In 1998 HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch, keynoted an LGBT AND Q student conference at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH.org) secretly recorded a video of Birch in her speech—excerpted by LifeSiteNews’ YouTube channel:
“Is there any press in the room?...Because some of these conversations are very private. But when I said to Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney, I said, 'Thirty percent of your employees are gay.' And he said, 'You are wrong, Elizabeth, it's 40 percent.’"
The gay percentage is even higher today than in 1998.
That's why Disney propagandized gay relations in the revised film "Beauty and the Beast."
In other Disney films and on TV they do the same and include two mothers (lesbians) in a TV show as well. A Disney Channel spokesperson said. “This particular story line was developed under the consultancy of child development experts and community advisers,” “Like all Disney Channel programming, it was developed to be relevant to kids and families around the world and to reflect themes of diversity and inclusiveness.”
A previous Disney Channel segment of its “Make Your Mark” campaign showed a teenager who had two lesbian parents.
The Disney Channel has a viewership of 1.02 million children between the ages of 2-11, with some 300,000 under the age of six.
Propaganda?
Shame on this article for marginalizing the male figures in the Frozen landscape who make all this royal female empowerment possible.
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CUTE to worry about the super privileged people In Hollywood... esp. as there are real problems affecting women of the world -- namely their use as baby-making machines - so there will be more consumers and more soldiers. And then there's the sex trade industry and perhaps we should include much of Hollywood and the fashion industry and many parts of the media. I think the quality of Disney animation- ain't what it used to be - Snow White Bambi, Sleeping Beauty and does not at all compare with Japanese Anime Princess Monomoke, Howl's Moving Castle.
Quality and genius matter. Elizabeth Warren is not running for president on her husband's coattails. Elizabeth Homes proved that a woman can scam as well as any man. I am not worried about women at the top of the totem pole... but many of those at the bottom.. in fact people at the bottom in general.
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Phil Johnston directed “Wreck it Ralph.” Why does it merely say he asked Ms. Lee to come work on the film? Odd omission...
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The only feminist thing about this film was the focus on sisterly love, which was great. However, if you want to read a much better analysis on "Frozen" and how it is not really a feminist movie, read https://generationnextnextnext.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/frozen-movie-disney/.
Call me old but it seemed stereotypical for both female characters to wear form fitting dresses while sporting Barbie doll figures. Not to say that women can't be beautiful. But Disney has perpetuated the beautiful sexy heroine endlessly. The male figures were not fleshed out so just a reverse of what women characters were in earlier films.
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Wonderful article. Maybe for the first time I read about a woman breaking through without feeling like she resents men.
I generally am supportive of female voices expressing grievances, because I have a feminine name, and can appreciate the two tiers that can exist in the world.
It actually had me reevaluate the “metoo” label. Maybe “Metoo” expresses that women want to be in the game, too; consideration often their point of view needs recognition, too.
Reading this gentle brief biography shows that as much as Frozen is different from past stories, it’s just a different take on things, not a revolutionary movement attempting to alter all things male and female.
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What a brilliant article about a wonderful role model. Honestly, I was not interested in seeing another frozen movie as I have more than had my share of the first. However after reading this I am intrigued by the backstory and so impressed with the new “Queen” of Disney! All I can say is “it’s about time”!
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Until Disney is able to excise the not-so-subliminal messages about beauty (thinness, makeup) aspiration to wealth and privilege and the idea that exceptional girls and women are exceptions, Frozen will be a tiny blip in business-as-usual. Hiyao Miazaki gets it right: he finds the extraordinary in what is ordinary. His sensitive and reverential perspective toward the lives and secret knowledge that children and girls possess is the real magic. Frozen? Not so much.
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“Shambolic” is a very odd word choice, to describe “the Snow Queen” fairy tale.
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Beautiful color on that egg chair.
Thankfully, in their entire careers, the Fleischer brothers - together - never talked this much about making cartoons.
Sounds like the right person got the right job.
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My comment isn't specific to this article but rather to many (most?) "profile pieces" like this one. Namely - why do writers seem to always rely on lines like "She entered the room dressed in a flowing blah blah blah over her fabulous pair of blah blah bah with her hair pulled back in a fastidious blah blah blah and settled into a chocolate-brown letter blah blah blah" and so on? Is this a writer's form of "scene setting"? Is meant to put the reader into the room? To set a particular vibe? Is it because these pieces tend to appear in the "Style" section? I personally get a bit thrown off by these details and wonder if they really matter. And why use them? Would this article be any more/less impactful if there was no mention of what the subject is wearing? Would the reader be any more/less impressed by/annoyed by/indifferent toward the subject's thoughts/accomplishments/battles if there was no mention of the wardrobe? And I'm curious - how much ink goes toward female subjects' wardrobe choices vs. men's?
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@Glen It appears the science of semiotics eludes you.
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@Glen, I agree that there may be too much emphasis on these stylish flairs. But I like carrying out these flairs in the character development. I began taking ballet when I was 5, and by the time I was 8 I was in the advanced class with much older students. I took one lesson a week, didn't practice at home, and quit over summers. My teacher was lovely, and had been a dancer with the New York Met. If you play me a Mozart Quartet I have never heard before, I can make up a 5th harmony of similar complexity that belongs with the music. She wanted me to study at the Pasadena Playhouse, but I was in grammar school and liked it at home and at school. I like the grace, or lack thereof, to be part of character development. Still as a hobby I took a choreography class from Eugene Loring. He told us to walk behind someone, and imitate their movements to feel how they feel when they move. Very interesting to do I think, and as long as no one else is noticing. He also suggested we read the funnies and look at the characters, see cartoon movies and note how the figures move. I find this a lot of fun also.
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I wonder if Maureen Dowd has read The Snow Queen. The Queen is not in any way a sexy, diabolical dive. It's so weird she would write that. Is there a fact checker in the house?
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Frozen is a movie of its time. If you are watching cinema these days, you'll note that Prince Charming is often a narcissistic cad and a psychopath in disguise. He is often unmasked before the movie's end--thank goodness--and true love can prevail in the person of the "nice guy" the princess has known all along.
Elsa being saved by her sister is a nice side plot. It wasn't actually what the movie was *about.* The movie was about Anna and the guy with the sled.
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An important correction: Anna was the princess who was told she could only be saved from a "frozen heart" by an act of true love (and Anna who audiences might have been expecting to be saved by a kiss from either Prince Hans or Kristoff). So when Anna throws herself between Hans' sword and Elsa in the ultimate act of true love, she actually magically saves *herself* from an icy fate (as well as non-magically saving Elsa from being beheaded).
This seems even more progressive and empowering than one sister saving the other: We can save ourselves by loving others, rather than having to wait passively for someone else (boyfriend, sister, whoever) to love us.
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Thanks, Ms. Dowd: This was the best interview/ article I’ve read in a long time. You let the subject be the story. That is becoming increasingly rare. Thanks again.
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I worked as a writer on the "Tarzan" movie at Disney Animation way back when. I must say, at the far too many story meetings I attended, I was struck by the fact that (other than the woman who was a business affairs department rep), there were no women present. In other words, no women were involved in the creative development of the story at all. Also, when we pitched story ideas to the executives, again -- zero women in the room.
Minnie Driver was voicing Jane in the film, and she was doing such a fantastic job, that I considered it my mission to work Jane into the story more prominently. I failed. And I know that Disney's "Tarzan" suffered as a result of my failure.
I must add that, after many frustrating meetings, I escaped into the hallways of Disney Animation where I saw some of the initial artwork for "Mulan" on storyboards. As the father of two young daughters, that cheered me somewhat. However, "Frozen", need one point out, is a cultural turning point. Thank you, Ms. Lee. Brilliant work.
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Feminism isn’t why Frozen was successful; good story about family is why Frozen was successful. People don’t go to the theater because the film and cast are virtue signaling or feminists, people go to the movies because the story is good, the songs are greats and everyone wants to be reminded of sibling/family love.
So many films failed in the last few years because story took backseat to virtue signaling and I think Hollywood is catching on.
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True, but I think feminism paved the way for Disney taking a chance on Ms. Lee as a first-time director for such a big budget movie. I doubt that that would have happened 30 years ago.
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@Ian I am one of eight kids, 5 girls and 3 boys. When I saw Frozen I saw the affirmation of love for family overall. Thank you, Ms Lee.
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@Ian
Jennifer Lee wasn’t a fresh director giving a big budget film. She have a MFA in film from Columbia and was a writer for Wreck-It Ralph. She also wasn’t directing Frozen but co-directing with senior director Chris Buck who previously worked on Pocahontas, Tarzan, Home on the Range, and Surf’s Up.
Lee was given the responsibility she is capable of and have a team to assist her. She isn’t a magical Mary Sue they only got her co-director job due to feminism, she got her role because she is the right person for the job.
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My daughter loves "Frozen" and at 2 years old belts out "Let It Go!" which I think is a great message for kids and adults. My favorite is "Fixer Upper" OMG - that song cracks me up. So thank you Ms. Lee for giving us such wonderful gifts. We look forward to "Frozen 2" and whatever else you and your team come up with. You are a true inspiration.
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I'm a stereotypical straight guy in most ways, yet whenever I write a book (just finishing #9) somehow the main character turns out to be a woman. Perhaps it's because from childhood I've known so many strong smart women, and because I miss my daughter 40 years after she died at 7 months. When Frozen came along I watched it a dozen times in the theaters, and thrilled to "Let it Go." So when Frozen 2 comes out I will be in the first showing of the first day.
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@Laer Carroll "stereotypical straight guy in most ways" Whatever THAT means.
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@Laer Carroll Thank you for reminding us that being a parent never ends, no matter how painfully brief that role was. As a mom and a human, I’m sorry for your loss, and appreciate your empathetic comment.
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I'm taking my daughters to see the Frozen Musical tomorrow. I've found it difficult to read the traditional fairy tales to them, and I salute Jennifer Lee for "changing the formula". She is an inspiration, particularly with her relatively late start to directing. Thank you for showing young girls that you can honestly be everything that you'd dream you'd be.
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@Charmaine, have you tried reading (empowered girl) Pippi Longstocking stories to them? I think Disney animators may have borrowed a bit of Pippi for Anna, with her red hair and braids.
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