https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/a55015cdde20139639f9eea017e485ba.pdf 75ee540febef6ea3d62f2ad0a9b346e5 PDF Text Text yerpctuaTina T(ic jantasg Skylar Rowyn Cooper Academic Prose Perpetuating the Fantasy: Disney and Queer Representation Disney has a long history of silencing voices that don’t fit within the rigid lens of White Culture that the company was built upon and continues to defend to this day. White American Culture is inherently exclusionary against anything that doesn’t fit within the current power structures based on “traditional” ideas of the American Dream. While labeling this “White Culture” communicates the racial implications of this narrative, other communities are purposefully excluded within this lens such as women and queer communities. Disney has a distinct lack of representation for any marginaUzed community stifling the perspectives of millions of people in the process. Looking at Disney’s practices through the lens of Muted Group Theory, it is apparent that there are long-lasting effects on society and culture as a whole when diverse narratives are excluded from media. These effects can be clearly seen by analyzing one of Disney’s most popular franchises of all time: Frozen. Disney’s consistent choice to silence queer narratives in Frozen and Frozen II, often at the detriment of their own content, strips queer audiences of the ability to recognize and communicate their experiences as an oppressed group. In order to understand the experiences of others, one must use language to communicate those experiences. Muted Group Theory (MGT), crafted by Edwin Ardener but largely attributed to Cheris Kramarae who expanded on the theory, states that marginalized communities lack the language to properly communicate their experiences of oppression and prejudice because language is created by those in power. Muted 113 �Perpetuating the Fantasy groups are kept from proper language by those in power who work as gatekeepers of media and information. Although the original research on this communication theory focuses on the dichotomy of women and men, theorists within this area of study note that these ideas can be applied to any marginalized group. In this situation, Disney acts as the gatekeeper of information for children across America and the world and has wide-reaching impacts. This is evident by Disney’s continued popularity for over one hundred years and the number of adults who are devoted and persistent in their love of Disney throughout their lifetimes. The perspectives that Disney chooses to focus on, and how they represent muted groups when they do choose to show them, alters the way that society views these groups and teaches children how to view and interact with these groups. Since its founding, Disney has profited from portraying marginalized communities as the villain, especially queer individuals. Villains such as Jafar from Aladdin^ Captain Hook from Peter Pan, Scar from The Lion King, Sheer Khan from The Jungle Book, and King Candy/Turbo from Wreck it Ralph are all recognized as being queercoded due to their femininity and lack of conformity to societal expectations of gender. One of the most famous and blatant queercoded Disney villains is Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements confirmed in an interview with Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) that Ursula was inspired by Baltimore Drag Queen, Divine. Musker states that Howard Ashman, one of the major writers of The Little Mermaid, knew Divine and had artists sketch Ursula's concepts based on Divine’s stage persona. Howard himself was a gay man who died of AIDS shortly before his other well-known project, Beauty and the Beast, was finished and released CAnderson, 2016). This pattern perpetuates a harmful stereotype of predatory gay men. Most of these villains are depicted preying on young men for their evil schemes, which is a long-held belief of White Culture against gay men. These depictions of queercoded men in Disney films stirred controversy from both sides. Many White Evangelicals boycotted Disney from 1997 through 2005, citing they were unhappy with Disney’s “promotion of‘homosexuality infidelity, and adultery” (Parks, 2021). In Josh Parks’ article discussing “Christian Disney Dads,” he discusses many individuals who expressed anger 114 �Perpetuating the Fantasy at Disney for adding small, inconsequential amounts of queer representation into films like Onward and the live-action Beauty and the Beast. Park also describes parkgoers' complaints that Disney’s “politically motivated changes” ruin the immersiveness and fantasy of the parks (2021). Disneyland is seen by many as an escape from reality into their best fantasy world away from the worries and complexities of society These reactions make it evident that White Culture’s fantasy is one in which queer people and people of color don’t exist - where racism, sexism, and homophobia are not thought of because the only people who matter are the White Evangelicals. When Disney isn’t perpetuating harmful stereotypes of gay men, they are co-opting queer experiences to place in their films without providing genuine representation. Frozen grossed over four million dollars in box office sales during its run in theatres. Out of the top ten highest-grossing animated films of all time, eight of them are Disney films. Frozen ranks second only to Frozen II (Sim, 2021). This should be no secret considering the recordbreaking music sales that “Let It Go” managed the year Frozen came out. Disney has a near stranglehold on children’s media markets, meaning Disney is the biggest gatekeeper of media and information for growing minds in America. The stories they choose to tell and the language they utilize heavily affects the language and information that American children grow up with. The Frozen franchise was a huge missed opportunity for queer representation; they could have told an equally heartfelt and compelling story while subverting the stereotypes and troupes pushed by Disney villains of the past. Initially, Elsa was written to be the villain of Frozen. Several of the minds behind the film have discussed how Elsa was originally supposed to be a self-proclaimed, evil snow queen and that ultimately Ana would have persuaded her to good (BBC, 2017). It’s impossible to say when they made the change for Elsa to no longer be the villain of the story, but a story where Elsa becomes the villain could have been the perfect way to tell a modernized queer story. After fleeing Arendelle and singing “Let It Go,” Elsa could have become closed off and protective of herself to the point where she is a villain to the kingdom she once called home. She could have grappled between whether her powers, and her sexuality, makes her good or evil. In the end, she 115 �Perpetuating the Fantasy would come to realize that her powers and sexuality aren’t curses, but blessings that make her distinct and unique while finally being accepted by Ana and her kingdom. Elsa, whether intentionally or not, is heavily queercoded. Queer individuals are often, if not always, forced to hide their true selves from the world. Elsa is taught at a young age by the trolls to be scared of her powers. Elsa’s lines in “For the First Time in Forever” show the terror that she holds behind showing her true self. “Conceal, don’t feel, put on a show. Make one wrong move and everyone will know” (Bell & Menzel, 2019). This is reflective of the way that queer individuals have to constantly mask and hide themselves to avoid the scrutiny of society. Due to this, queer people often live in hiding for years and some never come out due to the fear of how their family and society will treat them. Queer people are often forcibly isolated from becoming too close to anyone in their lives for fear of being discovered and outed. There is clear evidence that these experiences influenced Elsa’s characterization and creation. “Let It Go” was seen by many in the LGBTQ+ community as an anthem for the experiences of fear, anxiety, and relief of coming out. Songwriter Robert Lopez described the process behind writing the song as follows, Bobby and I took a walk in Prospect Park and put ourselves in Elsa’s shoes {...] That’s when we realized the song had to be about what it would feel like to carry that secret and shame and finally feel free of that weight. (Atkins, 2022) The parallels between Lopez’s words and the feelings of secrecy and shame surrounding the act of coming out are undeniable. Later, during the reprise of “For the First Time in Forever,” Elsa tells Ana that she’s happier being alone because she’s free to be who she wants to be. When Ana gives her a reason to feel obligated to go back, because her secret has caused chaos in the kingdom that only she can fix, Elsa panics. She calls herself a fool for thinking that she could be free from criticism and backlash from her family and community. Often when a queer person chooses to isolate themselves from their family, family members attempt to convince or even guilt trip them into coming back to the family This is despite any mistreatment the person may have faced or will continue to face at the hands of unaccepting family members. This can cause them to feel panicked and trapped like they have 116 �Perpetuating the Fantasy no other option than to bend to their family’s wishes regardless of what it does to them as an individual. Disney’s framework crafter from co-opted queer experiences in combination with her lack of interest in men or marriage have led to many queer people latching onto her as a form of pseudo-representation. After the first film came out, there was a large push from the queer community for Elsa to be canonically confirmed as either lesbian or asexual. People felt connected to her because she embodied the experiences of a group of people who lack the ability to properly communicate these experiences. If Disney had outwardly made Elsa gay, they could have made additional commentary on the queer experience and assisted queer children and adults in crafting the language needed to properly convey queerexclusive experiences. In the years between the releases of Frozen and Frozen fl, many speculated on how Disney would handle Elsa’s queer coding. Many were hopefill after the initial promotional images about Frozen II came out that Honeymaren, a citizen of the Northuldra tribe, would be Elsa’s love interest in the film. Unfortunately, none of the hopes or predictions that the queer community had for this film came true. While Frozen was a huge success despite its lack of true queer representation, the same can’t necessarily be said for Frozen II. The sequel may have done better at the box office by $170,000, but the movie was not received as well by critics and older audiences. The film wasn’t terrible by any means, but Disney made a clear choice of which story it wanted to represent. Instead of having any kind of love or queerrelated storylines for Elsa, the love story the movie focuses on is the one between Ana and Christophe. Disney had the opportunity to connect with one of its major muted groups and instead chose the safe, traditional white culture approach. Meanwhile, Elsa goes on a journey of self-discovery that was yet again another huge missed opportunity for queer representation. At the beginning of the film. Ana has a song with Olaf discussing how desperately she wants things to stay the same. Change is inevitable, and often necessary, but Ana is choosing to focus on the things that are static instead and clearly fears change due to her abandonment trauma from growing up completely alone post the death of her parents. However, Elsa is clearly miserable. 117 �Perpetuating the Fantasy She is constantly having to fake a smile for Ana and pretend that things are fine. Disney gives a glimpse into the reasoning behind Elsa’s struggles during the song “Into the Unknown.” Throughout the song, Elsa grapples with wanting to maintain a relationship with her family despite feeling deep down that she doesn’t belong. She is confused and conflicted with the rising feelings within her. She seems frustrated about the fact that she is going through yet another identity crisis. Looking at this through a queer lens, there’s a clear queer story hidden here. Many queer people don’t figure out their entire identity at once; many end up coming out multiple times because either their initial understanding of their sexuality was incorrect or due to discoveries surrounding their gender identity This could be the same thing that Elsa is experiencing in Frozen II. Her kingdom just accepted her ice powers (and, metaphorically, being gay), but her coming out as something beyond their understanding could ruin these newly built relationships. This is evident when looking at the lyrics, “I had my adventure, I don’t need something new. I’m afraid of what I’m risking if I follow you into the unknown” (Menzel & AURORA, 2019). She talks to the voice about being kept awake by feelings of not belonging, of there being more about herself she has still yet to discover. There’s also an inherent risk to identifying as trans* as even those who are accepting of gay and lesbian identities are not always accepting of trans* identities and family members often refuse to use the preferred name and pronouns of trans* individuals. Ultimately, Elsa is desperate to find the voice once she realizes that it might be a key to alleviating her anxieties. During “Show 'Vburself,” she finally gets to the place where she is able to find the voice. She describes the voice calling out to her as “something familiar” and a friend she’s always known (Menzel & Wood, 2019). She finally feels like she’s home. She realizes that she is not trying to find someone else, but instead the true version of herself - that she is the person she has been searching for. This is indicative of the trans* experience. Being trans* is often described as feeling out of place in one’s own body feeling lost. Then, when a person realizes that they’re trans*, there’s this moment of transcendence and enlightenment in realizing where the feelings are coming from. “Show Yourself” embodies the experience of trans* selfidiscovery. 118 �Perpetuating the Fantasy Throughout the scene, Elsa converses with the voice, which turns out to be her inner self. She says, “I’m dying to meet you,” and she is instructed to “grow into something new” (Menzel & Wood, 2019). Trans* people coming into their identities often describe it as finally meeting their true selves. Elsa then goes through a transformation sequence in obtaining new powers and a new identity, and directly after death and rebirth. The discovery of a new self is emotional and overwhelming. Elsa is crying as she realizes the truth about herself and undergoes a transformation. These experiences are clearly trans* coded, and having this scene end with Elsa transforming into a true version of herself as a transman or somebody who is genderfluid or nonbinary could have been revolutionary. The feelings and experiences that Elsa is going through are ones that are not talked about in the media and are terrifying to experience alone. Disney showing audiences that this experience isn’t something one has to ensure alone could have moved leaps and miles ahead in beginning to create shared language and experiences for queer and straight audiences. With this context in mind. Ana’s grief over Elsa’s death and the related song, “The Next Right Thing,” would have been the perfect follow-up to this. For many loved ones of trans* people, there is grief related to the feeling of losing the person that they know and love. They feel as though this is no longer the same person. This is demonstrated through the terminology in “deadnames” and the metaphorical rebirth of the individual through social, presentational, and medical transitioning. Family and friends of trans* people have to adjust to changes that often feel overwhelming. Ana discusses her struggles over losing Elsa while acknowledging that despite her feelings she must move on and do the “next right thing” (Bell, 2019). This could be shown through respecting Elsa’s new name and pronouns, even if Ana doesn’t understand right away, and attempting to learn about and discuss Elsa’s experiences with her in order to better empathize with her. This could have been an invaluable example for queer kids everywhere in understanding how to recognize their feelings and personal identity and for straight kids on how to interact with trans* kids. White Culture is all about stripping muted groups of their ability to understand themselves, so many queer people don’t realize what their sexuality or gender identity is until later in life. 119 �Perpetuating the Fantasy The queer community is currently at a crucial stage in creating a shared language. While current smaller depictions of queer characters in children’s media are beginning to start a conversation, there is currently little to no good representation of queer individuals in content made for children. Disney has gone out of its way to do the bare minimum in terms of queer representation in order to avoid being called out for its homophobia and queer exclusion while simultaneously co-opting queer experiences for their narratives. Disney’s choice to avoid telling queer stories is a choice to continue silencing muted groups and their experiences. Disney had an opportunity to tell touching, emotional queer stories through one of their most popular franchises and instead played it safe and undermined queer voices. It is a distinct and purposeful way to ignore and exclude the experiences of oppressed and marginalized groups. Just like the White Evangelicals within its parks, Disney attempts to live in a fantasy land where there is no racism, sexism, homophobia, or prejudice because those muted groups are just that: muted. 120 �Perpetuating the Fantasy References Anderson, S. M. (2016, November 9). Funfact: Ursula is based on the iconic dragqueen Divine. SBS. https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/pride/fast-lane/ article/2016/11/09/fun-fact-ursula-based-iconic-drag-queen-divine Atkins, J. (2022, December 19). Let it Go: The story behind the Frozen classic. U Discover Music, https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/let-it-gofrozen-disney-feature/ BBC. (2017, March 30). Elsafrom Frozen was meant to be an evil queen with an army ofsnow monsters, https://wwwbbc.com/news/ newsbeat-39440458 Bell, K. (2019). The next right thing [Song]. On Frozen II {Ori^nalmotion picture soundtrack) [Album]. Walt Disney Records. Bell, K. & Menzel, I. (2013). For the first time in forever [Song]. On Frozen: Ori^nal motion picture soundtrack [Album]. Walt Disney Records. Lang, N. (2017, March 21). Disney’s long complicated history with queer characters. Bazaar, https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/ news/a2i5o6/disney-gay-lgbt-characters-history/ Menzel, I. & AURORA. (2019). Into the unknown [Song], On Frozen II IDri^nal motion picture soundtrack) [Album]. Walt Disney Records. Menzel, 1. & Wood, E. R. (2019). Show yourself [Song]. On Frozen II {Original motion picture soundtrack) [Album]. Walt Disney Records. Parks, J. (2021, May 5). The lament ofthe Christian Disney dad-. What Evangelicals really hate about “wokeness”at Disney World. Religion Dispatches, https://religiondispatches.org/the-lament-of-thechristian-disney^dad-what-evangelicals-really-hate-about-wokenessat-disney-world/ Sim, B. (2021, June 26). Drawingan audience: highest-grossing animated movies ofall time. Screen Rant, https://screenrant.com/highestgrossing-animated-movies-ever/ 121 � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Print Magazine Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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All rights revert back to the author/artist after publication.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2023 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Skylar Rowyn Cooper Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Expression Literary and Arts Magazine, CCA 04.ii.c.2022.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 04.ii.c.2022.01_Exp_2023_Prose_05 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Casper College