Oh look. I’ve come out of hiatus to bitch about Frozen. Let it go, bitches. Let it go!
Recently I had the joy of sitting down and watching Frozen all the way through. I still don’t get the song (sorry but I really don’t like it) but I did enjoy the film. What a little hero Anna is!
Yes, Anna.
For some reason as she is the plainer, less magical sister wearing a sensible shawl the entire film she seems to take a back seat to the all powerful Queen Elsa and to put it bluntly, this pisses me off.
Look at Elsa all front and center like she is the STAR
What are we doing by encouraging this?
The way I see it, by encouraging our children to worship Elsa we are allowing them to believe that the way to get what you want when you don’t understand what is going on is to have a big fat tanty and run away. And yay, magic. It fixes EVERYTHING. And makes you feel better. And why not live in a big fat ice castle and exclude the world. Who cares if you froze them? Hiding is the best place for you.
But it didn’t fix everything in this movie. In fact magic was the problem. And anger was the problem. The angrier Elsa got the more powerful her magic was. Yes, she had technically been oppressed for years and told her gift was a curse and this was definitely an issue but she didn’t rise above it and fight her way out. No. She didn’t.
Her sister, Anna, saved her.
Had it been up to Elsa she’d still be living in her ice castle hiding from the world with a cold and angry heart, justifying her choices because at least now she could “Let it go” and be free to be herself.
Let’s look at Anna’s story.
She spent her entire life trying to get close to Elsa even though Elsa was made to hide. Time after time, year after year, we see Anna standing at Elsa’s door begging her to come and play. When it is time for the coronation and Elsa’s fears literally explode into ice, Anna doesn’t hate her, doesn’t judge her, isn’t angry with her. She believes in her. Every. Step. Of. The. Way.
Every. Step.
HERO.
Then she trudges through snow up a mountain with a strange man and a reindeer to find her and find out what is going on and bring her home. Not once does she stop believing in her sister, even when she almost kills her with a magic ice strike to the heart!
And in the end she makes the ultimate sacrifice and chooses to die for her sister when she could have been saved. Die! And we are worshipping the magic lady. FAR OUT.
Sure, Elsa is by no means a mean, horrible or evil person. She is no Wicked Witch of the West. And yes, she is wearing the prettier dress (I’m looking at you, Disney. You are NOT helping) but far out parents, can we not take this opportunity to teach our little munchkins that it’s not about the prettier dress or magic and ice castles?
It’s about love. And believing in someone. And fighting for them until there is nothing more you can do (and yes, not oppressing them in the first place).
So Anna, you are my Frozen Hero. And I would choose to dress up as you any day, even if you are wearing a sensible shawl most of the film. Because it’s not about the clothes people, not about the clothes.
We can do better than this. We really can.
See Anna DID wear a pretty dress
Oh and if the problem reeeeeally is the dress, then Anna did wear this lovely little number early in the film. Surely that is princessy enough?
Let’s try and keep it real, hey.
