Queer coding doesn’t necessary mean the character has to be queer, they just have to express stereotypical queer attributes, like wearing makeup (check), being sophisticated (check), having a flair (check) for the dramatic (check) being sexually confident (check) or even aggressive (check), displaying style and grace (check) while being intelligent (check) but not physically strong (check). Then there is the typical Disney-villain-physicality which also reads as queer coded, heavy lidded eyes, tightly trimmed beards, long faces (just look at Jafar and Scar next to each other)
In Jafar’s case he was animated by an openly gay animator and sang music written by an openly gay lyricist, both visibly had a lot of fun creating this fabulous mess of an evil sorcerer.
Please don’t. I really hate the “the anti-gay crowd is secretly gay”-narrative, because it carries connotations of “the gays” being responsible for their own oppression.
It’s not so much a “narrative” as a well studied phenomenon among all oppressed groups.
There are individuals in all oppressed groups who, for complicated reasons, enable the cycle of oppression by policing peers, enforcing harmful norms, and seeking proximity to power at their own group’s expense.
(I’m making an observation and not a moral judgement)
See: internalized oppression, horizontal hostility, identification with the aggressor(s)
Yes, in that stereotype being worldly and educated is presented as foreign, urban, sinful, often depraved and in contrast to the supposed “purity” of small-town innocence and virginity. Remember that these stereotypes originated in the 1950s and are mostly the result of puritan, white, middle class, anglo-saxon, protestant worldviews. It’s the reason that so many villains in american movies (among others Shere Khan, Jafar and Scar) have british accents, while the heroes (like Aladdin) talk with a midwestern accent.
Imho. queer coding means “can be read as queer” (but doesn’t have to be) while a stereotype would be a queer person displaying stereotypical attributes.
I mean… those are bad stereotypes, the overwhelming number of gay people I have ever met do not express most of those attributes, they mainly exist because they were used to vilify queer people during the times of the Hayes Code and because when TV wasn’t allowed to show queerness, theater still was, so queer media became dominated by the theatrical.
Well, Gaston isn’t really attracted to anyone but himself. He’s a classic narcissist, and his pursuit of Belle is purely to feed his ego. If he could have sex with himself, he would. Vigorously, and somehow selfishly.
Le Fou, on the other hand, is an effeminate sycophant. The live action explicitly makes him gay, but the animated version merely suggests it. Singing about how handsome and manly he is, and how much everybody wants to wrestle with Gaston with the biting and the spitting and the hair-covered inches.
Gaston has a trio of smoking hot blondes that are all over him, but he goes for the bookworm who wants nothing to do with him. He wants a wife who won’t care when he goes on extended “hunting trips” with his manly man buddies, not one who will be all over him in the bedroom.
All the best Disney villains are LGBTQ+ coded. Jafar, Ursula, Scar. You could even make a case for Gaston!
Can you explain Jafar to me? Wasn’t his whole thing in Aladdin that he wanted Jasmine?
Queer coding doesn’t necessary mean the character has to be queer, they just have to express stereotypical queer attributes, like wearing makeup (check), being sophisticated (check), having a flair (check) for the dramatic (check) being sexually confident (check) or even aggressive (check), displaying style and grace (check) while being intelligent (check) but not physically strong (check). Then there is the typical Disney-villain-physicality which also reads as queer coded, heavy lidded eyes, tightly trimmed beards, long faces (just look at Jafar and Scar next to each other)
In Jafar’s case he was animated by an openly gay animator and sang music written by an openly gay lyricist, both visibly had a lot of fun creating this fabulous mess of an evil sorcerer.
(Runs through checklist…)
Wait… JD Vance?
Please don’t. I really hate the “the anti-gay crowd is secretly gay”-narrative, because it carries connotations of “the gays” being responsible for their own oppression.
It’s not so much a “narrative” as a well studied phenomenon among all oppressed groups.
There are individuals in all oppressed groups who, for complicated reasons, enable the cycle of oppression by policing peers, enforcing harmful norms, and seeking proximity to power at their own group’s expense. (I’m making an observation and not a moral judgement)
See: internalized oppression, horizontal hostility, identification with the aggressor(s)
Fair
I don’t know, is an attraction to upholtered furbiture queer or a kink?
Because thats not exactly a secret, we just have to figure out what category it’s in.
It’s a kink, maybe a fetish, not exactly straight that’s for sure.
If it’s a kink then hes straight. If its queer then hes not.
Heh, you know, “kink” as in a “bend”, a “kink”, a “wrinkle” in ones sexuality. So it’s not straight with a kink in it ;)
I’m just saying the dude wears a surprising amount of eyeliner.
Nope.
Ok, yeah, fair. More like an overinflated beach ball.
Being sophisticated?
Yes, in that stereotype being worldly and educated is presented as foreign, urban, sinful, often depraved and in contrast to the supposed “purity” of small-town innocence and virginity. Remember that these stereotypes originated in the 1950s and are mostly the result of puritan, white, middle class, anglo-saxon, protestant worldviews. It’s the reason that so many villains in american movies (among others Shere Khan, Jafar and Scar) have british accents, while the heroes (like Aladdin) talk with a midwestern accent.
What’s the line between queer coding and stereotype?
Imho. queer coding means “can be read as queer” (but doesn’t have to be) while a stereotype would be a queer person displaying stereotypical attributes.
I mean… those are bad stereotypes, the overwhelming number of gay people I have ever met do not express most of those attributes, they mainly exist because they were used to vilify queer people during the times of the Hayes Code and because when TV wasn’t allowed to show queerness, theater still was, so queer media became dominated by the theatrical.
While he does seem attracted to Jasmine, he’s also very theatrical and campy in a way that was heavily associated with homosmsexuality in the 90s.
I’ve never considered this…
What’s the argument for Gaston though?
Well, Gaston isn’t really attracted to anyone but himself. He’s a classic narcissist, and his pursuit of Belle is purely to feed his ego. If he could have sex with himself, he would. Vigorously, and somehow selfishly.
Le Fou, on the other hand, is an effeminate sycophant. The live action explicitly makes him gay, but the animated version merely suggests it. Singing about how handsome and manly he is, and how much everybody wants to wrestle with Gaston with the biting and the spitting and the hair-covered inches.
Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Gaston has a trio of smoking hot blondes that are all over him, but he goes for the bookworm who wants nothing to do with him. He wants a wife who won’t care when he goes on extended “hunting trips” with his manly man buddies, not one who will be all over him in the bedroom.
You know… there’s an old gay man i know who’s always reminded me a little of Scar and I could never quite figure out why.