Feeling My Age at Dance Class

Froggie started dance class three weeks ago.  Hard to believe tomorrow will be her third dance class.  She is very excited and loving dance class.  However, I feel like an outsider.  I'm surrounded by young Moms.  I have to admit I get uncomfortable.  Though I did try last time talking to some of them.  The conversation was on the short side.

It is funny because I have a job where I have to deal with teens on a regular basis.  Despite my age, they think I'm rather cool.  I'm young at heart.  Every so often I shock them by saying something about a musician that is popular.  They are amazed I listen to some of the same music they do.

So why is it so hard for me to talk with someone who is thirty something or even twenty something.  It would probably help if I were more social in general.  I'm usually the one that keeps to herself.  I watch and I listen a lot.  No one would really call me a social butterfly.  Lucky for me Froggie is not like this and makes friends easily.

I will keep on trying and hopefully I will be accepted into the fold.  Not thought of as that old woman that brings her child to dance class.  Though if they are thinking I'm old they are probably thinking that I am her Grandmother that's raising her and not her Mom.

Everyone has an opinion

Life got hectic and I feel bad that I have neglected my blog.  Sometimes this happens especially when you have children.  Even one child can throw your plans into chaos.  So I have some free time and decided to write about a blog post I read recently.

I'm just browsing the Internet when I come across a post about Rosie O'Donnel going off on Mayim Bialik on the view about Ms. Bialik's blog post about the movie Frozen.  Now my curiosity is peaked.  I go to the blog site and read the now infamous post titled Why My Sons and I Hate the Movie Frozen.  (Which you can read here if you want, http://www.kveller.com/mayim-bialik/mayim-bialik-why-my-sons-and-i-hate-frozen)

As I'm reading I'm thinking what is all the fuss about.  Now before you start hating me thinking I'm anti-Frozen, hear me out.  I LOVE Frozen.  It is one of my favorite Disney movies.  My daughter adores Frozen.  Now that being said, Mayim Bialik has a right to her opinion.  She didn't just come out without even seeing the movie and start bashing it.  Honestly, she really doesn't bash it but just lists reasons why she doesn't like it.  She lists three reasons she doesn't really like it.

Plot
Ms. Bialik states she doesn't like the plot. She states it here how she feels.

Sure, it’s sort of hidden, but the search for a man/love/Prince is still the reigning plot line in the movie, as it is with pretty much all movies for young people which are animated.

I didn't feel the same way.  I felt that it wasn't just about finding a man or someone to love but it was deeper than that.  Ana has been isolated from everyone for years.  I got from it that she craves a human connection.  She was not only isolated from the outside world but also the person that was closest to her didn't want to have anything to do with her any more and she didn't know why.  When they are finally together at the coronation of Elsa, you see the uneasiness in Ana.  She isn't sure how to act.  When it comes down to it, in the end a man means nothing.  It is sisterly love that warms Ana's frozen heart.  Froggie believes the main plot line is that Elsa is magical.  For her it's all about the magic.  So much so that she has named her stuffed unicorn Elsa because Elsa has magic and so do unicorns.

Male Bashing

Ms. Balik's other problem with the movie is she feels that there is male bashing going on.

The Prince/hero turns out to be a scheming villain. He pretended to love her and then he double crosses her and she gets the lesson taught to her not to trust those nasty scheming conniving men. Because you know, men can’t be trusted? 

Hans was a jerk.  Sorry to say that.  He lies and cheats.  Is this male bashing?  In my opinion, it's not.  I just don't see it.  And as a parent of a little girl I have talked to her about Hans.  She said to me, "Mommy, Hans is bad because he lied."  I said, "Yes he is.  Lying is wrong."  Then I asked her this, "If Ana was the one that lied would she be bad."  My daughter said "Yes".  She isn't focusing on the gender of the character.  She's focusing on what the character has done and that the action was bad.  Now not all parents will do this with their children.  I know this.  But there are those of us out there that do.  Is Ms. Balik wrong for feeling there was male bashing in the movie?  Certainly not.  That is how she saw it.  I didn't see it the same way.  That's the beauty of it.  Everyone has their own interpretation of a movie.

Female Characters that Look Like Dolls

She does have a point that the female characters don't look like they are the same species as the male characters.  Sorry folks to burst your bubble but Disney is out to make money from their movies and merchandise.  They find out what they think will work to get the most people to go out and pay to see the movie and/or buy the DVD, t-shirts, dolls, etc.  I didn't really scrutinize how they looked but did notice the extra large eyes.  It reminded me a bit of anime characters.  

So what is my point to all this.  I believe everyone has an opinion and a right to state that opinion.  I don't think people should be hating Mayim Bialik's post.  She stated what she believes and if you don't agree with it then so be it.  I haven't once said, Mayim Bialik is an awful person for her beliefs.  I stated to  you how she felt and why I felt differently.  Don't we have other things to worry about then whether someone didn't like Frozen or not.