#Jennifer Andersen

[lihiominaa]

CRIMINAL MINDS, 2005 S08E05 | The Good Earth

[noalarmssnnosurprises]

She is just a baby 🥺

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Frozen II (Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee)

06/06/2024

[jareau-cook]

Second Valentine’s Day post by Nate of him and AJ.

(Credit to Nathan Andersen on ig)

[lucidloving]

Sing Shong, Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint // Black Box // R.M. Rilke, "The Guardian Angel" // George Seferis, "The Return of the Exile" (trans. Edmund Keeley) // Studio Dragon, Because This Is My First Life // John Banville, The Sea // Aeschylus, Agamemnon (trans. Herbert W. Smyth) // Anne Carson, "The Anthropology of Water" // Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life // @toupou39 on tw // Jennifer S. Cheng, "So We Must Meet Apart" // Madeline Miller, Circe // @chuunicalesimp // Richard Siken // Neil Gaiman // Richard Siken, "The Torn-Up Road" // Jamie Varon, "Does The Universe Fight For Souls To Be Together?" // Jennifer S. Cheng, "So We Must Meet Apart" // Sing Shong, UMI & Sleepy-C, Omniscient Reader (Webtoon) // Frank Bidart, "Guilty of Dust" // Lasah – Taixu // Ocean Vuong, Night Sky With Exit Wounds // see 1 // André De Shields & Hadestown Original Broadway Company – Road To Hell (Reprise) // @toiriot on tw // Unlike Pluto – We're Screwed // @moonbends // m.h // Euripides, Herakles (trans. Anne Carson) // Unlike Pluto – We're Screwed // Google search results // @toiriot on tw // see 1 // Chxrlotte – Come With Me // @roach-works // Lasah – Taixu // Sing Shong, UMI & Sleepy-C, Omniscient Reader (Webtoon) // Chxrlotte – Come With Me // Frank Bidart, "Guilty of Dust" // @dsssctd_ion on tw // Hans Christian Andersen, "The Snail and the Rosebush" // Will Stetson – Writing on the Wall // Michael Kinnucan, "The Gods Show Up" // Richard Siken, "Planet of Love" // Sufjan Stevens – Futile Devices // Warren Zevon – Keep Me in Your Heart // Katie Maria // @SION_428 on tw // see 1 // Pablo Neruda, 20 Love Sonnets and a Song of Despair // Mitski – My Love Mine All Mine // Vladimir Nabokov, Letters to Vera // Mahmoud Darwish, Memory for Forgetfulness: August, Beirut, 1982 // Sing Shong, UMI & Sleepy-C, Omniscient Reader (Webtoon) // Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried (via @jomeimei421) // see 1 // @soracities // Black Box // see 1

[billboard-hotties-tourney]

Okay, folks, the mini-tourney is inching closer to the finals, so I'm going to give a list of the competitors in the Miss Billboard Tourney in order to give everyone a chance to submit more propaganda. The nominees are:

Lale Andersen

Marian Anderson

Signe Toly Anderson

Julie Andrews

LaVerne Andrews

Maxene Andrews

Patty Andrews

Ann-Margret

Joan Armatrading

Dorothy Ashby

Joan Baez

Pearl Bailey

Belle Baker

Josephine Baker

LaVern Baker

Florence Ballard

Brigitte Bardot

Eileen Barton

Fontella Bass

Shirley Bassey

Maggie Bell

Lola Beltran

Ivy Benson

Gladys Bentley

Jane Birkin

Cilla Black

Ronee Blakley

Teresa Brewer

Anne Briggs

Ruth Brown

Joyce Bryant

Vashti Bunyan

Kate Bush

Montserrat Caballe

Maria Callas

Blanche Calloway

Wendy Carlos

Cathy Carr

Raffaella Carra

Diahann Carroll

Karen Carpenter

June Carter Cash

Charo

Cher

Meg Christian

Gigliola Cinquetti

Petula Clark

Merry Clayton

Patsy Cline

Rosemary Clooney

Natalie Cole

Judy Collins

Alice Coltrane

Betty Comden

Barbara Cook

Rita Coolidge

Gal Costa

Ida Cox

Karen Dalton

Marie-Louise Damien

Betty Davis

Jinx Dawson

Doris Day

Blossom Dearie

Kiki Dee

Lucienne Delyle

Sandy Denny

Jackie DeShannon

Gwen Dickey

Marlene Dietrich

Marie-France Dufour

Julie Driscoll

Yvonne Elliman

Cass Elliot

Maureen Evans

Agnetha Faeltskog

Marianne Faithfull

Mimi Farina

Max Feldman

Gracie Fields

Ella Fitzgerald

Roberta Flack

Lita Ford

Connie Francis

Aretha Franklin

France Gall

Judy Garland

Crystal Gayle

Gloria Gaynor

Bobbie Gentry

Astrud Gilberto

Donna Jean Godchaux

Lesley Gore

Eydie Gorme

Margo Guryan

Sheila Guyse

Nina Hagen

Francoise Hardy

Emmylou Harris

Debbie Harry

Annie Haslam

Billie Holiday

Mary Hopkin

Lena Horne

Helen Humes

Betty Hutton

Janis Ian

Mahalia Jackson

Wanda Jackson

Etta James

Joan Jett

Bessie Jones

Etta Jones

Gloria Jones

Grace Jones

Shirley Jones

Tamiko Jones

Janis Joplin

Barbara Keith

Carole King

Eartha Kitt

Chaka Khan

Hildegard Knef

Gladys Knight

Sonja Kristina

Patti Labelle

Cleo Laine

Nicolette Larson

Daliah Lavi

Vicky Leandros

Peggy Lee

Rita Lee

Alis Lesley

Barbara Lewis

Abbey Lincoln

Melba Liston

Julie London

Darlene Love

Lulu

Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Barbara Lynn

Loretta Lynn

Vera Lynn

Siw Malmkvist

Lata Mangeshkar

Linda McCartney

Kate McGarrigle

Christie McVie

Bette Midler

Jean Millington

June Millington

Liza Minnelli

Carmen Miranda

Joni Mitchell

Liz Mitchell

Marion Montgomery

Lee Morse

Nana Mouskouri

Anne Murray

Wenche Myhre

Holly Near

Olivia Newton-John

Stevie Nicks

Nico

Laura Nyro

Virginia O’Brien

Odetta

Yoko Ono

Shirley Owens

Patti Page

Dolly Parton

Freda Payne

Michelle Phillips

Edith Piaf

Ruth Pointer

Leontyne Price

Suzi Quatro

Gertrude Rainey

Bonnie Raitt

Carline Ray

Helen Reddy

Della Reese

Martha Reeves

June Richmond

Jeannie C. Riley

Minnie Riperton

Jean Ritchie

Chita Rivera

Clara Rockmore

Linda Ronstadt

Marianne Rosenberg

Diana Ross

Anna Russell

Melanie Safka

Buffy Sainte-Marie

Samantha Sang

Pattie Santos

Hazel Scott

Doreen Shaffer

Jackie Shane

Marlena Shaw

Sandie Shaw

Dinah Shore

Judee Sill

Carly Simon

Nina Simone

Nancy Sinatra

Siouxsie Sioux

Grace Slick

Bessie Smith

Mamie Smith

Patti Smith

Ethel Smyth

Mercedes Sosa

Ronnie Spector

Dusty Springfield

Mavis Staples

Candi Staton

Barbra Streisand

Poly Styrene

Maxine Sullivan

Donna Summer

Pat Suzuki

Norma Tanega

Tammi Terrell

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Big Mama Thornton

Mary Travers

Moe Tucker

Tina Turner

Twiggy

Bonnie Tyler

Sylvia Tyson

Sarah Vaughan

Sylvie Vartan

Mariska Veres

Akiko Wada

Claire Waldoff

Jennifer Warnes

Dee Dee Warwick

Dionne Warwick

Dinah Washington

Ethel Waters

Elisabeth Welch

Kitty Wells

Mary Wells

Juliane Werding

Tina Weymouth

Cris Williamson

Ann Wilson

Mary Wilson

Nancy Wilson

Anna Mae Winburn

Syreeta Wright

Tammy Wynette

Nan Wynn

Those in italics have five or more pieces of usable visual, written, or audio propaganda already. If you have any visuals like photos or videos, or if you have something to say in words, submit it to this blog before round one begins on June 25th!

If you don't see a name you submitted here, it's because most or all of their career was as a child/they were too young for the cutoff, their career was almost entirely after 1979, or music was something they only dabbled in and are hardly known for. There are quite a few ladies on the list whose primary career wasn't "recording artist" or "live musician," but released several albums or were in musical theater, so they've been accepted.

[arqueete]

Spring Awakening Broadway: Where Are They Now? (Part 1)

It's been 18 years since Spring Awakening first opened on Broadway and 15 years since the original production closed. I decided to do some digging on what everyone who performed in that production is doing these days.

Part 1 covers the original cast, while part 2 will cover replacements.

Jonathan Groff Melchior

Went on to several prominent roles on TV shows like Glee, movies like Frozen, and musicals like Hamilton (pictured.) He is currently in Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway.

Lea Michele Wendla

Notably starred in the TV show Glee and has released several albums. She was recently seen in Funny Girl on Broadway (pictured.)

John Gallagher, Jr. Moritz

Went on to star in several other Broadway shows including American Idiot. He has released an album under the name Johnny Gallagher. Recently appeared in Swept Away (pictured), a musical based on the music of The Avett Brothers.

Lauren Pritchard Ilse

Has a music career under the name LOLO and was notably featured on the Panic! At the Disco song "Miss Jackson" in 2013.

Jonathan B Wright Hanschen

Had a few acting credits on TV shows like Gossip Girl (pictured), now seems to be pursuing voice over work.

Gideon Glick Ernst

Has appeared in several other Broadway shows and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in To Kill a Mockingbird in 2019 (pictured.) Some recent credits include the movie Maestro and a recurring role on the TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Skylar Astin Georg

Has had a variety of screen roles with musical elements, like the movie Pitch Perfect and the TV shows Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Zoey's Extraordinatory Playlist. He currently stars in the TV show So Help Me Todd (pictured.)

Brian Charles Johnson Otto (u/s Moritz)

Appeared on Broadway again in the ensemble of American Idiot (pictured.) Was recently on tour singing backup for Allen Stone.

Lilli Cooper Martha

Has been in several other Broadway shows including SpongeBob SquarePants and Tootsie (pictured) for which she and was nominated for a Best Featured Actress in a Musical Tony in 2019. She most recently provided voice acting for the TV series Hazbin Hotel.

Remy Zaken Thea

Has appeared in several off-Broadway shows, most notably Freckleface Strawberry The Musical (pictured.) Now owns a professional tutoring company in New York called Andersen Education.

Phoebe Strole Anna (u/s Wendla, Ilse)

Has appeared in several off-Broadway shows, most recently Kung Fu (pictured.) She is doing a lot of audiobook narration.

Christine Estabrook Adult Women

Continues to do a lot of TV work, most recently on the show Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (pictured.)

Stephen Spinella Adult Men

Continues to work in theater, film, and TV including a return to Broadway in The Velocity of Autumn and currently in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (pictured.)

Frances Mercanti-Anthony (u/s Adult Women)

Went on to appear in Broadway plays including Jerusalem. Now doing theater education work for organizations like Paper Mill Playhouse, Rutgers University, and New England Music Camp.

Rob Devaney (u/s Adult Men)

Appears to have moved away from acting around 2009 and now has a career in UX design.

Krysta Rodriguez Ensemble (u/s Wendla, Ilse, Anna, Martha, Thea)

Has performed in several other Broadway shows including The Addams Family and the revival of Spring Awakening. She was most recently touring in Into the Woods (pictured) and will appear in the Kennedy Center production of Bye Bye Birdie this summer.

Jennifer Damiano Ensemble (u/s Ilse, Anna, Martha, Thea)

Has performed in several other Broadway shows including American Psycho (pictured) and Next to Normal, for which she was nominated for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Tony in 2009. Most recently appeared in Black No More off-Broadway.

Robert Hager Ensemble (u/s Melchior, Hanschen, Ernst, Otto, Georg)

Went on to join the 1st national tour of Spring Awakening as Hanschen. Has since appeared in several other Broadway shows and the national tour of Fun Home (pictured.) He is also writing his own musicals. Siluetas, for which he wrote music and lyrics, will be premiering at Power Street Theatre in Philadelphia this summer.

Gerard Canonico Moritz (replacement), Ensemble (u/s Moritz, Hanschen, Ernst, Otto, Georg)

Was in the show until it closed, by which time he was playing Moritz. Has appeared in many other Broadway and off-Broadway shows including Groundhog Day and Be More Chill (pictured), and is currently on Broadway in Almost Famous.

[thenameswinter99]

💘TAG GAME - SIMP LIST💘

Rules: Literally make a list of ppl you simp for.

Thank you so much @whitedarkmoonflower for the tag! 💜

Okay... I'll try to skim my list because it'll be quite long (I failed). Picking the ones in which I am most in the mood this period, sorry for my missed m-simps and f-simps .

MALE SIMPS (CASUAL ORDER):

Ben Barnes (Literally my childhood crush since Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian)

Arnas Fedaravičius (Mostly @whitedarkmoonflower and @sihtricfedaraaahvicius fault, thank you for giving me this new obsession)

Richard Madden

George Blagden

Travis Fimmel

Daniel Feuerriegel

Matt Smith

Matthew Daddario

Henry Cavill

Bradley James

Daniel Sharman

Alex Høgh Andersen (Can we please talk about how he's a cutie patootie in real life while in Vikings he plays a cripple and a psycho? Love him)

Neil Newbon

Sebastian Stan

Tom Hiddleston

FEMALE SIMPS (CASUAL ORDER):

Jennifer Lawrence

Emilia Clarke

Lena Headey

Claire Foy

Olivia Cooke

Emma D'Arcy (Non-binary, but I'll put them here just in case)

Katheryn Winnick

Eva Green

Katie McGrath (Love her since Merlin)

Zendaya

Scarlett Johansson

Elizabeth Olsen

Vanessa Kirby

Brie Larson

Lana Parrilla

Tagging everyone who see this post!

[themousefromfantasyland]

Journey Across the Disneyverse: Second Day

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, I'm rewatching some of my favorite films from the studio.

This were the ones that I watched today.

1 - Peter Pan (1953)

I will say something that will revogue my status as Disney nerd and Disney adult: this film is very weak.

Mary Blair artwork is still beautiful and amazing, and the animation is very well done. Neverland is a delight to the eyes.

But I feel like it lacks heart, it lacks a genuine emotional connection. Something is missing here.

The thing that gets on my nerves is that it lacks a proper ending. On Disney+ they had a deleted ending, and it feels so much more like an actual resolution that this movie's ending.

Wendy gets to say farewell to Peter, she and her brothers get to choose to grow up, while Peter and the lost boys get to choose Neverland. Wendy also is in better terms with Tinkerbell. Peter and Wendy also had an amazing romantic tension.

All of this would make the movie so much better.

2 - Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Disney reached storytelling maturity with this one. This is the ultimate fairy tale movie.

They transformed an already iconic fairy tale in an action-packed epic love story.

Despite giving name to the film, Aurora isn't the protagonist. She is a living McGuffing that drives the plot.

The real protagonists are the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Meriwether, who deserve much more recognition from Disney itself and from fans. It's amazing how they are the main responsible for the movie passing the Bechdel test, even though some still decry the movie as sexist.

3 - The Little Mermaid (1989)

Blessed be Howard Ashman.

This film modernized the Disney formula with amazing effects.

It's definitely not the somber, tragic love story from the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, but it manages to create its own thing, a colorful and vibrant coming-of-age, romantic comedy.

I hate how the same people who decry past Disney heroines for being so bland and super perfect, crap on Ariel only because she acts like a genuine flawed, curious teenage girl.

4 - Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Blessed be Howard Ashman again.

What I loved most about this film is that it flips the original message of the fairy tale on its head.

A thing must be lovable first before it's loved. Love must be earned. You can't act like a beast and still force people to look past your obvious toxic flaws.

Belle is under no obligation to love the Beast. She isn't at any moment forced to look past his toxic behavior. It's the Beast who has to improve himself in order to gain her affection. He is the one who has to change.

True love is liberating, and not trapping. Beast might be the one who trapped Belle in his castle, but it's only when he gives her freedom and autonomy that Belle reciprocates his affection.

I love how the filmmakers confirmed over the years that if the curse weren't broken, Beast would go full Queen Elinor from Pixar Brave, and become a full beast. All the castle staff would become fully inanimated and die. Yet, Beast still puts Belle's wellbeing over his, letting her go, knowing full well that this would kill him and everyone on the castle.

Because true love is selfless, not selfish.

I also love how this film dials down the creepiness of the fairy tale by adding hundred of sidekicks on Beast's Castle.

If Belle were to be completely alone with the Beast, then we would have the child-friendly version of that scifi movie with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence. But if Belle has actual people to make her company, people who often go completely against their master's orders, then things are less Stockholm-ism.

@ariel-seagull-wings @tamisdava2 @thealmightyemprex @the-gentile-folklorist @princesssarisa @angelixgutz @mask131 @thelittlehansy @natache @the-blue-fairie

[misspeppermint2003]

Wendy O'Loughlin (neé Andersen) from Bob the Builder (United Kingdom)

Matilda "Tilly" Wilkins (neé Buchanan) from Bob the Builder (United Kingdom)

Mei Moon from Bob the Builder (United Kingdom)

Jennifer "Jenny" Dobbs from Bob the Builder (United Kingdom)

Skye Samson from Bob the Builder (United Kingdom)

[panzershrike-pretz]

TAG GAME! <3

Thank you ffor the tag @next-autopsy, @land-sh, @whollyjoly and @luckynumber4! Love you guys!

RULES: shuffle your ON REPEAT playlist and list the first 10 songs that play, tag 10 people.

1. Requiem by Laura Dreyfuss, Michael Park and Jennifer Laura Thompson (from Dear Evan Hansen)

2. I'd Rather Be Me by Barrett Wilbert Weed (from Mean Girls)

3. Road to Hell by André de Shields, Amber Gray, Reeve Carney (from Hadestown)

4. Only Us by Laura Dreyfuss and Ben Platt (from Dear Evan Hansen)

5. Never Shut Up Again by T'Shan Williams, Dominic Andersen, Christopher Chung (from Heathers)

6. The Last Bristollian Pirate by The Longest Johns

7. The Beast of Pirate's Bay by Aurelio Voltaire

8. Any Way the Wind Blows by Eva Noblezada, Jewelle Blackman, Yvette Gonzales-Nacer, Kay Trinidada, Anaïs Mitxhell (from Hadestown)

9. Bones in the Ocean by The Longes Johns

10. Anne Bonny by Karliene

Tagging (no pressure): @malarkgirlypop @lost-on-the-highway @footprintsinthesxnd @georgieluz @samwinchesterslostshoe @xxluckystrike @sweetxvanixlla (I know this isn't 10 but I can't count that high ok)

[the-forest-library]

October 2022 Reads

The No-Show - Beth O’Leary

Once Upon a December - Amy E. Reichert

Season of Love - Helena Greer

Talk Santa to Me - Linda Urban

Mistakes Were Made - Meryl Wilsner

First Love, Take Two - Sajni Patel

What the Hex - Alexis Daria

Bridesmates - Sydney Smith 

Snow Day - Julie Lipson

A Thief in the Night - K.J. Charles

The Final Gambit - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Ben and Beatriz - Katalina Gamarra

A Scatter of Light - Malinda Lo

Family of Liars - E. Lockhart

Shadows - Robin McKinley

Defend the Dawn - Brigid Kemmerer

Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett

The Matchmaker’s Gift - Lynda Cohen Loigman

Stacey’s Extraordinary Words - Stacey Abrams

Dinners with Ruth - Nina Totenberg

What Doesn’t Kill You - Tessa Miller

Lost & Found - Kathryn Schulz

Savor - Fatima Ali

Making a Scene - Constance Wu

The Family Outing - Jessi Hempl

Nerd - Maya Philips

Bad Vibes Only - Nora McInerny

The Book of Boundaries - Melissa Urban

Happier Hour - Cassie Holmes

Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety - Drew Ramsey

Mostly Plants - Tracy, Dana, Lori, & Corky Pollan

Herding Cats - Sarah Andersen

Oddball - Sarah Andersen

Ducks - Kate Beaton

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts:

Really thinking that 2022 is the year of nonfiction for me. I’ve read so many more nonfiction reads that have been more impactful and memorable for me than fiction. Cannot recommend Dinners with Ruth (yes, there’s lots of good insight in here about RBG, but it’s really the power of friendship that will tug at your heart) and What Doesn’t Kill You (such a powerful memoir about living with chronic illness and what the newly diagnosed should do) enough. 

Goodreads Goal: 346/350

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads |

2022 Reads

[noalarmssnnosurprises]

Editing Jemily photos is the most fun thing in the world. I just made these I can't stop myself 😫

My pinterest:

[jareau-cook]

AJ with Nate and their friend, Raffe. (including AJ’s screams)

(Credit to Nathan Andersen)

[the-rewatch-rewind]

New episode! Script below the break.

Hello and welcome back to the Rewatch Rewind! My name is Jane and this is the podcast where I count down my top 40 most rewatched movies. Today I will be discussing #36 on my list: Disney’s 2013 animated musical Frozen, directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, written by Jennifer Lee, from a story by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, and Shane Morris inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen”, and featuring the voice talents of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, and Santino Fontana.

Frozen is the story of two royal sisters. The older, Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel), has ice powers that she doesn’t know how to control. As a child, she accidentally injured her younger sister, Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell), who was healed by trolls but has no memory of Elsa’s powers. On Elsa’s coronation day, the palace gates are opened for the first time in years, and Anna meets Prince Hans of the Southern Isles (Santino Fontana) and is immediately smitten. But asking for Elsa’s blessing of their marriage leads to a fight that causes Elsa to unintentionally unleash her powers. Terrified, Elsa runs away, leaving the whole kingdom frozen. Anna goes after her and teams up with mountain man Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer Sven, and a magical snowman created by Elsa named Olaf (Josh Gad) to bring back summer, and her sister.

I remember seeing teasers for this movie that made it look like it was about a snowman and a reindeer chasing each other around an ice rink, which seemed very boring. But my sister and I decided to give it a chance and see it in theaters. It had only been out for a couple of days, so we had vaguely heard that people seemed to be liking it, but we still didn’t really know what it was about, let alone how popular it would become. And I know I’m about 10 years too late with this advice, but I highly recommend experiencing Frozen for the first time in a crowded theater, before the hype, with no expectations, next to your sister with whom you have a close relationship. Truly one of my top 5 best cinematic experiences ever. I think I probably would still love this movie even if I’d been introduced to it in a less powerful way, but that first viewing has certainly impacted the way I feel about the movie to this day.

I still remember exactly how I felt when I heard and saw Let It Go for the first time. The song started and it was like, yes, good, an Idina Menzel number, I love Wicked, I’m here for this. And then that first “The cold never bothered me anyway” when she throws off her cloak gave me chills. My brain went, “Oh wow. This isn’t just a song, it’s a FEELING.” And it just. kept. escalating. as Elsa’s confidence grew and she could finally be herself for the very first time. By the end of the number, I was either in tears or too overwhelmed with emotion to even cry, I can’t remember which. Some kid a few rows behind us murmured, “Wow, she’s…way prettier than I thought.” And maybe I was just projecting the way I felt, but to me it sounded like the kid was really saying, “Something needs to be said here, but I can’t find the words.” It’s not that I’d never been moved by a musical number before, but this took it to the next level. And all of this is almost embarrassing for me to admit now, because Let It Go then became one of the most overplayed songs of all time and everyone got sick of it, but listen. It was overplayed for a reason. It’s an epic song, and Idina Menzel frickin kills it. I still stand by this.

Looking back on my other thoughts as I watched Frozen unfold for the first time shows me just how much amatonormativity – the idea that everyone wants and needs a long-term monogamous romantic partner – had affected me. I still thought I was straight, although my standard justification of “I’m not into dating yet but I’m sure I will be when I’m older” was feeling less and less valid, as I was then 23 years old. Anyway, I distinctly remember, during Love Is an Open Door, which is the song that Hans and Anna sing to each other soon after they meet, that my sister and I turned to each other and whispered, “I ship it.” And then Kristoff got thrown into the story, and I was conflicted, because I really liked Anna with him, too. I started thinking maybe Elsa would end up with Hans. And then Elsa wounded Anna’s heart with her ice, which only an act of true love could heal, and it did not even occur to me that that could be anything other than a romantic kiss. I thought Kristoff would bring her back to Hans, she would kiss him but it wouldn’t do anything, and that’s when she’d realize her true love was actually Kristoff. But while I was expecting things to not work out between Anna and Hans, I was NOT expecting Hans to be cruel, so his “Oh Anna, if only there was someone out there who loved you” was shocking and devastating. I thought the scene when Olaf rescues her and explains that “some people are worth melting for” was beautiful – the snowman was far less obnoxious than I’d been anticipating – but even then it never occurred to me that Anna would be cured by anything other than kissing Kristoff. And then. Fighting the blizzard and the ice spreading through her body, almost reunited with her romantic true love, Anna sees Hans draw a sword against Elsa. I’m sure if I’d been able to think clearly in that moment, I would have finally figured out what was coming, but all I could do was gape at the screen as Anna changed course and saved her sister instead. And with hindsight, duh, that was the act of true love, but for a second or two I legitimately thought she was now permanently frozen. And, like, here’s the thing. I’ve loved Disney movies as long as I can remember, so I’m not trying to insult them. But the studio that made Snow White and Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and Enchanted had so thoroughly convinced me that when you need love to break a spell, it must be romantic and almost always involves a kiss, that I couldn’t even imagine that a Disney film would ever treat saving a family member’s life as powerful enough for that. But Frozen did. Frozen went there. While I was sitting next to my wonderful sister, one of the most important people to me, this movie showed me that it’s okay for sisterly love to be the most powerful thing in your life. So at that point I definitely cried.

As far back as I can remember, the overemphasis on romance in movies has bothered me, but until then I thought I just had to accept it. Falling in romantic love was a universal human experience, so everyone said; naturally people wanted to tell stories about it. Obviously I’d seen movies, even Disney movies like Mary Poppins and Emperor’s New Groove, that didn’t have love stories before. But a Disney PRINCESS movie, that HAD romantic love, but showed a character actively CHOOSING a non-romantic loved one over a romantic one, and saving herself in the process??? That was mind-blowing. Even though I didn’t know I was aroace at the time, I knew I loved that message. So as my sister and I left the theater, we could not praise this movie enough, and for weeks and months afterward, I couldn’t get this story out of my head, and I didn’t want to. I saw it two more times in theaters, for a total of 3 views in 2013, and then bought the DVD as soon as it was released. The following Halloween I dressed as Elsa, along with thousands of girls 15 to 20 years younger than me. I ended up watching Frozen eight times in 2014. But then…I stopped watching it for a while.

Part of that was just because watching a movie 11 times in a little over a year is a lot, even for me, so I needed a break. But another part of it was people started really hating on this movie, and it got to me. Some of the criticism was legitimate – like, no, we really didn’t need another animated musical about white royalty, and yes, there are several plot holes – but a lot of it boiled down to: this thing is overwhelmingly popular and therefore it’s cool and edgy to say it’s bad. But I bought it. I felt embarrassed by my initial enthusiasm. I was way too old to be obsessing over a movie like this the way I had done in my early teens. Normally I don’t have much trouble loving the movies I love unapologetically, but normally the movies I love are old or obscure enough that the internet isn’t filled with hot takes about why it’s bad to love them. I still enjoyed listening to the songs, and I still defended it when I heard it disparaged in person, but after my 8 viewings in 2014 I didn’t watch Frozen again until 2019. And I only watched it then because Frozen II was coming out and I wanted to refresh myself on the first one before I saw the sequel. I was kind of expecting that viewing to convince me once and for all that I had gotten over it, but I had the complete opposite experience. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of that rewatch. I was reminded that I really do genuinely love and enjoy this movie, and I wished I hadn’t let the haters convince me otherwise. So I watched it once each in 2020, 2021, and 2022, which was partly because of the Disney watching project I did with my brother – we watched through all the animated Disney movies in order in 2020, and then we re-watched the ones we’d ranked in the top 10 in 2022 – yes, we decided Frozen is a top 10 Disney animated film, and no I will not apologize for that.

I think a big reason why I let myself get temporarily talked out of loving Frozen is because I couldn’t articulate what I really loved about it at the time, so I thought that meant I didn’t actually love it. But now that I know I’m aroace, it makes perfect sense. As I mentioned before, even at the time, I knew that seeing a character choose familial love over romantic love in a matter of life and death meant a lot to me, though I didn’t know the extent of it. And I related to Elsa and Let It Go spoke to me, but it took me a long time to recognize the extent of that too. As someone who has struggled with depression, I initially saw Elsa’s self-imposed isolation to try to protect people that ended up hurting them as an allegory for that disease, which I still think it is to a certain extent. Depression dulls all emotions and tricks one’s brain into thinking others would be better off without them, and that describes some of what Elsa is going through. But there’s also the aspect of hiding a part of herself that she knew she wouldn’t be accepted for, and finally breaking away from that to live as her true self, that a lot of LGBTQIA+ people relate to, which I didn’t recognize in myself at the time – and now I wonder if another reason I stepped away from the movie for a while was a subconscious fear of facing my own queerness. I know a lot of people see Elsa as a lesbian, which seemed to be confirmed by a couple of brief moments in Frozen II. While I would argue that it’s not quite canon yet, I wouldn’t mind if Frozen III makes it so – provided the story of Frozen III actually makes sense, unlike whatever the heck Frozen II is supposed to be about. What I’m trying to say is I don’t want to dismiss the Elsa is a lesbian theory, but to me she feels very aroace. She doesn’t seem at all interested in finding a partner, she just wants to hang out in her mountain ice palace by herself, which sounds pretty awesome even though I still don’t understand how she was going to be able to feed herself up there. Also, at the end of the first movie, she seems very surprised to learn that she has the capacity to thaw what she’s frozen by allowing herself to feel love. Elsa has been suppressing all of her emotions because she knows that her ice powers are harder to control when she feels things, which is again similar to depression. But seeing this through an aroace lens of constantly feeling like you’re incapable of the “correct” kind of love, I could see an aroace Elsa being aware of love as a thawing force, but thinking it had to be romantic love and that she was therefore doomed. So seeing Anna using their sisterly love to heal her frozen heart showed Elsa that the type of love she could feel was powerful enough, and that was all she needed to bring back summer. Like most of my aroace headcanons, I’m pretty sure this wasn’t quite what the filmmakers actually intended, but it works and it’s beautiful.

 Whether Elsa is intentional queer representation or not, even the straight romantic relationship in Frozen is unusual for a Disney movie. Anna and Kristoff’s rocky start leading to eventual feelings is nothing new, of course, but the way they leave it (at least at the end of the first movie, which I like to pretend is the end of the story because, again, the sequel makes no sense) is very sweet. They’re not officially dating, let alone engaged or married, but Anna presents Kristoff with a new sled, and he’s so excited that he exclaims, “I could kiss you!” And then he backs off and asks her permission and they only kiss after they both agree that they want to. This may not seem like much, but in a culture that tends to romanticize spontaneity and persistent pursuit at the expense of consent, especially in fairytales, it’s so wonderful to see asking for consent encouraged in such an adorable way here.

I think a big part of what makes Frozen work is that it’s all about subverting expectations. Before the movie came out, they set expectations that the snowman and the reindeer would be annoying, and then Olaf and Sven both turned out to be sweet and genuinely funny. Then at the beginning it makes you think it’s going to be a typical fairytale romance, but it turns out the prince is the actual villain. Plot twist villains are pretty common in this Disney era, and I’m not sure even I would consider Hans the best instance of that trope, but I do love the way the Duke of Weselton is established as a decoy villain, and that he’s voiced by Alan Tudyk, who had just voiced the plot twist villain in Wreck-It Ralph. At first I felt like the Hans reveal was a little too out of nowhere, but there are a few delightfully subtle clues that I completely missed initially, like how he sings about “finding his own place” when he’s pretending to be singing about Anna, or how he’s clearly calculating a way to incapacitate Elsa while making it look like he’s saving her. I would have liked a few more clues, but I also think it’s good to portray that red flags can be hard to spot. And then on top of that there’s the unexpected challenge to the amatonormative idea that romance is the most important and powerful form of love. It was all so completely different from what I was expecting, in the best possible way.

Clearly this movie appeals to people who are not aroace, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the most popular children’s movie of the decade is so focused on platonic love. A lot more kids can relate to familial love than to romantic love. And Frozen proves that you don’t have to eliminate romance from a story entirely to emphasize other types of love. When Anna falls in love with Kristoff, that doesn’t make her relationship with him the only one that matters, or even the one that matters the most, and that’s a message that we don’t get from nearly enough stories. A big fear that many aromantic people share is that all of our friends will eventually abandon us for romantic partners, due to the prevalence of the message that one’s romantic partner should be one’s number one focus at all times. Personally I’ve been fortunate enough to find people who value friendship as much as I do, and therefore want to maintain close platonic relationships whether they’re in romantic relationships or not, and I’m very grateful for all of them. But I know not all aros are as fortunate in that respect. So that’s why I keep emphasizing how awesome it is that in Frozen not only is one of the main characters potentially aroace, but the other main character who is not still chooses to save herself with platonic love instead of romantic love. Encouraging people to cultivate non-romantic relationships benefits everyone, not just aros, because putting too much pressure on one relationship to fulfill all or even most of one’s social needs is unsustainable, and often dangerous. When Hans meets Anna, he correctly observes that she’s lonely and desperate for love, and he hopes to manipulate her by filling that entire void himself. But he ultimately fails because, while Anna does desire romance, she wants to reconnect with her sister even more. Even though Elsa has shut her out for years, as soon as she reveals her powers Anna understands that her sister has been in just as much pain as she has. Instead of festering resentment, Anna is filled with empathy and compassion, which allows her to save herself, her sister, and the kingdom. We need more heroes like Anna. And while it may be overrated, overhyped, and a little underdeveloped, in terms of emphasizing the power of non-romantic love, we need more stories like Frozen.

Thank you for listening to me attempt to express my love for this movie. I still don’t feel like I’ve done it justice, which I suspect will become more and more of a problem as I continue to work my way up this list. If you want to hear about more movies that I love enthusiastically, remember to follow or subscribe on your podcast platform of choice, and leave a rating or review if you feel like it. This episode is coming out during Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week, so I hope any of you out there who are or think you might be on the aromantic spectrum are feeling particularly appreciated and accepted. And if you’re not aro-spec yourself, maybe reach out to any aromantic friends you have and tell them you value them. And if you don’t know of any aros in your life, just reach out to any friend and tell them you care about them. Let’s spread lots of good non-romantic feelings this week! And the next time you get the urge to tell a single friend they need a romantic partner: don’t.

Next week I’ll be talking about another movie musical that I’ve watched 15 times, although that one is not animated and is decidedly not geared toward children. As always, I will leave you with a quote from that next movie: “And then he ran into my knife. He ran into my knife ten times.”

[ginevrastilinski-ocs]

🔁 all the crossovers I love them

Yes Yes Yes! Long little list coming long little list coming! 👀 Gonna also add some non-introduced yet ocs but I promise their posts are coming 👀 (Ofc feel totally free to turn any of them down if you don't feel like it!)

Descendants

Gabriel Legume & Jax Hearts

Gabriel Legume & Jess Hearts

Gabriel Legume & Juniper White

Gabriel Legume & Prince Baz *

Annalise Andersen & Celestine

Annalise Andersen & Rowan Cheshire

Emmeline Fitzherbert & Jess Hearts

Emmeline Fitzherbert & Jax Hearts

Emmeline Fitzherbert & Primrose Rider *

Emmeline Fitzherbert & Crystal Charming *

Charlotte Charming & Crystal Charming *

Charlotte Charming & Primrose Rider *

Charlotte Charming & Celestine

Ginevra Gothel & Jax Hearts

Ginevra Gothel & Jess Hearts

Ginevra Gothel & Brielle

Ginevra Gothel & Primrose Rider *

Ruby Fitzherbert & Juniper White

Ruby Fitzherbert & Primrose Rider *

Ruby Fitzherbert & Crystal Charming *

Glee

Ashton Daniels & Nate Simmons

Ashton Daniels & Elliott Walker (🥺)

Ashton Daniels & Maya Puckerman

Ashton Daniels & Melanie Jay

Ashton Daniels & Susan Cole *

Ashton Daniels & Jennifer Glynn *

Ashton Daniels & Chrissy Chamberlain *

Zeke Beiste & Nate Simmons

Zeke Beiste & Elliott Walker

Zeke Beiste & Melanie Jay

Zeke Beiste & Melody Wells & Lyra Wells *

Zeke Beiste & Zeke Wright (choose just for the name ngl)

Zeke Beiste & Connie Sanchez *

Giselle Abrams & Nate Simmons (🥺)

Giselle Abrams & Elliott Walker

Giselle Abrams & Kaylee Hummel (🥺)

Giselle Abrams & Ronnie Nell *

Giselle Abrams & Mirabelle Ryder

Steve Shuester & Nate Simmons

Steve Shuester & Elliott Walker

Steve Shuester & Jean St James

Steve Shuester & Melody Wells & Lyra Wells *

JATP

Luka Barbero & Grace Harris

Luka Barbero & Kat Patterson

Conrad Brooks & Gace Harris

Conrad Brooks & Kat Patterson

Anastasia Donahue & Grace Harris

Riordanverse

Cassandra Rose & Mike Lore

Cassandra Rose & Lucas Alderidge (& Gilbert Summers)

Cassandra Rose & Reggie Warwick

Chloe Brown & Catarine Jhonson

Chloe Brown & Ashley McCoy

And pls pls give me my rwrb babies so we can talk about crossovers also for them 🥺