THE CONTEXT
Disney Plus streaming service started last week, and the older movies like Dumbo and Peter Pan are introduced with a warning, that they "may contain outdated cultural depictions."
THE PUZZLE
Many Disney movies, including those favorites of the 1990s, are criticized for potentially stereotypical or biased representations based on race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. How does the latest movie, Frozen II, fare in that regard?
“I feel sorry for his children.” A man wrote that within the online comments on a recent Washington Post article. And he was talking about me!
Interviewed for the article, I suggested that we talk about Disney movies with our children – not just what we like but also what we might find troubling, stereotypical, or unfair. That’s important, because young brains pick out subtle messages in these films and form implicit biases that can last a lifetime. I even suggested that Disney could have discussion guides for adults who might not know how to start those conversations. The commenter imagined that it must be terrible for my kids to watch a movie with me. At first, I felt almost flattered, then defensive, then insecure, and then I kind of realized that he wasn’t entirely wrong!
We walked into the theater to see Frozen II this past Friday (opening night) surrounded by little girls in Elsa dresses. Not us. The line to get popcorn was deep – we didn’t have time to wait, but that was ok. We were on a mission. My little boys still carried some wonder and joy but the rest of us knew that there was work to be done. I walked in armed with a notebook and pen. My wife and my daughter had faces of steely resolve. They wouldn’t tacitly accept anything like Ariel trading her powerful voice to snag a man. If Anna ended up in an abusive relationship like Belle did with the Beast, they were ready to stand up and shout, “Leave him! He’s not going to change!” My children learn these habits from my wife and I as we often have these family discussions: Why do you think Tiana, the first African American princess, spent over half the movie as a frog? Where are we supposed to think that Aladdin lives? Is there a real place that they’re trying to portray that is so “barbaric”? It’s pretty great that all the different species of animals can live happily in Zootopia, but what groups of people are those animals supposed to represent? What do you think of that idea that some of those groups are “naturally” violent predators deep down?
To be clear, I do not think that Disney movies always have bad messages. And I am not singling Disney out as worse than other media. But because I am an expert on how children learn about categories and form biases, I know this dialogue between children and adults is critical. When we walked out of Frozen II on Friday, my kids were trying to anticipate what the debrief might be. They were guessing about what I would say. When I said, “Wow, I loved that!” they were a little confused.
I’m not saying that Frozen II doesn’t have anything that deserves a critical gaze; but, I was way more taken with the messages on how to face history, address past wrongs, and move toward a more equitable and inclusive future. Below are the messages I found most positive and the way we can use them to talk together about how to move forward from a historical moment like ours (lots of spoilers):
We Can Do Better Messages
[1] We can face the truth of our history. When Elsa and Anna are little children, their father tells them a story about a meeting in the enchanted forest between the (native) Northuldra and the (non-native) Arandelle forces, which included their grandfather who was king of Arandelle and their father who was a young man at the time. The father explains that the grandfather built a dam as a “gift of peace” to the Northuldra and that things were going fine at the big meeting until the Northuldra launched an unprovoked attack. Their father was lucky to get out alive (saved, in fact by a Northuldra young woman who turned out to be their mom!). After a series of magical revelations, Elsa and Anna both independently learn the truth – that the dam was not a gift of peace, but a strategy to weaken the land and the Northuldra people in order to control them. Their grandfather, in fact, was the one who attacked the Northuldra unprovoked. Elsa and Anna learned a painful truth about their people, their culture, and their family. But they didn’t turn away from that reality. They didn’t wallow in guilt about it either, but rather moved forward, doing what they could (more on that below).
The Northuldra are modelled after the Sami people (many of whom actually consulted for the movie), and this all theoretically happens in Norway. But watching the movie here in the United States, it reads a LOT like the history of colonizers and Native Americans, as symbolized by the coming Thanksgiving holiday. And while we now know the truth about that history and what has happened since, it seems pretty clear that we don’t want to face it as a society. Most schools still have children take out their crayons and color happy friendly cooperation scenes leading up to Thanksgiving. Columbus Day is still a federal holiday. We refuse to change Native American sports mascots. We are not grappling with the hard history and we’re certainly not doing it with children. Just look at the end of Disney’s 1995 Pocahontas. It rewrites the history to imply that the British left the New World and went back to England to live, leaving the Native Americans to live in peace.
I try to bring up and honor the actual history every year at Thanksgiving, to disrupt the simple story of celebration and gratitude, especially with the children present. But I often get shushed. This year, maybe it will go better when I use Elsa and Anna to bring it up.
[2] We can change our thinking when we get new information. Part of Anna and Elsa facing the reality of the history was accepting that they and others had believed a false narrative. They didn’t hold onto the myths when confronted with different facts; they changed their thinking. And they shared the reality with others, to enlighten them. We have a lot of cultural myths about our country – that we have true equality of opportunity if people just pull themselves up by their bootstraps, that we are always the good ones in foreign affairs, just trying to help those in need and spread freedom and democracy, and so on. Those who question the myths open themselves up to criticism, as if they are somehow just being downers or unpatriotic. When they speak up about unfairness and exclusions, large or small, they are criticized as being soft, too sensitive, and weak--snowflakes. Elsa and Anna show us that questioning myths and changing our thinking is not weak, but strong (like Elsa’s magic snowflakes). Elsa and Anna are standing up for what is right and trying to forge a better future with eyes wide open. We can do the same.
[3] Without addressing the wrongs of the past, there is no future. This was almost verbatim a line from the movie. I think it was Anna who says “Arandelle has no future until we make this right.” She’s talking about the dam that was built that keeps the Northundra oppressed in order to benefit Arandelle. And here we are, in 2019, with the recognition (if we allow ourselves to face it) that we continue to structurally disadvantage some people to the advantage of others. What are we going to do about it? Are we really going to address the wrongs of the past and make things right? Or are we going to continue to give it lip service without real structural change? I like Anna’s message better - that there is no future unless it includes everyone, and it can only include everyone by addressing past and current injustice.
[4] Addressing past wrongs will not destroy life as you know it. Anna is hardcore. She is willing to burn it all down to rectify past wrongs. She even convinces the Arandelle guards to support her in the plan to knock down the dam and therefore destroy Arandelle with the resulting flood. The tidal wave that rushes down, threatening the city, represents the worry that this is a zero-sum game – that if we right past wrongs, it will mean destruction for those living a comfortable life now. But in the end, it all works out fine. Creating equal opportunity for all does not have to destroy those who enjoy privilege now. The future in which we are all valued, where we all are included, and where we are in it together is what we have to gain, and it’s worth it.
[5] Doing good doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There are some pretty pragmatic messages about doing good in this movie. These days we tend to get overwhelmed by the problems we see and hear about in the world. They can be paralyzing, leading to fatalism and inaction. Instead, it might be better to take a pragmatic approach, one in which we do what we can, one step at a time. Or, as they say in the movie, just do “the next right thing.” That’s a great attitude to encourage more everyday activism, kindness, and progress.
[6] Women are strong leaders. It seems crazy that we still need messages like this today, but we do. In this movie, Anna and Elsa are fierce. They are strong; they lead; and they don’t need a man to do it. We’ve known for a long time that women in this country are too often disrespected and undervalued, in politics and in business, and research continues to come in about the specific and sometimes subtle ways this is happening. In addition to the structural change and the increased inclusion, we need more representations of powerful and competent women leaders for all our children to see.
[7] Men can be good. Also seems crazy that we need a message like this, but we do. The character, Kristoff does some wonderful modeling of a man whose strength comes from kindness, caring, and supporting others. Two lines stood out to me. At one point, Anna is on her mission to destroy the dam as Kristoff reunites with her. Instead of mansplaining or trying to take over, he says, “I’m here. What do you need?” It’s simple. And yet, so rare. At another point he says, “my love is not fragile.” For all the stereotypical male jealousy and insecurity that’s often portrayed, this was jolting too. I think I may borrow the line.
We can do better facing our history and addressing past and current injustices.
In the end, it is thrilling to see an animated movie that can get children thinking about cooperation, activism, and equality. Facing the reality of our history, dismantling the myths that are keeping people down, and fighting for what is right is exactly what is needed right now. It is challenging, but as Anna says, we have no future if we don’t make this right. Don’t feel sorry for my children. They are proud to be in on the fight.
