Gender Representation in The Lion King

Also see: Hakuna Matata & Simba's Childhood

In 1994, Disney released the popular movie The Lion King, with its memorable villain Scar and comic sidekicks Timon and Pumbaa. We want to look at how gender and sexuality is constructed in these three characters in non-normative ways. We will be using Judith Butler’s analysis of gender as performative—something that you do rather than something that you are. Scar, Timon and Pubmaa all subvert gender norms, and perform something other than typical masculinity.

Throughout the movie, Scar is marked as different both physically and through his personality. He is the only lion with green eyes, a black mane, and is much thinner than Mufasa. His character is portrayed as a stereotypical gay man—snarky sense of humor, effeminate movements and gestures, theatrical behavior, drawling and feminine voice—it all clearly denotes the trope of the fabulous gay man. In the clip we have posted, you can see how his personality is portrayed as feminine, and at the end of it, Zazu even says to Mufasa: “There’s one in every family.” Furthermore, Scar remains single throughout the film—even when Simba runs away and Scar is king, he never mates with another female or produces an heir, and he is never portrayed as interested in any of the many female lions in the pride; in fact, he barely interacts with the women at all. Clearly, Scar’s difference is something that marks him as evil, however, other non-normative characters are a source for good in the movie.

Timon and Pumbaa are a pair of male friends who live alone in the woods as outcasts from the rest of animal “society.” Although they are very happy and “good” characters, they are different from the other warthogs and meerkats and that sets them apart. When Simba comes along, this male pair raises him like their child. Interestingly, Timon and Pumbaa are never given any credit for raising Simba into an adult. At the end of the movie they are allowed to join the pride but they had to do something really amazing to gain that acceptance (raise a baby lion and help reclaim the pridelands) and they do not receive any special recognition for taking care of Simba all of the time that he was gone. Furthermore, when Timon and Pumbaa interact with other animals, they are often shy or afraid, and often not in control of the situation. However, they are also some of the most beloved characters in the Lion King, and they provide much of the fun and humor throughout the movie. Overall, Timon and Pumbaa are marked as different but they overall are a positive force; their difference constrains them in certain ways but it does not make them “bad.”

Questions:

How do you see the different portrayals of Timon and Pubmaa and Scar?

Would you rate the overall representation of Timon and Pumbaa’s relationship as positive? Why or why not?

Do you think Scar’s portrayal is harmful to the queer community? Why or why not?

What do you think Disney accomplishes or means to accomplish with the inclusion of gender nonconforming characters on both sides of the good/evil divide?

How would you relate Butler’s gender as performance to the other characters of the Lion King, such as Rafiki or Simba? What about other Disney movies?

Don't "Take Me to Church"

On September 25, 2013, Hozier released the music video for his song “Take Me to Church” in order to bring attention to how institutions shun the LGBT community. From smoking weed on camera to obvious displays of homosexual affection, Hozier makes it clear that his intentions behind the video are to break down the demands to conform from the heteronormative institutions. Hozier depicts the institutions as masked men in the video with a rather ominous look to them in order to evoke a sense of fear and a removal from safety from viewers. The violence displayed by these masked men causes those who identify as queer to hide in order to maintain their own safety. By doing this, Hozier wants to shock the audience, develop a more aware community, and break down those institutional norms in order to help create a more inclusive and safe place for those who identify as queer/LGBT.

Creating a safe environment for the LGBT community is an important topic within Hozier’s music video. In Cohen’s “Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare Queens: The Radical Potential of Queer Politics?”, she discusses that those who are queer need an environment of safety to allow a fluidity of their identities. Without a safe environment, the people who don’t identify in a heteronormative way will be stifled. This idea of a safe place is referenced in Hozier’s lyrics for “Take Me to Church” in the stanza “My Church offers no absolutes. / She tells me, 'Worship in the bedroom.' / The only heaven I'll be sent to / Is when I'm alone with you—”. The lyrics here discuss how even though the couple in the video may be shunned by the church itself (since they aren’t technically holding true to religious texts by sleeping with one another), they feel safe only when they’re together alone where the outside world cannot look in on their non-normative lifestyle.

Although the church is supposed to be viewed as a safe place, it is only accepting of those who are considered normal. As McRuer discussed "normalcy", he refers to the idea that living a normal life is a choice. Since the church only accepts normal people, it is assuming that normalcy is a choice and that queers are intentionally choosing this lifestyle -- creating the illusion that it is the queer persons fault for not fitting in and therefore not  being able to reside in the church as their "safe place."

Furthermore, we chose to utilize Doty's third and fifth definitions of queer to describe this work:

3. To describe the non straight work, positions, pleasures, and readings of people who don’t share the same “sexual orientation” as the text they are producing or responding to (Doty 6-7).
5. To describe non straight things that are not clearly marked as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual or transgendered, but that seem to suggest or allude to one or omore of these categories,often in a vague confusing, or incoherent manner (Doty 7).

These definitions of queer describe figures that are going against heteronorms and also address non straight works either produced or read by folks who are not queer identified. We feel that Hozier's song was targeted towards straight people, mainly those who are members of the church. It was targeted to show how even when queers try to "fit in" with society, they are often banished. Hozier, not identifying as gay himself, describes how even when queers try to fit into the "normal" lifestyle created by society they are always pushed away. For example, when he says "I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife" shows how even when queers try to conform to the ways of the church and the ways of "normal" society they are continually left out.

After viewing the interview with Hozier about the music video, he claims the video was in response to the anti-gay Russian laws that forbid homosexual relationships within Russia. Taking the video into context with this new knowledge, it’s apparent that even though the song is centered around a church, he is invested in opening up a discussion about establishments that reinforce the ideals of heteronormativity. The depiction of the men, who are clearly representative of the homophobic populace, imagines them as masked men. These masks are used to hide behind the institutions that push these ideals, a mask that allows the attackers to disconnect their own consciousness from the acts they are performing against the gay community and projecting it on the institution they are representing instead. It removes a lot of human interaction from the act of violence.

Discussion Questions:

• Why is there an apparent disconnect between video and lyrics (video references two men while lyrics reference a woman)?
• What would be a safe place for gays since many heterosexuals find comfort and safety in the church, but queers are rejected from the church therefore rejected from their "safe place"?
• What is the significance of the chained box in the video? Why was it buried? Why was it attempted to be opened and then thrown in the fire?

The Eroticism and Feminism of The Pussycat Dolls

In their 2006 music video for the single “I Don’t Need A Man”, The Pussycat Dolls present their feelings toward having men in their lives, specifically their ability to enjoy life without them. While The Pussycat Dolls may perform in the video wearing suggestive and revealing clothing in a way to entice their male audience, lyrics such as “I see you looking at me / like I got something that’s for you” gives the understanding that although they are dressed this way, no man is entitled to them. While this may not necessarily be a progressive way of thinking for the time, it still is an example of women being empowered and in control not only of their own bodies, but in their standards of relationships, They won’t be subtle about it because they “don’t ever want to leave you confused”. In the video, there are few scenes of all the girls together and even in those scenes, they aren’t interacting with each other much. Although the video alludes to ideas of heterosexuality and heteronormativity, most the lyrics themselves point to queer as Doty had described as well as Lorde’s depiction of the Erotic.

        The erotic in itself stems from the power of deep, unrecognized or unexpressed feelings (Lorde 53). The Pussycat Dolls, in their song “I Don’t Need A Man”, explicitly state their opinions on the assumed necessity of having a man in their lives, taking care of them and providing pleasure. As Lorde described it, the erotic thrives from the oppression of the power of feeling that would allow the oppressed to thrive and bring about change. We see in the instance of the song that men are the source of oppression of their previously unexpressed feelings. In the lyrics of the chorus, they say they “don’t need a man to make it happen.”  What “it” actually refers to is kept vague. The following line refers to how they “get off being free.” This may suggest some level of sexual satisfaction, but it can also be seen in a broader spectrum as their ability to do all the things that men are typically ‘supposed to do.’  This is part of the embodiment of the erotic as we have discussed in class in that it deals with passion and the ability to be content by oneself. They continue by saying that they “don’t need a man to make [them] feel good” which is again paired with getting off from doing their own thing. Pleasure here seems to strongly suggest some form of sexual or sensual satisfaction, which they are in complete control over. This self-control of pleasure also satisfies our discussion in class, allowing the erotic to further be put into the context of this song.

In addition to Lorde’s erotic, this music video can be seen as queer under Doty’s fifth definition of queer, “To describe non-straight things that are not clearly marked as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transexual, or transgendered, but that seem to suggest or allude to one or more of these categories, often in a vague, confusing, or incoherent manner...”(7) The Pussycat Dolls present as traditionally female from their outfits (skirts, dresses, exposed bras, and feminine shirts) to the props that they use (hair dryer, makeup and mirror, and hair salon drying chairs). And since they conform to gender norms due to compulsory heterosexuality, they are read as heterosexual. Yet even the name of the song “I Don’t Need A Man” opens the question: Are they not in need of a man as a sexual partner, or are they not in need of any partner at all? If they still need someone, as suggested in the line “I want a love that’s for real”, then do they need a woman or someone of another gender? There is a grey area concerning the sexuality of these women, which suggests the possibility of both bisexuality and asexuality. (Though Doty did not include asexuality it naturally fits with the rest of the list and we feel it fits with the definition of queer.)

In conclusion, a queer reading of this text is beneficial in analyzing feminism and queerness in pop music. When viewing a video or other forms of media, we tend to analyze in terms of our personal views, using ourselves as a template for understanding. Looking at this as a queer reading expands one's view to include different perspectives. As mentioned previously, it is a possibility that some lesbians could look to this video as inspiration or support. The video also encourages women to practice self-reliance, made obvious by the title, but also the lyrics- "I don't need a man to make me feel good, I get off doing my thing." It gives women the message that it is possible to be happy without a man, and there is power behind independent women, but also more power in multiple independent women. The women in the video flip their hair in unison as they proudly proclaim their liberation from the patriarchy.

1. While this video may be considered feminist, when it comes to other works by The Pussycat Dolls, can we consider them a feminist group? Does the same apply to considering them a queer group?

Other videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWyvMerss4w&list=UUiA9R5n9sR06RgGGigkY5RA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S97MaG3kOMY&list=UUiA9R5n9sR06RgGGigkY5RA&index=8

2. Is it fair to expand Doty’s definition of Queer to include other sexualities, genders, and gender expression, or are we limited to what Doty explicitly states?
   
   
3. How does this song and video compare to Marina and the Diamonds’ video for How To Be a Heartbreaker in terms of a female’s relationship to men? What about the video for Blurred Lines? How is sexualization used differently in the Pussycat Dolls’ video?

Audre Lorde and Pitch Perfect: Female Eroticism through Mutual Empowerment (Group 3)

            The movie Pitch Perfect was released in 2012. It follows the story of Beca, a freshman at Barden University, who joins the female-only acapella group called The Bellas. During her experience with The Bellas, she finds encouragement in her companionship with another group member named Chloe. The pair frequently share moments of suggestive interaction throughout the movie. Chloe singles Beca out for solicitation in a crowd of students, Chloe excitedly makes time on stage for Beca’s audition, and there are frequent physical demonstrations of affection such and caressing, hugging, and forehead touching. In this post, the focus will be on the arguably most sensually charged scene between the couple. Early in the film, Beca and Chloe interact in the shower. 

            Beca is singing alone and is interrupted by Chloe who praises her voice and seeks to bring out a sense of confidence and joy within Beca over her talents. Chloe ultimately hopes to draw Beca closer to Chloe and, by extension, The Bellas. This scene showcases well Audre Lorde’s concept of erotic in her article “Uses of the Erotic.”

            “When I speak of the erotic, then, I speak of it as an assertion of the lifeforce of women; of that creative energy empowered, the knowledge and use of which we are now reclaiming” (55). Here, Lorde describes the erotic potential within women as an experience of creative energy. It’s a means of presenting oneself as the authority over one’s sensual identity as expressed through “our language, our history, our dancing, our loving, our work, our lives” (55). The shower scene demonstrates a connection between two nude women through a shared creative energy. Beca is able to overcome her vulnerability – as Lorde would say, her fear of the yes within herself – and is able to recognize and act on the desire within herself (58).

            Another major aspect of Lorde’s “Uses of the Erotic” is her understanding of joy as it connects with the erotic. “The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding” (56). When Chloe shares her musical joy with Beca, she “lessens the threat of their difference” by creating that bridge of understanding between them. Their shared experience of the song Titanium by David Guetta and Sia – a song which  Chloe describes as her “lady jam,” a euphemism for masturbation, which brings overt sexuality into the interaction – is a way to solidify similarities in a sensual and intimate way.

            In addition to the shared experience of joy being grounds for an erotic relationship, Lorde stresses the importance of a capacity for joy. Calling it “open and fearless,” she believes the potential for experiencing joy within oneself is “another important way in which the erotic connection functions” (56). Chloe exudes an understanding of her own capacity for joy. She is bubbly and friendly and reaches out to others to unlock that potential for deep happiness. Because Chloes finds strength in her own capacity for joy and finds strength and confidence in that knowledge, she desires to awaken that in those around her. Her pursuit of Beca in this context suggests that Chloe seeks to arouse the same confidence in Beca.

            The nudity in this scene is not presented as pornographic. It is a definite expression of intimacy and vulnerability and, as the scene progresses, both characters accept the other’s level of exposure. The trust achieved in that shared safe space isn’t breached by either women but instead by the male presence at the end of the scene. Even with Beca’s final non-verbal reminder to Chloe that she is nude and Chloe’s response of “I’m pretty confident of all this” and motions to her body followed by Beca’s statement of “You should be,” neither women is made to feel like a sexual object within each other’s gaze. Lorde calls pornography “a direct denial of the power of the erotic, for it represents the suppression of true feeling. Pornography emphasizes sensation without feeling” (54). Pornography is a tool utilized by men to actively deny the erotic lifeforce of women. “It has been made into the confused, the trivial, the psychotic, the plasticized sensation” (54). When the two women in the scene are interrupted by the man, they become hyper aware of their nudity through his gaze. Chloe’s capacity and desire to share joy fluctuates as she becomes anxious and flighty. Beca raises her voice in obvious discomfort and irritation. This return of a male presence in their immediate proximity returns the women to “the fear that we cannot grow beyond whatever distortions we may find within ourselves [that] keeps us docile and loyal and obedient, externally defined, and leads us to accept many facets of our oppression as women” (58). By reevaluating their nudity after being viewed by a male gaze, the women resign themselves reluctantly to being defined by this external source as desirable for their nakedness and not for their talents.

                        Study Questions

1. We mentioned that other scenes in this film could arguably exemplify their intimacy and relationship. Using this video (hyperlink this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6e7ekhjJzE ), expand on their dynamic. Is the shower scene a one-off expression of queerness, or can the entire film be read with a queer relationship between these two characters in mind?

2. Adrienne Rich's concept of a lesbian continuum, a broad range in which female experiences and interactions can be experienced, could also be used to identify the sense of queerness shared between Chloe and Beca. What other definitions of 'queer' could be applied to this scene and relationship?

3. Could this scene be read as empowering? Does female nudity without shame or objectification inherently convey a sense of empowerment? What about power? Is there a sense of one of these women holding power in this scene?

4. In what ways does the entrance of a male character at the end of the scene adjust the meaning of their interaction? If it is a contrast to the dynamic Chloe and Beca and created, why?

                        Other Links

Brittany Snow comments on queerness in Pitch Perfect in this interview.

Rebel Wilson comments on queerness in Pitch Perfect in this interview.