If you’re like me, you watched Disney’s twinkling wintry extravaganza “Frozen” over and over this holiday season, probably with a flush of goosebumps and a lump in your throat when she’s building that freaking awesome ice castle.

If you’re not like me, you’re probably a little sick of the movie being quite so everywhere, seeming to have captured the imaginations and hearts of the entire spectrum of humanity. This global adoration for Disney’s latest effort could be due to the impressive animation, lovable characters and insanely catchy songs, but these are not new features for a Disney movie. What “Frozen” seems to have that others did not is a deeper symbolic resonance, an amazing interpretability that makes it at once universal and personal.

There has been huge speculation about the meaning of the movie and there are certainly some fascinating interpretations out there from which to choose.

“Frozen” could be a coming of age story, exploring the frightening power of budding female sexuality, or a Christian allegory, in which pure love and sacrifice save the day. It could be a metaphorical exploration of the queer experience — parental rejection, the closet, coming out, acceptance — an interpretation that has upset a fair few right wing bloggers and parents, while delighting people like us with its shame-shedding anthem “Let It Go”. It could even be — and this is my favorite interpretation — a metaphor for living with mental illness, specifically borderline personality disorder, a condition characterized by explosive, uncontrollable emotion and a troubled, unstable sense of self.

There has been plenty of controversy over which interpretation is correct and whether certain interpretations are appropriate for the film’s target audience. While I have loved reading about these specific ideas, what struck me the most is that all of these interpretations have one thing at the center. That one thing is the true subject of the film and (I would argue) the reason the entire planet has gone so nuts over it.

“Frozen” is about shame. Specifically, it is about overcoming shame through unconditional love and self-acceptance.

Elsa is locked away by her family for having super mega ice powers of doom. She is made to cover her hands, the part of her body from which her power emanates and to stay away from people. She has the instruction to hide her true self (“Conceal it, don’t feel it”) drummed into her from a young age and as a result develops an obsession with being perfect.

Sound like anyone you know? (Hint: it sounds like everyone you know.) Elsa’s belief that there is something fundamentally bad and wrong about her is, sadly, a very relatable feeling for most of us.

In her incredible book “Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead,” shame researcher Brené Brown writes, “We live in a world where most people still subscribe to the belief that shame is a good tool for keeping people in line. Not only is this wrong, but it’s dangerous. Shame is highly correlated with addiction, violence, aggression, depression, eating disorders, and bullying.”

Brown believes that shame prevents personal growth, which is why it is terrible as a motivational tool — a fact beautifully illustrated several times over in “Frozen.” No matter how many times Elsa is told to hide, asked to change, implored to stop the winter, she is not able to and these demands in fact only serve to make her worse. Only when her sister shows her unconditional love, bringing with it the implied acceptance she needs, can Elsa finally be the confident, happy, queen/ice-skating coordinator she was born to be.

Elsa is not the only character in the movie dealing with shame either. Think about the devilish Prince Hans, lyrical liar, kingdom stealer and textbook narcissist, “When I look at narcissism through the vulnerability lens,” writes Brown, “I see the shame-based fear of being ordinary. I see the fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose.”

Hans, shamed into insignificance by his twelve older brothers, is that part of us all that longs to be important, special, significant, to prove “them” wrong. The adorkable bad ass Princess Anna, who also spent her entire childhood being ignored, is dealing with her own shame feelings. Like Hans, she doesn’t want to be “completely ordinary” and longs to find someone who will notice her. Only when she forges genuine connections with Olaf and Kristoff does she learn that love is about more than being noticed; it is about seeing and being seen — warts, flaws, freaky ice powers and all.

What “Frozen” teaches us, and it’s a lesson we desperately needed, is that whether we’re striving to be perfect, important or noticed, a quest driven by shame will ultimately fail. As research suggests self-criticism elevates stress hormones, such as cortisol, in the bloodstream, a state that does not foster personal growth.

The adorably named “Cuddle Hormone” oxytocin, however, which is released when we receive various forms of affection, is associated with optimism, trust and self-esteem. Love really does set you free (from your crippling shame and low self-esteem and uncontrollable ice problems). An important, perhaps life-saving lesson, backed up by science, you can learn from watching 90 minutes of Norwegian ladies running around singing in the snow.

Francesca Lewis is a queer feminist writer from Yorkshire, UK. She writes for Curve Magazine and The Human Experience as well as writing short fiction and working on a novel. Her ardent love of American pop culture is matched only by her passion for analyzing it completely to death.

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Is Disney using animation to indoctrinate children into homosexuality and bestiality? That’s the assertion made by a conservative radio show host.

According to Right Wing Watch, Pastor Kevin Swanson hypothesized about the subliminal message Disney may be delivering with the storyline in “Frozen.” The film, which has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide and won two Oscars, tells the tale of a fearless princess who sets off on an epic journey alongside a rugged, thrill-seeking mountain man, his loyal pet reindeer and a hapless snowman to find her estranged sister. The moral is that true love is between sisters not a woman and a man.

“Man, how many children are taken into these things and how many Christians are taking their kids off to see the movie ‘Frozen,’ produced by an organization that is probably one of the most pro-homosexual organizations in the country?” Swanson said in the broadcast. “You wonder sometimes if maybe there’s something very evil happening here.”

“Friends, this is evil; just evil,” Swanson told co-host Steve Vaughn of the movie, adding, “I wonder if people think: ‘You know, I think this cute movie is going to indoctrinate my 5-year-old to be a lesbian or treat homosexuality or bestiality in a light sort of way.'”

Swanson didn’t cite any specific dialogue or scenes from the movie in making his claims.

The conservative pastor made headlines late in 2013 when he asserted that the Girl Scouts promote lesbianism and abortion.

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In an attempt to keep the show reflective of the various families watching it, the Disney Channel featured a lesbian couple on their family sitcom “Good Luck Charlie.”.

The episode was “developed to be relevant to kids and families around the world and to reflect themes of diversity and inclusiveness,” according to a spokesperson.

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This summer, Walt Disney Co. is signing on with a major event aimed toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender families. Disney World will be hosting its first-ever “Family Outfest” in Orlando, Florida —“a summer vacation for the modern family.”

Family Outfest Director Gabrielle Shulruff told press, “We are just parents. You know, it doesn’t matter who you are or what your sexuality is, regardless, you are people and people with families like anybody else.”

Read more at dot429.com

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Susan and Cheryl, a pair of moms, are introduced as the Disney Channel show’s first lesbian mothers.

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The Dykeotomy duo weighs in on Disney character Mulan’s crush on Princess Aurora.

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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are planning an Olympics-themed party in London, but don’t rush to your mailbox looking for an invitation quite yet. The black-tie benefit to be held at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum is an A-list-only affair.

The July 25 event, to be held in honor of Muhammad Ali, will benefit the Sports for Peace Initiative. Guests will be treated to a champagne reception on the grounds of the museum before enjoying a four-course banquet dinner. An exclusive after-hours party will be held at the couple’s rented $20 million townhouse following the benefit.

Among those noted on the star-studded list of invitees are Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate; Prince Harry; David and Victoria Beckham; Sharon Stone; and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The couple is in London for the filming of Jolie’s new film “Maleficent,” Disney’s live-action retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale in which Jolie is cast in the lead role.

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