From Breasts to Homophobes...

I have been so inactive over the past week and I don't know how people can go weeks at a time without writing, cause I the itch after a couple of days. But I remarked the other day that I could probably carry all the stuff I bring to university in the bags under my eyes this week. (I am sorry if I've said this to you at one point this week!) Seriously, I've had so little sleep over the past seven days. I cannot wait to go home after this class (36 minutes and counting) and nap.

Anyway, first some more social injustice;

So I'll confess that Beauty and the Beast is my childhood favourite and I am super excited to see the live action version that is being released this month. I plan to go to the cinema more than once to see it. Amongst headlines and articles debating the sins of Emma Watson's breasts, I see that this adaptation is going to feature a gay 'moment'. Josh Gad's character Le Fou is homosexual. This is not why I am excited about the film. I'm pleased by it, but this will not affect my opinion of the film. What I don't understand is why this is so outrageous that it may not be screened in locations around the world. Okay, we see films featuring heterosexual relationships all the time! This, my friends, is just a moment! I fail to see what's so awful about it. There really is a blurry line with regard to what is socially acceptable these days. A feminist showing her breasts is wrong, and god forbid that anybody include homosexuality in the film industry.

I found this on The Guardian;

'History’s first overtly gay Disney character, it turns out, is LeFou, unctuous manservant to preening, hyper-macho villain Gaston – an underling who, in Condon’s words, “on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston”'.

If you've seen the animated Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, you'll remember the song that Le Fou sings in order to motivate Gaston, after Belle has rejected him. Le Fou sings about Gaston's superiority in all areas (no one is as slick as Gaston, or as quick as Gaston, and no one's neck is as incredibly thick as Gaston's). I'd say that this admiration and obsession has only been amplified by Condon. The basis for it already existed within the nineties. But just in case what you were wondering what the live action version of this song sounds like... here's a link.

Also, I don't know about you guys but this just reminded me of Nick Carraway's obsession with Mr Gatsby. I wonder if we have a problem with this because it is being featured in the Disney franchise? It is now a part of something that we refer to as family cinema. But is a gay moment in a family film all we have to worry about? It's laughable. I'd say there is a lot more to fear than what the media are dubbing gay propaganda. Is this a mark of change? I very much doubt it, and the character is minor and humorous. Perhaps it's a start.

Anyway, as others have pointed out, the film is being rejected and criticised on the basis of homosexuality. But what about the fact that a young woman is falling in love with a animal-like beast?!

Anyway, I hope you all have a lovely Tuesday. See you soon!