Is TLK Guilty of Racism? Gender issues? Homosexuality?
I was in the library today, thumbing through a book about how racism, discrimination, and other nasty topics in Disney movies are teaching children bad concepts about life. Intrigued at how Disney animation could possibly be accused of such a thing, I immediately flipped to the index and searched for the "L" section. Yup, there it was- a link to two whole pages about how TLK is sending the wrong message to a juvenile audience.
It said that TLK is portraying a male-dominant society, as most of the characters are male and all of the leaders (Kings) who are in charge of the kingdom are of course male. The females all take minor roles (there is no song about being anxious about being queen, this book was so cheerful to notice), and even when Scar is in charge, they are obedient and do the master's bidding. The book ALSO points the fingers at the hyenas and says they are portrayed as Hispanics, and that since the hyenas are at the bottom of the food chain and neglected that TLK is being racial too. Lastly, it accuses Timon and Pumbaa being homosexual, being that they are two guys hanging out with each other (the book also mentioned Sulley and Mike from Monsters, INC. about the same thing).
Do any of you believe this? I have a real hard time. These are the same people who discriminate against Sesame Street because almost all the puppets are male. *sigh*
Re: Is TLK Guilty of Racism? Gender issues? Homosexuality?
Quote:
Originally posted by 2 Die FR
I was in the library today, thumbing through a book about how racism, discrimination, and other nasty topics in Disney movies are teaching children bad concepts about life. Intrigued at how Disney animation could possibly be accused of such a thing, I immediately flipped to the index and searched for the "L" section. Yup, there it was- a link to two whole pages about how TLK is sending the wrong message to a juvenile audience.
It said that TLK is portraying a male-dominant society, as most of the characters are male and all of the leaders (Kings) who are in charge of the kingdom are of course male. The females all take minor roles (there is no song about being anxious about being queen, this book was so cheerful to notice), and even when Scar is in charge, they are obedient and do the master's bidding. The book ALSO points the fingers at the hyenas and says they are portrayed as Hispanics, and that since the hyenas are at the bottom of the food chain and neglected that TLK is being racial too. Lastly, it accuses Timon and Pumbaa being homosexual, being that they are two guys hanging out with each other (the book also mentioned Sulley and Mike from Monsters, INC. about the same thing).
Do any of you believe this? I have a real hard time. These are the same people who discriminate against Sesame Street because almost all the puppets are male. *sigh*
totat bullsh*t. for crying out loud, it's a disney film. and the aim of a disney film is to provide all family entertainment. and that is exactly what TLK does. there will always be some sad, pathetic losers who will spend their time writing useless crap like that trying to put across a point that totally eliminates the point they are trying to put across.
People in the world today are DYING becuase of their religon, and this author has nothing to say about the REAL issue in the world than writing about how this stuff is portrayed in a FICTIONAL MOVIE.
my advice to him: GO DO SOMETHING USEFUL WITH YOUR LIFE. SOLVE THE REAL PROBLEMS, AND HELP PEOPLE.
</rant>
Re: Is TLK Guilty of Racism? Gender issues? Homosexuality?
Quote:
Originally posted by 2 Die FR
Lastly, it accuses Timon and Pumbaa being homosexual, being that they are two guys hanging out with each other (the book also mentioned Sulley and Mike from Monsters, INC. about the same thing).
*lol* Oy, the old Timon-and-Pumbaa-are-gay-theory. Like most of you said, then for example I should be also homosexual as soon as I'm hangin' around with my friends. Hey, I'm not a man, but there exist very good friendships between men as between women. You do everything together, you have fun (not talking about THAT fun) together - and that alone makes you homosexual?! :thinks: Didn't know that, thanks for the information!
I have nothing against homosexual people so even if they in fact were homosexual, I wouldn't mind being a Timon-Fan, but that idea is just...sick.
I mean, there are a few hints that could make people come up with that idea. First of all and I think that might be the reason Timon is always thrown in this drawer, is because of his voice actor, Nathan Lane. As far as I know he is indeed homosexual and since Timon like all the other TLK characters was supposed to be based on his voice actor's guestures, facial expressions etc. it is no wonder that some people might indeed say hey, then this meerkat might be homosexual as well. I think Nathan also even said somwhere that Timon and Pumbaa might be the first homosexual cartoon couple - or was it Pumbaa's voice actor? argh, doesn't matter - but hello? that was supposed to be a little joke, nothing to build a theory on.
Watching TLK I only see two best buddies who have found out that they share the same interests, enjoy living in the jungle and have fun together. And that they would help each other no matter what was also clearly seen when Timon tries to rescue Pumbaa when he's attacked by Nala.
What is indeed quite interesting is the fact that Disney somehow 'reacted' on that theory, at least I think so...I once got a scan from a children's book which another Timonfan sent to me where Timon is actually calling Pumbaa 'lover-boy' when he starts a little 'speech' to contradict Pumbaa and in one of the House of Mouse episodes, I think it must be the one that is even called "Timon and Pumbaa", he calls him a similar name (I only know it in german and there it was indeed a 'pet name'). And of course T&P episodes where Timon wants to marry himself because he was hit by an arrow by Amour and many other little scenes now and then could be speaking for T&P being homosexual - but I cannot find any of those signs in TLK, sorry. It is a movie for children and I think only adults could come up with such stupid theories because they have nothing else to do. And all in all they always portrayed Timon as well as Pumbaa being interested in females, you can find that in the episodes, comics and stories - so for me personally those other scenes from which you could suggest that they might be homosexual are just jokes by Disney, maybe even based on that stupid theory of them being gay.
I can only see just two best buddies who may have lived isolated and together for many years, but who are friends who are always there for each other and who are all in all just a funny duo and the best friends imaginable for little Simba :cheese:
Re: Is TLK Guilty of Racism? Gender issues? Homosexuality?
Quote:
Originally posted by 2 Die FR
I was in the library today, thumbing through a book about how racism, discrimination, and other nasty topics in Disney movies are teaching children bad concepts about life. Intrigued at how Disney animation could possibly be accused of such a thing, I immediately flipped to the index and searched for the "L" section. Yup, there it was- a link to two whole pages about how TLK is sending the wrong message to a juvenile audience.
It said that TLK is portraying a male-dominant society, as most of the characters are male and all of the leaders (Kings) who are in charge of the kingdom are of course male. The females all take minor roles (there is no song about being anxious about being queen, this book was so cheerful to notice), and even when Scar is in charge, they are obedient and do the master's bidding. The book ALSO points the fingers at the hyenas and says they are portrayed as Hispanics, and that since the hyenas are at the bottom of the food chain and neglected that TLK is being racial too. Lastly, it accuses Timon and Pumbaa being homosexual, being that they are two guys hanging out with each other (the book also mentioned Sulley and Mike from Monsters, INC. about the same thing).
Do any of you believe this? I have a real hard time. These are the same people who discriminate against Sesame Street because almost all the puppets are male. *sigh*
People make assumptions and this quote is packed with them. The people assumed that just because Timon and Pumbaa (and Sully and Mike) hang out together and are best friends means that the creators are promoting homosexuality. They assume that just because it focuses more on men than women they think it's discrimination of the sexes when in reality there is only 1 male lion (the King) and all the others are females because any male offspring forms their own pride at a young adult age. They assume that just because the hyenas are, as they say, hispanics and are being neglected and at the bottom of the food chain that Disney's being racial, they would have said the same if they were potrayed as Asian, the hyenas played a minor role in the original and in TLK 1 1/2 because it focuses on lions. They assume that Disney considers women inferior to men because they listen to Scar when in reality he's the only male left after Simba runs away, who's supposed to be the king then? Remember "assume nothing" and "trust no one" (had to add that for some reason). Mainly "assume nothing" cause as Grissom put it in a CSI book "when we assume and are wrong we make an *** of you and me" and they assumed and were wrong, half of the stuff they were wrong about is on an Imax about lions and in a research book.
