Arjun Sharma
ENG106-E1
Fall 2012- C.Morando
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney’s classic creations that engages the reader with a fusion of simplicity and emotion. The movie remains a cult among Disney fans and has continued to spread the tale and it’s enlightening charm. The plot being the perfect embodiment of a Disney movie follows a simple yet magical path. We have a small town girl who meets and surprisingly falls in love with the Beast prince in an effort to free her father. However these two protagonists must ensue several obstacles along their path in order to ensure that their love remains preserved. Disney has always had the touch of thrilling the viewers with unique and complex villain’s, and this time it certainly doesn’t disappoint with Gaston. Gaston here doesn’t follow the traditional profile and trend of a Disney character, he isn’t the handsome hero saving a princess from a monster but rather Disney portrays him as the self-centered and arrogant male who will go above boundaries to get what he wants. An interesting role swap by Disney that adds to the realism and authencity carried out by the villain itself. The Gaston song is one scene that not only caught my attention instantly but also played a crucial role in defining Gaston’s normative traits and portraying his egocentric personality. The Gaston song accurately highlights the conventional traits of masculinity however also portrays the heteronormative path society incorporates suggesting that as a society we need change our outlook on representation of masculinity and its desired traits.
Heteronormativity can be defined as what people perceive or believe is the ‘normal’ thing to do in life. Heteronormativity certainly comes with some subjectivity and has been a growing issue that determines the action and portrayal of our society. Gaston song itself complements this subject well and also allows the viewer to challenge Disney’s conventional gender portrayals. A simple reason for my selection of this scene holds with the stage at which its had been inserted, Gaston has just been rejected by belle and is left humiliated/ashamed in front of his very own people. The Gaston song is primarily a way for Gaston to channel his entire negative energy and retaining the strength and masculinity within which he operates. As a result of the defining objective of the song, what follows are several stereotypes relating to the heteronormative man.
The setting serves as a prime example of Gaston’s traditional masculinity. Gaston is sitting in a chair that appears to be made out of the fur of an antler along with its horns sticking out from several parts of the chair. The chair itself is a symbol of masculinity and strength. Similar to the chair, other antlers trophies that are hung on the wall are a similar representation of violence and hunting. Two of the most common stereotypes those are associated with a heteronormative man. Beer that is constantly served throughout this scene is another major symbol, generally considered a man’s drink in the eyes of the society and representing the ideal drink for Gaston and the heteronormative rules set by society. The five dozen eggs are another aspect in the song that highlights Gaston’s strength, inserting a rocky like personality or character and further enhancing his masculinity within the viewers mind.
The lyrics are also another aspect of the song that tends to further clearly highlight the characteristics and traits of a heteronormative man.
“Every guy here'd love to be you, Gaston/ Even when taking your lumps/ There's no man in town as admired as you/ You're ev'ryone's favorite guy”
The lyrics begin with portraying that Gaston is simply admired by everyone and how people are inspired and want to follow Gaston’s footsteps. However the song and lyrics quickly escalate to describing Gaston’s physical traits with much more detail and length.
“No one's slick as Gaston/ No one's quick as Gaston./ No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Gaston”
It transitions to describing his quickness/sharpness, the size of his neck, his large biceps that he confidently taunts during the song, and the fact that every inch of his body is covered with hair is a strong indication of a man in today’s society. While these traits are a lucid representation of a conventional man, it again questions the way society shapes our perception and restricts our choices. The visual cues used throughout the movie help strengthen the image of Gaston as the perfect male is only one of them. Gaston throughout has been portrayed as the sole handsome & masculine man whose twice as tall and built than any other guy in the room accompanied by women lusting for his attention. The message is simple; to be the perfect male, you must acquire traits like Gaston. It’s funny and strange at the same time how similar criteria’s are derived in order to simply determine or represent a gender. As a result, large parts of our society are influenced by these criteria’s and tend to pursue them. While society may consider these traits as normal, a male or a female should certainly not allow society to bound them by limited choices or dictate their actions.
While Gaston is the central character in the scene, there is his sidekick who also aids in highlighting the heteronormative approach Disney takes in order to portray gender power. The interesting aspect of this scene is the transition through which Gaston rebuilds his confidence. Its not self-realization that eventually contributes to Gaston rising full with confidence and masculinity, it’s his sidekick Lefou and the townspeople who very much aid in building and making Gaston realize that he simply is more masculine and better than everyone else in the town. Not surprisingly, Lefou and the townspeople are the complete opposites of traditional representations of a heteronormative man. They are portrayed as weak, ugly & short. This is obviously implemented as a way to portray that masculinity tends to hold much more superiority and authority whereas the opposite holds a lower influence and position within social norms. It’s such paths of thought that we must acquire masculine traits in order to obtain authority that not only pollutes the viewer’s mind but also manages to highlight the challenges facing gender. While we live in a time where we will always be accustomed to certain rules governing our gender expression & identity, our responsibility as a society is not to deconstruct them but to alleviate its effect and be the drivers of change.
Heteronormativity has always been an issue in today’s climate and will continue to be unless we as a society force a change. The Gaston song raises a litany of normative traits that incorporate one’s masculinity, however it also manages to raise issues regarding gender identity & expression and force us to broaden our insight on the critical influences. One of the main concern’s that arises out of this song is the heteronormative path it incorporates which allows society to simply tighten its grip on our perception & freedom. In conclusion, The Gaston song does not only enlighten the viewer with its quirky yet subtle charm but shapes our views regarding various heteronormative issues the song represents, it’s simply an indication for us an society to change our outlook on the heteronormative ideals of masculinity and stand by our true desires and ambitions.
