07. The Unexpected Truth Behind Queer Coded Disney Villains
Did you notice the queer coding in Disney Villains?
Join us as we explore the often overlooked and problematic representation of LGBTQ+ characters in Disney films. We dive into the "queer coded villain" trope and how it has been used to perpetuate harmful stereotypes. This video is a must-watch for anyone who loves Disney movies and wants to understand the impact of media representation on marginalized communities. We encourage you to embrace your love for these beloved films while also being critical of the messages they may be sending. Let's start the conversation about LGBTQ+ representation in media and work towards a brighter and more inclusive future.
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📕 TABLE OF CONTENTS 📕
00:00 Introduction
01:01 What is Queer Coding?
02:56 Disney's Influence In the Media
05:17 Perpetuating Harmful Stereotypes
06:56 Examples of Queer Coding
12:24 Striving For Better LGBTQ+ Representation.
13:52 Conclusion
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My name is Destiny (she/they) and I am the creator behind the podcast. Educator, creative, and fellow LG(B)T(Q)+ community member. Nice to meet you!
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Full Transcript
Introduction:
You know it's no secret that Disney has a long history of using queer-coded characters to represent villains in their films. These villains are often depicted as being effeminate, flamboyant, or otherwise abnormal. They often serve as a foil to their more masculine heteronormative heroes. And while these characters may be seen as harmless by some, they can be incredibly damaging to queer viewers and young audiences. The queer-coded villain trope is extremely problematic as it reinforces damaging and outdated stereotypes about queer people. It also sends a message to young viewers that queerness is something to be feared and despised. That's why today I want to dive into how this kind of messaging can have long-lasting effects on how LGBTQ+ people are perceived and treated in both society and in media and why it's vital that Disney takes steps to create more positive, authentic, diverse depictions of LGBTQ+ characters within their media.
What is Queer Coding?:
So, the term queer coding comes from Vito Russo's novel "The Celluloid Closet," which discusses queerness in film throughout time. It defines it as a term used to say that characters were given traits or behaviors to suggest that they're not heterosexual or cisgender without the character being outright confirmed to have a queer identity. So basically, embodying queer stereotypes but without being explicitly gay. Now, this could be done by the writers either consciously or unconsciously, and there's never really a sure way to know what someone's intentions were when they were writing characters.
If you think back to the 1900s, animation queer-coding villains was a really easy way for animators and designers and writers to designate a character as different, usually saddling them with a bunch of cliche gay stereotypes that the audience would then digest and associate with evil. If that's not a clear demonstration of the demonization of queerness in its equation with villainy, I'm not really sure what it is. Queer coding is really heavily associated with the Hays Code, which was strictly enforced starting in 1934 all the way until 1968. This was a set of industry guidelines for the censorship of content applied to most motion pictures produced in the United States at the time. It claimed to keep films presentable and safe for the public, which meant that a number of topics and depictions were strictly forbidden, including any positive portrayal of LGBTQ+ people. This played off of history's real-life stigma against LGBTQ+ folks and the association with immorality and sin.
Disney’s Influence in the Media:
So one might say, "It's just a cartoon or it's just a movie; it's not that serious." But let's examine Disney's clear influence and power over children's media. Children's animated media is an important part of socialization, and Disney films, in particular, carry a high level of popularity, with many children watching Disney animated films repeatedly. When it comes to children's media, Disney holds the largest market share of 33% in kids' viewership. This means that out of all of the children's media out there, at least one-third of it is produced or owned by Disney. Disney's role as an agent of socialization is so pervasive that some suggest that they have at least as much power as schools and families within the role of socialization. And although Disney is criticized for their portrayals of gender norms, beauty standards, and love narratives, among other things, it's important to note that there's a potential for these films to also have a positive impact on child development. Either way, there's no denying that Disney definitely has influence when it comes to both in-theater and at-home entertainment.
Perpetuating Stereotypes:
Now, it isn't necessarily about the character being gay or not but more about the fact that these negative stereotypes and harmful tropes are being used to link villainy and queerness. We take these queer or gay stereotypes and then associate them with the fictional villains that we know and love from our favorite Disney films. But then we link the villains and queer people, which perpetuates these harmful tropes and stereotypes and can play off of people's real prejudices and fears about the LGBTQ+ community. When you take this on top of the fact that there has been very little significant LGBTQ+ representation within animated films, it makes it even more pervasive and problematic.
Examples of Queer Coding:
Queer coding looks different for male and female villains. There are so many that I could name, but I want to highlight a few especially problematic ones.
For male queer-coded characters, in many examples, this looks like the sissy trope. We see this trope in characters like Hades with his lipstick, his martinis, his limp wrist, and literally flaming blue hair. Scar with his limp paw and his very campy mannerisms, for example, in the film when he says this.
And Governor Ratcliffe who has this, I don't need to say more but will, with his darkened eye makeup and manservant who tends to his and his dog's every need.
One of the earliest portrayals of this queer-coded character was the very first on-screen villain, which is the Evil Queen from Snow White. The animators were inspired by actresses like Joan Crawford and played up things like her unemotional nature, her role as a single older woman in power, and gave her uncharacteristically female physical attributes like a deep voice and a strong jaw that intentionally or not implied queerness.
Another example of a queer-coded female villain is one of the most famously queer-coded villains ever, who is Ursula, literally based on the drag queen Divine from John Waters' film "Pink Flamingos." Disney's use of this queer coding on its villains really added a further stigma to a community that at this point was already struggling to be seen and accepted, especially at the time of their Renaissance period, which is noted to be one of the greatest, most successful periods of Disney production, and it's about a decade after the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.
This feels especially pervasive now because of the recent rhetoric and violence against the drag and LGBTQ+ community. There have been over 300 anti-trans bills, there was the Club Q shooting, and just all of these really tragic things that are happening. While the queer-coded villain isn't the only thing at play within this type of violence and harm towards the LGBTQ+ community, I think that it's just an old, worn-out trope that needs to retire.
Striving for Better LGBTQ+ Representation:
So, all this begs the question, how can we strive for better LGBTQ+ representation that showcases the rich and diverse perspectives of those who are part of the community? Quality of representation absolutely matters. Rowan Ellis has a really great video essay where she explores some of the nuances of queer representation within the media and what impact it has.
I am wondering what LGBTQ+ inclusive cartoons can look like if Disney isn't the one leading that work. For example, Cartoon Network has "Steven Universe," which is a coming-of-age story about Steven and a team of extraterrestrial beings known as Crystal Gems. The show has same-sex proposals and weddings with kisses and feels like true, authentic representation. Well, technically non-binary, femme-presenting lesbians because the Gems are genderless, but still really great representation.
Conclusion:
All this to say that we can still love our favorite Disney films, but I think that we can also be critical of the harmful stereotypes and portrayals that they create for the LGBTQ+ community and the way that they are represented in mainstream media. Disney should be held to a high standard for the images that they create and perpetuate. Thank you so much for exploring this trope with me. I would love to hear your thoughts below. As always, thank you for watching. Remember that you are important; your story matters, and I'll see you the next time. Bye.
