Mothers and fathers of boys beware! There is a real danger lurking in your son's toy box and in the DVD player that will turn your soon-to-be men into puddles of mush. It's … it's Frozen! According to the folks at Fox & Friends, Frozen is harmful to boys and it will have girls up on a high reindeer with everyone thinking men are villainous fools.
Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy and guest Penny Young Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, discussed the very serious "Frozen Effect." (Dun, dun, dun.) The problem, according to Doocy and Nance, is that Frozen is a threat to masculinity — men being men (bangs chest, shouts at sky), and as Doocy said, this "effect" is "empowering girls but turning our men into fools and villains."
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Behold the power of the Disney princess.
If this Doocy/Nance "Frozen Effect" is true, I will say that it's completely okay for kids to think that some men are fools and villains. Because, some are. It's a cold, cold world out there full of frozeness. Besides, it's one movie. One movie in which the women don't need to be saved. I want my son to know that. I don't want him to grow up thinking women need men to walk over puddles. Sometimes, men need saving. I don't even want my son to feel weak or "not a man" because he needs a little help.
I have boy/girl twins — they are 5. They both love Frozen. We have Sven, Olaf, Kristoff, Elsa, and Anna and they live in a Barbie Dream House and they often sit on a pink doll couch from IKEA (pictured) when they are not bopping all over the house in various scenarios with My Little Ponies and Matchbox cars. They sometimes wear my costume jewelry. They know all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, even April O'Neil. Don't let Elsa with no pants on (correction: no skirt) make you think she still can't freeze Hans' balls off. She can. I think Tinkerbell is wearing her skirt. And don't worry Fox & Friends, we still have 4-inch Batman watching over them from behind the pink couch to make them all feel safe.
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Doocy and Nance really feel that Hollywood has sent a message to kids that "men are superfluous, they're stupid, they get in the way, and if they contribute anything to a family, it's a paycheck." They didn't dare mention any of the damsel in distress stereotypes put on women. Let's be fair — it's all out there in Hollywood, the good and bad influences. It's on us as parents to teach our kids equality, kindness, acceptance, and that both boys and girls can help themselves and others.
To me, the "Frozen Effect" should be about forgiveness and loyalty and family bonds. And because Frozen taught me so much, I'm willing to forgive Doocy and Nance for this warped view and hope they see that boys don't have to be macho to be men. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Elsa some pants to wear. She wants to wear Captain America's mask.
Do you think Frozen teaches kids (especially boys) that men are fools? Do you think the movie is harmful to boys?
Image via Michele Zipp
