Illustration of gay princesses from a point-in-click game designed by the creator of
Girly seemed appropriate.
In a bizarre twist, Entertainement Weekly published an article asking if Merida, the main character of Pixar's new film, is gay.
Huh. Okaaay.
This article is a prime example of having a point of view that's really interesting, but expressed oddly. The article claims that Merida might be gay because she breaks the conventionally accept gender roles of
5th century Scotland. Because she breaks gender roles that both straight and gay suffragettes wanted changed in the 1900's, and that women still need to challenge today in many, many countries to get more rights, more freedom.
Let's get this straight, EW. What you article has demonstrated, simply and fully, how gender roles are ingrained in our brains. If someone refuses a gender role, there has to be a deeper reason then just "I don't want it." What Merida wants is more freedom and a better relationship with her parents, which are desires that could indeed be associated to the struggles of a homosexual adolescent with his new identity. But refusing to be blindly obedient, meek and marrying boys you never met doesn't mean you are gay, necessarily. It means you have common sense. Sure, some girls do want, and are, those things. But they are usually raised as such. Merida was raised to be clever and artistic by her mother, which made her intelligent, and to be a fighter by her father. Combine these two elements, cleverness and strength, and yeah, you get someone who usually doesn't take someone else's bullshit.
Don't get me wrong, i'd love if Merida would be gay. In all honesty, I look forward to the day where we will have an openly gay and cleverly written character on a kid's show. Yeah, I know, there's Marge's sister on the Simpsons that got a pretty great episode. But a show that's really for kids, not just animated and therefore watched by kids. But I don't think this is it. The point of the movie isn't that she is challenging gender roles because she doesn't want them. The point is that she doesn't know what she wants yet and doesn't want to be forced into anything. This movie is about challenging gender roles and about finding your place among your family and confirming your identity to the world. I can see how this may serve as a metaphor for budding homosexuality. But if anything, this movie could be a metaphor for anyone challenging a social convention.
And considering people are either angry or putting on a pedestal the fact that teen Merida stays single, methinks we still have a lot of social conventions to break.
Not a bad article, Entertainement Weekly. But a strange analysis. Some gay people also follow gender roles. There's a difference between sexual attraction and social attitude.
Still looking forward to a real gay princess. But appreciating the move forward for women in cinema.
- Isa
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