Disney punts hetero luuurv to wide-eyed kiddies Parents who'd rather hoped that sticking their brats in front of a Disney film would result in nothing more serious than whining demands for associated merchandising will be horrified to learn that such movies are punting strictly heterosexual values to impressionable minds. That's according to Emily Kazyak and Karin Martin, …
BUT hetrosexuality it overwhelmingly the norm.
if you want to have a gay relationship, fair enough. but do not expect people to suddenly think that homosexuality should be the norm (you can only have 1 norm... )
lets face it - if we all decided that we were going to be gay the planet would die out in 1 generation. that is not exactly what nature's natural instinct is about is it?
children should be treated with the norn until they are old enough to make up their own minds.
If they are pointing to this being bad, and suppressing kids that are gay, all I can say is bull s**t.
I was raised in front of Disney movies and I'm gay.
On top of that, nearly every gay guy I know loves Disney movies, my favourite is Beauty and the Beast. (No gay story line there).
The next Shrek film then.
Or would that be saying that homo's (gays? what's PC nowadays? homo is a contraction, but you can't say Paki.....even if they are from Pakistan, but you can say Brit, so...arrrrrgggghhhh! Confused now) are Ogres?
Anyway, Shrek and Donkey's relationship is going to get _really_interesting now.
<pedant>
"you can only have 1 norm" - If homo and hetro orientations were split 50/50 in the population - what's the norm?
</pedant>
On a more serious note, your comments assumes orientation is a matter of choice not biology. While the jury may be out on this, researchers do seem to accept there is at least a component of "you're born that way".
well .... yes. it is the norm. this is so obvious, further explanation is unnecessary. If they miss their biology classes, then I'm sure Paris can help explain this to the kiddies ...
Walt ain't saying gay people are bad, and neither am i. But it is certainly not necessary to represent every single possible lifestyle just to make sure nobody gets offended. Bloody political correctness can go have an abnormal relationship with itself.
Well of course kids movies promote heterosexuality.
<sarcasm>
The kids have got to learn it from somewhere, surely, or otherwise they might grow up to be perverted gays and that would lead to the end of western civilisation.
</sarcasm>
Seriously though, I don't think anyone really cares do they? Well, probably the Christian/Islamic/[insert-other-nonsense]-right would if it were the other way round. But I don't hear that many of my fellow gays complaining about how Snow White turned out to be straight, that's just what causes less grief for the studios and they're only in it for the money, not education after all.
As for heterosexuality being the "norm", I don't think that it is - I think that pretty much everyone whose opinion counts has pretty much come to the conclusion that the "norm" is to have a wide variety of sexuality, both in the human population and every other one we've found so far.
Paris because... Well. Why not?
I have always seen disney as being very gay. Everyone except the bad guys are always very gay at some point or another and the whole disney world spheare has always been a place for gay.
"gay
adjective
1 happy:
We had a gay old time down at the dance hall.
2 If a place is gay, it is bright and attractive:
The streets were gay and full of people.
See also gaiety; gaily.
(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)"
We need to do something different
How about intoducing some gay content?
<15 minutes later, after the laughing dies down>
No, seriously, something that won't be commerical suicide or get us firebombed by evangelical christians......
No? OK same old trite it is then.
There is no norm, you boob ("standard pattern or type; customary behaviour"). The idea has absolutely no use in this context.
Even if we are to assume that far more hetrosexual relationships take place than any other sort (which I suspect is true, but how on earth could you prove it? Ask everyone in the UK while wiring their genitals up to socket*?) are you honestly suggesting that everyone should care about that and modify their behaviour accordingly? That children should be taught that anything else is somehow weird and deviant?
Yes, for my money, *most* childrens entertainment should show heterosexual relationships. But, all??
* And even then you would have to discount the answers from the masochists.
....Thats a completely different kettle of fish....although hang on
I could do a study into how Walt Disney has declined to show bestiality in his films, as Paw said:
"I think that pretty much everyone whose opinion counts has pretty much come to the conclusion that the "norm" is to have a wide variety of sexuality..."
Heterosexuality IS the norm, art reflects life, etc. This study was yet another waste of grant money in an attempt to gather attention. Not that I'd mind a gay character in a Disney flick, or any other movie, but I'm sure there'd be such an outcry from moronic "Think of Children" Fundamentalists, Disney would never risk it. Besides, we already had Bert and Ernie as the first gay couple on TV.
I think the real tragic thing about Disney movies is that they depict love in such a way that they give little girls unrealistic expectations about love and marriage. Let's have a 'Cinderella II' with a balding, beer-gutted Prince Charming as the perpetually drunk husband, and a thunder-thighed Cinderella as the nagging bitch, in the quest to set child support payment and resolve visitation rights. Let's have 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Who's the Father?"
And for Christ's sake Disney, stop with the straight-to-video sequels: 'The Lion King XIV: Simba's Prostate Exam', 'Beauty and the Beast VII: Belle Finds a Lump', etc.
This post has been deleted by its author
Since when were cartoons obliged to "promote gay awareness" in underage children? And next they'll be demanding token gays in TV shows, and insisting papers print the sexual preference of accident victims or whatever.
And is the writer claiming that hetrosexual love *isn't* magical, transforming and powerful? Nobody said gay love wasn't too. Methinks they're either pushing an agenda, or had an unhappy love affair / childhood.
Stuff 'em I say - with what - hmm, depends on their gender and preferences.... :-)
@Citizen Kaned
As one of the gays I take umbridge at your comments which neatly illustrate why there needs to be more awareness of other sexual orientations. Being gay is not a choice. A lot of prejudice in my opinion stems from the mistaken belief that some people would choose to live their lives in this abnormal manner. I find the physical and emotional attraction between heterosexual men and women as baffling as a straight man finds my desires towards other men.
Don't get me wrong I'm not advocating a Disney cartoon where the principle characters are raving homosexuals (Disney is gay enough as it is already) but I'd like to see some attempt to help people understand that it's a hard-wired instinct that occurs naturally and not a conscious decision.
Can I be part of the next study that examines blockbuster "Action" films and concludes that men are more violent than women in films (I think "THOSE" kind of films are ballbusters)
Paid to watch films and then report on the blindingly obvious - sign me up
Badgers - because I've not had chance to use it yet - and this is all a bit interwebs 2.0
I was brought up on Disney films. Next you'll be telling me that Princesses don't sit in castles all day wearing pink dresses and a crown (although a small one, not as large as the King or Queens crown) waiting for someone like myself to come along and rescue her from her mundane life?
Or will you tell me that mythical beasts don't actually roam our local forest?
Or what about magicians... they exist in real life don't they?
Or are we going to have to cope with the fact that fantasy fairy stories don't and shouldn't reflect real life!
@"You appear to be under the impression that homosexuality is a choice." - to be honest i think it is somewhat choice and somewhat inner feelings. as a bloke i do not find men in the least attractive, whether that is conditioning, nature or whatever, i dont know. i know for sure if i was a women i would be lesbian or maybe bi - (like my g/f) as women are far more attractive. i really fail to see how women find me and other men attractive lol, i'm glad they do else my lovelife would be very boring!
@"<pedant>
"you can only have 1 norm" - If homo and hetro orientations were split 50/50 in the population - what's the norm?
</pedant>" - my arse is the world split 50/50. its about 80/20 tops from stats i have seen (and a lot less in some countries!). i think a lot more people are bi than fully homosexual.
i iobiously upset some people with my previous comments but fail to really see why. i am certainly not a homophobe as my best mate is gay... and my mrs is bi (which i do have to admit is very cool :), but i digress. all i was saying is that statistically the majority of the planet (any species) is heterosexual, so that is what we show small children. lets face it being a kid is confusing enough without having to explain the many types of relationship - hetro, homo, bestiality? paedophilia etc etc...
Honestly, I cannot wait for a Disney movie featuring or promoting gay homo love (as Princess Clara calls it). Just to see what happens and how long it takes for the studio to be firebombed. They ain't never getting no G-rating for sure. OTOH, you never know, maybe old versions of Disney classics were steamin' with hot leprechaun on leprechaun rainbow action — which was subsequently edited out, like they PC-ed "Song of the South".
Well, most of us, anyway.
I would have thought it was more of an issue for women, really; with few exceptions Disney material is extremely backwards-looking on the role of women.
Of course, the villains are often rather camp. And also have English accents, but this seems to be a general thing in US films.
Also, yes, everyone comes from a broken home; possibly Disney is NOT as family-values as all that!
this isn't about not offending anyone. this isn't about "political correctness". fuck off if you think it is. this is about the powerful sense pervading pretty much all levels of childhood and pre-university education in britain and around the world that homosexuality is wrong and unusual and bad and something to be ashamed of. where "gay" and "queer" are synonyms for "bad" or "rubbish" and no one dares challenge it because it's "removed from context" (yeah fucking right). this is the thing that leads to self-loathing and depression and suicides among gay teenagers being far far higher than straight ones. and of course they all chose to be gay, right? piss off.
and why wouldn't it seem that way if every single depiction of a relationship in every piece of childrens media with the exception of a few "controversial" (for fuck's sake) - and certainly non-mainstream - books was a heterosexual one? is it too much to ask to have one positive depiction of a homosexual relationship in an international mainstream film next to the millions of straight ones? a gay couple in a disney film isn't going to turn things around overnight but it's a step in the right direction at least. are you really still going to piss and moan about people wanting a tiny bit of representation for homosexuals, like it somehow affects you in any way whatsoever compared to the suffering of gay kids across the world?
You obviously missed the important word "If " in my <pedant /> point - that small word that clarifies I'm not stating a fact but a thought experiment.
I never said the split *is* 50/50, just pointed out that *IF* it was, then you'd have 2 norms - proving your "you can only have 1 norm" statement a tad false.
''lets face it being a kid is confusing enough''
All the more reason that if a kid is trying to come to terms with their own non-straightness, they shouldn't be surrounded by media that shows the world as 100% straight and implies to them that they're a freak.
'' without having to explain the many types of relationship - hetro, homo, bestiality? paedophilia etc etc...''
What is this, "fag-bashing for beginners"? I'll throw you another clue - it's a thing called "informed consent".
Like it or not heterosexuality is the norm. Males have penises, females have vaginas - have a guess who does what to further the species. That's just *nature*, and as remarked already if everyone was born or decided to become gay, the human species would cease to exist.
The problem really is sensibilities. Words like "normal", "abnormal", etc can be (and are) used pejoratively. The reality is that SOCIETY has evolved to be tolerant of homosexuality, and whether or not that's "a good thing" depends on how militant you are. Personally I don't have a problem with people being gay, it's their life and their body. I do however have a problem with the absurd notion that heterosexuality is an "alternative life choice". Heterosexuality is the default position as defined by nature, everything else - whether it's by choice or birth (as said already the jury is definitely out on that one - I'm of the opinion it's culturally and empirically based) - is, I'm sorry to say, abnormal.
We should not be teaching children "abnormal" values in Disney films, but by the same token I'm not so sure we should necessarily be ramming heterosexual values down their throats either. Frankly the fact that we're even having the discussion is very disappointing indeed.
Erm, well, you could try actually reading my comment before trying to point-score.
--QUOTE--
the "norm" is to have a wide variety of sexuality, both in the human population and every other one we've found so far
--END QUOTE--
It's not every day I get a chance to quote myself, as if I was a respected academic (I may be respected by my peers and be an academic, but that's a world away from a Respected Academic) so thank you for that at least.
If you still don't get it, what I was saying (referencing numerous recent studies and works in recent and no-so-recent history) is that the normal situation is to have a wide variety of sexuality in a population. Our ridiculously limited definitions of heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual don't serve us well at all in these discussions either because that's just not how life really works.
Regarding gene pool degradation, actually, more gay couples help promote gene pool diversity in many species by enhancing peer bonding and group survival and the adoption of young for rearing. Before you say "well, that's just silly penguins", I'm a "gay" whose "rearing" a couple of kids right now. With me doing that rather than our awesome care system, my two kids will have a better chance in life and a better chance of mating and passing on their great talents to the next generation.
any film that has music, singing, and dance. This includes Grease, which is quite sexually charged with teen pregnancy and talk fo what happens on a beach. He also loves Rocky Horror Picture Show which has a transsexual singing and dancing.
Ever think that the children like the show for the show not the what some nut job with too much money and time, and not enough brains to just enjoy something.
LOL - so *that's* why I'm a homo!
Thanks for that man - I was getting all serious but you managed to remind me that life's for living, not for stressing.
I'm off home for some man-luurve. Hahaha, as if. I'm married. Yes, to another man, but that still means I don't get sex any more. Bah.
If Disney is presenting a somewhat hetero-bias view, so be it. Their films - their choice. Them there Gay folk have a choice - They don't have to watch Disney films if they don't like this view point, in the same way I don't watch High School Musical for it's cleaner-than-clean sickly sweet american cliches.
I'm sure they'll find something suitably politically correct on the BBC.
Mines the pint of your strongest testosterone-fueled CAMRA-approved draught ale..... and a bag of pork scratchings.
hang the fuck on here....
WHY am i the gay basher here? and by a lot of ACs too.... you must be really proud of your sexuality then eh?
i said trying to explain relationships to a kid is hard enough let alone sexual orientation. how the FUCK is that gay bashing? jesus christ. we are talking about KIDS here. you know little people who couldnt give a shit about girlfriends/boyfriends. to be honest its drivel like disney that make all little girls think they will marry some rich prince and never work again, where men arent slightly interested in 'relationships' until our dick starts twitching later on.
@ "@citizen kaned: 'children should be treated with the norm until they are old enough to make up their own minds.' — so, children should be taught Windows in school then, when they are learning how to use them?" - oh fuck off. that is the most ridiculous and frankly geeky thing i have heard all day and i've had a shite day so far.
it's not as if the folks behind have their own agenda or anything.
WHAT !!!!! they have an agenda, well who would have believed it.
Disney films (amongst others) also tend not so show the characters pissing or having a crap either but everybody knows that happens in the real world.
When are these people going to grow up and give <orientation>, <skin_colour>, <religion>, <height>, <gender>, <perceived_gender>, <disability> or <species> a bit of respect & STFU about their own perception of justice (or otherwise)
/me awaits the (first) unbiased PETA report
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