Comments on: ‘Brave’ Director Brenda Chapman Says Animation Is “Run By A Boys Club” & Weighs In On ‘Frozen’ Controversy

By: K

Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

Why does this still go on? You don't see and haven't seen the Japanese have any problems with creating all kinds of female characters for their animation over the past 40 years, including their video games! So what's the problem in America? I don't get it. It's really sad.

By: La

La — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

I'd like to inform you, since you're apparently not aware, that people were having a discussion before DiSalvo said anything — Frozen does have a source material that people can already contrast it with. Frozen is a supposed adaptation of 'The Snow Queen', which I'd recommend reading before you even weigh in on the controversy and call Frozen feminist. On its own as a story that was wholly original, it could be, but I'd be very hesitant to call Frozen feminist for going from 'The Snow Queen' and its male:female character ratio of 4:10 — all 14 being very well written as characters, I'd say — and downgrading it to Frozen's ratio of 4:2. The comparisons and derisions come from completely working Hans Christen Anderson's very feminist story and making it into a story that sure, could be feminist, but is markedly less so and has far less female characters to the degree that I'm not sure if they've read the source material they're pulling from.

It's also unnerving that you pitch in your own personal opinion of "the characters should be pretty, because princesses often are, and people go to the movies to see pretty people, animated or otherwise" to defend someone literally saying that female characters in movies have to be pretty — I don't know about you, but I go to the movies or watch television to see a story. The characters in 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' or shows like that aren't pretty people — the characters in 'Family Guy' or 'Bob's Burgers' or really show that's mainstream and animated aren't pretty people — and all of these shows draw in viewers to an incredible degree. Of course, you know, those shows are all marketed towards adult men, and not young girls who we want to impose beauty and self-worth standards on the earliest possible age. It's not like young girls bully and form complexes based on appearance, or develop eating disorders that are directly correlated with wanting to meet the standard of beauty that's pushed upon them, or that any girls and women experience constant harassment that can and does verge on violence for being both attractive or unattractive. So that comment of DiSalvo's doesn't come from anywhere and doesn't feed into something that actively harms girls and women, that's just someone being "goofy", right? Just like you said.

But hey, let me just be honest. If you, an adult who works on a film review website, literally only goes to see movies to look at people who are conventionally attractive, even if those characters are underage and in movies marketed at children, I might as well not even bother trying.

By: Illyria

Illyria — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

Sure Drew, please keep lecturing women about how they're supposed to feel about Frozen and animation being an exclusionary, male dominated industry. It doesn't sound smug or condescending at all…

By: Brenda Chapman

Brenda Chapman — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

I couldn't agree with your article more! As was DiSalvo's quote, my comments were taken out of context, as well. It's very disheartening, the lack of integrity that goes into some reporting. The article in question was a jumble of out of context thoughts and quotes and in the end, didn't really come to a point.
I would very much like to set the record straight in regards to my reaction to DiSalvo's quote. If she had continued on with my own quote of my initial reaction of being "appalled", it would have gone against the type of article she wanted to write. I continued on to say that then I put his quote in the context of what he was really discussing, which were the characters specifically in FROZEN. And it made perfect sense. The two characters, I believe, are sisters (what I gleaned from the trailer) – maybe even twins – I don't know because I have not yet seen it. Of course, if they look so much alike, it would be difficult to give them individual expressions and make them feel like different people. I was actually trying to defend the poor guy! His only mistake was to use the word "pretty" instead of "appealing"… which I have no doubt was his meaning behind it. As with the TIME article, my words have been taken out of context way too often – so I did recognize it in DiSalvo's.
My other comments were about the industry in general needing more variety in female characters – both physically and character personality – and NOT at Frozen, which I am very much looking forward to seeing.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

It's really annoying how in the lat few years, these kind of discussions have arises and how it seems as though everything has to be PC now.

And I don't care what gender or race you are, stop using that as your downfall. I want creative films with good quality to them. Brave was not that.

By: benutty

benutty — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

Is taking a dig at Buzzfeed really necessary though? Such journalistic integrity.

By: Film Femme

Film Femme — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

Is anyone else seeing the inherent contradiction of "the conversation needs to happen" vs. reducing the ACTUAL female director of Frozen to a footnote? "It should be noted that Jennifer Lee co-directed the movie." is the only mention of her.

As far as I can tell, as this story spreads, not a single source has bothered to ask Jennifer Lee what she thinks. Interviewing the ousted helmer of a Pixar movie is perfect drama fodder for the controversy machine that is modern entertainment reporting.

It's easy to see that they won't reach out to the helmer of Frozen because she would put the kibosh on the faux outrage and the drama of the story would dissipate. But where's the conflict in that? Clarity is the opposite of what these stories really want.

Asking a different woman from a different studio what she thinks of the story seems entirely as sexist as the controversy itself. Particularly since her experience doesn't include that of the animation studio in question.

By: yer

yer — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

She's been butthurt for ~3 years now. Get on with your career lady.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

It seems to me as though you are suggesting that once Disney has made a movie featuring a lead of a different race, they can check a box and go back to work on white movies.
And as far as "consumerist needs" I find it hard to believe that I wouldn't be able to remember a face as a Disney princess if it didn't look exactly like the other ones..
Most importantly, I think you're missing the point. I'm not mad because I automatically assume the movie will be sexist, I'm mad because on man, in charge of creating role models for little girls, sad that female emotions are hard, and that these women ALWAYS have to be pretty. Real women are not always pretty. When they cry or start yelling, it can be really scary.
I'm still gong to see the movie, because I think it will be entertaining and cute. I will however, hope that Disney learns from this experience and adds some more variety and "ugliness" to their future princesses… And all the other characters too.

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 13 May 2016 08:49:46 +0000

Well I work in animation and I second the "boys club" comment. We have women in production but literally no (or VERY rarely) women director or animation supervisor in the creative side of things, I've been supervised by men most of my career and there is such a thing as the male gaze in how animation is produced.
There are depths and layers to it, it's not all generalities but honestly, despite you vouching for Frozen and saying it's more than what it looks like, characters are characters, and making these kind of statements combined with the generic look Disney is going for, plus the fact that Pixar has yet to deliver its first female-lead character movie (yes it's coming, I know, but it took freaking ages), then comparing it to, say, Miyazaki's incredible list of amazing and complex female characters and all I can say is: we don't have time for this shit anymore. It's time for Western animation to grow up and for people to stop making comments like this, it's not acceptable anymore and I find it difficult to say "let's not be dramatic" because we've been angry about this for years and it's exhausting. I don't know, I have zero patience and tolerance for this anymore.
As a side note, I'm intrigued by your support of Frozen from a feminist POV, and will see it anyway, despite already hating the incredibly lazy, tropey and awful snowman sidekick character (another case of marketing gone wrong, that's a whole other topic on its own).
Voila 🙂