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*Introduction*

 

It is known that Disney’s targeted audience is young children who are pre-adolescent and are not fully capable of understanding all the hidden messages and ideals hidden within the films. However, Disney’s demographic is not solely young children, but also includes adolescents in modern times, or the current millennial generation. By appealing to this older generation, Disney films have a higher critical value to the viewers and give deeper meaning that can be analyzed by the more mature brains.

 

By including current generational ideals that are highly valued by today’s adolescents, the new film Frozen has become one of Disney’s most popular films of all times, earning over 1.072 billion dollars in box office sales (McClintock, 2014). Also receiving Oscar awards and a spot as the 10th largest global blockbuster in the world, it is clear this movie is loved by a broader audience than just children, but why exactly does Frozen appeal to today’s adolescents?

 

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Fig. 1: Photo of Elsa with arms open (Disney, 2013).  Source: US Weekly. Web. 4 Dec. 2014.

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Millennials, or the young adults of present times, have shown a strong liking and interest in Disney’s newest movie, and this appeal to an older generation, rather than Disney’s usual targeted audience of young children, shows that the millennials find interest in media that represents their social values. In particular, the hero of the movie, Elsa, is a girl rather then a male lead, giving a new outlook on heroism and the conventional traits that are typically categorized with a hero. By having a female hero, the use of traits that were viewed as masculine in previous times have evolved to traits that are normal among women, especially feminists, and favored by the millennial generation.

 

Amona Refaei, a reporter for The News Record, recognizes this change in Disney films and states, “Disney breaks away from the typical princess plot but remains loyal to animated musicals with ‘Frozen’” (Refaei, 2013). What traits that were previously viewed as masculine does Elsa embody that contradicts older Disney feminine views such as the feminine traits represented in Snow White? To learn why people admire Elsa so much, a study must be done of traits that have evolved from being strictly masculine to common female traits. Discovering the appeal this new Disney movie has on millennials can help give insight on some ideals valued within the millennial generation that they like to see expressed throughout various forms of media.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.