Empowerment, Boundary-Setting & Consent in Pop Culture, Part 1 - Frozen
Updated: Dec 16, 2020
Right now, more than any time in recent history, we have an opportunity to create a cultural shift that will create a safer future for us all.
Yes, that cultural shift involves all sorts of education. We talk about the home, schools, the dojo, the workplace…. Everywhere.
But there’s one place that - for better or worse - provides us with a daily dose of messages about empowerment, boundary-setting, and consent on a daily basis.
But there’s one place that - for better or worse - provides us with a daily dose of messages about empowerment, boundary-setting, and consent on a daily basis.
And that’s the media. Especially pop culture. And those messages are a powerful form of education.
It’s easy to focus on what’s being done wrong. So for the next five days, I’m going to highlight five positive examples of pop culture getting it right.
First up, this scene from Frozen:
As a mother, a grandmother, and a human being, it makes my heart happy to see children (and the adults around them) receiving such positive messages.
What we can learn from this:
Asking for consent doesn’t take away from any magic. It adds to it.
Think about it. What could possibly be more romantic than taking somebody else’s emotional and physical well-being into consideration?
Think about it. What could possibly be more romantic than taking somebody else’s emotional and physical well-being into consideration?
What I might change:
I’m not 100% sure about him picking her up and spinning her around. She does look a little shocked. Also not sure about her kissing him on the cheek. We know he wants to kiss her, but consent is a two-way street.
Still….
My hope is that someday, scenes like this will be so normalized we won’t feel the need to highlight them for being special.
And yes, it’s special. Check out how it compares to other Disney kisses:
What do you notice?
Can you think of any other examples of consent from Disney movies?
