are very much guilty in adding to the fire of societal standards. Tina Fey recognizes this in her book Bossypants when she discusses that her daughter prefers Aurora over Snow White (22). Holly also mentioned this in her blog post How Disney Has Shaped (or Ruined) Our Childhoods (February 3, 2020). I also believe that Disney has a big role in shaping how I viewed myself as a child. Realistically, I never saw Princesses like me as a kid, tall, athletic and very focused on school. Due to this, I struggled to have a sense of identity (I can also put some of the blame on my bullies, but that’s not the point of this blog). With that being said, my faith in Disney’s influence is growing with the new age princesses.
A few days I was finally able to watch Frozen 2. OMG! I absolutely loved it! I full-heartedly believe that it was much better than the first one for many reasons, but I am going to explain to you my biggest reasons.
1. Elsa and Anna did not rely on a man to save them or help them in any way. I mean Anna just left Kristoff at the camp to help her sister discover the truth. Let me restate that. ANNA LEFT HER BOYFRIEND BY HIMSELF TO HELP HER SISTER. HE THEN PROCEEDS TO SING ABOUT BEING LOST IN THE WOODS WITHOUT HER! I mean come on, I rarely ever see it like this, normally it is reversed. #familyoveranything
2. If you have not seen this movie, I am sure you have seen the gif of Elsa completely disregarding Hans in her memory scene. She literally makes him disintegrate. To me, that says something because she doesn’t care if he is a man, in her eyes, he is a monster and will be treated as such.
#removingtoxicpeoplefromyourpast
3. In addition to number 1, Anna and Elsa single-handedly saved their village of Arendelle by themselves, because they understood that regardless of past family history, their family brought pain to the souls of nature and they wanted to make up for that.
4. Although Olaf is a creation of Elsa and is a snowman, Anna helps him understand his emotions and tells him that it is okay to be angry. This is huge because Olaf is known for always being happy and positive. This to me is a way to tell people, just because everyone else sees you as one thing, doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to feel or be different.
These are just a few of the examples that Frozen 2 demonstrates, in turn, helping my hope for the future grow. Although they still need to work on the ideal body images for both the men and women, their growth in the behavior of the genders is a great first step.
Side note: if you have not seen the movie, I highly recommend it. To me, it was a very refreshing twist to the normal Disney movies we always see.
Up until this point, I never really had any strong desire to see Frozen 2, as I still haven't. However, you have convinced me that I should! I mean, the soundtrack to the first one was full of bops, so I can't wait to see what this movie will bring. Though Elsa doesn't have a girlfriend, which was the big rumor that spread about this movie before it was released, I am almost happier that she doesn't have any love interest at all. The message to young girls here is that they don't need a relationship of any kind in order to be strong and successful, and even a hero!
ReplyDeleteI loved Frozen 2 as well! Both of the Frozen movies promote such good messages: being true to yourself, fostering familial relationships, and using our "flaws" as strength. Frozen 2 also gives me hope for what Disney is going to do next with their immense influence over children of all ages and genders.
ReplyDeleteThis got me thinking about the live action adaption of Mulan that is coming out soon. Yes, Disney is at it again, but I think they are *trying* to adapt the story to be more progressive. I read something about them removing Mulan aka Ping's relationship with her commanding officer Shang, that eluded to a bisexual relationship? I think they are breaking it down to 2 characters, the boss and the love interest. But, the overwhelming issue is that Mulan is still shamed for her unqualified status as a female. I think it's important not to remove though because it represents the character culturally, but also stimulates discourse on gender equality.
ReplyDeleteI loved this movie too! I was very glad that Disney went even further with the feministic ideals that held true with the first movie. I definitely hope that they keep this trend going and that other companies can start doing it too.
ReplyDeleteI must add an honorable mention to this list! Olaf's song is GOLD. I will never not, laugh so hard that I'm crying, when he screams from fear. The soundtrack alone makes this movie better than the first one. I have had it as one of my playlists I'm constantly replaying. I don't think it will ever leave the loop. I can confidently say that yes, I did fork out the overpriced (except is it really, because it's amazing), $25 for the movie. I don't even currently own a Blu-ray player! That's okay though, because eventually it will come out on Disney Plus. Then I can stream it once a day and ignore all of the crap going on around me in the world.
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