Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

Disney Animation

Released: 1991

Directors: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

Writer: Linda Woolverton

Starring: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury

Music & Lyrics: Alan Menken

Rating: G

Grade: 2.5/5

Going back to the classics today. I always felt an affinity with Belle. I was a huge bookworm when I was little and I seriously connected to her love of literature. She’s probably the only female Disney character I saw myself in as a kid. So let’s get to the queering!

wheeeeee!!!

First we should talk about the opening sequence. One of the best beginnings of a movie, in my humble opinion. And it’s got some cool feminist/queer undertones. Not only does it establish the Prince, the ultimate patriarchal symbol, as a spoiled brat, he gets punished for being mean to a witch/hag (read: lesbian)! Yup! The whole plot of the movie gets kick started with a lesbian cultural symbol cursing a patriarchal cultural symbol. How ‘bout them apples?

You'll take my rose and you'll like it goddamnit!

On to Belle: she’s a total outsider. The entire first song that establishes the world of the film is all about how much of a weirdo she is. She’s a queer nerd, despite her normative beauty. She gives zero fucks. She couldn’t care less what everyone thinks. Especially Gaston.

Let’s talk about Gaston. Honestly, I think he’s the most interesting character in the whole movie. Sounds strange coming from me? You might be thinking: “Lindsay, what are you talking about? He’s Disney’s most obvious patriarchal symbol.” Yessssss, but there’s a twist! I think he’s actually performing masculinity. 

Werk it girl

Gaston is projecting a patriarchal persona and he’s overcompensating so hard. In his performance of masculinity he’s actually criticizing its tropes. The “Gaston” song hits so many stereotypes in a single verse. High Disney camp at its best. And Gaston clearly doesn’t want to marry Belle because he loves her. He wants to marry her because he thinks they would look good together and fulfil heteronormative societal expectations of him and his manliness and her and her beauty. I’m pretty sure that Belle is his dream beard. Also, since Gaston is the villain, the movie essentially sets the patriarchy as the villainous obstacle to true love. I’m down with that.

I want to take a moment and talk about the scene where Gaston goes into Belle’s house to get her to marry him. 

Leave room for Jesus

This scene is really disturbing on a number of levels. First, that it’s super rapey. Second, that the only way that Belle can get out of this dangerous situation with Gaston is by using her sexuality as a weapon to lure him toward the door so she can boot him out. That’s a pretty fucked up thing to teach kids in a Disney movie: That men don’t respect women’s consent at all and the only thing women can do to help themselves is to use their looks, cause that’s all that women are good for, right? Uuuuuuuugh. Ok, rant over.  

The movie does redeem itself somewhat in its overall message of inner beauty over outer beauty and that’s definitely a queer message battling normative ideas, but then the Beast turns back to a pretty prince and kinda ruins the whole thing…

There’s also Cogsworth. He’s definitely got some queerness going on in those gears of his. I’m pretty sure he’s been pining over Lumiere for a while now.

Would you light my caaaaaaaandle

MVQ: Maurice! (Belle’s dad). He did a damn good job raising Belle in such a narrow minded little town.

OTP: Gaston and LeFeu. Oh yeah, that’s definitely happening.

Favorite Moment: Belle’s reprise of the opening song. “I want so much more than they’ve got planned.” I totally looked up to Belle’s ambition as a kid and this is a really liberating moment for her.