The Frozen Phenomenon

During the course of this chapter, I will examine the reception of Frozen, from its premiere date on the 19^th of November 2013 to its present-day plans to expand the Frozen franchise. Looking at not only a range of internet sources but also documentaries which have been produced on Frozen, I hope to show how this film has been received by the public since its release as well as detailing what plans the company has for the future of the Frozen franchise.

The 12^th installment of the Disney Princess franchise premiered to the world on the 19^th of November 2013. “Hollywood Boulevard was iced over in honor of the world premiere of “Frozen” at Disney’s El Capitan Theatre.” (White Carpet premier. insidethemagic.net) Disney decided to cover the red carpet in snow, providing a break in the tradition which we would later see in their latest feature film. “Overall, the expectations about Disney films were quite consistent – beautiful heroines seeking romance, brave heroes, evil villains, and happy endings with good triumphing over evil and the chaste couple united.”  (Wasko, J. Phillips, M. R. and Meehan, E. R. 2001:334) However, Frozen challenged these expectations following the path of Brave before it, Frozen does not center on romantic love but instead chooses to focus on the relationship between two sisters.
Frozen was released to the general public on the 27^th of November 2013, and made over one-hundred and ten million dollars, globally in its opening weekend (Frozen. boxofficemojo.com). At first Frozen was just the latest installment of the Disney Company’s feature films, but it soon took the world by storm. The Frozen soundtrack was made available to the public on the 25^th of November and “was the biggest-selling album of 2014 - shifting 10 million copies.” (Frozen soundtrack. Telegraph.co.uk) The typically discrete Disney Company, decided to post the whole ‘Let It Go’ song, performed by Broadway Star Idina Menzel, from the movie onto YouTube; released on 6^th December 2013 as well as a sing-along version of the scene, released on YouTube on the 30^th of January 2014, these two videos have over Nine-hundred-million views between them, and the ‘Let It Go’ song, (Frozen. YouTube.com) has inspired countless covers and parodies. The song was extremely popular, not only in England and America but around the world. Frozen, has been dubbed into over forty languages and distributed worldwide, “as a thank-you gift to the Frozen fandom, Disney has released a multi-language clip of the iconic “Let It Go” sequence from the movie.” (Let It Go. Rotoscopers.com) released on January 22^nd, 2014, featuring twenty-five different languages. 

The film was first available via digital download through Google Play, Amazon, and the iTunes store, (25^th February 2014) then shortly after it was also accessible on Blue Ray and DVD (2^nd March 2014). Frozen “has become iTunes' biggest selling film ever” and was also “sold over three million copies on DVD/Blu-ray in the UK” (Frozen download & DVD. NME.com) and has also won a number of awards, including, an Alliance of Women Film Journalists award for best animated female (Anna/Kristen Bell 2013),  BAFTA Awards for Best Animated Film and the BAFA Children’s award for best feature film (2014), and Grammy’s for best contemplation soundtrack and best song written for visual media (2015). (Frozen awards. IMDB.com)
The whirlwind of success generated by Frozen was unexpected and Disney was unable to meet the fans demands for merchandise, with items flying off of shelves as soon as they were restocked. “Retail experts at The NPD Group said UK sales of all Frozen merchandise, from dressing up outfits to dolls and jigsaws, are put at £31m up until the week ending November 8.” (Frozen toy shortage. Huffingtonpost.co.uk) 2014. Frozen was so successful there are now interactive viewings available, complete with their own Elsa and Anna, ‘Sing-a-long-a Princesses’, who “will show you how to use your free prop bag, warm up your singing voices and teach you some hand actions and heckles.” (Frozen. Singalonga.net)
 Due to the high popularity of Frozen, ABC (an American subsidiary network of The Walt Disney Company) aired ‘The Story of Frozen – Making a Disney Animated Classic’ in September 2014, this documentary offered insight into the evolution of Frozen from its origin ‘The Snow Queen’ by Hans Christian Anderson, to the Snow Queen we see today. Here we see that Disney has originally planned for Elsa to be a villain as Hans Christian Anderson intended, but after hearing the inspiring ‘Let It Go’ they decided to change the whole film which executive producer John Lasseter calls “the kind of anti-Disney princess movie” (The Story of Frozen) Channel Four (a British public-service broadcaster) also released a similar documentary, Frozen at Christmas, on December 25^th, 2014, drawing on filmmakers, performers, critics and fans for their opinions on the latest Disney production. This documentary also looks at the impact of Frozen from the DVD sales to the exchange of Elsa and Anna dolls on eBay and discusses why Frozen might have been so successful.

 Finally, the development of Frozen Fever, a new Disney short, was revealed. Frozen Fever was released in cinemas on the 13^th March 2015 with Cinderella (2015). This seven minute short features a new song “Making Today a Perfect Day” and well as new dresses for Anna and Elsa inspiring a whole new Frozen Fever range of products to add to the already vast collection of Frozen merchandise. The Disney Store currently has one-hundred and sixty-eight Frozen items listed on its website, from Frozen theme party bags, a pack of six for one pound twenty-five to a couture ‘Let It Go’ Elsa figurine costing ninety-nine pounds. In between, there is a range of items including clothing, fancy dress, shoes and accessories, stationery, dolls, and toys. (Frozen merchandise. Thedisneystore.co.uk) The day before Frozen Fever was set to premiere (12^th March 2015) Disney officially confirmed that they will be making Frozen 2 which is estimated to be released in 2018. But Frozen fans need not worry, Disney have also announced a Frozen holiday special due in 2017, and a Frozen Broadway show which “will open in Spring 2018” (Frozen Broadway. Comingsoon.net)

Disney Princesses are everywhere, and Frozen is no exception to this and, as shown in this chapter, was a cultural phenomenon. With Disney princesses surrounding young girls, what they “learn from the media about princesses also teaches them about what it means to be a girl.” (Hains, R. C. 2014:VXI) The messages delivered in these princess films have an influence on their own identities, therefore it is important that we pay attention to the lessons portrayed in the princess films. “In short, princess culture is no longer child’s play. No more wide-eyed innocence: princess is controversial.”  (Hains, R. C. 2014:17) The next chapter focuses on existing literature available on The Disney Company which touch on the topic of Disney princesses and will be used throughout this blog.

Introduction

Princesses are everywhere. While “boy’s toys feature superheroes, trains, cars, building sets and a range of colours. Girls’ toys, swathed in an endless sea of pink and purple, are dominated by princesses.” (Hains, R. C. 2014:1) With princesses ruling the world of young girls today it is important to consider the messages these characters deliver. “Without question, Walt Disney sets the standards for feature-length fairy-tale films in the world of cinema” (Bazalgette, C. and Buckingham, D. 1995:109) and has provided us with the most popular examples of princesses in modern society since Snow White in 1937.  These films teach girls a number of things, including values, ideals, and what it means to be female,  “gender is about what we are but what we do. By repeating certain acts, we learn how to perform ways of being male or ways of being female,” (Mallan, K. 2009:197)  these lessons can influence young girls and shape their own identities. 

For this project, I will be using a combination of secondary research, both academic texts, and online resources, to examine the way in which Disney represents women, specifically Disney princesses, within their films. Throughout Chapter One, I will be examining the latest Disney princess film, Frozen. I will be looking at a range of internet sources to determine how Frozen has been received since its release. Chapter Two, is a review of current literature already available on the topic, looking at other texts which focus on the Disney Company. These include volumes which focus solely on Disney, as well as books that touch on the subject of Disney, princesses and fairy tales. Chapter Three discusses the Disney princesses of the past, concentrating on the differences between the princess representations and how the portrayals have evolved over the years. The princesses will be divided into sub-chapters; ‘The First Generation Princess’ (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty), ‘The Second Generation Princess’ ( The Little Mermaid , Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and Mulan), and  finally ‘The Twenty-First Century Princess’ (The Princess and The Frog, Tangled, and Brave.) I will also be doing a content analysis of the previous princess films, generating qualitative data on similarities present within the films. Chapter Four looks in depth at Frozen carrying out a textual analysis of the film determining whether Frozen is a break away from the previous representations of princesses or whether the evolution was a more gradual one. By looking critically at Frozen in comparison to other Disney princess films, this research project seeks out to establish how princesses are represented within Disney films, and how the representations of women have adapted and evolved. Chapter Five, the concluding chapter will draw upon the ideas and arguments presented in the previous chapters, to establish how the representation of Disney princesses has evolved over the years. Focusing particularly on Frozen and the work of Disney to adapt its approach to gender stereotyping in their princess franchise. I will be exploring the evolution of Disney princesses to determine whether Frozen is a break away from the “traditional” Disney representations who existed “to be threatened or victimized and then rescued, or to be the hero’s reward for his accomplishments.” (Green, P. 1998:160)

Abstract

The purpose of this blog is to determine how the princesses of Walt Disney animated productions have evolved and adapted from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), to Frozen (2013). Focusing on gender representations and carrying out a content analysis on the twelve Disney princess films produced in this time period, and how the portrayal of women has changed over the years.
The Disney Company is a global success which has an influence on its viewers. Research has shown that the media acts as a guideline for children on gender roles. A literature review will be conducted, research of the gendered stereotypes and mixed messages conveyed in Disney films, as well as a broader look at the Disney Company.
The combination of these analytical tools offers insight into these Disney feature films, looking specifically at the princesses and the evolution of these characters as well as the plots to their films and the princesses’ worth to the plot.
Over the past eighty years, the representation of Disney princesses has evolved, from a focus on passive, beautiful and defenceless women who wait to be rescued by princes to women who are strong, independent and intelligent. No longer relying on men to make them happy and fulfilled, the central focus of the princess characters have shifted; from women longing for romance to women who are willing to fight for themselves as well as the ones they love.

For The First Time In Forever?

This blog aims to take A critical look at the representation of women in Disney princess films from Snow White to Frozen. Determining whether Frozen really is a departure from Disney’s past representations of women throughout their previous princess films?