Wolford on ‘Frozen’: ‘Let it No’
By: Grace Wolford – Asst. Art Director
“OMG have you seen ‘Frozen’?!?! OMG YOU WOULD LOVE IT! It’s so great, definitely the best animated movie since ‘The Little Mermaid’ and SO progressive OMG like they even make fun of how not progressive other Disney movies are and that’s how you know it’s progressive.”
No.
“But why, Grace? How could you be so heartless? Don’t you know Frozen is so pretty and progressive and stuff? And so relatable, like I seriously am going to make my children watch this movie everyday non-stop until the only words they feel comfortable speaking in public are ‘Do you want to build a snowman?’”
No.
I have seen “Frozen” twice, and I hate it. Well, “hate” may be a strong word, but I certainly loathe and despise all the attention and praise it is getting. I know what you’re thinking—I’m a heartless anti-feminist butthole who doesn’t understand the beauty of animation or children’s psychology in the slightest. Well, I hope that’s what your thinking.
If that’s not what you’re thinking this article may have too many big words for you to digest.
I actually put a lot of thought into children’s movies and books. After all, kids are the future, and what their malleable minds absorb is the foundation of their future decisions. That’s a huge responsibility on the shoulders of writers and animators, and I respect their work immensely – if it is done correctly.
“Frozen” was so wholly mediocre that it actually makes me angry. Let’s start with Anna. “Oh my gosh she’s so quirky and relatable and original and different, oh my gosh, I’m just like her… but seriously I’m just like her.” This is what I’ve overheard by literally every person I seem to come into contact with lately.
Anna is the spitting image of a mass-produced schema of what “quirky” and “original” should be for girls. I hate this stereotype because it is inhibitive. Why are we characterizing girls and women to be this adorkably awkward pseudo-personality instead of just being themselves? Some people are quirky, some people are even super-annoyingly quirky and that’s fine, but some people are also quiet and well-spoken. Some people even act appropriately in social situations.
It’s wrong to make those people out to be the bad guys, or to make them feel insecure for not stuffing their face with chocolate balls at a high society dinner.
Now, let’s talk about the hyper-sexualization of the feminine form. The head to waist ratio of every female Disney character is grossly disproportionate, and Anna and Elsa are no exception. One thing I did notice was that the background-filler people throughout the movie didn’t seen to have these ridiculous proportions, which further promotes the same mantra Disney has been beating since it first began – only pretty girls get the man/get to go on adventures/get anything.
This movie is receiving good attention because it lacks a “prince.” But it doesn’t. I can’t believe people are even pretending that it does. So what if the girl doesn’t want to marry literally the first guy that shows up in the movie?
Three-fourths of this movie exclusively deals with the development of a romantic relationship between Anna and Kristoff. So no, you can’t marry someone you just met, but yeah, you still need to find a man ASAP.
My main gripe with “Frozen” is the huge disconnect between the character development and the plot development. I thought Elsa was a brilliant character and metaphor for mental illness, coming of age struggles, feminism – you name it and it’s applicable to her character. So why is she only in one-fourth of the movie? I want to know more about Elsa. What was she doing for those 15-ish years she just stayed in her room while Anna was off being quirky? And why didn’t
Disney showcase her more? These are the questions you should be asking yourself as you’re leaving the theater.
Don’t get “twilight eyes” over this movie. It’s playing off your insecurities. It’s one step forward and 50 million steps back.
Why are women content to settle for this poorly written movie just because the animation is pretty, the songs are catchy and the protagonists are female? Imagine a world where girls could be the protagonists of a movie and the movie could be well written and have underlying amazing morals that aren’t trying to conform to any stereotypes.
You can’t do everything with one movie, but you can certainly do better than “Frozen.” Don’t settle! We deserve better.