Frozen fans urge Disney to give Elsa a girlfriend in upcoming sequel
Twitter users are calling for Disney to give its Frozen heroine Elsa a girlfriend in the blockbuster’s keenly anticipated sequel.
The record-breaking and critically acclaimed 2013 animated film tells of Princess Elsa’s struggle to master her magical powers to reconnect with her sister Anna.
It was widely construed as the studio’s first foray into feminism because it eschewed a traditional happy-ever-after with a prince in favour of sisterly devotion.
Now Twitter users have called upon Disney to give Elsa a girlfriend in Frozen 2, which is currently in production.
Alexis Isabel was the first to use the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend last Sunday, tagging the studio in her tweet. It has since been retweeted more than 1,500 times.
The hashtag later trended thanks to messages of support for wider representation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in popular culture.
Reimagining – or “remixing” – Disney characters, particularly princesses, to reflect different genders, races, sexualities, even bodies is a staple of internet culture.
If the studio gives in to demand – and we’re not likely to know, one way or another, until Frozen 2 is released – Elsa would be its first openly gay heroine.
But some read same-sex attraction into the character the first time round, anyway.
At the time of its release, Frozen was construed by some conservatives as to be a vehicle for the “gay agenda”, with a pastor denouncing it as “very evil” on a Christian radio show in Colorado. This was prompted because of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cutaway to a father and children in a sauna – but the Frozen’s takeaway message of self-acceptance were read by some as an analogy for coming out.
Its Academy Award-winning theme song, Let It Go – tattooed on both the popular consciousness and that of any parents of young children in 2013 – was adopted as a LGBT anthem.
Asked about a perceived undertone of homosexuality in the film, writer and co-director Jennifer Lee told the Big Issue, “We know what we made. But at the same time, I feel like once we hand the film over, it belongs to the world, so I don’t like to say anything, and let the fans talk. I think it’s up to them.”
Frozen 2 was announced earlier this year, with both Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel confirmed to appear, and is slated for release before 2018. “We’re not demanding speed,” Robert Iger said in January. “We’re demanding excellence.”
The original – which took two years to create – was an enormous success, ranking as the highest-grossing animated film of all time, and widely regarded to be Disney’s best animated feature since its “renaissance era” from The Little Mermaid (1989) to Tarzan (1999).
“The Frozen Effect” has been enormous, with the United States Social Security Administration reporting skyrocketing popularity of the name Elsa among newborn baby girls in 2015.
A one-day academic conference, Symfrozium, was held at the University of East Anglia in May last year to discuss the film’s impact. “It’s such an interesting and productive text,” said organiser Sarah Godfrey at the time. “We’ve watched it over and over, and there’s still so much to say about it.”
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18 Comments
Mandy
May 08, 07:03Wow. I mean, I know Frozen was a huge hit. But I didn’t think it was this massive. Highest grossing animated film… the Frozen effect… lol. Darris how a franchise is born.
Kenny
May 08, 07:34#GiveElsaAGirlfriend so kids in Nigeria can know it’s okay to be gay. Well if their parents let them see it.
Delle
May 08, 09:52Quite unlikely. My mum just tufiakwaed when I told her of it. I’m sure we are skipping the cinema whenever the movie would premier. Oh well
Deola
May 08, 08:43Lol. Yeah its not gonna happen.
As much as Hollywood is ever so progressive, it’s still all about the coins.
Giving Elsa a girlfriend would actually be really cool as it wouldn’t seem out of character. The character wasn’t shown to be remotely in the opposite sex. It’ll be organic and a natural progression for her character IMO.
But then Disney knows that Asia is its second biggest market and Making Elsa Gay would only alienate the audience there.
Frozen made over a billion dollars, the goal would be for the sequel to match that or make more.
Making her gay would most certainly prevent that from happening. Notice the politically correct answer the film’s write/director gave. It’s just enough to avoid seeming anti gay. It’s the same answers Marvel (Owned by Disney ) always give, just enough to seem like gay inclusion is gonna happen but you know it ain’t.
It would be cool if Elsa gets a girlfriend but there is a more likely chance of her getting pregnant by Olaf than that happening.
Pink Panther
May 08, 08:50Hahahahahahahahahaa!!! Deola came out of hibernation to speak truth!!!
Delle
May 08, 09:47Nigerian parents are going to have a fit if this movie goes through with giving Elsa a girlfriend.
Chizzie
May 08, 10:29I really hope Disney has the common sense to not go ahead with this. And certainly not on a PG rated, family themed animation.
We have more than enough shows featuring gay people, I’m not comfortable with the idea of something solely intended for kids being used as what is essentially LGBT propaganda.
Delle
May 08, 12:50Umm…isn’t that the point? Wanting our kids to know that being gay is just as normal as craving ice-cream on a hot day?
Richard Moore
May 08, 14:03My point exactly, Chizzie
Max 10
May 09, 01:02Goan take your IH pills @Chizzie &Richard
Terra
May 09, 08:34You came back as Geralt ???. Nice
Max 10
May 09, 12:39Oh yeah, you’re a witcher fan too? **widens eyes*
Terra
May 09, 13:42Aye sir. My third favourite rpg series, after the elder scrolls and kingdom hearts
Max 10
May 09, 15:36Lawd.. U sound like an interesting person. I need more gamers in my life ☺☺
JustJames
May 09, 21:15You like kh? Interesting.
I’m pretty sure that’s where our mutual interest in games end though.
Terra
May 09, 08:33Loool. Disney? Lgbt princess? Yeah…not gonna happen
Lorde
May 09, 08:52While I’m all for promoting LGBT issues, I don’t think this this would be a good idea, Elsa having a girlfriend. I think by doing this, we’d just give those conservatives and homophobes more ammo, then they’ll say that we aren’t only asking to be accepted, we are now shoving it into their throats. Elsa is a very iconic character, n kids love her (I mean, half the girls in the U.S. asked for Elsa costumes fr halloween the year Frozen came out(pun intended lol), what I’m tryna say is, giving Elsa a female partner could confuse the kids, who already idolize her, n then 5-9yr olds who aren’t well versed in sexuality or know if they like boys or girls or both could start kissing themselves on the sidewalk on the way to school, in school, at home, and it’ll be very ok cos Elsa did it on TV. I think they shud either give her a man, or heck, keep her single, after all they are already encouraging female empowerment by defying the usual “Disney odds” by allowing her rule without the usual “prince charming”.
Nna this comment etoka kwa….
(I know I’ll get a lot of backlash for this, #bracingmyself)
Max 10
May 09, 12:42Here, have some IH pills ???