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Elsa the Lesbian | Dreamsounds

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The cold never bothered me anyway ❄️ Let's talk about Elsa's journey from unique Disney heroine to queer icon!

And check out Dr. Sabrina Mittermeier's work:
Twitter: S_Mittermeier
https://www.fantasy-animation.org/cur...
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The pieces of media and music featured in this video are quoted for critical and educational purposes. Those looking to completely understand the pieces are encouraged to purchase the original works.
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List of clips used in intro: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V...
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MUSIC USED:

"Let it Go" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Lesbian satire lyrics at the end written by Jake Bellissimo)

"Land of Dreams" by Zeeky Beats:
(Free) Lofi Type Beat - Land of Dreams

"Deuces" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Bossa Antigua" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Samba Isobel" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Jazz Brunch" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Entrance of the Gladiators" by Julius Fučík, performed by the U.S. Marine Band

"Crinoline Dreams" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
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00:00 Introduction
02:12 Frozen
03:35 Is Elsa Gay?
04:55 Let it Go
06:22 Atlas VPN
07:33 Is Elsa Representation?
12:20 Queercoded Controversy
15:28 Elsa's Future

20 Comments

@DreamsoundsVideo Creator 4 years ago Pinned

Which Elsa song is your favorite? ❄️ Mine is "Into the Unknown"

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@Sara-uq6km 4 years ago

It’a interesting how she initially was a villain, the classic queercoded one, but then they wrote let it go and decided to change it. It was like they had gained synpathy and understanding for the archetype they have portrayed for so many years.

@Rosemont104 4 years ago

I think they should've ditched the whole "we're not your Grandma's fairy tale romance" plot, but instead combined Elsa's escape and her personal journey from the sequel into one cohesive heroine's journey that could've been a meditation on being true to one's nature and then coming back on her own terms, not being dragged back.

@threadyprawn8944 4 years ago (edited)

For me I always liked Elsa the most when I was in 3rd grade like all the others. Though looking back on it, it probably must've been my own identity struggles that I've just kept internalized. For a bit I tried hating Elsa because I didn't want to be seen as, "Too girly" but I still liked her because there was a level of comfort. Overtime I just said, "Fuck it" like her and became open with myself as a trans man, and get comfortable again with anything considered "Too girly" with no care of people's thoughts or opinions on my own identity.

@PKMNResearcherSkyler 4 years ago

For me "Let it Go" and "Show Yourself" have been my personal anthems. The first to remind myself that it doesn't matter what others think, I am trans and I will continue to be me. The second is that it's okay to be myself, that it's okay to be me.

Frick, I'm starting to cry just thinking about it

@juliaschiero659 4 years ago

Elsa's story resonated with me as an autistic starting to break out of an abusive household.

@luna_moll 4 years ago

I'm so happy you've made a video about Elsa being queer 😭❤️ she's such an icon!! I loved Frozen 2 so much, Into the Unknown is so good🥺💖 her journey of self discovery is so familiar to me.

@mintythemeowstic 4 years ago

We need to talk about LGBT+ headcanons more. When it comes to Disney, Dr.Doofenshmirtz being a trans man is one of my favorite popular headcanons!

@spicycherry5 4 years ago

the funny part is how people genuinely think Disney will give Elsa a canonical girlfriend knowing how homophobic they are

@victorthevampire1020 4 years ago

I remember when I first saw frozen, I was around 12 and it was when I was starting to realize how I was diffrent from others, and i remember when i figured out i wasnt cishet, I heard Let it go In a different light and when I felt sad or dysphoric I'd sing that almost to tell myself that some day I'll let It go and be able to be myself, and honestly to this day it's still a huge comfort to me.

@dyinginside821 4 years ago

as an ace lesbian, I resonate with elsa a lot. and she’s very pretty :)

@wizardnoodle2368 4 years ago

I find it interesting how, in the second movie, when elsa is going through the memories of the past, or something -- i dont remember -- she turns away from from herself singing "let it go" when it sounds, as if its a painful memory. I really dont know if it means anything, or if it even could. I just find it interesting :P

@tjuliepower 4 years ago

One of the Disney kingdom-building mobile games had an event with Honeymaren and Elsa that felt like the writers had a bet going on about how much gay subtext they could put into the duo without their bosses catching on. Like, they literally Elsa Honeymaren's "Gal Pal." It's hilarious.

Anyway, this was a great video! You approach the situation from a lot of angles, which I always appropriate. I'm curious what will happen with Elsa in the future, as she's such a huge icon of pop culture relative to the other modern queer-coded Disney leads. I imagine there are some Disney execs running risk-benefit analyses and the risk of Elsa getting banned in certain countries or being boycotted by queerphobic parents is probably MASSIVE relative to, say, the risk of Raya being banned were Kelly Marie Tran's interpretation of her as a lesbian to become canonized. That said, that also makes it much harder for me to be cynical about the idea of Elsa as being queer, as I think any confirmation of Elsa's queerness would end up being both affirming for queer people and a sort of triumph of artists being able to tell their stories at Disney regardless of the bottom line...

@maybunny25 4 years ago

I first heard "Let it Go" when I was at the lowest point of my eating disorder and it really clicked with me. I would say it did play a part in me getting help. Also I do wish media would stop portrayed asexual as something you need to be cured from or that somethings "wrong" with you. So I see why Elsa is important even if everyone doesn't see her that way. I haven't seen Frozen 2 yet but at least as far as I know, no one is trying to force Elsa to date...

@monsterenergypunk 4 years ago

As a trans man, I resonated with all three of her songs from a trans lens. I think it's awesome that so many people can relate to her.

@taniahylian3799 4 years ago

Honestly, Elsa is the main reason I discovered my sexuality. Especially her song "Let it go", which i sang non-stop for days. I was still a teenager when Frozen came out, and I've moved on from that obsession now, but Elsa will always have a special place in my heart and in my history.

@mxaidanwood2703 4 years ago

I revisited the music of Frozen 2 recently and I’m surprised you didn’t break down the lyrics of “Into the Unknown” a bit more, because from my understanding, they basically confirm Elsa views the mysterious voice as a romantic figure. She doesn’t know that it’s her “true self” calling for her or whatever, and she talks to it as of it’s someone trying to seduce her. “And if I heard you, which I don't / I'm spoken for, I fear”.

“Everyone I've ever loved is here within these walls. / I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking out your calls.” The word “siren” is often associated with mysterious seductresses.

The movie reminds me of those old lesbian pulp fiction novels in which a character could be as openly lesbian as they wanted, as long as they were either heterosexual or suffered some tragedy by the end of the book. Elsa could be explicitly gay in her first major song, as long as she’s “actually just discovering her true self” by the end of her second song. It felt like the creative team desperately wanted to make her openly gay, and were able to fight for a degree of that openness to make it to the final movie, but weren’t able to go the whole way due to Disney’s interference.

@emmanimate 4 years ago

I was 12 when Frozen came out and was staying with my grandma, who decided to take me to see it. I had come to terms with being a lesbian at this point; I was petrified of what everyone around me would think, though. I felt so trapped. Elsa’s story (and let it go in particular) made me feel so seen as a kid— I was 12 fighting back tears because I saw myself on screen for one fleeting moment. Experiences like those are what pushed me to go into animation, and now I’m a senior in college with a desire to advocate for meaningful representation on and off screen. This video is beautiful, just like all of your others. :) this phenomenon was so interesting to see and experience online; I think so many of us queer kids flocked to these platforms like tumble where these conversations were normalized, and in a weird way I think it was life saving; we have the opportunity queer people may not have had before us, and that’s a readily available community anywhere you go.
:) Again, phenomenal video. Your singing never fails to give me chills. 💖

@medicmist 4 years ago

Are we just going to ignore the fact Kistof had way more chemistry with that reindeer guy that with Ana in the second movie?

@AshleyMcH77 4 years ago

At this point I hope she stays just queercoded. I think she's been too important to people of multiple orientations at this point, confirming her as any one thing would make her specific representation for one orientation, rather than an icon for all of us.