Tangled Vs. Frozen

Although there is an abundance of internet posts detailing the various reasons that one of the movies in the title is better than the other, the criteria of these posts for ranking are often opaque and arbitrary. In this present article, I would like to weigh in the debate between Frozen and Tangled in a more focused, systematic, and analytical manner. Deciding which movie is simply "better" is an endeavor too grand for a single blog post, and therefore I feel that it is appropriate to focus on a specific aspect for the two movies. In particular, I would like to analyze the portrayal of masculinity in both movies, and evaluate which movie has a better depiction of non-toxic masculinity. 

We will start with Kristoff from Frozen, whom many have called a "paragon of non-toxic masculinity."

I agree with these posts, and believe that there are many reasons why Kristoff qualifies as a good role-model for boys. First, does not feel entitled to Anna's love. This is evidenced by the fact that when she apologizes to him in the second movie for leaving him, his reply was "My love is not fragile." Moreover, Kristoff also do not seem to mind that the women that he loves and is friends with, Anna and Elsa respectively, are in positions of greater wealth and power than he. Third, Kristoff isn't afraid to show his feelings (one of the most typical signs of toxic masculinity is men always hiding their feelings), in fact, he sings about them out loud for the audience to hear. 

In addition to being expressive, Kristoff also have the self-confidence to be proud of who he is. He is genuine, honest, and not afraid of being seen as "weak." When the troll sings about him being socially awkward and walking funny, he is a little embarrassed but otherwise unphased; this is since he recognizes that these slight deviations from social expectations do not make him any less than any other person, and that people who truly care about him would ignore these things anyways. 

Finally, Kristoff is considerate about the feelings of others. When rushed to help Anna in the second movie, he says "I'm here, what do you need." His close relationship with his animal companion Sven reinforces his "nice guy," image. Moreover, Kristoff's non-threatening being is emphasized by his direct juxtaposition with Prince Hans, who is power-hungry and literally tried to kill in order to gain power. 

Having finished describing the reasons that Kristoff is a positive portrayal of manhood, it may be hard to imagine how Flynn Rider can compare. However, I do believe that there is an argument to be made that while Flynn Rider is a more flawed character, he also shows some of the better traits of traditional masculinity such as competence, independence, commitment, and sacrifice that Kristoff did not display in Frozen. 

First, it is necessary for me to describe how Flynn is a more flawed male character than Kristoff. When Flynn first saw Rapunzel, he called her "blondie," suggesting that she doesn't have much beyond her looks (which we know is not true). Moreover, Flynn is a "bad boy" in the very literal sense that he is a criminal thief - a person who does not produce value for society but rather takes value from it. Moreover, he is conceited and is primarily concerned about himself. 

At first glance, it seems that it would be hard to argue that Flynn is a positive role model. However, a more nuanced analysis may suggest otherwise. In particular, when we consider Flynn's background (that he was orphaned when he was little and hand to fend for himself from early on), we see that as a character, Flynn displays the characteristics of independence. Moreover, he also displays competence, considering that he was able to steal the Crown Jewel of the kingdom. We can also interpret his self-centered actions not as sign that he is fundamentally selfish (an idea we can easily reject considering that he was willing to die for Rapunzel), but simply as the result of his upbringing. 

To put it another way, Flynn is simply "world-wise," a bit cynical, and pragmatic instead of being too idealistic; this is not a bad thing, and is generally considered a sign of maturity. Furthermore, Flynn also embodies other masculine traits which are positive. He is adventurous, outgoing, and humorous - qualities that Kristoff precisely does not embody. Now, I am not arguing that not being adventurous (risk-taking), outgoing (sociable), and humorous (funny) is bad, what I am simply saying is that these are typically considered desirable characteristics in a person, and are indicators of emotional intelligence. 

In contrast, while Kristoff is portrayed as a hard-working ice-hauler who is honest is genuine, he also isn't portrayed as being particularly competent (he struggles to pay for his equipment) or smart (he hauls ice for a living, and isn't witty like Flynn). In a way, while he is fundamentally a good person, his non-toxic masculinity is also partially (and only partially) a product of circumstance rather than choice. Compare this with Flynn, who while at the beginning of the movie was a ruffian who displayed some disrespect towards Rapunzel, later became a citizen of the law and treated Rapunzel, as well as other people that he interacted with, with all possible respect. In this sense, his transformation was a product of choice. To clarify my point, I am arguing that there is a difference between men who are not capable of evil, and men who choose not to do evil, and that the latter deserves much more praise. 

Finally, I believe that Flynn displays two more traits that are traditionally masculine that Kristoff didn't display as of (I am NOT arguing that he may have lacked these, but merely that he didn't display them in the movie) - a strict sense of honor and commitment, and a willingness to sacrifice. At the beginning of the movie, when Flynn agreed to help Rapunzel to the source of the lanterns, he could have broken this promise. Considering that the movie portrays him as a capable fighter, there is little double that he could have overpowered Rapunzel and searched the tower. However, Flynn chose not to, and he did this out of a sense of morality and honor rather than fear of punishment from the law. We know this because we know that he has little respect for the law, and because they were literally in the middle of the forest where law enforcement could not have found them. 

Contrast this with how Kristoff first came to help Anna - he was effectively bribed with carrots and equipment. When he lost his sled, Anna promised compensation, and Kristoff showed on-screen that his logic for helping her was so that she did not die and could repay him later. While I am sure that Kristoff is an honorable person, he did not get a chance to display this in the movie. Perhaps the one redeeming thing about their love was that at the end of the movie, Kristoff did rush off into danger to help Anna (but in a display of incompetence, was unable to actually achieve anything). However, I think it is important that we judge characters not only by how they treat those whom they love, but also by how they treat strangers and people whom they just met.

Onto the trait of sacrifice and commitment: I think it is fair to say that Flynn outdid himself even when compared to every single Disney Prince. Indeed, Flynn literally chose death so that Rapunzel could be free from mother Gothel. To give freely of oneself without any expectation of personal gain, because we are as committed to the freedom, success, and happiness of others as we are about our own, has long been one of the highest moral ideals of mankind. Moreover, Flynn's sacrifice also wasn't for something trivial, considering that Rapunzel has just sworn to reside in the tower for the rest of her life if she was allowed to save Flynn - a life which is equivalent to one of slavery. 

In summary, the arguments that Flynn Rider is a better example of masculinity is as follows: He possesses many of the same characteristics as Kristoff, such as being open about his feelings to Rapunzel (he sang about them), and being comfortable with the fact that she is in a higher position of power than he. While he displays several undesirable characteristics at the beginning of the movie, he becomes a better man at the end. Moreover, he displays more competence than Kristoff, and shows that he is actually capable of harm; in contrast, Kristoff does not show that he is capable of harm. I argue that to be good is not the same as being nice, and that good that emerges out of choice rather than circumstance is much more commendable. Furthermore, Flynn demonstrates himself to be a person of greater honor who is capable of great sacrifice; while Kristoff may be capable of these things, the film does not display him doing actions that demonstrate this. 

All things considered, I think there is a very strong case to be made that the Flynn Rider at the end of Tangle is a much stronger role model for boys than the Kristoff at the end of Frozen I and II.