They Can’t ‘Let It Go’: Elsa Costumes Are Here to Stay
UPDATE!!! According to The New York Times, more than 3 million Disney “Frozen’’ costumes have been sold so far this year in North America. THREE. MILLION.
And holiday shopping season is just getting started. Brace yourselves, America.
Halloween was bad enough.
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Frozen, which hit theaters in November 2013, is the highest grossing animated film of all time and fifth-highest grossing film of all time, making a whopping $1.274 billion at the box office. It also won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe, to name a few.
So how did a princess movie get to be so popular? Because it’s no mere princess movie.
Quick plot synopsis: Elsa and Anna are sisters and princesses of Arendelle. Elsa is still learning to control her magical ability to produce snow, frost, and ice, and accidentally hurts Anna. Later, their parents die (classic Disney), and Elsa is to be crowned Queen. Following an argument with Anna in which she forbids Anna to marry the jerky Prince Hans, Elsa accidentally unleashes a forever-winter on the kingdom of Arendelle. (Oops!)
A bunch of other things happen, but then there’s a heartwarming conclusion when the sisters’ love – and not the love of the handsome but secretly evil prince – saves the day. (Not classic Disney.)
Female director? Check. Passes the Bechdel Test? Check. Has actually flawed female characters whose flaws are more serious than “clumsiness’’ or a super embarrassing tendency to blush daintily when flustered? Check. And, finally, proving that not every happy ending has to involve “true love’s kiss’’? Check.
No wonder all these little girls like it.
So how many Elsas roamed the nation’s streets on Halloween?
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Let’s imagine, for a moment, that this estimate is accurate, and that 75 percent of girls of a certain age are dressing up as Elsa for Halloween. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there are 9.96 million girls between the ages of 5 and 9 years old, pretty much the prime ‘Elsa’ target market. (Even though it’s clear the Disney character appeals to girls younger than 5, and older than 9. Also, boys. And men.)
That’s 7.5 million Elsa costumes in the U.S. alone. (Remember that Disney isn’t the only source of Elsa costumes.) With each costume selling for somewhere in the range of about $20 to $40, we’re talking about more than $250 million in Elsa costumery.
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